Questions to Ask Your Doctor

While you are being treated for cancer, it is important to ask questions. The more you know about your condition, the better equipped you will be to make informed decisions about your care.

These questions are also available for download in Adobe^® Acrobat PDF format. If you do not have the Adobe Acrobat Reader^®, please click here to get it.

Download these questions as a PDF.

Staging and Treatment Options

What stage is my cancer?

Has the cancer spread to lymph nodes?

Has the cancer spread to other parts of my body?

What does the stage of my cancer mean for my outlook or prognosis?

What are the treatment options for my stage of cancer?

Do I have any medical conditions that limit my treatment options?

Surgery

Do you recommend surgery for me and why?

What are the risks of surgery?

What can I expect when undergoing an operation?

How long will I need to be in the hospital?

How long will it take to recover from surgery?

What kind of help will I need as I recover from surgery?

If surgery affects my mouth, will I need a feeding tube for nutrition?

What kind of follow-up therapy will I need after surgery?

How will I look after the tumor is removed?

Will I need reconstructive or plastic surgery?

Radiation Therapy

Do you recommend radiation therapy and why?

How many radiation treatments will I need?

How long will the treatment take?

How will the radiation be given?

What can I expect when undergoing radiation treatment?

What are the short-term and long-term side effects of radiation?

What can I do to address side effects of radiation treatment?

After I finish radiation therapy, what kind of follow-up care will I need?

Will radiation treatment affect my salivary glands?

If so, what I can do to help with dry mouth?

Nutrition/Eating

I'm having trouble eating. What can I do?

How can I keep from losing weight?

Do I need a feeding tube?

If so, what kind of feeding tube will be used and how long will I need it?

Do I need to be given IV nutrition?

Is there anything I can do about nausea?

Recurrence

Is it likely that my cancer will come back?

Do I need to be screened to see if my cancer comes back?

What are the symptoms of recurrence?

How can I reduce my risk of recurrence?

What happens if my cancer recurs?

Other Lifestyle Changes

Can I or should I exercise?

How often and at what level should I exercise?

I know I need to quit smoking. How do I start?

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Indication

ETHYOL^® is a prescription drug given by injection prior to each postoperative radiation treatment session for head and neck cancer. ETHYOL is used to lower the rate of moderate to severe xerostomia (dry mouth). It is used in patients receiving radiation therapy following surgery for head and neck cancer when the radiation area includes a large part of the parotid glands (the largest of the salivary glands).

ETHYOL is not approved for use in combination with radiation therapy other than as described above.

Important Safety Information

Allergic reactions, including sudden severe allergic reactions (rash; hives; itching; difficulty breathing; tightness in the chest; swelling of the mouth, face, lips, or tongue) and severe skin reactions, have been associated with ETHYOL administration. Some severe reactions have been fatal or have required hospitalization and/or stopping ETHYOL. Severe skin reactions can develop weeks after starting ETHYOL treatment. Minor skin reactions have also been commonly reported. Nausea and/or vomiting occur frequently after ETHYOL is given, and may be severe. Your health care team should monitor you carefully before, during, and after ETHYOL therapy.

In a radiotherapy clinical trial of patients with head and neck cancer, the most common side effects reported in patients receiving ETHYOL were nausea/vomiting (53%) and low blood pressure (15%). Other side effects reported during or after ETHYOL therapy were flushing (feeling warm), chills, malaise (general feeling of sickness), fever, rash, dizziness, drowsiness, hiccups, and sneezing.

You should not take ETHYOL if you:

Have low blood pressure
Are dehydrated
Have an allergy to ETHYOL or any of its ingredients

When receiving ETHYOL:

Take antinausea medications if prescribed by your doctor. Medications should be taken when and as directed
Drink plenty of fluids as directed by your doctor
Have your blood pressure monitored by a member of your health care team
Your doctor may monitor your serum calcium levels
Promptly report any skin reactions to your doctor

Tell your doctor about your health history and any other medications you are taking, as these medications may need to be stopped during ETHYOL therapy.

Please see full Prescribing Information for ETHYOL.

You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.FDA.gov/medwatch or call 1-800-FDA-1088.

ETHYOL^® is a registered trademark held by MedImmune, LLC, a member of the AstraZeneca group of companies.

This site is intended for US consumers only.

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