A few principles before the lists
- Bring someone with you. A second person catches things you miss.
- Take notes, or ask if you can record. Most clinicians say yes if asked.
- Ask before deciding, not after. Many patients say afterward that the questions they most regret not asking were ones they thought of later.
- It’s okay to ask the same question twice if the answer wasn’t clear. It’s also okay to ask "can you say that more simply?"
At the first oncology appointment after diagnosis
After your diagnosis is confirmed but before treatment is planned:
- What is the exact diagnosis and stage as you understand it?
- Has my pathology been reviewed at this center, or only at the original lab? Should it be re-reviewed?
- Is my cancer truly triple-negative, or is it HER2-low? Does that change anything for me?
- What additional tests do I need before we plan treatment?
- What is the typical timeline for treatment to start?
- What treatment do you recommend, and what are the alternatives?
- What outcomes can I realistically expect with this treatment?
- What happens if I delay treatment by a few days for a second opinion or consultation?
- Who is the rest of my care team — surgeon, radiation oncologist, others?
- How do you communicate between visits? Patient portal, phone, email?
- Who do I call if I have a question or symptom outside business hours?
Before deciding on a treatment plan
- What is the goal of treatment — cure, control, symptom management?
- What is the evidence behind this recommendation? Is it from a recent trial, a long-standing standard, or a clinical judgment in a borderline case?
- Are there clinical trials I might be eligible for? Where are they running, and how do I find out more?
- What are the most common side effects of this treatment, and how serious are they?
- What are the rare but serious side effects I should know about?
- How will treatment affect my ability to work, drive, exercise, travel?
- How long will I be in active treatment, and what does ongoing follow-up look like afterward?
- What does the data say about my specific situation — my age, stage, and any other factors?
- Is a second opinion worth getting? Where would you suggest?
- If I want time to decide, how long do I have without compromising outcomes?
About fertility — urgent, ask before chemotherapy starts
Even if you are not currently planning a family, raise these immediately if you are of childbearing age. Fertility preservation requires lead time and most options need to happen before chemotherapy starts.
- Will this treatment affect my fertility?
- Is fertility preservation (egg or embryo freezing, ovarian tissue freezing) an option for me?
- How long would fertility preservation delay treatment, and is that delay safe?
- Is there a reproductive endocrinologist you work with who specializes in cancer patients?
- Are there financial assistance programs for fertility preservation? (Many exist; ask the social worker.)
- After treatment, when (if ever) is it safe to try to conceive?
About genetic testing
- Should I be tested for BRCA1, BRCA2, and other hereditary cancer genes? (For TNBC, the answer is essentially always yes, regardless of age or family history.)
- How would the results change my treatment, my surgical decisions, and my long-term screening?
- What would a positive result mean for my family members?
- Is genetic counseling available before and after the test?
- Will my insurance cover testing, and are there protections against insurance discrimination?
Before surgery
- Lumpectomy or mastectomy — what do you recommend for me, and why?
- What are the recurrence rates and survival outcomes for each option in my situation?
- Will lymph nodes be removed (sentinel node biopsy or full axillary dissection)? What determines that?
- How will the surgical team handle reconstruction if I want it? Is that a separate consult?
- What is the recovery time? When can I drive, work, exercise?
- What complications should I watch for after surgery?
- How will surgery affect my radiation plan, if I’ll have radiation?
Before chemotherapy
- Which chemotherapy regimen are you recommending, and why?
- How is it given (infusion, oral pill, both), and where (hospital, infusion suite, home)?
- How long is each cycle, and how many cycles total?
- What are the side effects I should expect, and which require an immediate phone call?
- Will I need a port? When will it be placed?
- How will my white blood cell counts be monitored, and what happens if they drop?
- What pre-medications and anti-nausea drugs come with this regimen?
- Will I need scalp cooling? Is it offered here?
- How will this affect my immune system and my ability to be around children, immunocompromised family, etc.?
- What restrictions are there on diet, exercise, sexual activity, alcohol?
About immunotherapy (pembrolizumab and similar)
- Is my tumor PD-L1 positive? What was the score?
- What specific side effects are unique to immunotherapy, and how would I recognize them?
- What is the protocol if I develop a side effect like a rash, diarrhea, fatigue, or breathing issue?
- How long would I be on immunotherapy, and what monitoring is involved?
- Is there a pre-existing condition that would make immunotherapy higher-risk for me?
About antibody-drug conjugates (sacituzumab govitecan, trastuzumab deruxtecan)
- Why this specific drug for my situation — what’s the data?
- What side effects should I expect, and which are most likely to require dose adjustment?
- For trastuzumab deruxtecan: am I being monitored for interstitial lung disease, and how?
About PARP inhibitors (olaparib, talazoparib)
- Have I been tested for germline BRCA mutations? What did the results show?
- Are there other DNA-repair gene mutations that might affect eligibility?
- What is the typical duration of treatment, and what are the most common side effects?
About clinical trials
- Are there trials I’m eligible for at this center? At nearby centers?
- What is the trial testing — a new drug, a new combination, a new schedule, a new biomarker?
- What is the trial design — randomized, single-arm, phase 1 / 2 / 3?
- What are the potential benefits and known risks?
- How does the standard treatment available outside the trial compare?
- What is the time and travel commitment?
- Will the trial cover treatment costs and travel? (Many do.)
- Can I withdraw at any time?
About second opinions
- Who would you suggest for a second opinion? At this center or elsewhere?
- Will my records be sent over? How do I authorize that?
- Should I consider a center that specializes in TNBC or in clinical trials?
- Will my insurance cover a second opinion? (Often yes.)
At surveillance follow-up appointments after treatment
- What is the schedule for my follow-up visits and imaging?
- What signs or symptoms should I report between visits?
- Are there blood tests or scans you recommend? Are there ones you don’t?
- When can I stop seeing oncology and return to primary care?
- What screenings should my primary care doctor be doing?
- What survivorship resources do you recommend?
If recurrence is suspected or confirmed
- What does the evidence show — is this a recurrence, a new primary, or something else?
- What testing do we need before deciding on treatment (biopsy, imaging, biomarker testing)?
- Has the cancer changed (different receptor status, new mutations) since the original diagnosis?
- What are the goals of treatment now — control, symptom management, or both?
- What treatment options are there, and in what order?
- How will we know if treatment is working, and when would we change?
- Should I see a palliative care specialist? (Increasingly, the answer is "yes, early.")
About supportive and palliative care
Palliative care is not the same as hospice. It is symptom management and quality-of-life support, and it is appropriate at any stage — including alongside curative treatment.
- Is there a palliative care team I can meet with?
- What can I do for pain, fatigue, sleep, anxiety, or other persistent symptoms?
- Are there resources for caregivers in my family?
- What support is available for my children?
A few prompts for getting more out of any appointment
- Bring a written list of questions; rank the most important ones at the top.
- Open with: "Before we get to the plan, I have three questions I want to make sure we cover."
- End with: "Is there anything I should have asked but didn’t?"
- After the plan is discussed: "Can you summarize what we just decided and what comes next?"
- Always: "If I think of something tonight, what’s the best way to reach the team?"
Last reviewed: 2026-05-15. This page is information only, not medical advice. The questions here are starting points; the right questions for your situation may be different. A trained patient navigator at your treatment center can help personalize this list to your specific diagnosis and treatment plan.