Questions to Ask After Being Diagnosed With Anal Cancer

It’s normal to have lots of questions after being diagnosed with anal cancer. Your oncologist is there to help you understand your condition, explore your treatment options and provide you with individualized advice and guidance.

You can ask your oncologist whatever questions come to mind, no matter how unimportant they may seem. Some patients find it helpful to write down questions that they have in between visits, helping to ensure that they will remember everything they want to ask when they’re face-to-face with an oncologist. Some examples include:

• What type of anal cancer do I have? How does this influence my options?
• Has my cancer spread? How do you know?
• Are there any other tests I need to determine what types of treatment to have?
• How soon should I start thinking about treatment? Are there any specific things I need to do to prepare?
• What are my treatment options?
• Will I need to see any other oncologists for my anal cancer treatment, either now or in the future?
• Do you recommend that I look into a clinical trial?
• How will we know if my treatment is working? When will I need to come back for follow-up testing?
• Is a recurrence a possibility? What can I do to reduce the likelihood of my cancer coming back?

Asking your treatment team about your prognosis

Some people choose not to ask about their prognosis – and that’s a perfectly valid choice to make. That said, if you’d like to learn about your possible outcome, your oncologist can give you more information that takes into account your diagnosis, age and other similar factors. This information will be more relevant than general anal cancer survival statistics, which do not specifically reflect your particular situation.

The anal cancer treatment team at Moffitt Cancer Center

Moffitt Cancer Center’s anal cancer treatment team can answer any questions you might have, wherever you are in the treatment process. We offer diagnostic testing, second opinions, comprehensive treatment and supportive care services under one roof, and you do not need a referral. If you’d like to request a consultation, call 1-888-663-3488 or submit a new patient registration form online.