What questions should I ask my oncologist at my first appointment?

That feeling of numbness is completely understandable when facing something this overwhelming. Some helpful questions to consider asking include details about your specific diagnosis and stage, treatment options available to you, timeline for next steps, and what side effects to expect. Many patients also find it useful to ask about prognosis, how treatment might affect daily life, and what support resources are available. Bringing someone with you to take notes can be really helpful since it's a lot of information to process at once.

Hi Crystal! When I was preparing to meet with my surgeon, I treated it as if it were an interview. I had already did my own research and felt pretty informed going into the initial visit. I had my lab work with the prognosis so I was able to research stage and grade and designed my "interview" around that information. I had to have a total hysterectomy for my situation. I asked questions such as how many years have you been doing this and how many cases have you managed? What hospitals are you associated with? I asked because while my city has adequate resources, I was looking to go to a bigger city. Bigger city, more resources such as support groups, classes etc.. I asked about spreading & pathway spreading. I wanted to know if I'd need radiation and/or chemo. I asked how long would the surgery last and how long for recovery. My surgeon was extremely thorough and answered most questions before I could ask. After the visit, I felt more at ease and ready to deal with it. So hopefully this helps. God Bless!

That does help, I didn't even think about some of that. Thank you.