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?
