I have breast cancer – what do I do now?

If you have been diagnosed with a breast cancer that has been proven by some  form of biopsy (usually a needle or core biopsy) then the first point of contact will usually be your general practitioner (GP). Your GP is the doctor who would normally be most familiar with all of your health issues and would then discuss with you referral to an appropriate cancer specialist, and for early breast cancer the first person to see would be a breast surgeon.

Your GP will discuss with you who the local breast surgeons are and who might be most suitable for you. You may already be aware of some of the breast surgeons from discussion with family or friends, and sometimes those types of personal recommendations can help you feel more comfortable with your choice of surgeon. You should expect to hear promptly from the surgeon you have been referred to regarding an appointment and there would not normally be much of a wait to see them. Surgeons who treat breast cancer understand how stressful the waiting process is and will try and reduce that for you with prompt appointment times.

Your surgeon will see you, take a relevant medical history and examine you, and review all of your recent test results and then discuss with you your diagnosis, what is needed to treat it and an outline as to how this will occur. They will also discuss with you whether any further tests might help in planning the best possible treatment for you.

You should expect plenty of opportunities to ask questions about your specific treatment plan at the time of your consultation or in the days between your consultation and any surgery.

Please remember that one of the keys to getting the best outcome from your treatment is to get all the information and planning done before any surgery. This removes as much uncertainty about the diagnosis and extent of treatment as much as possible. A few days spent doing this will improve your long term outcome, not harm it.

No doctor is going to be the “right” person for every patient they see. This doesn’t mean that there is a problem with either the patient or the doctor, it is just acknowledging that we are all individuals, with different personalities and communication skills. You have the right to ask your specialist or GP for a second opinion and although this may mean a short delay in treatment, it should not be a risk to your long term treatment outcome.