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Ask Your Doctor
Many patients with melanoma want to take an active part in decisions about their medical care. They want to learn all they can about their disease and their treatment choices. However, the shock and stress that people often feel after a diagnosis of cancer can make it hard for them to think of everything they want to ask the physician. Often it is helpful to prepare a list of questions in advance.
If you need a biopsy:
- Why do I need a biopsy?
- How long will it take? Will it hurt?
- Will the entire tumor be removed?
- What side effects can I expect?
- How soon will I know the results?
- If I do have cancer, who will talk to me about treatment? When?
If you are diagnosed with melanoma:
- What is my diagnosis?
- What is the stage of my disease?
- What are my treatment choices? Which do you recommend for me? Why?
- What are the benefits of each kind of treatment?
- What are the risks and possible side effects of each treatment?
- How will I feel after surgery?
- If I have pain, how will it be controlled?
- Will I need more treatment after surgery?
- Will there be a scar? Will I need a skin graft or plastic surgery?
- What is the treatment likely to cost?
- Will treatment affect my normal activities? If so, for how long?
- How often will I need checkups?
- Would a clinical trial (research study) be appropriate for me? Can you help me find one?
Before surgery:
- What kinds of surgery can I consider? Which operation do you recommend? What are the Risks of surgery?
- Should I store some of my own blood in case I need a transfusion?
- Do I need my lymph nodes removed? How many? Why? What special precautions will I need to take if lymph nodes are removed?
- How will I feel after the operation?
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- Will I need to learn how to do special things to take care of my incision and myself when I get home?
- Where will I have scars? What will they look like?
- If I need plastic surgery, how and when can that be done? Can you suggest a plastic surgeon for me to contact?
- When can I get back to my normal activities?
- Is there someone I can talk with who has had the same treatment I'll be having?
Before radiation therapy:
- Why do I need this treatment?
- What are the risks and side effects of this treatment?
- Are there any long-term effects?
- When will the treatments begin? When will they end?
- How will I feel during therapy?
- What can I do to take care of myself during therapy?
- Can I continue my normal activities?
- How will my skin look afterward?
- What are the chances that the tumor will come back?
Before chemotherapy or biological therapy:
- Why do I need this treatment?
- If I need hormonal treatment, which would be better for me: drugs or surgery?
- What drugs will I be taking? What will they do?
- Will I have side effects? What can I do about them?
- How long will I be on this treatment?
After treatment for melanoma:
- How often should I have checkups?
- What special precautions should I take to avoid sun exposure?
- Are my family members at risk of melanoma? Should they schedule an appointment with their doctor for an examination?
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