Questions to ask at your appointment

If you are worried about cancer it can be hard to get your point across in a short appointment time. It may be useful to take a list of questions with you and write down any answers to make sure you remember what was said.

Here are some questions you should always feel like you can ask:

1. Can I see a male/female doctor? 
2. I want to use translation services for my appointment. 
3. Can I bring a friend/family member with me to my appointment? 
4. I am worried that my symptoms may be linked to cancer.
5. How can I manage my symptoms? 
6. What are the treatment options? 
7. What is going to happen next/What should I do after this appointment? How long do I have to wait until my next appointment? 
8. Where can I go for further support? 

+ Can I record this conversation in case I forget something important? 

We asked our All-Wales Cancer Community, who have personal experience of being diagnosed what questions they wish they had asked and many of these are listed below.

• What can I do to help myself?
• Can you write that down please?
• What tests are being done and why?
• Why aren’t any tests being offered?
• What would the treatment options be?
• How soon would I start treatment?
• What support is there?
• Are effective is this treatment and are there side effects?
• Who do I contact if I have any worries?

If you want to add any extra questions to this list please email us at insight@tenovuscancercare.org.uk.