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Preparing for your appointment
By Mayo Clinic staff
Who to see
If you have any signs and symptoms that worry you, start by making an appointment with your family doctor or a general practitioner. If your doctor suspects you may have bone cancer, you may be referred to a specialist. Bone cancer is often treated by a team of specialists that may include:
- Orthopedic surgeons who specialize in operating on cancers that affect the bones (orthopedic oncologists)
- Doctors who specialize in treating cancer, often with chemotherapy (oncologists)
- Doctors who use radiation to treat cancer (radiation oncologists)
How to prepare
Because appointments can be brief, and because there's often a lot of ground to cover, it's a good idea to be well prepared for your appointment. Try to:
- Be aware of any pre-appointment restrictions. At the time you make the appointment, be sure to ask if there's anything you need to do in advance, such as restrict your diet.
- Write down any symptoms you're experiencing, including any that may seem unrelated to the reason for which you scheduled the appointment.
- Write down key personal information, including any major stresses or recent life changes.
- Make a list of all medications, as well as any vitamins or supplements, that you're taking.
- Take a family member or friend along, if possible. Sometimes it can be difficult to absorb all the information provided during an appointment. Someone who accompanies you may remember something that you missed or forgot.
Questions to ask
Your time with your doctor is limited, so preparing a list of questions will help you make the most of your time together. List your questions from most important to least important in case time runs out. For bone cancer, some basic questions to ask your doctor include:
- What type of bone cancer do I have?
- What is the stage of my bone cancer?
- What is the grade of my bone cancer?
- Will I need any additional tests?
- What are the treatment options for my bone cancer?
- What are the chances that treatment will cure my bone cancer?
- What are the side effects and risks of each treatment option?
- I have other health conditions. How will cancer treatments affect my other conditions?
- Is there one treatment that you think is best for me?
- What would you recommend to a friend or family member in my same situation?
- Should I see a specialist? What will that cost, and will my insurance cover it?
- If I would like a second opinion, can you recommend a specialist I should see?
- Are there any brochures or other printed material that I can take with me? What Web sites do you recommend?
In addition to the questions that you've prepared to ask your doctor, don't hesitate to ask questions during your appointment at any time that you don't understand something.
- Bone cancer. American Cancer Society. http://www.cancer.org/docroot/CRI/content/CRI_2_4_7x_CRC_Bone_Cancer_PDF.asp. Accessed Aug. 7, 2009.
- Bone cancer. Fort Washington, Pa.: National Comprehensive Cancer Network. http://www.nccn.org/professionals/physician_gls/PDF/bone.pdf. Accessed Aug. 7, 2009.
- Bone cancer: Questions and answers. National Cancer Institute. http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheets/Sites-Types/bone/print?page=&keyword=. Accessed Aug. 7, 2009.
- Questions to ask the doctor. Cancer.Net. http://www.cancer.net/patient/Cancer+Types/Bone+Cancer. Accessed Aug. 8, 2009.
- Moynihan TJ (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Aug. 13, 2009.
