Guide
52 questions to ask your doctor about prostate cancer
Appointments are short, and it is normal to walk out realizing you forgot the thing you most wanted to ask. Use this list to pick the five or six questions that matter most for where you are right now, and bring them with you on paper or on your phone.
Before you go
- Bring someone with you, or ask permission to record the conversation.
- Write your top three questions at the top of the page and ask those first.
- Ask for numbers and timeframes, and repeat answers back in your own words.
- Ask what the next step is and who to call if something changes.
Understanding your diagnosis
Before you can weigh any treatment, you need to know exactly what was found. Ask for the numbers, not just the summary — and ask for a copy of the pathology report.
- What is my Gleason score and Grade Group, and what does that mean in plain language?
- What was my PSA at diagnosis, and how fast has it been changing?
- How many biopsy cores were taken, how many had cancer, and what percentage of each core was involved?
- What is my clinical stage, and was that based on exam, MRI, or both?
- What risk category am I in — very low, low, favorable intermediate, unfavorable intermediate, high, or very high?
- Do I need additional imaging, such as an MRI, bone scan, or PSMA PET scan?
- Would genomic testing of my biopsy tissue (such as Decipher, Prolaris, or Oncotype DX) change what you recommend?
- Should I have germline genetic testing, given my family history?
- Can I get a copy of my pathology report, and would a second pathology opinion be reasonable?
Treatment options and the decision itself
Most prostate cancer decisions have more than one defensible answer. Ask what the alternatives are and why your doctor is leaning one way.
- What are all of my reasonable options, including active surveillance if it applies to me?
- Which option do you recommend, and what specifically about my case makes you recommend it?
- What would happen if I did nothing for three months while I decide?
- How many of these procedures do you personally perform each year, and what are your own outcomes?
- Should I also speak with a radiation oncologist and a medical oncologist before I decide?
- Is my case being discussed at a multidisciplinary tumor board?
- Would a second opinion at a high-volume center change anything?
- Am I eligible for any clinical trials? (You can also search at prostatecancertrials.org.)
- What does the treatment cost, and what will my insurance likely cover?
Side effects and quality of life
Ask about side effects in numbers and timelines, not adjectives. 'Most men do well' is not an answer you can plan around.
- What are the chances of urinary leakage at 3 months, 12 months, and 2 years — for your patients, not just in published studies?
- What are the chances I will be able to have erections good enough for sex afterward, given my current function and age?
- How will this affect ejaculation, orgasm, and fertility?
- What bowel or rectal side effects should I expect, and how long do they usually last?
- If I have hormone therapy, what should I expect regarding hot flashes, fatigue, muscle loss, mood, bone density, and heart health?
- Which side effects are usually temporary and which are usually permanent?
- What can I do before and after treatment to reduce these side effects — pelvic floor therapy, penile rehabilitation, exercise, or anything else?
- Who do I call when a side effect is not improving, and how quickly will someone respond?
If you are on active surveillance
Active surveillance is an active plan, not a decision to ignore the cancer. Make sure you know the schedule and the triggers.
- How often will I have PSA tests, exams, MRIs, and repeat biopsies?
- What specific change would make you recommend treatment instead — a PSA level, a rise over time, a grade change, or an imaging finding?
- What is the chance my cancer will need treatment within 5 or 10 years?
- Does delaying treatment reduce my chance of a cure later?
- Who is tracking my results, and how will I be told about them?
- What happens to my surveillance plan if I move or change doctors?
After treatment: monitoring and recurrence
Ask what 'success' will look like on paper, and what number would count as bad news, before you are waiting on a result.
- What PSA level should I expect after treatment, and how often will it be checked?
- What PSA value would mean the cancer has come back?
- If it comes back, what are my options at that point?
- What symptoms should prompt me to call you rather than wait for my next appointment?
- What long-term follow-up do I need, and who coordinates it — you, my oncologist, or my primary care doctor?
- Are there changes to diet, exercise, alcohol, or smoking that would measurably help me?
If your cancer is advanced or metastatic
Treatment for advanced prostate cancer has changed substantially in recent years. Ask directly about combination therapy and about goals of care.
- Where has the cancer spread, and how was that determined?
- Is my cancer hormone-sensitive or castration-resistant right now?
- Should I be on combination therapy rather than hormone therapy alone?
- Do my tumor's genetic features (such as BRCA or mismatch repair changes) open up additional treatments?
- What is the goal of this treatment — cure, control, or symptom relief?
- What should I do to protect my bones?
- When would palliative care be helpful? (It is about symptom relief and can start alongside active treatment.)
- What would you do if you were in my situation?
Practical and personal questions
These get skipped most often, and they are the ones that shape daily life during treatment.
- How much time off work should I plan for, and what will I not be able to do?
- Will I need someone at home with me, and for how long?
- Can I bring my partner or a family member to appointments?
- Is there a nurse navigator or social worker I can contact between visits?
- What support groups do you recommend for men with prostate cancer?
- How do I reach you or your team after hours?
Get a personalized list for your own situation
Answer a short questionnaire and we will email you a plain-language educational report written from your own answers, including questions to raise with your care team and citations to peer-reviewed sources. It takes about 5 minutes and the report never appears on this website.
This page is educational and is not medical advice. It cannot tell you which treatment is right for you. Take no action, and stop or change no medication, without discussing it with your own healthcare provider. If you have severe symptoms, see when to seek urgent care.