Questions we asked surgeons.

How risky is this surgery?

What are the possible complications?

What is the recovery time?

How soon will he resume chemotherapy after surgery? How long will he need to be off chemotherapy before surgery?

Is there anything that would make you abort the surgery? Are those reasons based on his health or a rule that tells you it “won’t be worth it to continue”?

Please tell me about surgical, interventional, and directed therapy options.

Questions we asked his medical oncologist.

What is the first-line chemotherapy for his type of cancer?

What is the second-line chemotherapy for his type of cancer?

How long will he be on treatment?

If surgery is an option, how aggressive are your surgeons willing to be?

How much input do you allow your patients to have in their course of treatment?

When do clinical trials become relevant?

Are you taking a palliative or curative care approach to his care?

How open-minded are you regarding nutritional supplements and alternative treatments?

Do you suggest any dietary changes to help with the cancer or chemo recovery?

Tips on coming up with your questions.

Every person’s experience with cancer is different, so our set of questions may not fit what you need to ask.

Consider asking open-ended questions and “if this, then what,” for example.

If the cancer has spread outside the colon, what is your most aggressive approach?

How do you determine the efficacy of the chemotherapy?

When should we start looking at clinical trials?