ON THIS PAGE: You will find some questions to ask your child's doctor or other members of the health care team to help you and your child better understand their diagnosis, treatment plan, and overall care. Use the menu to see other pages.

Talking often with the health care team is important to make informed decisions about your child’s health care. These suggested questions are a starting point to help you learn more about your child’s cancer care and treatment. You are also encouraged to ask additional questions that are important to your family. You may want to print this list and bring it to your child's next appointment. It may also be helpful to ask a family member or friend to come with you to appointments to help take notes.

Questions to ask after getting a diagnosis

• Can you explain my child’s pathology report (laboratory test results) and radiology reports (imaging test results) to me?

• What is the histology of the tumor? What does this mean?

• What is the stage of the tumor? What does this mean?

• Can you give me copies of these reports so I can have a record of them?

Questions to ask about choosing a treatment and managing side effects

• What are my child’s treatment options?

• What types of research are being done for Wilms tumor in clinical trials? Do clinical trials offer additional treatment options for my child?

• What treatment plan do you recommend? Why?

• What is the goal of each treatment? Is it to eliminate the cancer, help my child feel better, or both?

• What are the possible side effects of each treatment option, both in the short term and the long term?

• Who will be part of my child’s health care team, and what does each member do?

• Who will be leading my child’s overall treatment?

• How long will my child receive treatment?

• How will this treatment affect my child’s daily life? Will they be able to go to school and perform their usual activities?

• What should I do if my child has abdominal pain with vomiting?

• Will this treatment change how my child goes through puberty?

• Will this treatment affect my child’s dental care?

• Can my child play sports and, if so, which ones? Are there any precautions we need to take when they participate in sports?

• Could this treatment affect my child’s ability to become pregnant or have children in the future? If so, should we talk with a fertility specialist before treatment begins?

• If my child has children in the future, what is their child's risk of developing a Wilms tumor?

• If I’m worried about managing the costs of medical care, who can help me?

• What support services are available to my child? To my family?

• If we have questions or problems, who should I call?

Questions to ask about having surgery

• What type of surgery will my child have?

• How long will the operation take?

• How long will my child need to be in the hospital?

• Can you describe what the recovery from surgery will be like?

• Who should I contact about any side effects my child experiences? And how soon?

• What are the possible long-term or late effects of having this surgery?

• What can be done to prevent or relieve the side effects?

Questions to ask about having chemotherapy

• What type of treatment is recommended?

• What is the goal of this treatment?

• How long will it take to give this treatment?

• Will my child receive this treatment at a hospital or clinic? Or will they take it at home?

• What side effects can my child expect to experience during treatment?

• Will my child have pain or be uncomfortable while receiving this treatment?

• Who should I contact about any side effects my child experiences? And how soon?

• What are the possible long-term or late effects of having this treatment?

• What can be done to prevent or relieve these side effects?

Questions to ask about having radiation therapy

• What type of treatment is recommended?

• What is the goal of this treatment?

• How long will it take to give this treatment?

• Will my child receive this treatment at a hospital or clinic? Or will they take it at home?

• What side effects can my child expect to experience during treatment?

• Will my child have pain or be uncomfortable while receiving this treatment?

• Who should I contact about any side effects my child experiences? And how soon?

• What are the possible long-term or late effects of having this treatment?

• What can be done to prevent or relieve these side effects?

Questions to ask about planning follow-up care

• What is the chance that the tumor will come back? Should I watch for specific signs or symptoms?

• What long-term side effects or late effects are possible based on the treatment my child received?

• What follow-up tests will my child need, and how often will those tests be needed?

• How do I get a treatment summary and survivorship care plan to keep in my child’s personal records?

• When should my child return to their primary care doctor for regular medical care?

• Who will be leading my child’s follow-up care?

• How long will my child need follow-up care?

• What survivorship support services are available to my child? To my family?

The next section in this guide is Additional Resources. It offers more resources on this website that may be helpful to you. Use the menu to choose a different section to read in this guide.