• Having the correct information is an important way to help you cope with what's going on. It can also give you a sense of control when everything else seems out of control.

• Some people like to know every little detail, while others just want the key facts.

• Whatever you choose is okay. How much and what you want to know may change over time.

Questions to ask your doctor

• What kind of cancer do I have? (in plain English please!)

• What part of my body does it affect?

• How do you know I have cancer?

• What tests are you going to do?

• Is this cancer going to be painful?

• What kind of treatment will I have? Where can I find extra info about it?

• Will the treatment be painful?

• Does the treatment have side effects?

• How long does the treatment take?

• Will I have to go to hospital? And if I do, for how long?

• Will it change the way I look, feel or act?

• What happens if I don’t have the treatment?

• What about school, work and the rest of my life?

• How will we know if the treatment is working?

• What will happen if the treatment doesn’t work?

• Is there anything special I should be doing, eating, reading etc.?

• Have you ever treated someone with my cancer before?

• How many have you treated?

• What age were they?

• When you talk to my parents, will you include me in the conversation? Will I be able to talk to you with my parents out of the room?

• Will you always tell me the truth about what is going on?

• No offence – but can I get another opinion if I feel unsure?

• Is there any new research or clinical trials for my type of cancer?

Information overload

Being stressed, upset or scared makes it hard to remember a lot of the stuff that you get told.

These tips may help:

• Write your questions down.

• Write the answers down.

• Ask people to repeat things if you don’t get it the first time (or the second or tenth time).

• Pictures and diagrams can help – don’t be scared to ask people to use these.

Remember: you may need to remind people to talk in plain English, not medical language.