Who do I need on my breast cancer treatment team?
With regards to who you need in your breast cancer team, it's important to have a number of different physicians from different disciplines on your healthcare team when getting your breast cancer treated. You need a medical oncologist, a surgical oncologist or a breast surgeon, and you need a radiation oncologist to talk with you about the pluses and minuses of radiation. It's also helpful to have a social worker who can talk with you about what different assistance programs are available should you not be able to work during your treatment, or should you have any other problems at home. It's important to have family and friends who can be there for you as well. When you're diagnosed with cancer you are not the only person who's affected by it, and it's important to let your family and friends to be there for you because they can often feel helpless, not knowing what they can do. Sometimes, they can give you tangible things like taking you to your treatments and driving you back, and where they can pick up groceries. They can do physical tangible things that make a difference and help to make your life with breast cancer treatment easier.
