Getting Your Facts in Order

After a diagnosis of breast cancer, it can be difficult to organize your thoughts and figure out what to do first, second, third, and after. Knowing that you're in good medical hands can help provide reassurance that you're doing everything you can to get an accurate diagnosis and the best treatment for YOU.

Perhaps you were seeing your primary care practitioner or your gynecologist when the breast cancer was diagnosed. Now you'll be referred to a radiologist, breast cancer surgeon, medical oncologist, radiation oncologist, or some combination of these doctors, plus others.

You'll have a variety of tests so that your doctors can pinpoint the cancer, determine the extent and the nature of the problem, and decide how best to begin and monitor your treatment.

It can be hard to take in, understand, and remember all the information you'll hear at each doctor's appointment. Bring a notebook or tape recorder. Or bring a friend or relative to help take notes.

The pages that follow will explain each piece of the puzzle your doctors are trying to put together. From your medical and family history to your test results, your doctors will put together a complete profile of the cancer so that they can attack it as quickly and effectively as possible.