ON THIS PAGE: You will find some questions to ask your doctor or other members of the health care team, to help you better understand your 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 health care. These suggested questions are a starting point to help you learn more about your care and treatment. You are also encouraged to ask additional questions that are important to you. You may want to print this list and bring it to your 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

• What type of Hodgkin lymphoma do I have?

• Can you explain my pathology report (laboratory test results) to me?

• Has my biopsy been reviewed by a pathologist who is an expert in lymphoma?

• What is the stage of my Hodgkin lymphoma? What is the subtype?

• What prognostic factors do I have? Are those factors good or poor? What does this mean?

Questions to ask about choosing a treatment and managing side effects

• How experienced are you in treating Hodgkin lymphoma?

• What are my treatment options?

• What clinical trials are available for me? Where are they located, and how do I find out more about them?

• What treatment plan do you recommend? Why?

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

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

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

• Who will be leading my overall treatment?

• Should I get a second opinion?

• What symptoms should I be most concerned about during treatment? When and how should I contact the health care team if they appear or get worse?

• 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?

• How can I stay as healthy as possible during treatment? Will taking supplements or changing my diet help improve my overall health?

• If I’m worried about managing the costs of cancer care, who can help me? What are the costs of fertility preservation (if needed)?

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

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

Questions to ask about having therapy using medication

• Which medication do you recommend?

• What is the goal of this treatment?

• What are the advantages and disadvantages of chemotherapy alone versus chemotherapy plus radiation treatment?

• Is immunotherapy an option for me?

• How often will I need to have treatment? For how long?

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

• How long will it take to give this treatment?

• What side effects can I expect during treatment?

• Who should I contact about any side effects I experience? And how soon?

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

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

Questions to ask about having radiation therapy

• What, if any, radiation treatment do you recommend? Why?

• What area(s) do you plan to treat?

• What is the goal of this treatment?

• How long will each treatment take? How many treatments will I get?

• What side effects can I expect during treatment?

• Who should I contact about any side effects I experience? And how soon?

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

• What special techniques will you use to help lower the risk of late effects of treatment?

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

Questions to ask about bone marrow/stem cell transplantation

• What type of transplant is recommended?

• What is the goal of this treatment?

• How long will I be in the hospital?

• Can you describe what my recovery will be like?

• Who should I contact about any side effects I experience? And how soon?

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

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

Questions to ask about planning follow-up care

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

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

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

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

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

• Who will be leading my follow-up care?

• What survivorship support services are available to me? 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.