To help you cope better with a diagnosis of mesothelioma cancer and treatment of mesothelioma, you need to have honest, open discussions with your doctor. You should feel free to ask any question that's on your mind no matter how small it might seem. Here are some questions you might want to ask. Nurses, social workers, and other members of the treatment team may also be able to answer many of your questions.

* What kind of mesothelioma do I have'is it the lung type{pleural mesothelioma}, the abdominal type{peritoneal mesothelioma} or the heart type{pericardial mesothelioma}?

* Has my cancer spread beyond the primary site'if so what other organs of my body have been affected?

* What is the stage (extent) of my cancer, and what does that mean in my case?how does the stage affects the likely outcome of the disease?how will it determine the mode of treatment i will likely get?

* Is my cancer likely to be resectable?that is can still be considered for surgery?

* Are there other tests that need to be done before we can decide on treatment?what tests do we need to do to properly define the extent of the disease so that we can decide on the appropriate mode of treatment? what are the type of tests i will need to do?

* How much experience do you have treating this type of cancer?have you treated this type of cancer before?how many similar cases have you handled and what was the outcome?

* Should I get a second opinion?

* What treatment options do I have?can i pursue some other non conventional treatment options?can i participate in clinical trials of new drugs? if so what are the clinical trials available for me today?

* What is the goal of treatment'is it curative or just to reduce the symptoms i am experiencing{palliative}?how effective is this mode of treatment?

* What do you recommend and why?what are my chances with this type of treatment?

* What risks or side effects are there to the treatments you suggest?how best should i cope with these side effects?how effective is this mode of treatment?

* What should I do to be ready for treatment?

* How long will treatment last? What will it involve? Where will it be done?will the treatment involve more than one mode of treatment?

* How will treatment affect my daily activities?will it make me too weak to do any work?

* What would we do if the treatment doesn't work or if the cancer recurs?

* What type of follow-up might I need after treatment?

In addition to these sample questions, be sure to write down some of your own. For instance, you might want more information about recovery times. Or you may want to ask about clinical trials for which you may qualify.