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If surgery is a treatment option for you, consider asking your cancer care team these questions.

Treatment details

• Exactly what will you do in this surgery?
• Will all the cancer be removed, or just some of it?
• What tests will be done on the tissue you take?
• Will I need other cancer treatments before or after surgery?
• Will I need tests or scans before or after surgery?
• How many surgeries like this have you done? Are you board-certified?
• Will my insurance pay for this? How much will I pay out-of-pocket?
• Are there any medicines or supplements I should avoid before surgery?

Treatment goals

• What are the chances the surgery will work?
• How will we know if it worked? What will we do if it doesn’t?
• What will happen if I don’t have the surgery?
• Do I have time to get a second opinion?

What to expect on the day of surgery

• How long will the surgery take?
• Will I need blood transfusions?
• Will I need to be in the hospital? If so, how long?
• Can a family member be with me before surgery? Who will update them during my surgery?

Anesthesia

• Do I have a choice about the type of anesthesia? What are the risks of each?
• How can I prevent or lower these risks?
• Am I healthy enough for anesthesia and surgery?
• Do I need any tests before having anesthesia?

What to expect after surgery

• How much pain will I have and how will it be managed?
• Will I have tubes (drains or catheters) coming out of my body?
• Will I have stitches, staples, or bandages? When will they be removed?
• How do I take care of the surgical area and/or any drains?
• Will I need help at home while I’m recovering? For how long?
• What should I eat and drink during my recovery?
• When can I start taking my regular medicines again?
• When can I return to work or other activities? What about exercise?

Side effects

• How will the surgery affect my body? Will any of the changes be permanent?
• Will I be able to have children?
• Will surgery affect sex for me? What can I do to help this?
• What other short- or long-term side effects might I have? How will we manage them?
• Are any side effects considered an emergency? What should I do if this happens?

Follow-up care

• What will my follow-up care be like?
• Will I need any cancer rehabilitation services?
• Is there anything I won’t be able to do after surgery?
• Should I talk with other health professionals about my recovery (e.g., registered dietitian, physical therapist, counselor?)

Reconstructive surgery

If you also plan to have reconstructive surgery, consider asking these additional questions.

• What are my options?
• What are the advantages and disadvantages of each?
• How many surgeries like this have you done? Can I see pictures?
• How soon after treatment can I have reconstruction?
• Can I wait if I don’t want to do it right away?
• What will my body look and feel like right after surgery?
• Will this change over time?
• If you are using tissue or grafts from another part of my body, how will that part feel or look after surgery? What are the risks?
• Will I need more surgery in the future?

Learn more about the role of surgery in cancer treatment.

If chemo is a treatment option for you, consider asking your cancer care team these questions.

Treatment details

• Which chemo do you recommend for me? Why?
• How much experience do you have with this type of treatment?
• Will chemo be my only cancer treatment? If not, what other treatments will I need?
• Will I get chemo before, during, or after the other treatments?
• Will I need any tests or scans before, during, or after treatment?
• How will the chemo be given to me?
• How often will I get it, and for how long?
• Will my insurance pay for this? How much will I pay out-of-pocket?
• Will my chemo dose change over time?

Treatment goals

• What is the goal of chemo for my cancer? What results should I expect?
• Are there other ways to get the same results?
• If I have chemo after surgery or radiation, will it kill any remaining cancer cells? Could chemo be used alone?
• What are the chances the chemo will work? How will we know if it’s working?
• What will we do if it doesn’t work?

Side effects

• What short- or long-term side effects might I have? How will we manage them?
• Do I need to take any special precautions?
• How will the dose or schedule impact my chance for side effects?
• Will treatment affect sex for me?
• Should I avoid having sex? If so, how long?
• Will I be able to have children after treatment? Should I see a fertility specialist?
• Are any side effects considered an emergency? What should I do if this happens?

How to prepare

• Where will I get chemo? How long will each treatment last?
• Will I need to take medicines at home?
• If yes, are there special instructions on how to handle or store the chemo? What should I do if I miss a dose?
• Will I need to change my diet? Can I drink alcohol?
• Can I take my other medicines, vitamins, and/or supplements?
• Will I need help at home during treatment?
• Will I be able to work or do other activities? Exercise?
• Should I talk with other health professionals (e.g., registered dietitian, physical therapist, counselor?)

