Questions to Ask About Soft Tissue Sarcomas

As you cope with cancer and cancer treatment, you need to have honest, open discussions with your doctor. You should feel comfortable asking any question no matter how small it might seem. Nurses, social workers, and other members of the treatment team may also be able to answer many of your questions.

• What kind of sarcoma do I have?
• How much experience do you have in diagnosing and treating sarcoma?
• Has my cancer spread?
• What is the stage of my cancer and what does that mean?
• What are my treatment choices?
• What treatment do you recommend and why?
• What risks or side effects are there with the treatments you suggest?
• What are the chances my cancer will come back with these treatment plans?
• What should I do to be ready for treatment?
• What’s my outlook?

Along with these examples, be sure to write down some of your own. For instance, you might want to know more about recovery times so that you can plan your work schedule. Or you may want to ask about second opinions or about clinical trials.