© 2005-2012 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO). All rights reserved worldwide.
To learn more about your treatment options for stage IV NSCLC, consider asking your doctor the following questions:
- What type of lung cancer do I have?
- What is the stage of the cancer? What does this mean?
- What is my performance status? What does this mean?
- What are my treatment options?
- What clinical trials are open to me?
- Which treatment option do you recommend? Why?
- What are the benefits of this treatment?
- How will this treatment affect my daily life? Will I be able to work, exercise, and perform my usual activities?
- What are the names of the drugs, and how are they given?
- What are the side effects of each drug?
- What can be done to lessen these side effects?
- Will some of the side effects end when the treatment ends? Will some last longer?
- Can you or your team help me cope with the side effects of cancer if I decide not to receive chemotherapy, or when chemotherapy is no longer effective?
- How often will I need to visit the doctor to receive treatment, and how long will each visit take?
- Will I be able to go to and return from this treatment on my own, or should I arrange to have assistance?
- If I'm worried about managing the costs related to my cancer care, who can help me with these concerns?
- What support services are available to me? To my family?
- Are there any other concerns or issues I should address at this time?