Breast Cancer: Tips for Choosing Your Doctor and Hospital

Breast Cancer
January 8, 2021
4 min read
Breast Cancer: Tips for Choosing Your Doctor and Hospital

Breast cancer occurs more frequently in women than it does in men. The first signs that you may have a problem are a lump in your breast, bloody discharge from your nipple, or changes in your nipple’s size and shape. The treatment you need depends upon what stage your cancer is when it’s caught. You may need chemotherapy, radiation, and even surgery. Since this isn’t something you’ll want to take lightly, you should seek the help of a breast cancer specialist.

Who’s the Best Doctor for This Disease?

When you are diagnosed with this disease, your care team will be made up of several different types of doctors, including:

  • A medical oncologist specializes in cancer and will be responsible for your overall care, including determining which treatment is best for you.
  • A surgical oncologist is responsible for surgically removing your cancer.
  • A breast surgeon will remove your breast’s tumors and lymph nodes while saving as much of your breast as possible.
  • A pathologist will examine tissue samples from your breast to determine whether cancer is present.
  • A radiation oncologist will treat your cancer with radiation.

How Do You Find the Best Doctors for Your Treatment?

When you’ve been diagnosed with breast cancer, the process of finding breast cancer specialists and meeting with them may seem overwhelming. You may feel like you’re in a rush to start treatment as soon as possible. This usually isn’t the case, though. You have time to talk to breast cancer doctors and put together a great team. In doing so, there are some things you should keep in mind:

  • Make sure you choose a doctor who listens to you and takes the time to explain things in a way that you can easily understand. Your doctor should take your concerns seriously and be open to any information you research and choose to bring to the table. You don’t want someone who’s rushed or overworked.
  • Choose a team that specializes in breast cancer instead of treating several different types of cancer. This will help ensure they’re up to date with the latest research advances and treatment options.
  • It’s also important for the doctor’s office staff to be helpful and accessible. They should return your phone calls in a timely fashion so you can easily set up appointments and get your questions answered when they arise.
  • Think about whether you can stick with this doctor for the long term, especially if you have metastatic breast cancer, have to take hormonal therapy for a long time, or if you’ve inherited a gene mutation that increases your likelihood of developing breast cancer.

 

Sometimes you may just have the feeling that you’d rather keep looking for another doctor. Trust your gut, because your ultimate goal is to find the very best care possible. If you don’t feel confident in your doctor’s treatment recommendations or don’t like the way they’re communicating with you, get a second opinion. A second opinion gives you more information to make well-informed decisions about the course of your treatment.

Taking the time to search for the right healthcare team is important. If you’re searching for a breast cancer doctor near San Francisco, California, BASS Medical Group can help. Their elite team is made up of doctors who are experts in their respective fields. BASS Medical Group has many convenient locations in the greater San Francisco area.  Call (925) 350-4044 to learn more or schedule an appointment.