What questions should I ask my doctor?

If you are in the midst of dealing with pancreatic cancer, you have a lot on your mind and you may have difficulty knowing where to start. Since every patient has a unique case, your doctors are your best source of information and you have every right to ask them questions.

Heather Sentkoski, a clinical social worker at Johns Hopkins, has compiled the following list of questions as a quideline. Here are her suggestions:

If you are meeting with a surgeon or oncologist for the first time, do not be afraid to ask:

• Have you ever treated a PC patient before?
• If this is a surgeon, how many surgeries have you performed on PC patients?
• What has the general outcome of those patients been?
• Where were you trained? (medical school, residency)
• Which surgeons did you study under?

At any point in the relationship with your physican, you have the right to ask:

• What is the diagnosis?
• What treatments are recommended?
• Are there other treatment options available that you do not provide? i.e. protocol treatments, herbal therapy, touch therapy, other alternative therapies)
• What are the benefits of each treatment?
• What are the side effects of each treatment?
• What are the medications being prescribed? What are they for? What are their side effects?
• Are there any clinical drug trials I can participate in?
• How should I expect to feel during the treatment(s)?
• What are the risks of the treatment(s)?
• Will my diet need to be changed or modified?
• Will I need to take enzymes, vitamins, etc?

Do not forget to ask about the things that are most important to you:

• How will this affect my ability to work?
• Can this treatment be done as an outpatient so that I can spend more time at home with family?
• Will I have any physical limitations?
• How will my current lifestyle be changed?

Finally - and most importantly - ask these questions of YOURSELF:

• Does my doctor appear interested in answering my questions?
• Or, does my doctor look annoyed when I ask questions, like I'm doubting their expertise or I am holding them up?
• Do I feel that my doctor cares about my medical outcome?

If you are uncomfortable with the results of some of these questions, you may want to re-evaluate your choice of physician or get a second opinion.