What To Look for When Choosing a Breast Cancer Treatment Center

Searching for a breast cancer treatment center that aligns with your goals and needs can be challenging. Choosing a treatment facility is a major decision and will require careful research and evaluation on your part. While the process will differ for everyone, our team at Bedford Breast Center wants to give you some guidelines to help you with the decision process.

The Surgeon’s Credentials

Your healthcare team usually includes a breast cancer surgeon, oncologist, anesthetist, and nurses. Make sure to research their education, active licenses, background, and experience, so you can be comfortable with the care they provide. For example, your surgical oncologist should specialize in breast cancer rather than various types of cancer. You can go to The American Board of Surgery (ABS) online portal to verify your surgeon’s certification.

Treatment Approaches

The treatment center you choose should be up to date on the latest medical advances and treatment options. Consider inquiring about any clinical trials that might be right for you and whether there are new treatments that might be available to you.

When choosing your treatment center, you should be confident that they have all the tools needed to get you healthy again. The breast cancer surgeons at Bedford Breast Center, for example, are at the forefront of breast cancer surgery, pioneering or specializing in several advanced techniques. They understand that each patient’s needs are unique and will customize the treatment to meet those needs, whether that’s nipple-sparing mastectomy, Goldilocks mastectomy, direct-to-implant reconstruction, or another surgical procedure or treatment.

Once you’re satisfied that your surgery center offers the variety of treatments you need, check on the number of cases the treatment center has handled that were similar to yours. This is a good way to gauge their expertise with specific breast cancer treatments.

Long-Term Commitment

As you choose your team for your breast cancer treatment, remember they are partnering with you for a long-term journey, especially if you have metastatic breast cancer or need long-term therapy. Make sure you choose a surgeon who will be in practice for a long time and with whom you have a rapport.

Regardless of whether you see your provider for a short or long period, they should agree with your treatment goals. Here is some helpful information on how to communicate with your surgeon, provided by Breastcancer.org

Location of the Treatment Center

While you might think it’s practical to choose the treatment center located closest to your home, this is often not the best strategy. You should first consider the strength of the medical team and surgical facility before considering travel distance. However, for your own comfort, you should try to avoid a treatment center several hours away since you may have to make multiple trips per week.

There is no exact science to choosing a breast cancer treatment center. You need to make an informed choice after reviewing all the information available. At Bedford Breast Center, we want to make sure you have peace of mind as you begin breast cancer treatment. If you want to learn more, request a consultation or call us at (310) 278-8590 to schedule an appointment.

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