Talking with doctors about prostate cancer treatment.

You may want to see your doctor a few times before making a final decision on treatment. The first consultation when you are told you have cancer is usually stressful and you may not remember very much. It is often difficult to take everything in, and you may need to ask the same question more than once. You always have the right to find out what a suggested treatment means for you, and the right to accept or refuse it.


Information Checklist
Before you see the doctor, it may help to write down your questions. You may find the following checklist helpful when thinking about the questions you may want to ask your doctor about illness and treatment.

• How much will it cost?
• What type of cancer do I have?
• Are there any problems I should watch out for?
• Will the treatment affect my sexual relationships?
• Is my cancer hereditary (one that runs in families)?
• What treatment do you advise for my cancer and why?
• How extensive is my cancer? What is the Gleason score?
• Are there other treatment choices for me? If not, why not?
• What can be done about the possible side effects of treatment?
• How frequent will my check-ups be and what will they involve?
• Will I have to stay in hospital, or will I be treated as an outpatient?
• If I need further treatment, what will it be like and when will it begin?
• Will a doctor who specialises in prostate cancer perform my treatment?
• How long will the treatment take? How much will it affect what I can do?
• I would like to have a second opinion. Can you refer me to someone else?
• Will I have a lot of pain with the operation? What will be done about this?
• Will I have a lot of pain with the operation? What will be done about this?
• Do I need treatment? Can I expect to live longer and be healthier if I have treatment?
• What are the risks and possible side effects of each treatment? What are the chances for success?