How to Know What to Ask Your Doctor About Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy is the name given to the treatment of cancer with anticancer drugs. There are many different kinds of chemotherapy used to treat cancer today. Chemotherapy is also often used in conjunction with other anticancer treatments. Knowing what to ask your doctor about chemotherapy can help you cope with the cancer treatment process.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Computer with Internet access

1. Go to the Web site for the National Cancer Institute (see Resources, below). This Web site provides a list of suggested questions to ask your doctor about chemotherapy.

2. Ask about the forms of treatment most commonly used for your type of cancer. Different forms of chemotherapy target different forms of cancer. Ask how factors such as your age and sex affect your treatment.

3. Contact other cancer patients and survivors and ask them what they wish they had asked their doctors during treatment. Use their feedback to better formulate questions you may not have thought to ask.

4. Learn about your cancer before going to the doctor. Knowing about your particular form of cancer can help you formulate questions. The National Cancer Institute Web site has information on many different forms of cancer. You may also ask your family doctor for information before you visit your oncologist.

5. Ask your doctor if there are specific lifestyle changes you should make before or during chemotherapy to increase its effectiveness or reduce side effects.

6. Tell your doctor you want to learn about the expected benefits of chemotherapy for your condition. Concentrating on positive outcomes can help you cope with the side effects of the treatments.

7. Take notes. Bring a pen and paper to write down the information that your doctor provides. This will help you to remember everything said and give you an opportunity to look up terminology you may not understand.

Tips & Warnings

• Ask your doctor to explain anything that you do not understand. You have the right as a patient to be given information in a way you can understand. If English is not your first language, for example, ask for information in the language you feel most comfortable using.
• Ask your doctor to provide you with information or brochures you can take home. Also ask if she can provide additional resources with information on your particular form of cancer.
• A cancer diagnosis often has many psychological effects. Adjusting your expectations of yourself during treatment can help you cope, as can interacting with other cancer survivors who can give you information on what to expect.
• If anything occurs during your chemotherapy that concerns you, talk with your doctor to make sure that you are not having a dangerous reaction to the drugs.

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