Chemotherapy is not working: what should I ask about next?
Questions and records to understand a change in scan results, possible evaluations, and when a second opinion may help.
Prepared and published by TanyaKanker
For: Patients and families told that treatment is no longer effective
Medical review status
30-second answer
The key point
Questions and records to understand a change in scan results, possible evaluations, and when a second opinion may help.
This is an educational summary, not a diagnosis or final treatment recommendation.
Clarify what 'not working' means
The phrase may mean the disease did not shrink, grew, appeared in a new location, or side effects require stopping treatment. Ask which result supports the conclusion and how it compares with earlier tests.
Questions for the next visit
Bring written questions so decisions are not made from memory during a stressful visit.
- What changed on imaging or laboratory tests?
- Should pathology or biomarker testing be repeated?
- What options are available and what is the goal of each?
- What benefits, risks, and monitoring should I understand?
- Should a second opinion or clinical trial be discussed?
You do not have to understand everything alone to take the next step.
Do not stop treatment on your own
Do not change a dose or stop a medicine without speaking with the doctor who examines you. For severe symptoms, use local emergency services.
Frequently asked questions
These answers prepare a clinical conversation, not treatment.
Does progression mean there are no options?
Not automatically; teams may discuss reassessment, another therapy, a second opinion, or a trial.
Which records help?
Recent and earlier imaging, pathology, biomarkers, medicines, and treatment summary.
When is a second opinion reasonable?
When the next decision is major or options are unclear.
How this service works: uploads, privacy, and limits
TanyaKanker is a preparation tool, not a medical provider. It does not diagnose, choose treatment, promise treatment results, or decide trial suitability. It helps organize records and questions so discussion with the medical team is more focused.
- After upload: the site tools organize the answers and supplied documents into a structured case summary for consultation, second opinion, or trial exploration. It is not a diagnosis and not a treatment decision.
- Useful records often include sequential imaging, pathology and biomarker reports, regimen history, and current medicines.
- Current privacy state: draft answers are kept on the user's device as structured data, without free text and without file names. Until sign-in and consent are completed, medical files are not sent to TanyaKanker servers. After sign-in and consent, files are stored in private storage with time-limited links and are never sent to analytics.
- Human review path: this guide has not been reviewed by a doctor, as stated in its review label. Requests sent through the consultation page are read and followed up by a human, not by an automatic reply. No medical outcome or response-time guarantee is made.
- Limits: treatment decisions remain with the patient and the medical team that examines the patient directly. Therapy availability and trial acceptance must always be confirmed with the relevant facility or study team.
Langkah berikutnya
If you have medical reports, build a case summary so your documents and questions are organised before consultation.