Questions
1. Is there enough information to recommend a treatment plan for me? If not, which tests or procedures will be needed?
2. Who will be part of my health care team, and what does each member do?
3. Who will lead my overall treatment?
4. What is the goal of each treatment? Is it to eliminate the cancer, help me feel better, or both?
5. What can I do to get ready for treatment?
6. If I am worried about managing the costs of cancer care, who can help me? Who can help me understand what aspects of my care are covered by my insurance?
7. If I have questions or problems, who should I call?
8. Do you communicate with your patients by email or with an electronic health record system?
9. I have a strong family history of cancer; what is my chance of getting another cancer? How does that change my treatment options? Should I see a genetic counselor?
10. Do you have a social worker I can speak with?
11. What should I tell my employer, if anything, and what laws protect my rights as an employee?
12. What type of breast cancer do I have?
13. What is the size of my tumor?
14. What is the grade and stage of this disease? What does this mean?
15. What is the hormone status of my tumor? What does this mean?
16. What is my HER2 status? What does this mean?
17. Do you recommend any genomic testing of the tumor? What about tests to predict the risk of recurrence?
18. Do you share electronic records with my surgeon?
19. Do I need more tests to find out if there is cancer anywhere else in my body?
20. Do you recommend genetic testing and seeing a genetic counselor?
21. Do I need other treatment, such as chemotherapy or hormonal therapy?
22. What is chemotherapy? What is hormonal (endocrine) therapy? What is targeted therapy? What is immunotherapy?
23. What are my treatment options?
24. What clinical trials are available for me? Where are they located, and how do I find out more about them?
25. How will each treatment option benefit me? What are the risks?
26. What is the expected timeline for each treatment option?
27. What treatment plan do you recommend for me? Why?
28. When do I need to decide about starting additional treatment?
29. How does having reached (or not reached) menopause affect my treatment options?
30. What can I do to get ready for this treatment?
31. Should I bring someone with me to my chemotherapy treatment?
32. What are the potential side effects of each treatment?
33. Who should I contact about any side effects I experience? And how soon?
34. Will I lose my hair, and can I do anything to prevent hair loss?
35. What can be done to ease side effects?
36. Will this treatment affect my sex life? If so, how and for how long? Is there anything I can do to prevent or treat these effects?
37. Will this treatment affect my ability to have children (fertility)? Should I talk with a fertility specialist before treatment begins? Are there other treatments available that do not pose as high a risk to my fertility but are equally effective?
38. How much time do I have before I must start additional treatment?
39. Can I become pregnant while receiving chemotherapy or radiation therapy? What happens if I become pregnant during treatment? Is there a risk of birth defects and/or harm to the fetus and/or to me?
40. How long should I wait after cancer treatment before trying to have a child?
41. What lifestyle changes should I consider making during my treatment?
42. Do you recommend any nutritional supplements or changes to my diet?
43. Can I take herbal supplements during my treatment? Is there any risk?
44. How can I get a copy of my pathology report?
45. What are the chances my cancer will come back — or that I will develop another type of cancer?
46. Where can I find a support group?
47. Are there tumor profiling tests that can be done on my tumor to help decide whether I should have chemotherapy?
48. Why do I need chemotherapy?
49. When should I begin chemotherapy?
50. What drugs will I take and why were those chosen for me?
51. How will the chemotherapy be given? How many treatments will I have?
52. If I must go to the hospital for the treatment, how long will each treatment take? Will I need someone to go with me?
53. Are there medicines I can take to prevent or treat side effects?
54. Are there any complementary and integrative therapies that may help me cope with side effects?
55. During treatment, will I be able to continue my normal activities (work, exercise, etc.)?
56. How will we know if the treatment is working?
57. How can I reach you on nights, holidays, or weekends?
58. Will I need to change what I eat during treatment?
59. Are there any limits on what I can do?
60. Can I exercise during treatment? If so, what kind of exercise should I do, and how often?
61. Can you suggest a mental health professional I can see if I start to feel overwhelmed, depressed, or distressed?
62. Will I need special tests, such as imaging scans or blood tests? How often? How much experience do you have treating this type of cancer?
63. How long will treatment last? What will it be like? Where will it be done?
64. What should I do to get ready for treatment?
65. How will treatment affect my daily activities? Can I still work fulltime?
66. What are the chances the cancer will come back (recur) after this treatment?
67. What would we do if the treatment does not work or if the cancer comes back?
68. What if I have transportation problems getting to and from treatment?
69. Will I experience peripheral neuropathy, a loss of feeling in the hands and feet?
70. Am I likely to experience cognitive problems because of therapy? How long do they usually last?
71. Will treatment be painful or fatiguing? Will I experience nausea?
72. Do I need to limit my sun exposure?
73. What will I need to consider if I am pregnant when diagnosed?
74. Are there certain foods I should eat or avoid eating?
75. Am I likely to lose weight because of treatment? Should I increase my calorie intake?
76. Is exercise helpful or harmful?
77. What kinds of integrative healths — such as acupuncture, massage, and Reiki — might be helpful, and are there any I should avoid?
78. After my treatment has ended, what will my follow-up care plan be?
79. How often will I need to see a doctor?
80. What tests will I need?
81. How often will I need those tests?
82. Can I get copies of my laboratory test results?
83. How do I get a treatment summary and survivorship care plan to keep in my personal records?
84. Who will lead my follow-up care?
85. What survivorship support services are available to me? To my family?