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Preparing for your appointment
By Mayo Clinic staffIf it's thought that you may have chronic lymphocytic leukemia, you're likely to start by first seeing your family doctor or a general practitioner. However, in some cases when you call to set up an appointment, you may be referred immediately to a doctor who specializes in diseases of the blood and bone marrow (hematologist).
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. Here's some information to help you get ready for your appointment, and what to expect from your doctor.
What you can do
- 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 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 soak up all the information provided during an appointment. Someone who accompanies you may remember something that you missed or forgot.
- Write down questions to ask your doctor.
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 chronic lymphocytic leukemia, some basic questions to ask your doctor include:
- What do my test results mean?
- Do I need treatment right away?
- If I don't begin treatment right now, will that limit my treatment options in the future?
- Should I undergo additional tests?
- What are my treatment options?
- What are the side effects associated with each treatment?
- Is there one treatment that's strongly recommended for someone with my diagnosis?
- How will treatment affect my daily life?
- Are there any brochures or other printed material that I can take home 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 whenever you don't understand something.
- Montserrat E, et al. Chronic lymphocytic leukaemia: A short overview. Annals of Oncology. 2008;19(suppl):vii320.
- Caligaris-Cappio F, et al. Novel insights in chronic lymphocytic leukemia: Are we getting closer to understanding the pathogenesis of the disease? Journal of Clinical Oncology. 2008;26:4497.
- Elphee EE. Caring for patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Clinical Journal of Oncology Nursing. 2008;12:417.
- Dighiero G, et al. Chronic lymphocytic leukaemia. The Lancet. 2008;371(9617):1017.
- Nabhan C, et al. Controversies in the front-line management of chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Leukemia Research. 2008;32:679.
- Chronic lymphocytic leukemia treatment (PDQ) patient version. National Cancer Institute. http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/treatment/CLL/patient/allpage/print. Accessed Oct. 13, 2008.
- Hallek M, et al. Guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukemia: A report from the International Workshop on Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia updating the National Cancer Institute Working Group 1996 guidelines. Blood. 2008;111:5446.
- SEER stat fact sheets. Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results. http://seer.cancer.gov/statfacts/html/clyl.html. Accessed Oct. 15, 2008.
- Questions about treatment. The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. http://www.leukemia-lymphoma.org/graphics/National/Allquestionsworksheets/QuestionsabouttreatmentPS172R.pdf. Accessed Oct. 15, 2008.
- Campath (prescribing information). Cambridge, Mass.: Genzyme Corp.; 2007. http://www.fda.gov/cder/foi/label/2007/103948s5070lbl.pdf. Accessed Oct. 15, 2008.
- Rituxan (prescribing information). San Francisco, Calif.: Genentech; 2008. http://www.fda.gov/cder/foi/label/2008/103705s5256lbl.pdf. Accessed Oct. 15, 2008.
- Cancer-related fatigue. Fort Washington, Pa.: National Comprehensive Cancer Network. http://www.nccn.org/professionals/physician_gls/PDF/fatigue.pdf. Accessed Oct. 15, 2008.
- Shanafelt TD (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Nov. 12, 2008.
