Talking often with the doctor is important [2] to make informed decisions about your health care. These suggested questions are a starting point to help you learn more about your cancer care and treatment. You are also encouraged to ask additional questions that are important to you.

General questions:

• What is my diagnosis?
• What type of tumor is it? Is it cancerous?
• If benign, will it turn malignant?
• Can you explain my pathology report (laboratory test results) to me?
• What is the stage of this tumor? What does this mean?
• How often do you treat people with this type of tumor?
• Do I need treatment right away?
• What are my treatment options?
• What clinical trials are open to me?
• Who will be part of my health care team, and what does each member do?
• Who will be coordinating my overall treatment and follow-up care?
• What treatment plan do you recommend? Why?
• What are the advantages of combining surgery and chemotherapy and radiation therapy?
• Should I get a second opinion?
• What is the goal of each treatment?
• 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?
• Could this treatment affect my sex life? If so, how and for how long?
• Could this treatment affect my ability to become pregnant or have children? If so, should I talk with a fertility specialist before cancer treatment begins?
• If I'm worried about managing the costs related to my medical care, who can help me with these concerns?
• What is my prognosis (chance of recovery)?
• What changes to my appearance can I expect?
• Will I need to see a plastic surgeon?
• Will I need to see an ocularist (a person who makes prosthetic eyes) or an anaplastologist (a person who works with the surgery team to reconstruct the face)
• What follow-up tests will I need, and how often will I need them?

For people who need surgery:

• What side effects are possible from this type of surgery?
• Can you recommend an experienced surgeon?
• Will I need to stay in the hospital for this surgery? For how long?
• How will you and I be able to tell if the entire tumor was removed during surgery?
• Will I have problems with my vision afterwards? For how long?

For patients who need to have an eye removed:

• How do I adjust to using one eye?
• How long will it take me to recover?
• What rehabilitation services are available?
• How soon can I get a prosthesis (artificial eye)?
• When do I get a permanent prosthesis?
• How do I care for my prosthesis?

For people who need radiation therapy, chemotherapy, or immunotherapy:

• What kind of therapy will I receive?
• What does the preparation for this treatment involve?
• What is the risk to my vision with this treatment?
• What other short-term and long-term side effects can I expect from this treatment?
• How can you help relieve these side effects?

After treatment:

• What are the chances the cancer will return?
• What follow-up tests do I need, and how often do I need them?
• How closely will I need to be monitored?
• What support services are available to me? To my family?
• Whom do I call for questions or problems?