Prostate Cancer Questions

By asking prostate cancer questions about your diagnosis, treatment options, prognosis, and more, you are taking an active role in your healthcare. You may find it helpful to write down your questions ahead of time and take them with you to your next appointment. If you don't understand the answers to any of your prostate cancer questions, ask for clarification until you do understand.

Prostate Cancer Treatments

Prostate Cancer Questions: An Overview

No written information can take the place of talking directly with your healthcare professionals. If you don't understand the answers to your prostate cancer questions, ask them to explain further. Many men find it helpful to write down their questions ahead of time. The following are some of the most common questions. You may have others. Jot them down as you think of them, and take the list with you when you see your doctor.

Common Prostate Cancer Questions

The following are general questions you might want to ask your doctor about prostate cancer:

Could my symptoms be a sign of cancer?
What tests do you recommend? Why?
If I don't have cancer, what can I do about my symptoms?
If I do have cancer, what stage is it? What grade? What is my PSA level?
Would it be useful to get a second opinion from a second pathologist?
What is my prognosis? Is recurrence likely?
Do I need additional tests to look for lymph node involvement or metastases?
What are my treatment options? What are the benefits?
What are the possible side effects? How can they be managed?
Are there clinical trials that would be appropriate for me?
What other doctors should I talk with -- a cancer specialist, a surgeon, a radiation oncologist?
How much experience does the doctor have? How many times a year does he or she perform this procedure? If a surgeon, is he or she familiar with nerve-sparing techniques?

(Prostate Cancer Questions Continued: Page 2)