Best Questions to Ask Your Doctor When You Get a Cancer Diagnosis

Here are some questions that are often forgotten, but are important to ask:

What is the extent or stage of the cancer I have?
What is my prognosis?
What are my treatment options? What treatment(s) do you suggest?
Why do you favor this treatment over others?
When will my treatment start, and how long will it last?
Can I continue working? How will treatment affect daily living?
Would a clinical trial be appropriate for me?
What will happen if I choose not to have treatment?
How long will I have to continue regular check-ups after treatment?
What are the associated financial costs, and will my insurance cover the recommended treatment?
Would you object to me getting a second opinion?

Questions to Ask Your Doctor About Lung Cancer

Having a list of questions to ask your doctor about your lung cancer can remind you to ask about concerns you might otherwise forget. The emotions that accompany a diagnosis of lung cancer and the amount of information presented can make the simplest concerns slip your mind. Bringing a good friend with you that can take notes and make sure your questions have been addressed can be helpful as well. A few suggestions follow, but take time to look them over with your loved ones, and add concerns that fit your unique situation.

What tests will be done to determine if I have cancer?

What are the risks associated with these tests?

Will I experience any discomfort? If so, how will it be treated?

When will the results be available? (very important)

Will I be called with the results, or do I need to make a follow-up visit?

Who should I call if I experience problems while waiting for my results?

How To Find a Doctor or Treatment Facility If You Have Cancer

How are doctors trained and certified to treat cancer patients?

When choosing a doctor for your cancer care, you may find it helpful to know some of the terms used to describe a doctor’s training and credentials. Most physicians who treat people with cancer are medical doctors (they have an M.D. degree) or osteopathic doctors (they have a D.O. degree). The basic training for both types of physicians includes 4 years of premedical education at a college or university, 4 years of medical school to earn an M.D. or D.O. degree, and postgraduate medical education through internships and residences. This training usually lasts 3 to 7 years. Physicians must pass an exam to become licensed (legally permitted) to practice medicine in their state. Each state or territory has its own procedures and general standards for licensing physicians.

Specialists are physicians who have completed their residency training in a specific area, such as internal medicine. Independent specialty boards certify physicians after they have fulfilled certain requirements. These requirements include meeting specific education and training criteria, being licensed to practice medicine, and passing an examination given by the specialty board. Doctors who have met all of the requirements are given the status of “Diplomate” and are board certified as specialists. Doctors who are board eligible have obtained the required education and training but have not completed the specialty board examination.

After being trained and certified as a specialist, a physician may choose to become a subspecialist. A subspecialist has at least 1 additional year of full-time education in a particular area of a specialty. This training is designed to increase the physician’s expertise in a specific field. Specialists can be board certified in their subspecialty as well.