Treatment options

After you've been diagnosed, your specialist team will meet to review your pathology results and plan a course of treatment.

This is known as a multidisciplinary team meeting (MDT) and is attended by the clinicians involved in your diagnosis and treatment.This would normally include your surgeon, a radiologist who views and reports on the imaging,a pathologist who reports the findings from the surgical specimen, a medical oncologist who assesses the need for chemotherapy and/or hormone therapy and a radiation oncologist who advises whether radiation therapy is necessary. Breastcare nurses and radiographers will also usually attend these meetings.

Your specialist will discuss the recommendations with you afterwards and then you can decide on the option that you feel most comfortable with.

Treatment for breast cancer can be given both locally (surgery and radiation therapy) and systemically (chemotherapy, biological therapy, hormone therapy).

Each treatment plan is individualised, as no two cases of breast cancer are exactly the same. It is important to understand why a particular treatment plan has been recommended for you and what the expected outcomes and possible side effects are. Many people find that it helps to take a friend or family member to appointments to help remember what is discussed, and to take notes.
 
Cancer treatments can be complex so don't be afraid to ask for clearer explanations. Remember that no treatment is undertaken without your consent.