Questions for oncologist?

Question

My husband is meeting with his oncologist for the first time tomorrow. He has Hodgkin's lymphoma and i was wondering what kind of questions we should ask? i just want to be prepared and not miss anything. Thank you!

Answer 1

Hope it's not too late for this info:

   1.  What kind of cancer do I have? What stage is it?

   2. How common is my cancer?

   3. What is my prognosis?

   4. What are my cancer treatment options?

   5. Are these cancer treatments proven or experimental?

   6. Are these cancer treatments covered by insurance?

   7. What should I expect from my cancer treatment? How long will it take? How will I feel?

   8. What side effects or complications could I face from my cancer treatment?

   9. In addition to treatment for cancer, will I also need to take other medicines? If so, what and for how long?

  10. Should I make any changes to my diet or lifestyle before starting cancer treatment?

You’ll also want to ask your cancer doctor about his or her qualifications. This is really an audition: Is this doctor the right person to treat you? Here are some questions to ask before you partner with a doctor in your cancer treatment.

   1. How much experience do you have in treating people with my type of cancer?

   2. How many people with my cancer have you treated in the past year?

   3. Are you board certified? If so, in what specialty or subspecialty?

   4. Do you have other relevant qualifications?

   5. Do you work closely with other specialists and health care providers who could be part of my cancer treatment team?

   6. What hospitals do you work with?

   7. Are clinical trials available at this medical center? If not, are they available in this area?

   8. Can you recommend another doctor for a second opinion?

Answer 2

before my first appointment with my oncologist i had no idea where to start with questions, so i went to the american cancer society web page and downloaded a questioner off of there, it was a good place to start i thought

Answer 3

vanessa- Questions you might ask include how was the diagnosis made with a certainty.  What is the Stage (1-4) = how far has it spread in the body?  Then discuss the treatments available and recommended.

The goal of treatment is to get rid of the cancer cells with as little damage as possible to normal cells, while also limiting difficult side effects of treatment. Talk with your doctor about any side effects your husband might experience.

The most common treatments for Hodgkin's disease include chemotherapy drugs, often with radiation therapy (using a focused beam of radiation) to kill cancer cells. Other drug therapies used to boost the immune system include interferon and monoclonal antibodies.

Chemotherapy and high-dose radiation kill bone marrow cells responsible for producing red and white blood cells and platelets. Therefore, your doctor may recommend that you undergo a transplant of bone marrow or stem cells. First, normal stem cells or bone marrow will be taken from your body before you undergo chemotherapy or radiation. The stem cells or bone marrow are then frozen and saved and returned to your body intravenously after your treatment

Survival

The five-year survival rate refers to the percent of patients who live at least five years after their cancer is treated. Many of these patients live longer than five years.

Stage 1: 90%-95%

Stage II: 90%-95%

Stage III: 85%-90%

Stage IV: about 80%

Good luck!  My prayers are with your husband and you.