Learn more about chemo for cancer treatment.

If radiation is a treatment option for you, consider asking your cancer care team these questions.

Treatment details

• What type of radiation therapy will I get?
• Will I get chemo or another treatment at the same time?
• Are there other treatment options?
• Where will I get treatment? How often and for how long?
• How much experience do you have with this type of treatment?
• How often will I follow up after treatment is complete?

Treatment goals

• What is the goal of radiation therapy for my type of cancer?
• Is the goal to destroy or shrink the tumor? To prevent or stop cancer spread? To lower the chance the cancer may come back?
• How will we know if treatment works?
• Will I need any tests or scans before, during, or after treatment?
• What is the chance that the cancer will spread or come back if I do (or don’t) get radiation therapy?

Side effects

• How will radiation make me feel?
• What short- or long-term side effects might I have? How will we manage them?
• How long could these side effects last?
• How will radiation affect the area near the cancer?
• Are any side effects considered an emergency? What should I do if this happens?
• Will treatment affect sex for me? Should I avoid having sex? If so, how long?
• Will I be able to have children after treatment?

How to prepare

• What will radiation treatment be like?
• What can I do to be ready?
• Will I be radioactive during or after my treatment?
• Will I need to take any special safety measures?
• Will I need to change my diet? Can I drink alcohol?
• Can I take my other medicines, vitamins, and/or supplements?
• Will I need help at home during treatment?
• Will I be able to work or do other activities? Exercise?
• Should I talk with other health professionals (e.g., registered dietitian, physical therapist, counselor?)

Learn more about the role of radiation therapy in cancer treatment.

If targeted therapy is a treatment option for you, consider asking your cancer care team these questions.

Treatment details

• Which targeted therapy do you recommend for me? Why?
• How much experience do you have with this type of treatment?
• Will targeted therapy be my only cancer treatment?
• If not, what other treatments will I need? Will I get targeted therapy before, during, or after the other treatments?
• Will I need any tests or scans before, during, or after treatment?
• How will the targeted therapy be given to me? How often and for how long?
• Will I need to take medicines at home?
• If yes, are there special instructions on how to handle or store them? What should I do if I miss a dose?

Treatment goals

• What is the goal of targeted therapy for my cancer? What results should I expect?
• Are there other ways to get the same results?
• What are the chances treatment will work? How will we know if it’s working?
• What will we do if targeted therapy doesn’t work?
• If I have targeted therapy after surgery or radiation, will it kill any remaining cancer cells? Could it be used alone?

Side effects

• What short- or long-term side effects might I have? How will we manage them?
• What special precautions do I need to take?
• How will the dose or schedule impact my chance for side effects?
• Will treatment affect sex for me? Should I avoid having sex? If so, for how long?
• Will I be able to have children after treatment?
• Are any side effects considered an emergency? What should I do if this happens?

How to prepare

• What can I do to get ready for treatment?
• Will I need to change my diet in any way? Can I drink alcohol?
• Can I take my other medicines, vitamins, and/or supplements?
• Will I need help at home during treatment?
• Will I be able to work or do other activities? Exercise?
• Should I talk with other health professionals (e.g., registered dietitian, physical therapist, counselor?)

Learn more about targeted therapy for cancer treatment.

If immunotherapy is a treatment option for you, consider asking your cancer care team these questions.

Treatment details

• What type of immunotherapy do you recommend for me? Why?
• How much experience do you have with this type of treatment?
• Will immunotherapy be my only type of cancer treatment? If not, what other treatments will I need?
• Will I get immunotherapy before, during, or after another cancer treatment?
• How will the immunotherapy treatment be given to me? How often and for how long?
• Will I need any tests or scans before, during, or after treatment?
• Could the dose or duration of my immunotherapy change over time?
• What immunotherapy clinical trials are open to me?

Treatment goals

• What are the goals of immunotherapy for my cancer?
• What results should I expect from this treatment?
• What are the chances the immunotherapy will work? How will we know if it’s working?
• What will we do if it doesn’t work?
• Are there other ways to reach the same treatment goals?

