Breast Cancer | Your Physician Team will be responsible for guiding you through your treatment plan.
Now that you, or someone you know, has been diagnosed with breast cancer, your physician team will soon be expanding. For me personally, I went from having a family doctor and a GYN, to having 8 physician specialists! The number of physicians that will be involved in your care is dependent on your treatment plan. Here is a list of some of the physicians that may be consulting/providing care for you.
Breast Cancer; Your Physician Team
1-Radiologist: this is the physician who may have performed your biopsy, interpreted the results and/or called you with the shocking news.
2-Surgeon; this is the physician that will perform your breast surgery. This person can be a general surgeon or someone who specializes specifically in breast surgeries.
3-Medical Oncologist; this is the physician who will manage your chemotherapy regimen. Depending on the type of cancer that you have, chemotherapy may or may not be a part of your recommended regimen. This physician also specializes in cancer of various types.
4-Plastic Surgeon; this physician will discuss and/or perform breast reconstruction, if needed. It is possible in some cases for reconstruction to occur at the time of your mastectomy. Because of this, you may meet with this physician earlier in your treatment plan to discuss your options.
5-Radiation Oncologist; this is the physician that will manage your radiation regimen. Radiation is not always recommended for treatment of breast cancer. This will be depend on the type of breast cancer that you have and whether it has spread to your lymph nodes.
Since every case of breast cancer is different, your physician team can vary as well. In addition to the physicians listed above, you may have other physicians and healthcare workers involved in your care. They may include a psychologist, dietician, nurse navigator, and/or social worker. In my case, I also had a urologist, dermatologist, and podiatrist consulting in my care to manage some of the side effects of the chemotherapy. Regardless of the make up of your team, the primary goal is to help you make the best informed decisions regarding your care.
Choosing a Physician
Your radiologist or oncologist may have physician recommendations for you. It is important to choose a physician that you feel comfortable with. In an already confusing time, having a physician that you are comfortable with will make a big difference. There are many things to consider when choosing a physician. Each persons choice is dependent on what is most important them.
