Questions to ask your healthcare team
Asking questions
You probably have lots of questions about your treatment. Understanding what is happening, and why, can make you feel more involved in your care. It can also make it easier to make decisions.
Your main point of contact at the hospital is your key worker. This is usually your clinical nurse specialist. A team of healthcare professionals, called a multidisciplinary team (MDT), is responsible for your treatment and care. Members of your MDT and your key worker can answer any questions you have. They can also refer you to other people who can help.
Difficult questions
Some questions may be difficult to ask, particularly when they are about very personal issues. For example, you might want to talk about the impact that cancer and its treatment are having on your sex life. Or you may want to ask about symptoms you are experiencing that feel embarrassing.
You may feel embarrassed or afraid to ask these questions. But healthcare professionals are used to all kinds of questions and are happy to help.
5 top tips for asking questions
You may have questions you wish to ask your healthcare team. Here are some tips to help you get the answers you need.
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Plan your questions
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Keep notes
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Ask someone to come with you
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Do not feel you have to ask everything at once
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Remember that professionals are there to help
Who you can ask about your cancer treatment
If you have questions, you might talk to someone in your healthcare team, another professional, or someone who has been in the same situation.
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Your healthcare team
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Financial specialists
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Social services
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Other people affected by cancer
Questions after diagnosis
Asking questions during and after your diagnosis can make it easier to understand what is happening and why.
Being told you need to have tests and meet a specialist can be a shock. It can often be some time before your appointment, so you might feel worried.
Your healthcare team will tell you how to prepare for your tests and what is involved. They will also explain any results to you.
But you might want to ask some extra questions. Someone should be available after your first appointment to discuss your diagnosis and how it may affect you. This is usually a clinical nurse specialist.
If you think of questions later, you may also find it helpful to speak to someone at your nearest Macmillan cancer information and support centre. You can also call our cancer support specialists free on 0808 808 00 00, 7 days a week, 8am to 8pm.
You may want to ask questions about:
- being referred for tests for cancer
- having tests and getting the results
- getting more information about your cancer diagnosis
- any practical issues, such as work and finances.
You are likely to have many different feelings during this time. If you need emotional support, help is available. Your GP, cancer doctor or specialist nurse will be able to help you find the support you need.
Here are some suggestions about the types of questions you could ask after your diagnosis.
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About your diagnosis
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Getting more information
We have more suggested questions about getting practical and financial support below.
Questions about treatment
You can ask your healthcare team any questions you have before, during and after your treatment.
When you are making decisions about treatments, it is very important that you understand all the information you are given. You can ask questions about anything you do not understand.
The type of questions you have are likely to change depending on what stage of treatment you are in.
You can continue to ask your healthcare team questions during your treatment. Your cancer doctor or specialist nurse will answer any questions you have. They should also offer you some written information about the treatment that you can take home.
We have information about different types of treatments and the different impacts of cancer.
Here are some questions you could ask about treatment.
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Your treatment options
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Choosing treatment
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Choosing not to have treatment
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Where to have your treatment
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What treatment will involve
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How treatment might affect you
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How well treatment is working
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Side effects
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During treatment
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After treatment
Questions about help and support
You should be given information about support groups in your area. You can also find out about local groups by calling us on 0808 808 00 00.
You can also share your experiences and discuss your feelings with other people in your situation on our Online Community.
Here are some questions that could help you get support during treatment, including any practical or financial help you need.
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Help with money worries
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Emotional support
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Work
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Family
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Travel
About our information
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References
The language we use
We want everyone affected by cancer to feel our information is written for them.
We want our information to be as clear as possible. To do this, we try to:
- use plain English
- explain medical words
- use short sentences
- use illustrations to explain text
- structure the information clearly
- make sure important points are clear.
We use gender-inclusive language and talk to our readers as ‘you’ so that everyone feels included. Where clinically necessary we use the terms ‘men’ and ‘women’ or ‘male’ and ‘female’. For example, we do so when talking about parts of the body or mentioning statistics or research about who is affected.
You can read more about how we produce our information here.
Date reviewed
Our cancer information meets the PIF TICK quality mark.
This means it is easy to use, up-to-date and based on the latest evidence. Learn more about how we produce our information.