A Protocol & People production
Every question, one page each
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The first few days
- What is cancer, actually?
- How fast do I have to decide?
- Did I do something to cause this?
- Am I going to be okay?
- What does my stage mean?
- Should I get a second opinion?
- Who do I tell, and when?
- What happens between now and my next appointment?
- Why does everyone keep saying it depends?
- Who is on my care team?
- Is my cancer curable?
- Why is my case being discussed at a multidisciplinary team (MDT) meeting?
- What does DNA have to do with cancer?
- What happens to the dead cancer cells?
- Why doesn't my body remove cancer naturally?
- Who is my medical oncologist?
- Who is my radiation oncologist?
- Who is my surgeon?
- Who are the radiation therapists?
- That’s a lot of people. How do I keep track?
What the words mean
- What does metastatic mean?
- My cancer is stable. Is that good?
- My test was positive. Isn't positive supposed to be good?
- What does no evidence of disease mean?
- What does recurrence mean?
- My cancer is inoperable. Does that mean nothing can be done?
- What is the difference between benign and malignant?
- What is a biopsy, and why do I need one?
- What are lymph nodes, and why do you keep checking them?
- What is grade, and how is it different from stage?
- My margins were clear. What are margins?
- What is the difference between curative and palliative?
- My ECOG is 1. What is that?
- Why are my lymph nodes important?
- If cancer is in my lymph nodes, does that mean it has spread everywhere?
- Why aren't all my lymph nodes removed?
- Why are my lymph nodes being removed?
- What should I ask if my scan shows cancer has spread?
- What does “curative treatment” mean?
- What is palliative care?
What each treatment is doing
- What is chemotherapy actually doing?
- What is radiation actually doing?
- What is surgery meant to do?
- What is immunotherapy?
- Why are there gaps between treatments?
- Why am I tired all the time?
- What should I call about, and what can wait?
- Why do you keep checking my blood?
- What does the scan actually show?
- What does remission mean? Am I cured?
- You said sixty percent. Sixty percent of what?
- Why am I having chemotherapy if only my lymph nodes were positive?
- How was my treatment plan chosen?
- Why do I need chemotherapy if the tumor was removed?
- What's the difference between chemotherapy and immunotherapy?
- Can cancer spread during surgery?
- Why am I getting a CT simulation?
- What happens on my first treatment day?
- Will radiation hurt?
- Am I radioactive if I get radiation?
- Why do the therapists leave the room?
- Why do I have treatment every day?
- Isn't radiation bad for you?
- Why does my radiation treatment only take a few minutes?
- What happens if I don't finish my radiation treatment?
- What if I move during treatment?
- How does radiation know where my cancer is?
- If the tumor was removed, what is the radiation treating?
- Why am I getting radiation if my scans look normal?
- Why do I need more scans?
- Why did I need a PET scan?
- How will I know if the treatment is working?
The days in between
- Why am I so tired, and will it go away?
- Will I lose my hair?
- Why do I feel sick, and what actually helps?
- When is a fever an emergency?
- What is neutropenia, and why does everyone worry about it?
- Why can't I think straight?
- My hands and feet tingle. What is that?
- Why has my skin changed?
- Why can't I sleep?
- Will treatment affect whether I can have children?
- What about sex during treatment?
- Which side effects should I call about right now?
- Can I exercise?
- My weight is changing. Should I worry?
- What can I take for pain?
- My mouth hurts and everything tastes wrong. What do I do?
- My bowels have changed. Is that expected?
- Why do I bruise so easily now?
- I am getting hot flushes. What is going on?
- My hands and feet are sore and my nails look strange.
- Do side effects mean the treatment is working?
- What should I do if I have side effects?
- Can I travel during treatment?
- Can I drink alcohol?
- Someone I know had this, and something happened to them. Will that happen to me?
How you are actually doing
- Why do I feel numb instead of sad?
- Is it normal to be this angry?
- I am frightened all the time. What actually helps?
- Why do I feel guilty?
- Everyone keeps telling me to stay positive.
- I do not recognize my body any more.
- I cannot stop thinking about dying.
- Should I talk to someone about how I feel?
- Why is scan day so hard?
- I feel worse now that treatment has ended.
- How do I tell my children?
- What if I want to stop treatment?
- How much is this going to cost me?
- What help exists that nobody tells you about?
- Should I tell my employer?
- How do I get to all these appointments?
- Can I keep working?
- What happens after my treatment is finished?
- I finished treatment. How do I know it’s all gone for good?
The people around you
- Who do I even have to tell?
- The person caring for me is exhausted. Is there help for them?
- I do not want visitors. Am I being unfair?
- My partner is struggling more than I am.
- People keep saying the wrong thing. What do I say back?
- Everyone says let me know if you need anything. What do I actually ask for?
If we offer you a trial
- Someone offered me a trial. What are they actually asking?
- What is a clinical trial?
- Why can't I just take the new drug?
- Is a trial a last resort?
- Am I a guinea pig?
- Who decides whether I am eligible?
- I was screened and turned down. What happened?
- Who decides which group I am in?
- Will I be left with no treatment?
- Why won't you tell me which one I got?
- How will you know if it helped me?
- What is a phase 1 trial, and should that worry me?
- What is the difference between phase 2 and phase 3?
- What is a protocol, and can I read it?
- Who wrote this trial, and who is paying for it?
- What does “standard of care” mean in my case?
- Can I switch groups if mine is not working?
- Is it safe? Who is watching?
- Can I say no? Can I stop?
- What is informed consent, really?
- I signed the form but did not understand it. What now?
- What happens if something goes wrong?
- Who pays if the trial harms me?
- What happens to my data and my samples?
- Can the trial be stopped without me?
- If I leave, does my care change?
- What will happen to me?
- What will this cost me?
- How much time off work should I plan for?
- Can I travel? Can I still work?
- What do I tell my family?
- What if I cannot get to the appointments?
- Can I bring someone with me?
- What should I ask my team?
- What if I want a second opinion?
- Who do I call at two in the morning?
- Will I be told the results?
- If the drug works, do I keep getting it?
- What is screening, before a trial?
- What if I get sick with something unrelated while I'm in a trial?
- Will researchers follow me even after my treatment ends?
- Will I get a placebo?
- What happens if the treatment isn’t working?
- Questions you may want to ask before joining a clinical trial
- What are eligibility criteria?
Content last updated 25 September 2026 · How we write these cards
These cards are for learning. They are not medical advice and do not replace talking with your own doctor.