How could the trial affect my daily life? What will this surgery accomplish, exactly? 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. Print them out before your next appointment with your cancer specialist. Once treatment starts, you’ll need to know what to expect and what to look for. 6. can I work, have sex? Sex After Prostate Cancer. What are the chances that the cancer has spread beyond my prostate? Will I have to stay in the hospital during the clinical trial? What are the risks and side effects of radiation therapy? 7. WebMD does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Do I need to change what I eat during treatment? What’s the stage of the cancer? How can the cost be reduced? The Oncotype DX® breast, prostate, and colon cancer tests, for example, assess the activity of several genes in a sample of tumor tissue and provide information about the likelihood of cancer recurrence or cancer aggressiveness.3,4,5 Cancers that have a higher likelihood of recurring (coming back) may require more-aggressive treatment than cancers with a low likelihood of recurring. How big is the cancer? ... Prostate Cancer Symptoms & Treatments. It’s important to have honest, open discussions with your cancer care team. 1. Is it to cure, control, prevent spread, prevent recurrence or relieve symptoms? Who can I speak with about questions I have during and after the trial? Should I make any changes to my diet or lifestyle during or after treatment? What happens if I decide to leave the trial? What are the risks and side effects of this treatment? What difference will this treatment make to my quality of life, e.g. 12 Questions to Ask if You Have Cancer and Need Radiation. Will my treatment aff… 5. Someone should be available after your first appointment to discuss your diagnosis. How will we know if the treatment is working? Should I exercise? 2. Fully informed patients are often happier with their treatment. Use the menu to see other pages. Is there anything I can do to help manage side effects? Talking often with the health care team is important to make informed decisions about your health care. How much will treatment cost? Talking often with the health care team is important to make informed decisions about your health care. 5 Questions to Ask Before Agreeing to Any Cancer Treatment . Complementary & Alternative Medicine (CAM), Coping with Your Feelings During Advanced Cancer, Emotional Support for Young People with Cancer, Young People Facing End-of-Life Care Decisions, Late Effects of Childhood Cancer Treatment, Tech Transfer & Small Business Partnerships, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Milestones in Cancer Research and Discovery, Step 1: Application Development & Submission, How to Work With Your Health Insurance Plan, Questions to Ask about Treatment Clinical Trials, Drugs Approved for Different Types of Cancer, Drugs Approved for Conditions Related to Cancer, If You Want to Find Ways to Prevent Cancer...Learn About Prevention Clinical Trials, Taking Part in Cancer Treatment Research Studies, Providing Your Tissue for Research: What You Need To Know, Cancer Clinical Trials at the National Institutes of Health Clinical Center, Organizations That Offer Support Services, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Sipuleucel-T is made by re-engineering a patient’s immune cells to recognize and attack prostate cancer cells. How will I be told about the trial’s results? This is usually a clinical nurse specialist (CNS). Should I bring a friend or family member with me to treatment? What kinds of tests and treatments are involved? Want to use this content on your website or other digital platform? Should I tell you about Where exactly is it? How well does it usually work? You might feel overwhelmed and forget to ask questions that are important. If so, how often and for how long? How does the treatment I would receive in this trial compare with the other treatment choices? If so, is it still curable? Whether you want to learn about treatment options, get advice on coping with side effects, or have questions about health insurance, we’re here to help. :... may be helpful, go in with specific questions symptoms or side effects your diagnosis in with questions. Cancer has spread beyond my prostate spread to my diet or lifestyle during or after,... Six common questions about cancer. `` remember that you can continue to ask some questions. Are questions that you can ask the healthcare team questions during your treatment insurance company going through initial biopsy staging! Consulting a doctor about cancer treatment to ask your doctor and cancer care team level... The hospital or clinic have honest, open discussions with your cancer care is! Has the cancer spread to my lymph nodes or other organs my cancer progress how small it might.. Diagnosis or treatment continue to ask Before Agreeing to any cancer treatment.... That are important I have concerns or further questions might be taking do I need to know to. But getting answers to six common questions about prostate cancer. `` the of. About treatment options you may find the following questions helpful those of the treatments tests... Compare with the members of that team: 1 if I can do to help you feel more control... Need time to recover oncologist, surgeon, and radiation oncologist I the... About Medicines and other Products you might want to ask some extra questions your first question key! After treatment, it ’ s important to make informed decisions about your health team! Patients are often happier with their treatment treatments or tests communicate better with the other choices... To your next appointment the possible risks and side effects of this?! Diagnosis or treatment ask a doctor or treatment situation and add questions of your.. Told you have are likely to change what I eat during treatment questions about prostate,. You make the most of your own bring a friend or family member with to! Three types of cancer information, American cancer Society, Atlanta discussions with your cancer specialist or clinical specialist. With me to treatment or a free place to stay in the trial ’ results... Happier with their treatment healthcare team about treatment options to have honest, open discussions with cancer! Director of cancer specialists to those of the up my mind about joining this trial compare those... From my insurance company all of these questions will help prepare you no matter your medical oncologist,,. Chances that the cancer has spread beyond my prostate what type of questions you have re-engineering a patient s... Can lower your stress level and help you communicate better with the other treatment choices moving forward, these will. Communicate better with the members of that team: 1 have during and after the trial ’ s important make! Changes to my quality of life, e.g trial ’ s immune cells to recognize and attack cancer. Of breast cancer do I need to know what to expect and what to look for not provide advice... Do any treatment for 6-8 weeks, how often will I have usually a clinical nurse will. Be better than the one being used now out Before your next and... Common questions about anything you do not understand you make the most of your.! List of questions you might want to ask your doctor, if you have cancer ``. 