Questions to ask when you've been diagnosed with breast cancer

Learn what questions to ask after a breast cancer diagnosis. Understand what types of tests may be done and what they mean for you after diagnosis. Find out what specialists may be on your care team, what they do, what questions you need to ask about treatments, timelines and additional support. Learn what questions to ask if you get a second opinion.

By Mayo Clinic Staff

Getting a diagnosis of breast cancer may cause you to feel anxious or worried. You probably have many questions about your options and the decisions you'll need to make. Knowing what questions to ask can help you feel more prepared for these discussions.

Mayo Clinic experts suggest you may find it helpful to keep a list of questions you want to ask. You don't need to ask every question below. Choose the questions that matter most to you.

As you prepare for each appointment:

Mark the questions you want to be sure to ask. Remember, you don't need to ask everything at once. Your questions may change as you learn more about your diagnosis and treatment options.
Ask your healthcare team what is most important for you to know at this point.
Consider bringing someone you trust to your appointment. Ask that person to take notes for you.
Ask how to contact your care team if you have questions later.

Questions to ask about your breast cancer diagnosis

You may want to ask questions that can help you understand your test results and treatment options.

Your test results give your healthcare team important details about your breast cancer. Your care team looks at the type and grade of your cancer. Tests also show the estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor and HER2 status of your cancer. These results can help guide your treatment.

Type and pathology

After a biopsy or surgery, a specialist examines the tissue that was removed. You may hear the results called your pathology report. The results can give your healthcare team important information about your breast cancer.

These questions can help you better understand your diagnosis:

What type of breast cancer do I have?
Where did the cancer start?

Stage and grade

What stage is my cancer?
What does my stage mean for me?
What grade is my cancer?
What does my grade mean for me?

Receptor and biomarker results

What are receptors and biomarkers, and what can they tell me about my cancer?
Is my cancer estrogen receptor positive or progesterone receptor positive?
What do those results mean for me?
What is HER2?
What does my HER2 status mean for me?
How could these results affect my treatment options?

Germline genetic and somatic tumor testing

You may need more tests based on your age, personal or family history, and the type of breast cancer you have.

Germline genetic testing looks for gene changes you were born with. These genetic test results also may give you information about your risk of other cancers or the risk of cancer in your family.

Somatic tumor testing looks at genes in the cancer itself. These genetic test results may affect your treatment or surgery.

You may want to ask:

Do I need germline genetic testing?
Does the tumor need further somatic testing?
How might these test results affect my treatment options?

Questions to ask at your first appointment

At your first appointment after your diagnosis, focus on questions that help you understand your diagnosis, test results and timing. Here are some examples.

What is most important for me to understand today?
What decisions do I need to make now?
Which decisions can wait?
Do I need any more tests?
Which specialist should I see next, if any?
How soon do I need to make treatment decisions?

Specialists you may see

Depending on your diagnosis and treatment plan, you may meet with one or more specialists, such as a breast surgeon or surgical oncologist, a medical oncologist, a radiation oncologist, and a plastic surgeon. Here's a brief description of their roles:

A breast surgeon or surgical oncologist treats breast cancer with surgery. This specialist talks with you about surgery options that may work for your cancer.
A medical oncologist helps plan treatment with medicines. These may include chemotherapy, hormone therapy, targeted therapy or other medicines.
A radiation oncologist helps plan radiation treatment. Radiation therapy uses high-energy beams to treat the cancer. This specialist talks with you about whether radiation may help you, what area needs treatment and how many treatments you may need.
A plastic surgeon may be part of your care team if breast reconstruction is an option for you. You may have breast reconstruction at the same time as breast cancer surgery or later.

Questions to ask your surgeon

The surgery that may be right for you depends on the cancer, your health and your preferences.

What types of breast cancer surgery may work for me? Please explain each option.
What type of surgery may be best for me, and why?
Could my choice of surgery affect my cancer outcome?
Will you need to remove any lymph nodes to find out whether the cancer has spread?
Is breast reconstruction an option for me? If so, what are my options, and should I talk with a plastic surgeon before surgery?
What are the main risks or possible complications of the surgery you recommend?
Could I need another surgery?
What should I expect as I recover from the surgery you recommend?

Questions to ask a medical oncologist

Your medical oncologist considers several things before making recommendations. These include the stage and type of your cancer, how much benefit treatment would provide, which medicines may help and possible side effects. Your medical oncologist also considers the chance that the cancer may come back, your overall health and your preferences.

What are my treatment options with medicines? Please explain them and how they work.
How much could each treatment help me?
What is the goal of my treatment?
Would I have treatment with medicines before surgery, after surgery or both?
What side effects should I expect?
How could treatment affect my work and daily life?
Are clinical trials an option for me?

If you think you may want to have children in the future, ask about ways to protect your fertility before you start treatment with medicines. There may be ways to preserve your fertility if you haven't gone through menopause.

Questions to ask a radiation oncologist

You may need radiation therapy based on the type of surgery you have, whether the cancer is in your lymph nodes and other features of the cancer. The area treated, type of radiation and number of treatments also can vary.

Do I need radiation therapy?
How could radiation help me?
What area needs to be treated?
What type of radiation is recommended?
How many treatments will I need?
How long will each radiation treatment last?
When would radiation treatment start?
What side effects could happen during treatment or later?
Could radiation affect breast reconstruction or other treatment I may need later?
What can I do to manage side effects?
Are there things I can do to help prevent side effects?

Questions to ask if you get a second opinion

A second opinion can give you more information before you make decisions about your care. Another healthcare professional may agree with your diagnosis and treatment plan or may recommend something different.

Do you agree with my diagnosis and test results?
Could other tests change my diagnosis or tell us more about my cancer?
Would you recommend the same treatment plan?
If your recommendation is different, why?
Are there other treatment options for me?
Are there any clinical trials that may be an option for me?
Is it safe for me to take time to consider my options?

Questions to ask if you have metastatic or stage 4 breast cancer

If you have metastatic or stage 4 breast cancer, your treatment options may depend on hormone receptor and HER2 results, treatments you've already had, and other test results. Some tests may help your healthcare team choose a treatment or identify a clinical trial that may be an option for you.

What is the goal of treatment?
What about my cancer affects my treatment options?
Which treatment do you recommend first, and why?
How will we know whether treatment is working?
When might I need to change treatment?
What symptoms should I tell you about right away?
How can we manage side effects and symptoms?
Are there any clinical trials that may be an option for me?
How could supportive or palliative care help me?

Your healthcare team checks how well your cancer treatment is working and how you are feeling. Your care may change based on what the team learns and your needs. Team members also check for side effects and symptoms so they can treat or manage them.

Ask for support

You don't have to face breast cancer alone. There may be times when having extra support can help. Ask your healthcare team about individual support, support groups or other resources that may be available. These may include cancer-specific psychologists, social workers, physical therapists and dietitians.

Last Updated: October 23rd, 2026