Below are some questions about bladder cancer to ask your doctor to learn about the disease, and your care and treatment options. Asking your doctor questions will help you make an informed choice. You may want to include some of the questions below in your own list.
Learn more about:
Diagnosis
- What type of bladder cancer do I have?
- Has the cancer spread? If so, where has it spread? How fast is it growing?
- Are the latest tests and treatments for this cancer available in this hospital?
- Will a multidisciplinary team be involved in my care?
- Are there clinical guidelines for this type of cancer?
Treatment
- What treatment do you recommend? What is the aim of the treatment?
- If an operation is recommended, how many times have you performed it?
- Are there other treatment choices for me? If not, why not?
- If I don’t have the treatment, what should I expect?
- How long do I have to make a decision?
- I’m thinking of getting a second opinion. Can you recommend anyone?
- How long will treatment take? Will I have to stay in hospital?
- Are there any out-of-pocket expenses not covered by Medicare or my private health cover? Can the cost be reduced if I can’t afford it?
- How will we know if the treatment is working?
- Are there any clinical trials or research studies I could join?
Side effects and follow-up
- What are the risks and possible side effects of each treatment?
- If an operation is recommended, how many times have you performed it?
- If I need to have the bladder removed, what sort of urinary diversion would be best for me?
- How long will treatment take? Will I have to stay in hospital?
- How much will treatment cost? How can the cost be reduced?
- Will I have a lot of pain? What will be done about this?
- Will the treatment affect my sex life and fertility?
- Are the latest tests and treatments for bladder cancer available in this hospital?
- Are there any clinical trials or research studies I could join?
- Are there any complementary therapies that might help me?
- How frequently will I need check-ups after treatment?
- If the cancer comes back, how will I know? What would my treatment options be?
Key resource
Download a PDF booklet on this topic.
More resources
Prof Dickon Hayne, UWA Medical School, The University of Western Australia, and Head, Urology, South Metropolitan Health Service, WA; BEAT Bladder Cancer Australia; Dr Anne Capp, Senior Staff Specialist, Radiation Oncology, Calvary Mater Newcastle, NSW; Marc Diocera, Genitourinary Nurse Consultant, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, VIC; Dr Peter Heathcote, Senior Urologist, Princess Alexandra Hospital, and Adjunct Professor, Australian Prostate Cancer Research Centre, QLD; Melissa Le Mesurier, Consumer; Dr James Lynam, Medical Oncologist Staff Specialist, Calvary Mater Newcastle and The University of Newcastle, NSW; John McDonald, Consumer; Michael Twycross, Consumer; Rosemary Watson, 13 11 20 Consultant, Cancer Council Victoria.
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