What questions should I ask when diagnosed with cancer?
Cancer treatment
- What are my treatment options?
- Which treatment do you recommend and why?
- What’s the goal of my treatment?
- What side effects does this treatment have?
- How often will I have treatments? How long will they last?
- How should I prepare for treatment?
What is the best way to confirm a diagnosis of cancer?
In most cases, doctors need to do a biopsy to diagnose cancer. A biopsy is a procedure in which the doctor removes a sample of tissue. A pathologist looks at the tissue under a microscope and runs other tests to see if the tissue is cancer.
What questions should I ask my medical oncologist?
7 Key Questions to Ask Your Oncologist
- Where and when do you recommend getting a second opinion?
- What can I do to preserve my fertility?
- Is a clinical trial right for me?
- What should I do if I’m simply having trouble coming to grips with my diagnosis?
- What is the goal of my treatment?
- What will my treatment cost?
What happens at your first cancer appt?
At the first appointment, the oncologist will talk about treatment options. The doctor will explain which ones are available, how effective they are and what the side effects may be. Then the oncologist will recommend a course and talk about when the treatments should take place.
How can you tell if cancer has spread?
Some common signs of metastatic cancer include:
- pain and fractures, when cancer has spread to the bone.
- headache, seizures, or dizziness, when cancer has spread to the brain.
- shortness of breath, when cancer has spread to the lung.
- jaundice or swelling in the belly, when cancer has spread to the liver.
How do I prepare for an oncology appointment?
At the appointment, ask this:
- What kind of cancer do I have?
- What stage is it?
- Do I have to undergo any further diagnostic tests before we can begin treatment?
- Should I see a specialist?
- What are my treatment options?
- Which treatment or combination of treatments would you recommend and why?
How do I talk to an oncologist?
Improve Communication With Your Oncologist
- Establish goals for the conversation.
- Don’t ask “yes” or “no” questions.
- Listen and repeat.
- Don’t keep secrets.
- Be clear about what matters in your life.
- Don’t leave an appointment without “next steps.” This is especially true when we’re getting bad news.
How soon after being diagnosed with cancer does treatment start?
Cancer treatment should start very soon after diagnosis, but for most cancers, it won’t hurt to wait a few weeks to begin treatment. This gives the person with cancer time to talk about all their treatment options with the cancer care team, family, and friends, and then decide what’s best for them.
How long after cancer diagnosis does treatment start?
A new primary cancer If so, you should wait no more than 2 months (62 days) to start treatment. This time starts on the date that the hospital has received an urgent referral for suspected cancer. You might have to wait longer if you need extra tests to diagnose your cancer.
What are some good questions to ask the Doctor?
Learn about medical tests. Sometimes,doctors need to do blood tests,X-rays,or other procedures to find out what is wrong or to learn more about your medical condition.
What questions should I ask the Doctor?
How likely is my cancer to cause problems if I’m not treated right away?
What are good questions about cancer?
Qian CN,Zhang W,Xu RH. Defeating cancer: the 150 most important questions in cancer research and clinical oncology.
How do doctors tell you that you have cancer?
Local anesthesia,which causes loss of feeling in one small area of the body