Adapted from information on the following web sites: 

• National Cancer Institute
• American Cancer Society
• cancerandcareers.org

This list of questions is a good starting point for discussion with your doctor; however, it is not a comprehensive list.
General questions about breast health and breast cancer detection

• Can you work with me to make sure I'm doing my breast self exams correctly?
• Are there changes in my breasts I should expect when I'm close to my menstrual period?
• What does it mean if I have breast pain?
• What does it mean if I have nipple discharge or inflammation?
• If I feel something during my self-exam, have breast pain or nipple discharge/inflammation, should I see you immediately or should I wait for a time to see if it resolves? If so, how long?
• Are any medications I am taking likely to cause breast problems?
  
  If you have been diagnosed with cancer:
  
• What is the stage of my cancer?
• Has my cancer spread to lymph nodes or internal organs?
• What are the results of my estrogen and progesterone tests?
• What were the results of other tests (flow cytometry and other markers for tumor aggressiveness)?
• What treatments are appropriate for me? What do you recommend? Why?
• How often will I receive treatment?
• How long will the treatment last?
• How well has this option worked for others?
• What are the potential benefits of this treatment?
• What are the risks or side effects that I should expect?
• If I experience side effects, how long will they last and how can they be managed?
• Are the possible side effects of this treatment serious enough to interfere with continuing therapy?
• How effective will breast reconstruction surgery be in my case if I need it or want it?
• What should I do to get ready for treatment?
• Should I follow a special diet?
• Will I be able to have children after my treatment?
• Will I go through menopause as a result of the treatment?
• What is my prognosis?
• Is there a clinical trial I can participate in?
• What do I tell my children, husband, parents, and other family members?
• What is the treatment likely to cost? Will my insurance cover the cost?

Before surgery:

• What kind of surgery do you recommend for me? Will lymph nodes and other tissues be removed? Why?
• How soon will I know the results from the pathology report? Who will explain them to me?
• How will I feel after surgery?
• If I have pain, how will it be controlled?
• How long will I be in the hospital?
• Will I have any long-term effects because of this surgery?

About breast reconstruction:

• What is the average length of time from mastectomy to the end of breast reconstruction?
• What types of reconstruction are available? What type is best for me?
• What results can I expect from reconstruction?
• Will it match my remaining breast?
• Will it feel natural?
• Will I have feeling?
• What complications could occur?
• How long is the average recovery time?
• How much pain should I expect?
• Will fluctuations in my weight affect my reconstructed breast?

Before chemotherapy:

• When will treatment start? When will it end? How often will I have treatment?
• Which drug or drugs will I have?
• How do the drugs work?
• Do you recommend both IV and IP (intraperitoneal) chemotherapy for me? Why?
• What are the expected benefits of the treatment?
• What are the risks of the treatment? What side effects might I have?
• Can I prevent or treat any of these side effects? How?
• How much will it cost? Will my health insurance pay for all of the treatment?

Before using complementary medicine:

• What benefits can I expect from this approach?
• What are its risks?
• Do the expected benefits outweigh the risks?
• What side effects should I watch for?
• Will the approach change the way my cancer treatment works? Could this be harmful?
• Is this approach under study in a clinical trial?
• How much will it cost? Will my health insurance pay for this approach?
• Can you refer me to a complementary medicine practitioner?