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Questions to Ask Your Doctor

Top 10 Questions To Ask Your Doctor

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1. What do you think is causing my problem?

2. Is there more than one condition (disease) that could be causing my problem?

3. What tests will you do to diagnose the problem and which of the conditions is present?

4. How good are the tests for diagnosing the problem and the conditions?

5. How safe are the tests?

6. What is the likely course of this condition? What is the long-term outlook with and
without treatment?

7. What are my treatment options? How effective is each treatment option? What are the
benefits versus risks of each treatment option?

8. If my symptoms worsen, what should I do on my own? When should I contact you?

9. Are you aware of each of the medications that I am taking? Can they adversely interact
with the medications you are prescribing for me?

10. Should we monitor for side effects of the medications that you are prescribing or for
their interactions with other medications I am taking?

7 Questions to Ask Your Doctor About Prostate Cancer

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pictures-of-prostate-cancer

1. Do I really have cancer?

The PSA test is “not a perfect blood test, but it is the best method for finding men who might have prostate cancer.

2. What is the grade of my cancer?

Tumor grades come in low, medium and high, in order of aggressiveness. In prostate cancer, the Gleason score measures the grade on a scale of six to 10.

3. How much cancer do I have?

During a typical biopsy, the doctor takes 12 to 14 cell samples. How many of those samples showed prostate cancer, and how much is important. If the samples contain many cancer cells, you might get further tests – an MRI and bone scan – to determine whether the cancer has spread beyond the prostate.

4. Are cancer stage and grade related?

The two tend to correlate. More aggressive cancers usually are associated with higher-grade cancers. Conversely, the less aggressive the cancer, the lower the stage is likely to be.

5. Does my cancer need to be treated?

You can choose to follow an active surveillance of the cancer : If you have low-grade, low-stage cancer, you may elect to do nothing.

6. What are my treatment options?

There are a number of treatment options such as radiation or surgery. Surgery falls into two categories as well: open or minimally invasive, which includes laparoscopic and robotic. Check your options.

7. What are the side effects of my treatments?

There’s no treatment option that doesn’t have potential for side effects.