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Preparing for Treatment
The doctor develops a treatment plan to fit each patient's needs. Treatment depends on the type of bladder cancer, the stage of the disease, and the grade of the tumor. (The grade tells how closely the cancer cells resemble normal cells. It suggests how fast the cancer is likely to grow. Low-grade cancers usually grow and spread more slowly than high-grade cancers.) The doctor also considers other factors, including the patient's age and general health.
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These are some questions a patient may want to ask the doctor before treatment begins:
What kind of bladder cancer do I have? What is the stage of the disease? Has the cancer spread? What is the grade of the tumor? What are my treatment choices? Which do you recommend for me? Why? What are the expected benefits of each kind of treatment? What are the risks and possible side effects of each treatment? What is the treatment likely to cost? Is this treatment covered by my insurance plan? How will treatment affect my normal activities?
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People do not need to ask all of their questions or understand all of the answers at once. They will have other chances to ask the doctor to explain things that are not clear and to ask for more information.
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