Questions to Ask the Doctor

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 that I have?
  
  
• Can you explain my pathology report (laboratory test results) to me?
  
  
• What is the stage of my cancer? What does this mean for treatment options?
  
  
• Should I see a genetic counselor?
  
  
• What are my treatment options?
  
  
• What clinical trials are open to me?
  
  
• 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?
  
  
• What are the chances that the cancer will come back?
  
  
• What is my prognosis?
  
  
• How can I keep myself as healthy as possible during treatment?
  
  
• What follow-up tests will be needed, and how often will I need them?
  
  
• What support services are available to me? To my family?