Questions to Ask Your Doctor About After-Treatment Planning

 

Here are some suggested questions to ask regarding your follow-up care:


  • What will my follow-up schedule be for physical examinations, laboratory tests, and scans?
  • What are the chances of my cancer coming back or of my developing a new cancer?
  • How long will I be on my maintenance therapy? For the rest of my life? Which doctor will provide my follow-up care and which ones will provide other medical care?
  • How can I manage any long-term side effects?
  • What wellness habits should I develop?
  • (For smokers) Can you suggest a smoking cessation program?
  • Do I have any special nutritional needs now that my treatment has ended?
  • My partner does not understand why I'm not as interested in sex ever since my treatment for cancer. What can I do to feel sexual again, and how can I help my partner understand this issue?
  • Do I need to take special care in connection with exercising? Are there any special exercises you can recommend to increase my flexibility, relieve muscle tension? Should I see a specialist such as a physical therapist?
  • Is it normal to feel depressed and anxious some of the time? Should I see a mental health professional such as a psychologist? Can you refer me to one?
  • (If your insurance company is denying some or all of your coverage for follow-up care): Where can I get help with my health insurance coverage for my follow-up care? Are there any assistance plans available to me?
  • How can I find out about joining a support group?
This content was last reviewed August 15, 2010 by Dr. Reshma L. Mahtani.
Latest Cancer News
REFILE: Komen charity under microscope for funding, science

February 8, 2012 — NEW YORK (Reuters) - The Susan G. Komen for the Cure charity defines its mission as finding a cure for breast cancer. In recent years, however, it has cut by nearly half the proportion of fund-raising dollars it spends on grants to scientists working to understand the causes and develop effective new treatments for the disease.

US FDA panel votes against wider use of Amgen drug

February 8, 2012 — WASHINGTON (Reuters) - An advisory panel on Wednesday recommended that U.S. health regulators reject the use of Amgen Inc's drug Xgeva to delay the spread of prostate cancer to the bone, dimming the chance of a wider use for one of the company's key growth drivers.

US consumers want tougher probe of engineered salmon

February 8, 2012 — WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Three U.S. consumer groups petitioned the Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday to subject a new genetically engineered salmon to a more rigorous review process than is now in place before the fish can be approved as safe to eat.

Select news items provided by Reuters Health