Questions Every Newly Diagnosed Patient Should Ask

 

In a recent interview with Caring4Cancer magazine (Winter 2006), Dr. Sandra J. Horning speaks about a core set of questions every newly diagnosed cancer patient should ask before embarking on cancer treatment. Dr. Horning, a world-renowned oncologist and leading expert in lymphoma research, is the recent past president of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), the largest professional organization of oncology practitioners. She is also a cancer survivor.

"There's a natural tendency to want to rush ahead and get rid of the cancer as soon as you receive the diagnosis, but I think it's important to take as measured an approach as possible, not to rush into anything. Except in rare, life-threatening situations, there's time for this," Dr. Horning tells Caring4Cancer.

 "You can and should do things to empower yourself, and that doesn't mean that you have to get a medical degree," Dr. Horning says. "You can empower yourself by gathering information on your own and also by asking your doctor certain important questions."

Here are the questions she recommends every person newly diagnosed with cancer ask his or her health care professional:

  • What exactly is my diagnosis? (Get a copy for your records.)
  • What is the prognosis (outlook) for my cancer? Is the intent of treatment curative, to achieve remission that will likely be followed by recurrence, or to control the signs and symptoms of cancer as well as possible for as long a time as possible?
  • What are my treatment options? What treatment plan do you recommend?
  • What scientific studies are there to support the treatment plan you recommend?
  • Are there any differences of opinion among medical experts about the treatment plan you are recommending? If so, can you explain to me what they are?
  • Are there clinical trials that I'm eligible for? Where are those clinical trials being conducted?
  • Where would you recommend I get a second opinion?

If after asking the above questions, you decide on a treatment plan that involves more than one treatment modality (i.e., radiation, chemotherapy), it is important to ask if the treatment will be coordinated and how, Dr. Horning says. "It isn't always possible, but under optimum circumstances you will meet with your entire medical team, rather than each one individually," she says.

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