Side effects

• What short- or long-term side effects might I have? How will we manage them?
• What special precautions do I need to take?
• How will the dose or schedule impact my chance for side effects?
• Will treatment affect sex for me? Should I avoid having sex? If so, for how long?
• Will I be able to have children after treatment?
• Are any side effects considered an emergency? What should I do if this happens?

How to prepare

• Where will I get immunotherapy?
• How long will each treatment take?
• Will I need to take medicines at home?
• If yes, are there special instructions on how to handle or store them? What should I do if I miss a dose?
• What can I do to get ready for immunotherapy and lower the chance of side effects?

If your treatment includes a cancer vaccine

• What is the vaccine and how does it work?
• How is it made? Will you need my blood cells or tumor tissue to make it? If so, how will you remove them?
• How and when will I get the vaccine?
• Can I get it with other treatments like radiation therapy or chemo?
• Is there a clinical trial testing a vaccine for my type and stage of cancer?

Learn more about immunotherapy to treat cancer.

Your regular cancer care team might be able to answer some of your questions about stem cell transplant (SCT). Other questions will best be answered by the specialized team in charge of your transplant.

If a stem cell transplant is a treatment option for you, consider asking these questions.

Treatment details

• Is a transplant the best option for me? Why?
• What type of transplant will I have? Why?
• What type of treatment will I need before the transplant?
• Will I need any tests or scans before or after transplant?
• How many transplants do you do for my kind of cancer every year?
• Is stem cell transplant considered experimental for my disease? Why?
• If I need stem cells or bone marrow from another person, what are the chances of finding a good match?
• Are there other treatment options I should think about?

Treatment goals

• What is the goal of transplant?
• What are the chances it will work? What’s the plan if it doesn’t?
• What are the chances the cancer will come back after transplant?
• What are the risks of waiting or trying other treatments first?

Side effects

• What short- or long-term side effects might I have? How will we manage them?
• What special precautions do I need to take?
• How will the dose or schedule impact my chance for side effects?
• Will treatment affect sex for me? Should I avoid having sex? If so, how long?
• Will I be able to have children after treatment?
• Are any side effects considered an emergency? What should I do if this happens?

How to prepare

• Is the transplant done outpatient or in the hospital?
• Where will I stay and for how long?
• Can I have visitors?
• What will a typical day be like during my transplant? 
• After I go home, what will my caregiver do and for how long?
• What costs (if any) will my insurance cover? How much will I pay out-of-pocket?
• Will insurance cover the cost of finding a donor?
• What type of follow-up will I need? How often?
• Will I need to change my diet in any way? Can I drink alcohol?
• Can I take my other medicines, vitamins, and/or supplements?
• Will I be able to work or do other activities? Exercise?
• Should I talk with other health professionals (e.g., registered dietitian, physical therapist, counselor?)

Learn more about stem cell and bone marrow transplants for cancer treatment.

If hormone therapy is a treatment option for you, consider asking your cancer care team these questions.

Treatment details

• What type of hormone therapy do you recommend for me? Why?
• How much experience do you have with this type of treatment?
• Will this be by my only cancer treatment?
• If not, what other treatments will I need? Will I get hormone therapy before, during, or after these treatments?
• How will I get this hormone therapy (pill or injection)? How often and for how long?
• Will I need any tests or scans before, during, or after treatment?
• Will my hormone therapy dose change over time?
• If I have hormone therapy after surgery, chemo, or radiation, will it kill any remaining cancer cells? Could it be used alone?

Treatment goals

• What are the goals of this hormone therapy?
• What results should I expect?
• Are there other ways to reach the same goals?
• What are the chances the hormone therapy will work?
• How will we know if it’s working? What will we do if it doesn’t?

Side effects

• What short- or long-term side effects might I have? How will we manage them?
• What special precautions do I need to take?
• How will the dose or schedule impact my chance for side effects?
• Will treatment affect sex for me? Should I avoid having sex? If so, for how long?
• Will I be able to have children after treatment?
• Are any side effects considered an emergency? What should I do if this happens?

