Surgeon recommendations: How did you choose a surgeon?

@katgob

Sorry about your sister. When I notified both sides of the family about my BRCA2 mutation and suggested testing, it was met with painful silence. My mom agreed to test just so we could see which side of the family. She was negative. That made sense since Dad’s side had most of the cancer although he passed in a car accident. Melanoma is connected to BRCA2 so that makes sense about your mom. My brother had Melanoma too but before my cancer. I lost him to esophageal cancer though. Lost my other brother to lung cancer at 48 and he never smoked. Other close relatives had leukemia, multiple myeloma, stomach, uterine and prostate cancer — my goodness. Lots not connected to BRCA2 so I think our family has other mutations. I was tested for BRCA2 because my aunt had breast cancer. After I came up BRCA2 positive, my aunt confessed she had lied about breast cancer 40 years earlier apparently as a cover for something else. I was mortified and so embarrassed to tell my surgeon that. She just laughed and said it’s a good thing my aunt lied because that was the only reason she ordered genetic testing for me. Phew!

Wow. I am glad you tested. Families did not get tested event 10 years ago like today, but really, with all the cancers in your family!!! My sister has still not given me or our other sister her stage. Crazy. She says nothing. To me, the sister with Stage 2, nothing in her lymph nodes, Her2+, Brca2+, Er-98% and PR 0. The younger sister has the mutation, removed her ovaries and fallopian tubes months after me. As soon as i told her in August of 2021 I was getting rid of them, she made a plan and talked to her dr. We could get another cancer but ovarian is cut 98%.
This younger sister has rheumatoid arthritis.
Your doctor sounds like the three i worked with most. No secrets. Tell them. I told my MO's NP. She treated me mostly after my active treatment was over. My MO was so good, i missed her but did not need her direct care.

And your brothers, both??? I think something genetic played apart.
I sure hope all the silence from the family prompts secret dr. visits. I believe my older sister may regret just a little not getting hers removed when her 2 sisters did. May we all remove "should have" from our medical care vocabulary.

@katgob
Glad you and one sister removed ovaries and tubes. I did too when I had my mastectomies. One less worry. I was 54 then and done with them anyway.

My dad’s two living siblings secretly tested for BRCA2 and didn’t tell me. Why? I was trying to help them. I heard through the grapevine a year or two later. They tested to check for their kids — both negative but their families are not cancer free. My brothers didn’t have any biological children so no worries there. My son inherited all 4 of my known mutations.

Prayers for your family.

Glad you checked and all else. Fear keeps many from checking. But hope can come from being checked. Hugs to you californiazebra.

My sister had her complete hysterectomy and seemed her spleen was removed to. She had tummy problems for years. As always, she seldom every give details. She by chance told me she had Stage 2 ovarian. For now, she gets a few weeks off before she sees the medical oncologist again.
This is certainly her journey and not mine. I think choosing the surgical oncologist I told her I had was a miracle.
She is confident in what he and the team did as I was. For today, I message her every couple days to check on her recovery.

I’m surprised the radiologist would say that so unequivocally. You need to see the labs - I got mine from the patient portal of the hospital where it was done. I haven’t chosen a surgeon yet, because I just got my labs, but my plan for choosing a surgeon is to ask every nurse I can and then researching those recommendations online. Hope that helps.

@renunciate

I did the same as you. Two colleagues and two of my doctors recommended the same breast surgeon. Then I researched her and felt confident she was the right choice.

My initial diagnosis was done at a certified center for breast health involving a diagnostic mammogram and biopsies. The doctor there who reviewed the results asked his nurse to make an appointment with a surgeon for an initial consultation. I've no idea if she chose first available or had a favorite in mind. Two weeks later I had a consult where the surgeon explained everything to me from diagnosis to treatment options and everything in between. He was amazing in his patience and listening skills. The decisions were all mine with no badgering. He was more than a surgeon as he actually coordinated future tests and connecting me with an oncologist. After beginning treatment with the oncologist, it was another 6 months before seeing the surgeon again to discuss and schedule the surgery. I was given the option of using a different surgeon, but this one had my complete confidence which turned out to be well-placed.

Sounds like something I would love to find !

If this is helpful to anyone trying to decide on a BC surgeon - I didn’t know any BC surgeons, and just went to the suggested breast surgeon at the best hospital I could find. And had good outcomes. So if you don’t know anyone, don’t worry too much.

When I was diagnosed I considered whether I wanted to be treated locally, near Austin, or drive to Houston to MD Anderson, 3 1/2 hours away. I asked everyone I knew for a surgeon recommendation at MD Anderson, but although people could recommend cancer doctors there, no one had seen a BC surgeon.
The local hospital had one breast cancer surgeon. The local radiologist thought the anomaly on my diagnostic mammogram and ultrasound was probably a lymph node and recommended I return for a follow up mammogram in 6 months. My PCP thought I might want to see a specialist, and it was decided to do a biopsy - that showed an intermediate grade DCIS. The experience I had with the local hospital services pushed me towards going to MD Anderson.

So I went on MD Anderson’s website and “requested” to be a patient. Within days they had started collecting my prior mammogram scans and planning my first visit. They assigned all my doctors to me (oncology surgeon, medical oncologist, radiologist, plastic surgeon). The whole process was efficient and they directed me through each step I needed to take. I think I was on auto-pilot at that point.

I would not have been as comfortable going to an unknown doctor at my local hospital, but I thought that MD Anderson standards were high enough to just go with it. If you’re considering Mayo Clinic, their reputation is great, too.