The following section is designed to help people with CLL 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?
