Questions to Ask Your Healthcare Team
The most important thing you can do as a person living with kidney cancer is to ask questions and share the decision-making process as a partner in your healthcare team.
There are many ways to treat kidney cancer. You and your care team will create a treatment plan based on many factors, including tumor size, location, and if there is spread of disease.
A treatment plan includes:
- The treatments you’ll need
- Any follow-up tests during and after treatment
- How often you’ll have follow-up visits to check on your cancer during and after treatment
You and your care team will talk about:
- Your treatment plan and why it’s recommended for you
- The benefits and risks
- Possible side effects
To make the most out of each of your doctor’s appointments:
- Write down all of your and your family’s questions ahead of time
- Bring someone with you, or have them attend virtually
- Bring a notebook and pen, or your phone, with your questions
- Consider bringing a recording device or using a recording app on your phone. This way, you can listen back to what the doctor said after your appointment to make sure you have all the details. Be sure to ask your doctor if recording the conversation is ok.
It is always okay to ask the doctor to repeat what they said so you can understand better or to contact them later with a follow-up question.
Questions to ask your care team
Here are some questions to ask your healthcare team so you can have the answers you need to give yourself confidence and strength on your treatment journey. This isn’t a complete list; you may have others depending on your specific situation.
- What type of kidney cancer do I have?
- Where is the cancer located in my body?
- Has the cancer spread outside of my kidney?
- What is the stage of my cancer?
- How do you know the mass is cancer if I haven’t had a biopsy?
- Will I need other tests before we decide on treatment?
- What is the best way to keep all of my doctors updated with my new diagnosis?
- Who can help me figure out the cost of treatment and what my insurance will cover?
- What is the best way to explain my diagnosis to my family and friends?
- What are my treatment options?
- Which treatment option do you recommend and why?
- Is a clinical trial right for my situation?
- How much experience do you have treating this type of kidney cancer?
- Who would you recommend I see for a second opinion?
- What is the goal of the recommended treatment?
- How quickly do I need to decide on treatment?
- What risks or side effects are there to the treatments you suggest?
- What are the chances my cancer could return after treatment? How is that determined?
- What will we do if treatment doesn’t work or returns in the future?
If active surveillance (watch and wait) is recommended:
- How will you watch my tumor?
- How often will my tumor be monitored?
- What happens if my tumor gets bigger?
- What changes or symptoms should I report between appointments?
If surgery is recommended:
- How will you remove the tumor? An open surgery or robotic surgery?
- Will I need to have my whole kidney removed or only part of it?
- Is it possible that my whole kidney could be removed, even if we are planning to remove part of it?
- When will we know if I will need adjuvant therapy?
If radiation therapy is recommended:
- How much of my healthy kidney will be impacted by the radiation? Could other organs also be affected by the radiation?
- How many treatment sessions will I need? If it’s more than one, will treatments be consecutive days or will there be days off between sessions?
- What planning is needed before starting treatment?
If ablation therapy is recommended:
- What type of ablation do you recommend—cryoablation or radiofrequency ablation—and why?
- What are the chances the tumor will be completely destroyed with one treatment?
- How might ablation affect my kidney function
If systemic treatment is recommended:
- How long will the treatment last?
- How is the medication given?
- Where will it be done? (if the medication is given through a vein or by injection)
- How will I get my medication? (if the medication is a pill)
If surgery is recommended:
- Will I need to stay in the hospital after surgery? How long?
- What will my recovery after surgery look like?
- Will I have limits on my activity? When can I return to work?
- How will my pain be managed?
If systemic treatment/adjuvant therapy is recommended:
- How will we know if treatment is working?
- Is there anything I can do to help manage side effects?
- Do I need to change what I eat during treatment? Do I need to stop taking any medications or supplements?
- What if I have transportation problems or other issues and can’t get to treatment?
- Are there any limits on what I can do?
- Can I exercise during treatment? If so, what kind of exercise should I do, and how often?
For all treatments:
- What side effects should I expect in the short term and long term? Which should I tell you about right away?
- If I start to feel overwhelmed, depressed, or distressed, can you suggest a mental health professional I can see?
- What if I need some social support because my family lives far away or I have limited help?
- What if I have an important life event during treatment? Can we plan my treatment around it?
- How can I reach you on nights, holidays, or weekends if I have any issues from treatment?
- Are there any limits on what I can do now?
- How will we know if the cancer has come back? What symptoms should I watch for?
- What type of follow-up will I need after treatment?
- How often will I need to have follow-up exams, imaging tests, and blood tests?
- Are there long-term side effects from my treatment that I should watch for?
- How will we know if my remaining kidney is working well enough? Should I see a nephrologist?
Information on this page last reviewed: January, 2026
Keep Learning:
The Kidney Cancer Association provides educational literature for anyone impacted by kidney cancer.