@joeeduffy, it's so true. Once diagnosed with cancer, one hears it everywhere! The uses of the word that get to me the most are when the word cancer is used out of the medical context, like "the surge in urban sprawl was like a cancer on the landscape" or similar.

Your time with the oncologist or hematologist is precious, so preparing questions ahead of time can be helpful for organizing your thoughts and verifying that everything got addressed.

Here's a few to get the ball rolling:
- What do my test results mean? (insert more specific questions you may have after reading test results on the patient portal)
- Do these results change anything in my management plan or treatment?
- I have other health conditions. How can I best manage them together?
- When do I see you again?
- What else do I need to know?

I also like to offer the tip of repeating back to the physician anything that you're unsure. I repeat back in my own words what I understood the information or instructions to be. This allows the doctor to clarify anything I've understood incorrectly, but also to see where their explanation may have missed something.

What questions would you add?