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 is my diagnosis?
  
  
• Can you explain my pathology report (laboratory test results) to me?
  
  
• What phase is the CML in?
  
  
• Can you recommend a leukemia specialist?
  
  
• Where is the best place for me to be treated?
  
  
• What are my options for treatment?
  
  
• Am I a candidate for an ALLO stem cell transplant, and when should it be considered?
  
  
• What clinical trials are open to me?
  
  
• What treatment do you recommend? Why?
  
  
• What are the pros and cons of each option?
  
  
• What are the goals of this treatment?
  
  
• What is my chance of remission and long-term benefit, including cure?
  
  
• Do I need to start treatment right away?
  
  
• What are the possible side effects of this treatment, both in the short term and long term?
  
  
• 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 managing the costs related to my cancer care, who can help me with these concerns?
  
  
• Will this treatment affect my fertility (ability to have a child or maintain a pregnancy)? If so, can you recommend a fertility specialist before treatment begins?
  
  
• What are the risks of trying to conceive a child while taking a tyrosine kinase inhibitor (such as imatinib, dasatinib, and nilotinib)?
  
  
• What follow-up tests will I need, and how often will I need them?
  
  
• What support services are available to me? To my family?