ON THIS PAGE: You will find some questions to ask your child's doctor or other members of the health care team, to help you better understand your child’s diagnosis, treatment plan, and overall care. Use the menu to see other pages.

Talking often with your health care team to make informed decisions about your child’s health care. These suggested questions are a starting point to help you learn more about your child's cancer care and treatment. You are also encouraged to ask additional questions that are important to you. You may want to print this list and bring it to your child’s next appointment. It may also be helpful to ask a family member or friend to come with you to appointments to help take notes

Questions to ask after getting a diagnosis

• What type of lymphoma has been diagnosed?

• What subtype of Hodgkin lymphoma does my child have?

• What is the stage of the disease? What is the risk grouping?

• Can you explain my child’s pathology report (laboratory test results) to me?

Questions to ask about choosing a treatment and managing side effects

• What are my child’s treatment options?

• What types of research are being done for Hodgkin lympoma in clinical trials? Do clinical trials offer additional treatment options for my child?

• What treatment plan do you recommend? Why?

• What is the goal of each treatment? Is it to eliminate the cancer, help my child feel better, or both?

• What are the possible side effects of this treatment plan, both in the short term and the long term?

• Who will be part of my child’s health care team, and what does each member do?

• Who will be leading my child’s overall treatment?

• How will this treatment affect my child’s daily life? Will they be able to attend school and perform their usual activities?

• Could this treatment affect my child’s ability to become pregnant or have children in the future? If so, should my family talk with a fertility specialist before cancer treatment begins?

• If I’m worried about managing the costs of cancer care, who can help me?

• What support services are available to my child? To my family?

• If I have questions or problems, who should I call?

Questions to ask about having therapies using medications

• What type of treatment, or combination of treatments, is recommended?

• What is the goal of this treatment?

• How long will it take to give this treatment?

• Will my child receive this treatment at a hospital or clinic? Or will they take it at home?

• What side effects can we expect during my child's treatment?

• Who should I contact about any side effects my child experiences? And how soon?

• What are the possible long-term or late effects of having this treatment?

• What can be done to prevent or relieve the side effects?

Questions to ask about having radiation therapy

• What type of radiation therapy is recommended?

• What is the goal of this treatment?

• How long will it take to give this treatment?

• What side effects can we expect during my child's treatment?

• Who should I contact about any side effects my child experiences? And how soon?

• What are the possible long-term or late effects of having this treatment?

• What can be done to prevent or relieve the side effects?

Questions to ask about planning follow-up care

• What is the chance that the cancer will come back? Should I watch for specific signs or symptoms?

• What long-term side effects or late effects are possible based on the cancer treatment my child received?

• What follow-up tests will my child need, and how often will those tests be needed?

• How do I get a treatment summary and survivorship care plan to keep in my child's personal records?

• When should my child return to their primary care doctor for regular medical care?

• Who will be leading my child’s follow-up care?

• What survivorship support services are available to my child? To my family?

The next section in this guide is Additional Resources. It offers more resources on this website that may be helpful to you. Use the menu to choose a different section to read in this guide.