It is important to have frank, open discussions with your cancer care team. They want to answer all of your questions, no matter how minor they might seem to you. For instance, consider these questions:

• What kind of pancreatic cancer do I have?
• Has my cancer spread beyond the primary site?
• What is the stage of my cancer? Is it resectable?
• What treatment choices do I have?
• What do you recommend and why?
• What risks or side effects are there to the treatments you suggest?
• How would treatment affect my daily activities?
• How is treatment likely to help in my case?
• How much experience do you have with this type of treatment?
• How experienced is the hospital in treating people with this cancer?
• Should I be referred to a cancer center for treatment?
• Should I think about taking part in a clinical trial?
• Based on what you''ve learned about my cancer, how long do you think I'll survive?
• What should I do to be ready for treatment?

Along with these sample questions, be sure to write down some of your own. For instance, you may want to ask about getting a second opinion.

Last Medical Review: 10/13/2009
Last Revised: 10/13/2009