Optional discussion worksheet
Your next cancer-care conversation
Organise confirmed facts, uncertainties, questions and the next steps when cancer returns or treatment may need to change.
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1. What do we know so far?
Ask the team to confirm medical details. A symptom, marker or scan phrase alone may not explain a treatment change. If someone is seriously unwell, seek urgent help; do not wait to complete this sheet.
Date / person completing this / who the patient wants involved
What the team has confirmed, in plain words
What is still uncertain; tests or reports needed and who will obtain them
Current symptoms or difficulties; medicine instructions while waiting, confirmed by the team
The three questions that matter most to us
2. What could the next step achieve?
Use this page with the treatment-choice sheet if there is more than one reasonable option. Ask about symptom support even while tests or treatment are being considered.
What matters most to the patient now: daily life, comfort, independence, time or other priorities
Goal of the proposed treatment, confirmed by the clinician
Options, likely benefit and uncertainty; clinician recommendation and why; supportive care alone if relevant
Burdens, visits, costs and help likely to be needed
Questions about another opinion, molecular testing or a clinical trial, if relevant
3. Leave with a clear plan
Ask the team to explain how urgent the decision is. Do not delay urgent care while completing a worksheet or seeking another opinion.
Agreed next step / person responsible / date
When results will be reviewed; who contacts whom if there is no news
When benefit and side effects will be reassessed; what could change the plan
Team-confirmed symptoms needing an urgent call; daytime and out-of-hours contact routes
What we understood / what still needs explaining / next conversation date
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These are discussion prompts, not prescriptions, emergency instructions or formal medical or legal documents. Use the current verified plan from your care team.
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Sources and further reading
These prompts accompany the source-checked guides linked above. Their Sources and further reading sections contain the original references.