Questions to Ask the Doctor

It is important to have honest, open discussions with your doctors and nurses. Feel free to ask questions, even if they seem trivial. It is a good idea to write your questions down so you will remember to ask them during each appointment. Here are some important questions you may want to ask:

• Which section of the larynx is my tumor located?
• Which diagnostic tests do I need? What do they involve?
• Can you explain my pathology report and test results to me?
• What is the stage of the cancer? What is the prognosis?
• What are my treatment options? If there is more than one option, do they all have the same success rate?
• What are the benefits of each treatment?
• What are the risks and side effects of each treatment?
• Do you have any advice on managing side effects?
• How will my condition be monitored during treatment?
• What is treatment recovery like?
• How much experience do you and your colleagues at this institution have in treating this disease?
• It is important that I receive a balanced recommendation. If you are a surgeon, can you help me arrange a consultation with a radiation oncologist? If you are a radiation oncologist, can you help me arrange a consultation with a surgeon?
• Will you help me arrange for second opinions if I feel unsure about a next step in my treatment program?
• How do you feel about clinical trials? Based on my current stage, would you recommend that I participate in one?
• What should I tell other people (kids, parents, siblings, friends, etc.) about my cancer when they ask?
• What will my follow-up appointment schedule be like?
• What is life without a voice-box like?
• Can you refer me to a support group that helps patients and family members with the difficulties of laryngeal cancer?
• Will I be able to swallow after treatment?
• Will I be able to speak after treatment?
• Will I need a feeding tube during or after my treatment?
• What are my options if radiation does not work?
• What affect will the radiation have on my teeth, my jaw bone, my hearing, and my taste?

Patients need to see their doctors every three to six months for the first two years after treatment, since most cancers may recur, or come back, do so within that time.

We strongly urged a throat cancer patient not to smoke or drink alcohol during and after treatment. Drinking and smoking can greatly increase the chance of the cancer returning and also make treatments less successful and increase the side effects during treatment.