Questions You Could Ask
It is important to discuss your treatment choices with your
doctor, a cancer specialist (oncologist) to whom your doctor may refer you, and
the staff of any clinical trial you consider entering.
Ask questions about the information you receive and any issues
you don’t understand. Getting answers
can help you work better with the doctor. You may want to take a friend or
relative along when you talk to the doctor.
It also may help to write down your questions and the answers you receive,
or bring a tape recorder to record what is said. No question about your care is foolish. The
information should be clear to you before making a decision. It is very important to understand your choices.
Here are some questions
you may want to ask about:
The Study
- What is the study trying to find out?
- Who is going to be in the study?
- Who sponsors the study?
- How is the study being funded?
- Why do researchers believe the new
treatment being tested may be effective?
- Has the new treatment been tested before?
- How are study data and patient safety
being checked?
- What will I have to do if I take part
and how long will the study last?
- How could the study change what I do
every day?
- How will I be checked after the study?
- When and where will study results and
information go?
- How will I be told about the study
results?
- How long do I have to make up my mind
about joining the study?
Your Care
- What will happen to my cancer with or
without this treatment?
- What other treatments could I get if I
don’t take part in this study?
- Will I be hospitalized? If so, how
often and for how long?
- Who will be in charge of my care?
- Will I be able to see my own doctor?
- How will I know if the treatment is
working?
- What support is there for me?
- What support is there for my family?
- If I want to leave the study, what
will happen to my care? Will I still be looked after? And if so by whom?
Risks and Benefits
- How could this study impact my health
now?
- How could this study impact my health
in the future?
- How do the risks of the new treatment
compare with risks of the standard treatment?
- How do the side effects of the new
treatment compare with side effects of the standard treatment?
- How could this study benefit me?
- How could this study advance medical
knowledge?
- How could my participation benefit
others?
- How could my participation impact cancer
outcomes among different people?
Cost Issues
- Will I have to pay for any treatment,
tests, or other charges?
- What is my health insurance likely to
cover?
- If there is a complication and I need
additional testing or treatment will my insurance pay for it and if my
insurance doesn’t offer to pay what will happen?
Adapted
from the U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services
National
Institutes of Health
National
Cancer Institute
The
Native People for Cancer Control Community Networks Program
And
The U-56 Project Consultants