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 esophageal cancer do I have?
  
  
• Is the cancer located only in my esophagus?
  
  
• What is the stage of the disease? What does this mean?
  
  
• Can you explain my pathology report (laboratory test results) to me?
  
  
• What are my treatment options?
  
  
• What clinical trials are open to me?
  
  
• Are there local radiation therapy and surgery options to treat my cancer?
  
  
• Is surgery required as part of therapy of my localized esophageal cancer?
  
  
• How experienced is the surgeon with this type of surgery?
  
  
• Can chemotherapy control the cancer?
  
  
• What is the goal of each treatment?
  
  
• What treatment, or combination of treatments, do you recommend? Why?
  
  
• What are the possible side effects of each 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 is my prognosis?
  
  
• What follow-up tests will I need, and how often will I need them?
  
  
• What support services are available to me? To my family?