When you have cancer, it’s essential to work closely with your doctor to manage your condition and prevent complications from developing. Good communication, a clear treatment plan, and regular visits to your doctor can go a long way toward helping you take good care of yourself while you’re being treated. Here’s a step-by-step guide to talking to your doctor effectively about cancer:

Step One: Set your goals.

First, ask your doctor about the seriousness of your cancer (meaning, what stage it’s in), what your treatment options are, and what kind of prognosis you can expect over time. Then, find out what your goals should be for managing the disease and how you should monitor your symptoms and responses to treatment. How will you know if a particular treatment is working? How is that treatment likely to affect your chances of being cured?

Step Two: Manage your medicines.

Doctors use an array of treatments—including chemotherapy, radiation therapy, hormonal agents, biologic therapy or immunotherapy, and other drugs—to treat cancer, often in combinations. With any prescribed treatment, you’ll want to ask your doctor to explain why you’re taking it, how it works, how often you should take it, how it’s given (orally, intravenously, by injection, or another way), how long you will take it, whether it should be taken with or without food, and what side effects you can expect. How long do the side effects typically last? And what, if anything, can you do to ease them? Also, find out if there are any potential interactions with over-the-counter or prescription drugs, herbs, or nutritional supplements you might take on a regular or occasional basis.

Step Three: Look at your lifestyle.

Find out what kinds of changes you should make to your diet, such as avoiding raw milk products and even uncooked vegetables and fruits. Practicing good personal hygiene (with frequent hand washing and bathing) and safe food preparation techniques are essential for those with cancer. But what else should you do to protect yourself from possible infections? Ask your doctor how often you should exercise and what special measures you should take to get more rest or better manage stress. Keep in mind: Feelings of depression or anxiety are very common with cancer; ask your doctor what you should do to manage your mood or deal with any downturns that may occur.

Step Four: Plan ahead.

Ask your doctor how often you should come for routine visits and what tests you should expect at these appointments. What kinds of assessments will the doctor do to see if a treatment or medication is helping? Should you consider getting a flu shot or any other vaccinations since your immune system may be compromised? Also, ask if any of your other medical conditions—such as high blood pressure or diabetes—could complicate your cancer treatment.  

Step Five: Fill in the blanks.

To make sure you’re not overlooking anything important, it’s wise to ask your doctor a few catch-all questions, such as: What else do I need to know about my treatment? Will I be able to work or go to school during it? What stumbling blocks should I watch out for in my care? What kinds of symptoms, signs of infection, or other changes should always be reported to you? And when should I seek emergency care?