Make certain you know about your choices. We have a list of questions that you can consider as prompts to help you understand – see our list – if you do not know the answers to these questions make sure to discuss with your healthcare provider at your next visit.
Communication between you and your healthcare provider is essential. You should feel comfortable talking about all of your concerns. Feel free to ask any questions about your care. Providers should also welcome questions about their experience and qualifications.
You should ask your providers about the problems and advantages of each of the treatments they offer you.
Here are some possible questions for your healthcare provider:
- What type of breast cancer do I have?
- What stage of breast cancer do I have?
- Where has my cancer spread (if anywhere)?
- What tests do I need?
- How often should I have a mammogram? Do I need any other tests?
- What initial treatment do you recommend?
- How certain is my diagnosis? Is it possible that I have something other than breast cancer?
- What goals should we work toward?
- Do I have a real chance of curing my cancer? What can I hope to achieve through treatment for my condition?
- What sort of exercise program do you recommend? Why?
- When should I start exercising?
- Should I change my diet?
- What non-medication treatments do you recommend? Why?
- What medications do you recommend for me? Why?
- What are the possible side effects of this specific treatment? Do I have other options?
- Can the different medications I am taking interact with each other?
- Do I need to avoid any activities? Should I change how I do them?
- Am I a candidate for surgery? What surgery do you recommend?
- What are the advantages and disadvantages of breast-conserving surgery compared with mastectomy?
- If opting for surgery, ask if you need a radioactive injection prior to surgery and when and where will this take place.
- What is my personal risk of complications from surgery?
- What is the home care plan that I need to understand post-surgery?
- Can I avoid using opioids post-surgery to manage the pain?
- You will need to take many different medications post-surgery, your provider can suggest a timetable for when to take them to support and optimize your recovery.
- What treatments do you recommend in addition to surgery?
- How often should I come in for checkups?
- Should I get genetic tests for breast cancer?
- How often do you treat patients for breast cancer?
- How much experience do you have with each possible treatment?
- What are your personal success rates for each possible treatment?
Lastly, while breast reconstruction does not treat cancer, it is a personal choice, and you should discuss it in advance with your surgeon and ask if there is a plastic surgeon who is part of the team. This way you can discuss and explore the timing and approach that will work best for you.
