Questions to Ask Your Doctor

Women with breast cancer want to take an active part in decisions about their medical care. They want to learn all they can about their condition and their treatment choices. However, the shock and stress that people often feel after a diagnosis of cancer can make it hard for them to think of everything they want to ask the physician. Often it is helpful to prepare a list of questions in advance. Many of these questions have been answered on this website, however you should feel free to ask your doctor about anything that is not clear.

If you need a biopsy:

• What type of biopsy will I have? Why?
• How long will it take? Will I be awake? Will it hurt?
• How soon will I know the results?
• If I do have cancer, who will talk with me about treatment? When?

If you are diagnosed with breast cancer:

• What kind of breast cancer do I have?
• What did the hormone receptor test show? What other lab tests were done on the tumor tissue, and what did they show?
• How will you determine whether the disease has spread?
• How will this information help in determining what type of treatment or further tests I may need?

Before surgery:

• What kinds of surgery can I consider? Is surgery an option for me? Which operation do you recommend? What are the risks of surgery?
• Do I need my lymph nodes removed? How many? Why? What special precautions will I need to take if lymph nodes are removed?
• How will I feel after the operation?
• Will I need to learn how to do special things to take care of my incision and my drains when I get home?
• Where will I have scars? What will they look like?
• If I decide to have plastic surgery to rebuild my breast, how and when can that be done? Can you suggest a plastic surgeon for me to contact?
• Will I have to do special exercises?
• When can I get back to my normal activities?
• Is there someone I can talk with who has had the same treatment I'll be having?

Before radiation therapy:

• Why do I need this treatment?
• What are the risks and side effects of this treatment?
• Are there any long-term effects?
• When will the treatments begin? When will they end?
• How will I feel during therapy?
• What can I do to take care of myself during therapy?
• Can I continue my normal activities?
• How will my breast look afterward?
• What are the chances that the tumor will come back in my breast?

Before chemotherapy or hormonal therapy:

• Why do I need this treatment?
• If I need hormonal treatment, which would be better for me: drugs or surgery?
• What drugs will I be taking? What will they do?
• Will I have side effects? What can I do about them?
• How long will I be on this treatment?