Question Checklist – Treatment Questions

Being prepared for office visits assists your doctor in determining your medical needs and most appropriate treatment plan; helps you receive timely access to medical care and related services, and created a mutually respectful and supportive relationship. Besides bringing along a companion, one if the best ways to prepare for a visit is prepare a concise list of written questions. Provide a copy for your doctor.

• o What is my diagnosis? And can you please provide me a copy of the pathology report.
• o How widespread is the disease (the stage)?
• o Does the disease require prompt treatment and why?
• o Can the disease be cured?
• o What are the symptoms of the disease, and which indicate a need for treatment?
• o What are my treatment choices?
• o Do you offer radioimmunotherapy as a treatment option?
• o Are new treatments under study? Would a clinical trial be appropriate for me?
• o Which treatment or treatment sequence do you recommend? Why? NOTE: The rationale for a treatment can be especially important to you when there are multiple choices and there is no clear best approach.
• o What is your level of confidence that the recommended treatment is the best choice?
• o What is the goal of this treatment? (management versus durable remission)
• o What are the chances that the treatment will be successful?
• o Is the collection of stem cells indicated before or after this treatment? When is the best time to consider stem cell harvesting, in general?
• o How long will the treatments last?
• o How long will it take for the treatment to begin working against the disease? EXAMPLES: Antibiotic therapy for H-pylori can take 12 months or more to show a result against MALT lymphoma; and Rituxan therapy can take many months before an optimal response is seen.
• o How easy is it to administer; will it disrupt my normal life or ability to work?
• o How durable is the response likely to be?
• o What signs will indicate that the therapy is beginning to work or that it is not working?
• o What tests will be used to measure or gauge an early response to treatment?