The following section is designed to help CLL patients have informed, educated conversations with their doctors and healthcare teams to improve decision-making, treatment results, and quality of life. 

It is important that you have confidence in your doctor. If you need help finding a CLL specialist you have confidence in, click here to find additional resources. 

Watch and Wait Questions

• What am I waiting for?
• What signs should I be on the lookout for?
• How can I mitigate my anxiety during this period?
• Are there any clinical trials for me at this time?
• What is important to learn about my CLL?
• How long do you expect me to be in the watch-and-wait stage?

Treatment Questions

• What do you believe is the best treatment for me at this time?
• Would you recommend a combination therapy for me? Why or why not?
• Would you ever consider me for single-agent therapy?
• Are there any tests I need to do before qualifying for this treatment?
• How long will this treatment last, or do I take it until the CLL progresses?
• If I am taking other medications, what do I need to know about the potential for reactions with this medication?
• Does this medication require step-up dosing? What is step-up dosing?
• Will I be monitored as I take this therapy?
• How often will I receive this therapy?
• Does the location of the CLL in my body (lymph nodes versus blood) affect what type of treatment you are prescribing me?
• Does my heart health affect what treatment I receive?
• Does my kidney health affect what treatment I receive?
• Are there any clinical trials that I should consider? 

Response Questions 

• How likely am I to get into remission by using this treatment?
• How will we know how well I am responding to treatment?
• How long is this response likely to last?
• What are the next steps after we have established a response?
• If I do not respond to this medication, what are my other options? 

Side Effect Questions 

• What side effects can I expect with this treatment?
• How common are these side effects?
• How serious are the side effects?
• What medications do you give to prevent these side effects from happening?
• What are the warning signs of these side effects?
• When should I contact you/the clinic if I am experiencing a side effect?
• What can I do to prevent side effects?
• How long am I at risk for these side effects? 

Quality of Life Questions

• How often will I need to take this treatment/come to the treatment center?
• What financial resources can you recommend to help pay for treatment?
• Are there any resources to help me with transportation to/from the treatment center?