Breast Cancer - Inflammatory

Regular communication with your doctor is important in making informed decisions about your health care. Consider asking the following questions of your doctor:

• What type of breast cancer do I have?
• What is the stage of my cancer?
• Can you explain my pathology report (laboratory test results) to me?
• What are my options for treatment?
• What clinical trials are open to me?
• Who will be part of my health care team, and what does each member do?
• Who is going to help coordinate my treatment and follow-up care?
• What treatment do you recommend? Why?
• What are the possible side effects of this treatment, both in the short term and the long term?
• How will this treatment affect my daily life? Will I be able to work, exercise, and perform my usual activities?
• If I'm worried about managing the costs related to my cancer care, who can help me with these concerns?
• Could this treatment affect my fertility (ability to have children in the future)? If so, are there other treatments available that do not pose as high a risk to my fertility but are equally effective?
• What are the chances that the cancer be successfully treated?
• How can I keep myself as healthy as possible during treatment?
• Now that you have examined me, am I a good candidate for reconstruction?
• What types of breast reconstruction options do I have?
• What are the advantages and disadvantages of each type?
• What are the chances the cancer will come back after treatment?
• Whom do I call for questions or problems?
• What follow-up tests will I need, and how often will I need them?
• What support services are available to me? To my family?

For additional questions, see the Guide to Breast Cancer.