Questions about prostate cancer
Below are some questions about prostate cancer to ask your doctor to learn more about the disease, and its treatment and management. If your doctor gives you answers that you don’t understand, it is okay to ask for clarification.
- What type of prostate cancer do I have?
- How far has the cancer spread? How fast is it growing?
- What treatment do you recommend and why?
- What happens if I do nothing or choose active surveillance or watchful waiting?
- Are there other treatment choices for me? If not, why not?
- What are the side effects of each treatment? How can these be managed? Will I have problems with continence?
- How will my sex life, erections and fertility be affected?
- Who should I see for help preserving the health of my penis?
- Will I have to stay in hospital? If so, for how long?
- How much will treatment cost?
- How will I know if the treatment has worked?
- When will I be able to get back to work and my usual activities?
- After treatment, will I need check-ups? What will they involve?
- What will happen if I need further treatment?
- Is the cancer hereditary? If so, what do you recommend?
- Are there any clinical trials that might be helpful?
This information was last reviewed in March 2018
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