Finding and Choosing the Right Doctor/Hospital For Breast Cancer Treatment

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Finding and Choosing the Right Doctor/Hospital for Breast Cancer Patients

One of the most important things you need to carefully decide on after a breast cancer diagnosis is choosing the right hospital, doctor, and staff for treatment. Since you’ll be embarking on a grueling journey, you and your family will need to pick a team of specialists who you can completely rely on. It’s really crucial to select individuals who are highly trained and experienced as well as a facility that is well-known for its high cancer treatment success rates.

Choosing Your Specialist

After your doctor diagnoses you with breast cancer, they will provide you several referrals to consider. You and your family will most likely be given the names of oncologists who specialize in the type of cancer you have. One of your family members should list them down.

Another way to find an ideal cancer specialist is by going through confidential online or telephone referral services offered by hospitals. You can ask about the professional background of any doctor you might be interested in.

It’s also a great idea to do your research online. We suggest you look up reliable websites like the American Society of Clinical Oncology and the American College of Surgeons. You can also browse through the web pages of medical schools, universities, and government health agencies. Insurance companies can also be useful in providing you names of cancer experts.

Qualifications to Consider

Now that you have your options, the next thing you must do is find out the credentials of the cancer specialists you found in your search. These include:

• Their areas of special interest or research

• The number of cases or procedures they have performed

• Whether they are board-certified in their area

• Whether they have completed any fellowships in cancer care

• Where they have undergone training

• What hospitals they are affiliated with

You may also contact the offices of these cancer specialists and ask for any pertinent information that can help you decide on who to go to.

Your Breast Cancer Team

Unlike many other diseases, cancer is a highly complicated one that requires a team of experts from different areas of specialization. The primary members of your team will include a medical oncologist, who is responsible for managing the whole course of treatment; a radiation oncologist, who will develop your treatment plan if radiation therapy is required; and a general surgeon or surgical oncologist, who will perform the surgery.

Depending on your case, you might also be needing radiologists, doctors specializing in obstetrics/gynecology, pathologists, plastic surgeons, oncology nurses, nutritionists, pharmacists, and social workers.

Once your cancer care team is ready to serve you, it’s important that you and your family prepare a list of questions during your initial appointment. Be sure to ask the doctors about the details of the treatment they plan for you as well as possible alternatives appropriate to your case.

Choosing Your Hospital

To guarantee that you’re selecting a facility that provides adequate cancer care and treatment, you and your family will have to find answers to the following questions:

• Does the hospital have adequate experience in treating your breast cancer type?

• What was the rating given to your hospital by independent organizations such as the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations or the American College of Surgeons?

• Is the hospital’s location convenient and easily accessible to you?

• Does the hospital conduct clinical trials or research studies on breast cancer?

• Is your health insurance covered by the hospital?

To find out more about the cancer treatment centers in your area, you can call the Cancer Information Service at 800-4-CANCER (800-422-6237), from 9 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. ET Monday to Friday. You can also visit cancer.gov to see a list of cancer centers nearest your residence.

If you want a facility that offers the latest techniques and medications, access to clinical trials, and advanced equipment for cancer, you should definitely check out the National Cancer Institute (NCI). A branch of the federal government, the NCI has named over 60 medical institutions in more than 30 states as cancer centers.

Your Own Support System

During your treatment, it’s really important to have your family, friends, and loved ones by your side and supporting you every step of the way. With all the pain and suffering you may go through, you will need their support to maintain your emotional wellbeing.

Your doctor or nurses may refer you or your family members to an oncology social worker. You may ask the social worker about insurance matters, financial problems, discharge planning, transportation, hospice or home care, and other relevant issues that need clarification.

You and your family might also find yourselves working with a psychologist to address serious emotional issues such as anxiety and depression. In most cases, hospital chaplains would use their clinical and spiritual training to support the spiritual needs of their patients and their loved ones.

Save Lives with a Vehicle Donation

Do you want to join our mission to save the lives and ensure the wellbeing of breast cancer patients? All you have to do is donate a vehicle you no longer need to us at Breast Cancer Car Donations.

Any vehicle you donate—regardless of its age or type or condition—will become a source of financial support for our charity partners. These are IRS-certified 501(c)3 nonprofit organizations that are devoted to providing comprehensive breast health services to various communities throughout America. After we sell your donated vehicle via auction, our charity partners will use the proceeds to provide free breast cancer screening for individuals to enable early detection of the life-threatening disease. They also use the funding to undertake breast cancer prevention and education campaigns while providing uninsured and underserved breast cancer patients with financial assistance as well as access to medical facilities so they can undergo full treatment.

You will also personally benefit from your vehicle donation since this will entitle you to claim a top tax deduction. You will also get to dispose of your unwanted clunker quickly and enjoy our free towing services as well.

If you want to know more about our vehicle donation process, call us at 866-540-5069 now or send us a message online. You can also check out our FAQs page for more information.

You can donate your car today by filling out our secure online donation form or calling us directly. We accept vehicle donations anywhere in the United States since we have car donation programs in all 50 states.

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Do Something Extraordinary Today

Do something extraordinary today. Call us at 866-540-5069 and help save lives with your car donation!

Last Updated: September 28th, 2023