How many times have you visited the doctor and come back only to find that you did not ask vital questions?
Are you aware of the best questions to ask following a diagnosis of breast cancer to ensure you’re able to understand your treatment options, diagnosis, as well as overall treatment?
An Airavat Cancer Care, breast cancer surgeon in Ahmedabad, and an oncologist for breasts provide insights on the questions you should inquire of your doctor in order to make sure you’re prepared for the breast cancer battle ahead.
Reliable Sources of Cancer Information
Patients arrive at us extremely nervous. Some may be angered, but the majority are overwhelmed with their diagnoses. A few are upset, but haven’t completed any previous research or have done some research.
For every patient it is essential to help them be aware of the diagnosis as well as the different aspects of the treatment for breast cancer. It is equally important to me to understand what the patients’ preferences are as well as how they perceive the choices I offer to ensure that, at final, they will be confident about the surgery procedure.
We aid our patients in navigating the process and explain everything in a way that will be understood by the patients, as well as talking with them about ways that different treatment options help achieve various goals. We also talk about the assistance systems that we offer, such as social workers and nurse navigators who can help patients through the potentially difficult times of their lives.
What Will Happen at Your First Appointment?
Then, at Airavat Cancer Care, your first appointment after a diagnosis of breast cancer will be with a surgeon for breasts.
Breast cancer specialist in Ahmedabad before having any surgery, it is crucial to be at ease and have absolute confidence in your surgeon and the treatment plan you have.
It’s reasonable to inquire of your surgeon’s level of experience in treating patients with breast cancer or what percentage of their practice is devoted to breast surgery.
12 Important Questions to Ask Your Breast Cancer Surgeon in Ahmedabad
Here are a few of the numerous questions you can discuss with your surgeon
- What kind of breast cancer can I expect to find me?
- What size is the tumor?
- How serious is cancer? Does it make use of hormones as fuel sources, as well as does it possess the growth factor?
- Are all my images completed, or do I require further tests prior to procedure?
- Are I able to undergo the lumpectomy or do I need to undergo a mastectomy?
- Are there differences in the return of cancer in the chest or in the breast, or in the overall quality of my life, by deciding to have a lumpectomy or a mastectomy?
- Do you think breast reconstruction is a viable option?
- Do the lymph nodes on my underarms require removal? Are there any lymphedema-related likely adverse effects?
- Do I require radiation therapy following surgery, or will it affect my options for reconstruction?
- Do I require radiation after the mastectomy?
- What are the risk factors and complications possible from the procedure?
- Are there any genetic tests I should consider?
What to Know About Breast Cancer Treatment
Many patients would like to know what they need to know about chemotherapy. Some patients have the answer from the start, depending on the kind of cancer they suffer from. In other cases, the answer might not be revealed until the surgery has finishe,d after they’ve seen a medical oncologist.
Other instances, we could observe them prior to surgery, if it’s determined that early chemotherapy could aid in shrinking the tumor and make the procedure less demanding. This depends on the stage of cancer as well as the type of receptor that breast cancer cells are equipped with, which include hormone receptors as well as HER2 receptors, which are responsible in the expansion of the cancerous cells.
Questions to Ask Your Breast Cancer Doctor in Ahmedabad
The process of asking and being aware of the nature and level of cancer you are experiencing and whether it’s invasive or non-invasive (ductal carcinoma DCIS in situ) is vital since it will affect the your treatment.
About 85% of breast cancers are hormone receptor-positive. They are treatable with hormone treatment to reduce the chance of incidence of cancers that return in the aftermath of curative surgery.
Early-stage breast cancers tend to be treatable by a combination of surgical procedures, with or without chemotherapy, and with or without radiation, as well as with or without hormone treatment. Which combination of treatments we choose to use and the order of treatment are based on the type of cancer that you will be able to determine when you undergo the biopsy.
Our clinic has a highly functioning multidisciplinary team that includes radiologists, medical oncologists, pathologists, radiation oncologists, and breast surgeons who are discussing the best sequence of treatment for many of our patients.
Other questions you can discuss with your breast cancer physician are:
- What are the possible side effects of my treatment? How do I address them?
- What’s the added benefit from the treatment I’m undergoing?
- What are my odds for recovering (prognosis)?
- How will treatment affect my fertility or sexual health?
- Are there any clinical trials for me?
- Are there any scans I should undergo to see if I have an area of my body that is cancerous?
- What lifestyle adjustments can I make in order to lower the chance of recurrences from breast cancer?
- Do you know of any supplements that I can take?
To ensure that you aren’t forgetting to inquire, create your list of questions that you’d like to ask in your appointment with a breast specialist doctor in Ahmedabad. Bring the list with you, whether it’s on paper, on your smartphone, or even a tablet. The question worksheet here to help you prepare to attend your scheduled appointment.