How to prepare

• Where will I get hormone therapy? How long will my treatments last?
• If I take my hormone therapy at home, what should I do if I miss a dose?
• Are there any special instructions on how to handle or store it?
• Will I need to change my diet in any way? Can I drink alcohol?
• Can I take my other medicines, vitamins, and/or supplements?
• Will I need help at home during treatment?
• Will I be able to work or do other activities? Exercise?
• Should I talk with other health professionals (e.g., registered dietitian, physical therapist, counselor?)

Learn more about hormone therapy to treat cancer.

If you want to use supplements or other integrative (holistic) therapies along with your cancer treatment, consider asking your care team these questions.

If you’re thinking of using holistic therapies or supplements instead of traditional treatment, asking these questions can help you make an informed decision. 

It’s very important to be honest and open with your cancer care team. They can help you make a safe choice. Keep in mind:

• Some therapies (even herbs and supplements) could be harmful.
• If something sounds too good to be true, it usually is.

Always talk to your cancer care team before moving ahead.

Questions to help you gather information

• Does the treatment promise a cure for all cancers?
• Are you told not to use traditional medical treatment with this type of therapy?
• Is the treatment only offered by one person or clinic?
• Do you have to travel to another country to get it?
• Do the promoters use terms like “scientific breakthrough,” “miracle cure,” “secret ingredient,” or “ancient remedy”?
• Are you offered personal stories of amazing results but no actual scientific evidence?
• Do the promoters speak negatively about the medical or scientific community?
• Does the treatment claim to offer benefits without any side effects*?

*Even herbs and vitamins have side effects. If a treatment claims to have no side effects, it most likely hasn’t been studied in rigorous clinical trials, where side effects would be seen.

In the United States, vitamins and supplements aren’t regulated like medicines. They don’t have to be proven effective (or even safe) before being sold.

Questions to ask your cancer care team

• Could this treatment give me some benefit?
• Is it safe for me?
• Could it cause problems with my cancer treatment or other medicines?
• If a vitamin or supplement is safe for me to use, how much should I take?
• How often should I take it? How long can I take it?
• What side effects should I watch for?
• Will the side effects go away after stopping the supplement?

Insurance questions

• Does my insurance cover this treatment? If so, how much does it cover and for how long?
• What will I need to pay out-of-pocket?
• Do I need a prescription or referral?
• Do I need to get preauthorization from my insurance company?
• Do I need to see a provider in my insurance network?
• If the provider is out of network, will any of the costs be covered by my insurance?

Learn more about integrative (holistic) medicine.

If a clinical trial is a treatment option for you, consider asking your cancer care team these questions.

Understanding the trial

• What phase is this clinical trial in?
• Why is this study being done?
• Why are you recommending a clinical trial for me?
• What are the eligibility criteria for this trial?
• Is there anything else I can read about this trial?
• How much do you know about this treatment? About clinical trials in general?
• What were the results in past studies of this treatment? How likely are they to apply to me?

Making a decision

• What are my other options (standard treatments, other clinical trials)? What are the pros and cons of each?
• How long do I have to make this decision?
• What’s likely to happen if I decide to take part (or not take part) in this trial?
• What happens if I change my mind after I agree to be in a clinical trial?

What to expect during treatment

• What kinds of treatments and tests will I need? How often are they done?
• How will we know if the treatment is working?
• Will I need to plan on extra time or travel?
• Will I be in the hospital for any part of the trial? If so, how often and for how long?
• How long will I be in the clinical trial? How long will the entire trial last?
• Will I be able to work while I’m in the trial?
• Will the researchers work with my cancer doctor?
• Who will be in charge of my care?
• Will I still see my regular cancer doctor?
• Are there any medicines I can’t take during the trial?

Side effects and safety

• What side effects might happen because of the trial treatment? Are there other risks?
• How do these compare to the side effects and risks from standard treatments?
• If I am harmed because of the research, what treatment will I be entitled to?
• Who will I get in touch with if I have problems, questions, or concerns?

Practical considerations

• Will I have to pay for anything? Will my insurance cover the treatment?
• Are there any reasons I could be removed from the trial? Are there reasons it might be stopped early?
• Can I talk to other people taking part in this?

After the trial

• Is long-term follow-up care part of the trial? What would it involve?
• If the treatment works for me, can I keep getting it even after the trial ends?
• Will I be able to find out about the results of the clinical trial?

Learn more about clinical trials in cancer treatment.