You Have Cancer. What's Next?

What exactly do I have?

What type of cancer is it? What stage is it? Has it spread anywhere else?

What treatment are you recommending, and why?

What is the goal of the treatment?

What are ALL of my options?

Are there other treatments I should consider? Is doing something different or waiting ever an option?

How much will this treatment help me?

Can you explain the expected benefit using simple numbers that I can understand?

What are the possible side effects?

Which side effects are common? Which could be serious or long-lasting? What can we do to help manage them?

Do I need any more testing before I decide?

Are there genetic, tumor, biomarker, or other tests that could help us choose the treatment that is best for my cancer?

Should I get a second opinion?

Is there a specialist or cancer center that sees a lot of people with my type of cancer?

How much time do I have to make my decision?

Do I need to start treatment right away, or do I have time to learn more, get another opinion, and think about my choices?

What can I do to stay as healthy and strong as possible?

What should I know about food, hydration, exercise, sleep, supplements, and other things I am doing to support my health?

How will we know if the treatment is working?

What tests, scans, blood work, or other things will you follow? When will we know whether the plan is working?