Surgeon recommendations: How did you choose a surgeon?

Joanna,

I know all of us when faced with this come in with fear and uncertainty. I had gone to a brand new dr recommended by a friend, and the PA helped me. Sent me for a Ultrasound, then added a biopsy that same day. Results, Stage2! Yikes Er+/Pr-, Her2-.
She suggested a local surgeon or the City of Hope. I chose the CO. I looked through my insurance and found a breast surgeon at the COH. 3 weeks till my appointment. I let it go. Just went about my days as Covid still had me at home working.
Once I got to COH, MRI, an Ultrasound, a CT scan. At one of those meetings a women named "snow" came in to ask me if I would like the genetic test. I did. I had been a platelet donor at the Red Cross for 25 years. Why not?
2 days before Chemo was to begin, and 2 days after my port was put in, I got the BRCA2 diagnosis. Crazy.
My chemo plan did change with this diagnosis. I truly hope you have a "cancer hospital" you are able to go to, as they specialize. I would have gone to the Mayo Clinic if I did not have the COH. Once you have the Dr, the fest of the team will be assembled. I honestly did not pick any of them. My breast surgeon had a wonderful. Medical oncologist she worked with, and my breast surgeon also had a great plastics dr. Check out the links. You will find many shares on this topic. We all walk through it, not all the same but lots of shared experiences.
All my best to rest a take it a day at a time. A test at a time......

Where do you live?

<p>DCIS of the left breast . 53 years old . Visited breast surgeon already . Going for second opinion next week ... mood swings , can't stop crying and make myself thinking positive... How to choose the best surgeon ? Few names from friends were given to me from Miami university hospital , Mayo Clinic , Baptist health Miami .....<br />I live in West Palm Beach so my concern is traveling everyday for treatment after surgery , like radiation ...<br />I have friends which offered help in Miami or Jacksonville so I could stay there during the process ....<br />I also read about radiation and see that there are proton therapy , IORT, 15 days , 30 days .... according to the surgeon they don't know details about treatment yet since another pathology will be done after lumpectomy ...not every hospital has updated equipment I guess ... since this is left breast and hearth underneath, I am extremely concerned...Also my genetic testing is scheduled for month after surgery and what if I have mutation in genes ? Then another , more serious surgery will be done ? Shouldn't genetic testing be done before lumpectomy ? I am not sure how to choose the right facility and surgeon and what I should concentrate on ... history of anxiety is definitely factor to all of it . I just want to make smart decisions and feel comfortable about my choices .... Thank you all . Prayers for all of you ladies going through this horrible experience! Ugh !</p>

@enaska1

Hi Joanna, yes, you should do genetic testing before the lumpectomy. I was scheduled for a lumpectomy originally. My breast surgeon ordered genetic testing but felt confident it was going to come back negative. The results were seriously delayed and the surgeon was ready to move ahead anyway. I asked her to please follow-up on the results as there is no reason to order testing if you don't wait for results. We found out I have the BRCA2 mutation the day before my lumpectomy and she was stunned. The lumpectomy and IORT were cancelled as I now opted for a double mastectomy hoping I'd never deal with another lump. It was stage 1. It's worth testing so you can make the most informed decision. I also found out 5 years later that I also have the CHEK2 mutation, but they didn't check for that originally.

If you have radiation therapy, seek out state-of-the-art equipment. I had 37 radiation treatments when my cancer came back in my chest wall and pectoral muscle (right side) 7 years later. I was worried about my lungs, but they said the new equipment is so precise, it keeps the radiation from going too deep and wouldn't hit my lungs. That was almost 3 years ago and it didn't impact my lungs. My skin broke down after about 20-25 treatments, but healed up just fine. No residual effects from radiation.

Best of luck to you in all this. It's a tough process, but you'll feel better once a treatment plan is in place and you can just get to it. For the weeks leading up to the final plan, I felt like Bill Murray in Groundhog Day, just living the same day over and over again -- consult, testing, waiting, consult, testing, waiting, etc. It was exhausting. I was so happy when surgery day finally arrived and I knew I was on the road toward better health and could get back to a normal life soon. Prayers for you. Things will get better. 🙂

@enaska1

Hi Joanna, yes, you should do genetic testing before the lumpectomy. I was scheduled for a lumpectomy originally. My breast surgeon ordered genetic testing but felt confident it was going to come back negative. The results were seriously delayed and the surgeon was ready to move ahead anyway. I asked her to please follow-up on the results as there is no reason to order testing if you don't wait for results. We found out I have the BRCA2 mutation the day before my lumpectomy and she was stunned. The lumpectomy and IORT were cancelled as I now opted for a double mastectomy hoping I'd never deal with another lump. It was stage 1. It's worth testing so you can make the most informed decision. I also found out 5 years later that I also have the CHEK2 mutation, but they didn't check for that originally.

If you have radiation therapy, seek out state-of-the-art equipment. I had 37 radiation treatments when my cancer came back in my chest wall and pectoral muscle (right side) 7 years later. I was worried about my lungs, but they said the new equipment is so precise, it keeps the radiation from going too deep and wouldn't hit my lungs. That was almost 3 years ago and it didn't impact my lungs. My skin broke down after about 20-25 treatments, but healed up just fine. No residual effects from radiation.

Best of luck to you in all this. It's a tough process, but you'll feel better once a treatment plan is in place and you can just get to it. For the weeks leading up to the final plan, I felt like Bill Murray in Groundhog Day, just living the same day over and over again -- consult, testing, waiting, consult, testing, waiting, etc. It was exhausting. I was so happy when surgery day finally arrived and I knew I was on the road toward better health and could get back to a normal life soon. Prayers for you. Things will get better. 🙂

I know the Surgeon do not have IORT in their center. Is that mean their technology is not up to date or IORT is not working as good as typical radiations ? I am really looking forward for the consult with Mayo Clinic . It's far away from me but I think they are really good over there.🤷‍♀️

Mayo should be state of the art everything and lots of experience. When I was scheduled for IORT in 2013 it made me nervous because it sounded new. Lots of disclaimers. I didn’t have it. The radiation I had in 2020-2021 was the more typical treatment. Mayo will know what’s the most effective for you.

Only one other breast cancer case in my family, a cousin. She doesn’t have the BRCA2 mutation. However, there has been tons of cancer in my family — various kinds.

Where do you live?

I am so sorry to hear about family history . My family on another hand is back in Poland and nobody really knew or checked then why older people were dying ( especially in small towns or villages )! Also they are very secretive and did not really kept in touch with each other. Go figure !