Understanding your cancer diagnosis, treatment plan, prognosis, and side effects are very important. You can ask a trusted friend or family member to come with you, take notes, remind you of questions you want to ask, and even help you speak up if needed. If anything is unclear, be sure to ask your doctor to explain.

We have prepared the following list of questions for you to ask your doctor, and we also encourage you to add any other questions you may have.

  What type of lung cancer do I have? What stage is it at?

  Has my cancer spread? If so, where has it spread?

  What treatment do you recommend for my type of lung cancer? Why?

  Are there any new developments or breakthroughs in medical research for treating my type of lung cancer?

  Are there other treatment options available?

  Could you help me understand the risks and side effects of different treatments?

  Do I need to be hospitalized?

  How long will the treatment take?

  How long will I need to stop working?

  Will treatment affect my daily routine?

  How much will the treatment cost?

  If I need further treatment, what will the process involve? When will the treatment start?

  After treatment, how often will I need follow-up checks? What will be included, and how will the checks be done?

  What issues should I pay attention to—for example, what dietary changes should I make?

  Can my cancer be hereditary?

  Can I recover?

  After treatment ends, will my life change a lot?

  Can traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) improve my condition or help relieve side effects?