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Mayo Clinic Housecall
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Preparing for your appointment
By Mayo Clinic staff
Consulting with your health care team
Women with breast cancer may have appointments with their primary care doctors, as well as several other doctors and other health professionals, including:
- Breast surgeons
- Doctors who specialize in diagnostic tests, such as mammograms (radiologists)
- Doctors who specialize in treating cancer (oncologists)
- Doctors who treat cancer with radiation (radiation oncologists)
- Genetic counselors
- Plastic surgeons
What you can do to prepare
- Write down any symptoms you're experiencing, including any that may seem unrelated to the reason for which you scheduled the appointment.
- Write down key personal information, including any major stresses or recent life changes.
- Write down your family history of cancer. Note any family members who have had cancer, including how each member is related to you, the type of cancer, the age at diagnosis and whether each person survived.
- Make a list of all medications, as well as any vitamins or supplements, that you're taking.
- Keep all of your records that relate to your cancer diagnosis and treatment. Organize your records in a binder or folder that you can take to your appointments.
- Take a family member or friend along, if possible. Sometimes it can be difficult to absorb all the information provided during an appointment. Someone who accompanies you may remember something that you missed or forgot.
- Write down questions to ask your doctor.
Questions to ask your doctor
Your time with your doctor is limited, so preparing a list of questions will help you make the most of your time together. List your questions from most important to least important in case time runs out. For breast cancer, some basic questions to ask your doctor include:
- What type of breast cancer do I have?
- What is the stage of my cancer?
- Can you explain my pathology report to me? Can I have a copy for my records?
- Do I need any more tests?
- What are the treatment options for my cancer?
- What are the side effects of each treatment option?
- How will each treatment option affect my daily life? Can I continue working?
- Is there one treatment you recommend over the others?
- How do you know that these treatments will benefit me?
- What would you recommend to a friend or family member in my situation?
- How quickly do I need to make a decision about cancer treatment?
- What happens if I don't want cancer treatment?
- What will cancer treatment cost?
- Does my insurance plan cover the tests and treatment you're recommending?
- Should I seek a second opinion? Will my insurance cover it?
- Are there any brochures or other printed material that I can take with me? What Web sites or books do you recommend?
In addition to the questions that you've prepared to ask your doctor, don't hesitate to ask questions during your appointment at any time that you don't understand something.
References
- Cancer facts & figures 2008. American Cancer Society. http://www.cancer.org/downloads/STT/2008CAFFfinalsecured.pdf. Accessed April 15, 2009.
- What you need to know about breast cancer. National Cancer Institute. http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/wyntk/breast/allpages/print. Accessed March 30, 2009.
- Abeloff MD, et al. Cancer of the breast. In: Abeloff MD, et al. Abeloff's Clinical Oncology. 4th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Churchill Livingstone; 2008:1875.
- Breast cancer. Fort Washington, Pa.: National Comprehensive Cancer Network. http://www.nccn.org/professionals/physician_gls/PDF/breast.pdf. Accessed March 30, 2009.
- Breast cancer prevention (PDQ): Patient version. National Cancer Institute. http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/prevention/breast/patient/allpages/print. Accessed March 30, 2009.
- Questions to ask yourself and your doctor. Breast Cancer Network of Strength. http://www.networkofstrength.org/support/selfcare/questions.php. Accessed April 1, 2009.
- Hulvat MC, et al. Multidisciplinary care of patients with breast cancer. Surgical Clinics of North America. 2009;89:133.
- Avastin (prescribing information). San Francisco, Calif: Genentech; 2008. http://www.fda.gov/cder/foi/label/2008/125085s145lbl.pdf. Accessed April 15, 2009.
- Tykerb (prescribing information). Research Triangle Park, N.C.: GlaxoSmithKline; 2007. http://www.fda.gov/cder/foi/label/2008/022059s004lbl.pdf. Accessed April 15, 2009.
- Found 1084 studies with search of: breast cancer | Open studies | Interventional studies. ClinicalTrials.gov. http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/results?term=breast+cancer&recr=Open&rslt=&type=Intr&cond=&intr=&outc=&lead=&spons=&id=&state1=&cntry1=&state2=&cntry2=&state3=&cntry3=&locn=&rcv_s=&rcv_e=&lup_s=&lup_e=. Accessed April 15, 2009.
- Gnant M, et al. Endocrine therapy plus zoledronic acid in premenopausal breast cancer. The New England Journal of Medicine. 2009;360:679.
- Bardwell WA, et al. Breast cancer and fatigue. Sleep Medicine Clinics. 2008;3:61.
- Cancer-related fatigue. Fort Washington, Pa.: National Comprehensive Cancer Network. http://www.nccn.org/professionals/physician_gls/PDF/fatigue.pdf. Accessed April 15, 2009.
- Breast cancer. Cancer.Net. http://www.cancer.net/patient/Cancer+Types/Breast+Cancer. Accessed April 15, 2009.
