Questions to Ask the Doctor

Regular communication with your doctor is important for making informed decisions about your health care. Consider asking the following questions of your doctor:

• What type of leukemia do I have?
  
  
• Can you explain my pathology report (laboratory rest results) to me?
  
  
• How will the cancer develop? Is it possible to slow or delay this development?
  
  
• Is it curable?
  
  
• How can my symptoms be controlled?
  
  
• What are my treatment options?
  
  
• What clinical trials are open to me?
  
  
• What treatment do you recommend and 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?
  
  
• If I’m worried about managing the costs related to my medical care, who can help me with these concerns?
  
  
• How can I keep myself as healthy as possible during and after treatment?
  
  
• What follow-up tests will I need, and how often will I need them?
  
  
• What support services are available to me? To my family?