Questions To Ask About Chronic Myeloid Leukemia

As you cope with cancer and cancer treatment, you need to have honest, open talks with your cancer care team. You should be able to ask any question, no matter how small it might seem. Here are some you might want to ask. Nurses, social workers, and other members of the treatment team may also be able to answer many of your questions.

• What phase is my chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) in?
• What are my treatment choices?
• Which treatment do you recommend, and why?
• How long will treatment last and what will it be like?
• Will my insurance cover treatment? How much will I have to pay?
• How often will you test my blood or bone marrow to see how treatment is working?
• What side effects are there to the treatments that you recommend?
• What can I do to be ready for treatment?
• Should I consider a stem cell transplant at this time?
• What are the chances that my leukemia will come back once I am in remission?
• What type of follow-up will I need after treatment?

Be sure to write down any questions that occur to you that are not on this list. For instance, you might want information about how you'll feel during treatment so you can plan your work schedule. Or you may want to ask about second opinions or taking part in a clinical trial.

Taking another person with you and/or recording your talks with the doctor can be helpful. Getting copies of your medical records, including pathology and radiology reports, may be useful in case you decide to seek a second opinion later.