What questions should I ask?

Talking to your medical team is your opportunity to get the information you need about ovarian cancer in general and your treatment in particular. But it can be difficult to think of questions, or remember what you wanted to ask, when you're in a doctor's surgery, busy hospital ward or outpatient department. It may help to jot down a list of points as you think of them at home between appointments. If possible, take someone with you when you go for your appointment so that they can take notes for you and help you remember what was said.

Before surgery

If cancer is suspected, the surgeon doing your operation should be a specialist in dealing with gynaecological cancers: a gynae-oncologist. Ask the surgeon if s/he is a specialist in gynae-oncology, and ask for a second opinion if they are not. Sometimes, if the surgery has to be carried out as an emergency or if cancer is not suspected, the surgeon may be a general surgeon or gynaecologist.

Before signing your consent form you should be absolutely sure that you know exactly what surgery is planned. Take your time, read the consent form thoroughly, and ask for any unfamiliar words to be explained.

After surgery

• What exactly did you find?
• Has all the cancer been removed?
• Were any nodes involved?
• Does the histology (medical term for the examination of what was removed) show that I need anymore treatment?
• What stage ovarian cancer have I got?
• What treatment do I need and what are the side-effects?

Discussing treatment

• What treatment options do I have?
• Is the treatment you are offering me aimed at curing my disease, helping me to live longer, or dealing with my symptoms?
• What side-effects am I likely to experience from the treatment ?
• How will the chemotherapy be given and how long will it take?
• Will I have to stay in hospital during my chemotherapy treatment?
• Are there any new treatments or clinical trials that may benefit me?
• What complementary therapies are available?
• What if I don't want chemotherapy?
• Who will I see during my treatment (oncologist, surgeon, specialist nurse, nurse practitioner)?
• What will each of these people's roles be, and how often will I see them?
• What happens after the chemotherapy?
• How often will I have to come in for check-ups?
• How will you check my progress?
• How will I know if the cancer has come back?

Not all women with ovarian cancer will want to know the answer to these questions. If you do, you need to ask. The medical team will take their cue from you when it comes to deciding what to discuss with you. Before you ask, make sure you feel ready to discuss what may turn out to be very sensitive issues. Sometimes it helps to write down or record your questions and the answers so that you can go back and read or listen to them later on, or to take someone with you who can take notes for you.

Standards of Care