Hi Kay,

Have you read the section on CRUK's website about bowel cancer? See www.cancerresearchuk.org/.../tests-diagnose it describes all the different tests involved in diagnosis and staging. This might give you an idea about what questions you might want to ask.

When I was in your Father in Law's situation, the questions I asked were along the lines of:- how big is the primary cancer, exactly where is it, are there any secondaries, where are they, what treatment options are available, how long before my treatment can start, what side effects should I expect, how long do I have with/without treatment, what are the odds of me surviving 12, 24 and 60 months? 

Chat with your Father in Law first, he may or may not want any or all of these questions asking! I was determined to keep any decision making to myself, though I shared my thoughts and plans with my wife and son. 

Hope this helps. Best wishes and good luck!

Dave