Breast Cancer Care Team

Advanced practiced providers have training that is similar to physicians and can see you without your physician. At Fred Hutch, these health care professionals work closely with your medical oncologist in the clinic. There are two types: physician assistants (PAs) and advanced registered nurse practitioners (ARNPs). They help provide and plan your treatment and also help manage the effects of your disease and treatment.

This physician does surgery to remove as much of your cancer as possible, along with a margin of healthy tissue around the cancer. They might also remove lymph nodes to check for cancer spread.

Your surgeon will:

• See you at the start of treatment, if surgery will be the first step (or one of the early steps) in your care. 
• Explain, along with other team members, what your diagnosis and stage mean.
• Recommend surgery to match your exact case. They will explain your surgical options. They will also talk with you about the benefits and risks.
• Answer your questions about surgery, like why you need it and what to expect.
• Perform your surgery, along with a team that includes an anesthesiologist and nurses.
• Work closely with your reconstructive surgeon.
• Offer you ways to prevent, relieve and cope with side effects of surgery.
• Work with the rest of your care team if you need other types of treatment.

This physician does surgery to restore your breast after cancer surgery, if you want this. Depending on your exact needs, they may work closely with your cancer surgeon to operate on the same day your cancer is removed, or they may do your reconstruction later in a separate procedure.

Your reconstructive surgeon will:

• See you if your evaluation shows that reconstruction is possible and if you are interested. They will meet with you to talk about options.
• Recommend surgery to match your exact case, based on your health needs and your wishes. They will also talk with you about the benefits and risks.
• Answer your questions about reconstruction, like what to expect.
• Do your surgery, along with a team that includes an anesthesiologist and nurses. 
• See you after surgery to check your healing.
• Offer you ways to prevent, relieve and cope with side effects of surgery.
• Work with the rest of your care team if you need other types of treatment.

Cancer nurses who are experts in infusions give these treatments. They will also check on you during each infusion. They will help any medical issues that come up and keep you comfortable.

This physician manages your medicine-based treatments. Most people with breast cancer get chemotherapy. Some people get endocrine therapy, targeted therapy or immunotherapy. 

Your medical oncologist will:

• See you at the start of treatment, unless we expect that surgery will be the only form of treatment you need.
• Explain, along with other team members, what your diagnosis and stage mean, and answer your questions.
• Recommend medicine-based treatments to match your specific case. They will choose the medicines, doses, schedule and sequence. They will also talk with you about the benefits and risks.
• See you on a regular schedule to check how your cancer responds to treatment and how you are overall.
• Offer you ways to prevent, relieve and cope with side effects of treatment, like medicine to help with nausea.
• Work with the rest of your care team if you need other types of treatment.

The Fred Hutch Breast Cancer Specialty Clinic has nurse navigators to help you deal with the health care system. They will help with transitions in your treatment, like going from recovery after surgery to the start of chemotherapy. They will listen to your needs and direct you to the right services, departments and resources. 

Your patient care coordinator works closely with you and your physician. They will schedule your appointments.

This physician treats cancer with radiation. They prescribe and manage this part of your care. Working with a radiation oncology team, they plan and deliver your treatments.

Your radiation oncologist will:

• See you at the start of treatment if we expect that radiation therapy will be part of your care.
• Explain, along with other team members, what your diagnosis and stage mean.
• Recommend radiation therapy to match your case. They will decide the type, dose and schedule. They will also talk with you about the benefits and risks.
• Work behind the scenes with other radiation experts. These experts make sure you receive the right dose in the right places (dosimetrist). They also maintain the equipment that is used (medical physicist).
• Answer your questions about radiation therapy, like why you need it and what to expect.
• See you on a regular schedule during radiation therapy to check how your cancer responds and how you are doing overall.
• Offer you ways to prevent, relieve and cope with side effects of treatment.
• Work with the rest of your care team if you need other types of treatment.

This specialist positions you each time you come in for radiation treatment. This makes sure that your treatment goes to the right places on your body. They also operate the machines that deliver the radiation.

This physician reads and gives the results of your imaging tests. They also do some types of biopsies. 

Your radiologist will:

• Look for abnormal areas on images from tests like mammography, breast MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) and many others.
• “Decode” the meaning of your images and recommend if you should have more imaging, a biopsy or other care.
• Do a fine-needle biopsy or core biopsy, often guided by an X-ray or ultrasound.
• Work closely with your surgeon to tell exactly where your tumor is and how this affects the type of surgery, and how much surgery, you need.
• Put a tiny infrared chip or thin guide wire into your breast to show your surgeon which tissue to remove, if your cancer is too small to feel.
• Answer your questions about imaging, like why you need it and what to expect.
• Work with the rest of your care team about any tests and treatments you need.

Your nurses manage your care with your physicians. They also help with procedures and treatments. Nurses are resources for you and your caregiver. They can answer questions on a wide range of topics, like how to cope with side effects or get other services you need at Fred Hutch.

Many types of supportive care team members are here to help you and your family. They include dietitians, physical therapists, pain medicine specialists, psychologists, social workers, spiritual health staff, palliative care specialists, naturopaths and acupuncturists.

Learn more about Supportive Care Services