Questions to ask docter

 

Regular communication with your child’s doctor is important in making informed decisions about your child’s health care. Consider asking the following questions of your child’s doctor:

  • Can you explain my child’s pathology report (laboratory test results) to me?

     
  • What is the histology of the tumor? What does this mean?

     
  • What is the stage of the tumor? What does this mean?

     
  • What treatment options are available?

     
  • What clinical trials are open to my child?

     
  • What treatment plan do you recommend? Why?

     
  • How long will my child be in treatment?

     
  • What are the possible side effects of each treatment option, both in the short term and the long term?

     
  • How will this treatment affect my child’s daily life? Will he or she be able to go to school and perform his or her usual activities?

     
  • If I’m worried about managing the costs related to my child’s medical care, who can help me with these concerns?

     
  • Can my child play sports and, if so, which ones? Are there any precautions necessary when he or she participates in sports?

     
  • What do I need to do if my child has abdominal pain with vomiting?

     
  • What is the chance that the tumor will come back after treatment?

     
  • Will my child be able to have children?

     
  • If my child has children, what is their risk of developing Wilms tumor?

     
  • What follow-up tests will my child need, and how often will he or she need them?

     
  • What support services are available to my child? To my family?