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:

Before diagnosis/prevention and screening

• What type of prostate cancer screening schedule do you recommend for me, based on my individual medical profile and family history?
  
  
• Are there any changes I can make to my diet that can help me lower my risk of prostate cancer?

After a diagnosis of prostate cancer

• What type of prostate cancer do I have?
  
  
• What stage and grade is my prostate cancer, and 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?
  
  
• What treatment plan do you recommend and why?
  
  
• What is the goal of this treatment?
  
  
• What are the possible side effects of each treatment option, both in the short term and the long term?
  
  
• What experience do you have in treating this type of cancer?
  
  
• How will this treatment affect my daily life? Will I be able to work, exercise, and perform my usual activities?
  
  
• Will this treatment affect my fertility (ability to produce children)?
  
  
• Could this treatment affect my sex life?
  
  
• If I’m worried about managing the costs related to my cancer care, who can help me with these concerns?
  
  
• What type of recovery should I expect following treatment?
  
  
• What follow-up care tests will I need, and how often will I need them?
  
  
• What support services are available to me? To my family?