A breast cancer diagnosis brings many questions and fears, both for the patient and their families. Every patient should have access to answers from a physician with expertise in each stage of breast cancer and reconstruction treatment. The American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) and the American Society of Breast Surgeons (ASBS) have joined forces to spread the word that breast cancer patients, and their physicians, should insist that their treatment be handled by a team of healthcare physicians with the appropriate expertise for each procedure and level of care.
A patient may consult with different physicians, but if these physicians are not properly communicating with each other, the patient's outcome may suffer. The Team Approach is critical to ensure that patients receive the best care possible and that no opportunity is missed. "Each step of the cancer care journey requires specific medical expertise. When a team of experts works together, the outcome for patients is vastly improved," said ASPS President Dr. Michael McGuire.
The two groups met recently in New York, along with breast cancer survivors, advocacy groups, manufacturers and the media during an event titled "Connecting the Docs: The Team Approach to Breast Cancer Care." Dr. Patrick Whitworth, ASBS Past Chairman of the Board said, "Sometimes the medical community changes when patients start saying 'hey doc, I heard you're supposed to be working with a plastic surgeon here.' Women diagnosed with breast cancer have the power, authority, and right to ask for the Team Approach and, with their voices, perhaps the 'team' can become standard practice."
A shocking statistic discussed at the meeting which further exemplifies the need for a team approach in breast cancer treatment is nearly 70% of breast cancer patients who are eligible for breast reconstruction are not informed of their reconstructive options by a referring physician. The number is even higher for minority women. Building a team around each patient will not only provide answers to the patients questions, but also answers to questions that patients don't even know to ask.
The Team Approach to breast cancer care brings together an interdisciplinary group of key medical professionals ? gynecologist, radiologist, breast surgeon, medical oncologist, and a plastic surgeon. This team will work together, from the moment of diagnosis to develop and implement a treatment plan tailored for each patient. When the Team Approach is implemented at the time of diagnosis through treatment and recovery, it can result in significantly improved patient outcomes and quality of life.
