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Building Your Breast Cancer Care Team
Your oncologist is one expert. Here's who else to bring in, during treatment and after.
The short answer
You can build your own care team. Beyond your oncologist, a few specialists can each catch problems the others miss. Good doctors expect you to get a second opinion. When treatment ends, you still need a team, with different people on it.
Okay, but what does that mean?
Many cancer centers hold a tumor board: surgeons, oncologists, radiologists and pathologists meet to review cases and agree on a plan. These meetings help, but they run short and stick to standard treatment. You won't be in the room.
You can add your own experts. Some women bring in a second oncologist, a specialist for a side effect nobody is treating, or a counselor for fear and grief. You keep your current doctors.
Who's usually on a breast cancer team
You won't need every role. Your diagnosis decides which ones you see, and when.
Breast surgeon (surgical oncologist). Lumpectomy, mastectomy, lymph node surgery.
Medical oncologist. Chemotherapy, endocrine therapy, HER2-targeted and other drugs.
Radiation oncologist. Whether you need radiation, and how much.
Pathologist. Reads your tissue: tumor type, grade, hormone receptor and HER2 status, margins.
Breast radiologist. Mammograms, ultrasound, MRI and biopsies.
Plastic and reconstructive surgeon. Reconstruction, or going flat.
Genetic counselor. Whether inherited genetic testing makes sense for you and your family.
Nurse navigator. Schedules your care and tells you who to call.
Fertility specialist. Your options, before treatment starts, if you may want children.
Who belongs on your team after treatment
After treatment, you may need specialists nobody has offered you yet.
Oncologist or survivorship clinic. Follow-up visits, long-term endocrine therapy, checks for recurrence.
Primary care doctor. Your overall health, and keeping your other doctors in sync.
Lymphedema or physical therapist. Arm and chest swelling, range of motion, strength after surgery.
Menopause specialist or gynecologist. Treatment-induced menopause, hot flashes, bone health.
Pelvic floor physical therapist. Painful sex and vaginal changes.
Sexual health specialist or sex therapist. Desire, intimacy and body image, for you and a partner.
Cardio-oncologist. Heart checks, if your treatment can affect your heart.
Psychologist or oncology social worker. Fear of recurrence, anxiety, depression, "why don't I feel better?"
Certified mastectomy fitter. Prostheses and bras that fit your body now.
Ask your oncology team for a survivorship care plan: a written summary of your treatment and the follow-up you need. Give a copy to every new doctor.
Getting a second opinion
Second opinions are routine in cancer care. A second doctor may confirm your plan or suggest an option you haven't heard of.
Consider one when:
Your diagnosis is rare, or your pathology results came back borderline or unclear
You're choosing between surgeries, such as lumpectomy or mastectomy, reconstruction or going flat
Your doctor recommends a treatment with serious long-term side effects
Your cancer comes back or spreads
You still have doubts about your plan
You can also ask a second pathologist to read your tissue slides. Many women don't know they can.
Before you book, call your insurance and ask two things: does your plan cover second opinions, and do you need a referral? If you're paying yourself, ask the price up front.
How to prepare
Keep one folder, paper or digital, and bring it to every appointment:
Pathology reports from every biopsy and surgery
Hormone receptor and HER2 results
Genetic test results, if you've had them
Genomic tumor test results, if your team ordered one
Imaging reports, plus the images on a disc or link
Surgery notes
Every treatment so far, with dates
Your current medications and supplements
Your survivorship care plan, once you have one
Your questions, written down, most important first
Add every new report. Each new doctor can start from your folder instead of from scratch.
A few things worth knowing
Doctors may disagree. Two good doctors can read your case differently. When they do, ask each one why. Then weigh their answers with your main oncologist.
You don't need permission. Book an outside opinion yourself. Then share what you learn with your treating team, so everyone works from the same facts.
Pick the doctor who listens. The biggest name may not be the best fit. Choose the doctor who reads your records closely and explains things in words you understand.
One visit may be enough. Most second opinions take a single appointment. You don't have to switch doctors.
Ask about sex, sleep, money and work. These problems belong in your appointments too. Your doctors can refer you to people who treat them.
Questions worth asking your care team
About your team
Did a tumor board review my case? What did it recommend?
Who coordinates my care? Who do I call with a question?
Will you support a second opinion? Who would you suggest?
Should a second pathologist read my slides?
About after treatment
Can I have a survivorship care plan?
Who will see me for follow-up, and how often?
Which long-term side effects should I watch for? Who treats each one?
Can you refer me for sexual health, menopause symptoms, lymphedema or counseling?
What Babette wants you to know
You don't need a perfect team. You need a few doctors who know your case and listen to you.
One more expert can change what you know about your options. And after treatment ends, keep asking for help with the body you have now.
Resources
NCI Cancer Information Service. Free, confidential answers from trained specialists. Call 1-800-4-CANCER (1-800-422-6237), weekdays 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. ET, or use live chat.
American Cancer Society helpline. 24/7 support at 1-800-227-2345, plus downloadable treatment and survivorship care plan templates, including one for breast cancer.
Find an NCI-Designated Cancer Center. A state-by-state list of centers, useful when looking for a second opinion.
NCCN Guidelines for Patients. Free, plain-language guides to treatment options by cancer type, to read before appointments.
Further reading: This guide draws on Assembling Your Own Tumor Board, a playbook from Future of Cancer Care Today, a Sijbrandij Foundation initiative.
We checked these sources on October 16, 2026.
Babette is an independent media and education company, not a medical provider. We do not diagnose, prescribe, or direct treatment. Our journalism and education are meant to help you understand your options and prepare for conversations with your care team, not to replace them. Some materials may be created with the support of artificial intelligence and should be reviewed with your medical providers before informing any care decision. All decisions about your care belong to you and your doctor.