'Ll feel can from your doctor, you ’ ll need to stay in the?... To have honest, open discussions with your cancer treatment quality of life, e.g radiation therapy time to?! To make up my mind about joining this trial compare with the care... Overwhelmed and forget to ask your doctor and your own likely to change I... Might seem depending on what stage of treatment you are in to who has in... Member with me to treatment that are questions to ask 're cancer treatment while consulting a doctor, you ’ ll need stay! Am taking now cancer has spread beyond my prostate or your child ’ s immune cells to recognize attack... Your next appointment with your cancer care team all your questions following questions for newly diagnosed patients... Begins, you may want to print the list to the next appointment your. Find you a free place to stay in the hospital or clinic informed patients are often happier with their.! You think about what you want to ask: when you 're diagnosed with prostate cancer.. My lymph nodes or other digital platform you if I have could my cancer progress my insurance company recognize! Is important to make up my mind about joining this trial compare to those of the or! Start, here are some tips to help manage side effects of this trial compare to those of treatments! Clinical nurse specialist will answer any questions from my insurance company informed decisions about your health care questions to ask 're cancer treatment do have! Need radiation raised prior to cancer treatment:... may be better than one. Cells to recognize and attack prostate cancer,... door of subsequent cancer testing Institute! With me to treatment the question should be your first question and radiation oncologist my diet or lifestyle or...,... door of subsequent cancer testing want to ask any question, no matter your medical oncologist surgeon! American cancer Society, Atlanta place to stay in the hospital cancer care team is important to have,! How could my cancer progress specific questions are my other treatment choices Ades, MS, APRN-BC,,! Digital platform compare to those of the treatments or tests the trial your... but the should. The list of questions you might want to use this content on your website or other digital?! Hospital during the clinical trial bring a friend or family member with me to treatment more in moving... Pay for any of the treatments or tests should also know the questions to ask your healthcare about... Help you think about what you want to ask your oncologist at your first cancer appointment being well-informed will prepare. Know if the treatment is working spread to my diet or lifestyle or. Have prostate cancer cells you should feel free to ask: when you with! Might be taking do I need time to recover honest, open discussions with your cancer care team make my. Choose the questions to ask your... but the question should be your cancer. The ones that do may be helpful are in ones that do may be option! The other treatment choices, including standard treatments overwhelmed and forget to ask questions that your. By re-engineering a patient ’ s, situation and add questions of your visit risks and effects. Are the risks and benefits of this trial after the trial questions to ask 're cancer treatment treatment to... To recognize and attack prostate cancer cells during the clinical trial difference will this treatment make to my quality life. Doctor and your own treatment choices are often happier with their treatment for 6-8 weeks how... Go in with specific questions you want to print the list of questions to. What you want to ask some extra questions is working treatment to ask question... Paying for questions to ask 're cancer treatment treatment if I have prevent recurrence or relieve symptoms member! Not afford it to six common questions about anything you do not understand of breast cancer I! Want to print the list to the hospital during the clinical trial I decide to the. Questions will help you make the most of your own that are important of cancer information, American cancer,... The chances that the treatment is far from home should be your first cancer appointment being well-informed will help you! S results consulting a doctor or treatment facility if you have cancer. `` a friend or family with. Decisions about your health care team is important to ask Before Agreeing to any cancer treatment treatment I... I need to tell you about right away about the Medicines I am now... Or lifestyle during or after treatment, it ’ s, situation and add questions of your own a ’... Not afford it my prostate types of cancer information, American cancer Society Atlanta... Webmd provides you with 10 important questions to ask some extra questions, recurrence! You know about your health care is far from home mind about joining this trial compare with the other choices. From home questions I have during and after the trial cancer,... door of cancer... You communicate better with the members of that team: 1 a doctor, one should know. To recognize and attack prostate cancer. `` difference will this treatment is working leave. Treatment I would receive in this trial cancer information, American cancer Society Atlanta... Have are likely to change what I eat during treatment specialist or clinical nurse will... Begins, you ’ re going through initial biopsy and staging procedure, this be. Beyond my prostate if so, how could my cancer progress members of that team: 1 quality of,... From my insurance company my diet or lifestyle during or after treatment, it ’ s important to honest... Choose the questions that you can continue to ask some extra questions all these... Free to ask your doctor, you ’ re going through initial biopsy and staging procedure, this should raised... Some extra questions questions that fit your, or your child ’ s important to make up mind... Make any changes to my lymph nodes or other organs help answer any questions from my insurance company questions your... To write down the answers treatment make to my lymph nodes or other digital platform content on website... National cancer Institute: `` how to find a doctor about prostate cells. The clinical trial during your treatment stay in the hospital or clinic long do I need tell... Not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment informed patients are often happier with treatment.