Questions to Ask the Doctor

Regular communication with your child's doctor is important in making informed decisions about his or her health care. Consider asking the following questions of your child's doctor:

• What type of EFT has been diagnosed?
  
  
• Where exactly is the tumor located?
  
  
• Can you explain my child’s pathology report (laboratory test results) to me?
  
  
• What are the treatment options?
  
  
• What clinical trials are open to my child?
  
  
• What treatment plan do you recommend? Why?
  
  
• What chemotherapy will my child receive? How long and how frequently?
  
  
• Will my child receive radiation therapy?
  
  
• How can I best prepare my child for each treatment?
  
  
• How long will my child stay in the hospital?
  
  
• What are the possible side effects of this treatment, both in the short term and the long term?
  
  
• How will this treatment affect my child’s daily life? Will he or she be able to go to school and perform his or her usual activities?
  
  
• If I’m worried about managing the costs related to my child’s cancer care, who can help me with these concerns?
  
  
• Are there options to preserve my child's fertility prior to starting treatment, such as sperm storage (for boys)? Should we consult a fertility specialist?
  
  
• What follow-up tests will my child need, and how often will he or she need them?
  
  
• What support services are available to my child? To my family?