ON THIS PAGE: You will find some questions to ask your child's doctor or other members of your child's 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 the health care team is important 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 and your child. 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 leukemia has been diagnosed?

• What subtype of AML has been diagnosed? What does this mean?

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

Questions to about choosing a treatment and managing side effects

• What are the treatment options?

• What clinical trials are available for my child? Where are they located, and how do I find out more about them?

• 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, 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 he or she 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 I talk with a fertility specialist before 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 my family has questions or problems, who should I call?

Questions to ask about your child’s treatment plan

• What chemotherapy will my child receive?

• Should my child receive stem cell/bone marrow transplantation? Why or why not?

• Will my child receive radiation therapy?

• How long will my child need to stay in the hospital?

• What is the goal of each treatment?

• How long will it take to give each treatment?

• What side effects can my child expect during each treatment? How will they be relieved or managed?

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

• What can be done to relieve or manage the side effects in the long term?

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

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 he or she need them?

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

• 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 some more resources on this website that may be helpful to you. Use the menu to choose a different section to read in this guide.