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:

• Is the tumor cancerous?
  
  
• What is the stage (or risk group) of the tumor? What does this mean?
  
  
• Can you explain my child’s pathology report (laboratory test results) to me?
  
  
• What is your familiarity with my child’s tumor type and its treatment?
  
  
• What treatment options are available to my child?
  
  
• What clinical trials are open to my child?
  
  
• What treatment do you recommend? Why?
  
  
• What are the chances for success with each treatment?
  
  
• What are the possible side effects of each 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 medical care, who can help me with these concerns?
  
  
• What follow-up tests will my child need, and how often will he or she need them?
  
  
• What support services are available to me? To my family?