© 2005-2012 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO). All rights reserved worldwide.
This section has been reviewed and approved by the Cancer.Net Editorial Board, 10/2011
Questions to Ask the Doctor Talking often with the doctor is important to make informed decisions about your health care. These suggested questions are a starting point to help you learn more about your cancer care and treatment. You are also encouraged to ask additional questions that are important to you.
- What type of thyroid cancer do I have?
- What experience do you have in treating this type of thyroid cancer?
- What is the stage of the cancer? What does this mean?
- What are my treatment options?
- What clinical trials are open to me?
- What treatment plan do you recommend? Why?
- Where can I get a second opinion?
- Do I need to make a treatment decision right away?
- Who will be part of my health care team, and what does each member do?
- Who will be coordinating my overall treatment and follow-up care?
- Is surgery recommended? If so, how much of my thyroid gland will be removed? Will lymph nodes be removed as well? What type of scar can I expect?
- Do I need other tests, such as an ultrasound, before surgery to determine the extent of the cancer?
- How experienced is the surgeon in this type of surgery?
- How long will I be in the hospital for the surgery?
- What can I expect during my recovery from this surgery?
- Will I need to take thyroid hormone pills following this surgery?
- Is radioactive iodine treatment recommended? Why or why not? If so, can you describe this procedure to me?
- Will I need to follow a low-iodine diet? If so, when and for how long?
- Will any of these treatments cause hypothyroidism? If so, what can I expect during this time?
- What are the short-term and long-term side effects of my treatment?
- 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 the costs related to my cancer care, who can help me with these concerns?
- If MTC is diagnosed, do I need a genetic test? Why or why not? Should family members be tested?
- What are the chances the cancer will recur?
- What follow-up tests will I need, and how often will I need them?
- Will I need to stop taking thyroid hormone replacement for these tests? If so, for how long and what can I expect during this time?
- What support services are available to me? To my family?