Questions to Ask Your Physician

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Questions to Ask Your Physician

I have noticed that many patients and loved ones are a little uncomfortable when it comes to asking questions to surgeons and oncologists when given the opportunity. Many are unsure what to ask. So I thought I would post some suggestions to everyone out there to make this more comfortable.

If you are meeting with a surgeon/oncologist for the first time, do not be afraid to ask:

If s/he has ever worked with a PC before (because we all know that PC is very rare)
If this is a surgeon, how many surgeries has s/he done with PC patients?
What has the general outcome of those patients been?
Where the physician went to school, did their residency. who they studied under, etc.

At any point in the relationship with your physician, you have the right to know:

What your diagnosis is
What treatments are recommended
Are there other treatment options available that your doctor does not provide (i.e. protocol treatments, herbal therapy, touch therapy, other alternative therapies).
What are the benefits of treatment?
What are the side effects of treatment?
What are the medications being prescribed? What are they for? What are their side effects?
How do I expect to feel during the treatment?
What are the risks to the treatments?
Will my diet need to be changed, modified? Will I need to take enzymes, vitamins, etc?

Do not forget to ask about the things that are most important to you:

How will this affect my being able to work?
Can this treatment be done as an outpatient so that I can spend more time at home with family?
Will I have any physical limitations?
How will my current lifestyle be changed?

Finally - and most importantly - ask these questions to YOURSELF:

Does my doctor appear interested in my asking questions - or does s/he look annoyed, like I'm questioning his/her expertise or I am holding him/her up?
Do I feel that my doctor cares about my medical outcome?

If you are uncomfortable with the results of some of these questions, you may want to re-evaluate who your physician is or get a second opinion.

- Heather Sentkoski, Clinical Social Worker