Content Overview 
- Learn About The Tests Your Doctor May Suggest.
- Summary
- Breast Cancer Is Not What It Used To Be.
- Take Time Making A Treatment Decision
- Commit Yourself To Doing Everything You Can To Beat Your Disease.
- Think About Your Goals
- A General Overview Of What Happens After A Breast Cancer Diagnosis
- Learn About Your Specific Diagnosis.
- Choose The Best Available Cancer Doctor (An Oncologist).
- Decide Who You Want To Make Medical Decisions.
- Consider Available Treatments.
- Ask All Your Questions Before Agreeing To A Treatment Plan.
- Lumpectomy, a Partial Mastectomy or a Mastectomy.
- If A Mastectomy Is Recommended.
- When A Drug Is Recommended.
- If Radiation Is Recommended.
- If Chemotherapy Is Recommended.
- Get A Second Opinion
- Non-traditional Treatments Should Be Complementary - Not Instead Of
- Learn How To Maximize Your Limited Time With A Doctor.
- Drugs And Treatments Do Not Work In A Vacuum.
- Tools That Will Make The Process Easier
- Take Someone With You To Doctors' Appointments
- IF YOUR DIAGNOSIS IS OF METASTATIC BREAST CANCER OR AN UNUSUAL OR A RARE CANCER.
Advanced Breast Cancer: Managing Your Medical Care: Diagnosis To Treatment Decision
Get A Second Opinion
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It never hurts to get a second opinion before agreeing to a treatment. Breast cancer treatment is not one size fits all. In fact, there often is no one "right" answer. The key is the answer with which you are most comfortable.
Second opinions have become so standard that doctors are not offended when patients ask for second opinions. (If a doctor objects to your getting a second opinion, it is a valid reason to change doctors).
Insurance companies generally pay for second and even third opinions. Check with your insurer before getting the opinion so you will know how much the opinion will cost you out-of-pocket. If you have to pay, you can negotiate the fee and a payment schedule.
- A second opinion should come from a doctor experienced with your condition who is not in any way related to the doctor who gave you the first opinion. According to a study of breast cancer patients at the University of Michigan: Ideally, the doctor should work with a cancer center that coordinates care using a team that includes surgeons, oncologists, radiologists, pathologists and nurses. Consulting such specialists changed the original surgery recommendations for more than half of the breast cancer patients. In several cases, the team found that the original doctor failed to follow treatment guidelines and proposed overly aggressive surgery. You are likely to find such a team at a comprehensive cancer center or a large medical center, especially one affiliated with a medical school. (To locate comprehensive cancer centers, click here
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- If you have difficulty getting the appointment with another doctor, ask your doctor's office to help.
- If the two opinions differ, do not accept the second opinion just because it is the last one you received. Get the two doctors to talk. Perhaps they will come up with a joint recommendation. Otherwise, continue to get opinions from qualified specialists and do research until you are comfortable making a decision.
- Do not let a search for certainty provide a reason for stalling your making a decision.
Ask your doctor to have the pathologist who prepared the original pathology report to send the pathology report and slides to a different pathologist chosen by the new doctor. The pathologist who provides a second pathology opinion will likely want to see both.
To learn more about second opinions, including how to find a specialist, see the document in "To Learn More."
To Learn More
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