Can you recommend top breast cancer specialists in the UK?

[lollmartin]

Hi there, my best friend's mother was diagnosed with breast cancer 2 weeks ago. They found 2 lumps in one breast, both grade 1, and she has been recommended a mastectomy ASAP. She knows she needs to decide on treatment plan soon (this week) but is in shock and wants to know about all her options both private and NHS to ensure she is making the right decision. Are there other options? I'm looking for recommendations of any top top specialists in this field that she can speak to before making big decisions. Has anyone experienced any breast cancer geeks, geniuses, private or NHS who they can recommend for further insight? Any help greatly appreciated.

[sumeet_shah Administrator]

I am not too aware about the system there in the UK. But Dr. Rohit Malde here, Radiation Oncologist, has worked there in the UK for several years and would be the right person to suggest something. Let's wait and see what he has to say.

[MsLockYourPosts TeamBCI]

Please encourage your friend's mother to get a second read of her slides and a second opinion before going to surgery. And you are correct in looking for a breast specialist. The best advice I read was written by a doctor who said that she did exactly what she advised patients not to do. She panicked and let herself be rushed into a surgery that was more aggressive than she needed. Her advice was to take a deep breath and get additional opinions until you are comfortable that you have made the best decision for yourself.

I first saw a general surgeon who did a lumpectomy, then called and told me I needed a mastectomy immediately. I went to a breast center where it was decided that I needed a second lumpectomy and radiation only. I have been clear for 7 years now and am very thankful that I did not let myself be rushed.

You might want to change your post to community only for privacy reasons.

Pat

[roxboxfox RadiationOncologist]

Sorry to hear about this shocking news about your best friends mum.

Breast Cancer is such a common cancer affecting 50,000 women in UK every year, amounting to 130 new diagnosis every day in the UK. One in every 8 women will be diagnosed with Breast cancer in their Lifetimes.

There are quite a few reputed hospitals in UK and to name a few,

Royal Marsden Hospital

Miss Fiona MacNeill, Consultant Surgeon

Mr W H Allum, Consultant Surgeon

Ms Nicola Roche, Consultant Surgeon

Miss Jennifer Rusby, Consultant Oncoplastic Breast Surgeon

Mr Peter Barry, Consultant Oncoplastic Breast Surgeon

Mount Vernon Hospital

David Miles

UCLH, London

Miss Jennifer Gattuso

Miss Joanna Franks

Dr Robert Stein

Christie Hospital, Manchester

Prof Gerard lambe

Beatson West of Scotland Cancer Centre, Glasgow

Dr Sophie Barrett

Mr Glyn Neades

Get your mum a second opinion and see what is possible and whats not.

Based on the shape, size, and location of the lumps, your surgeon would give you teh option of :

1. Mastectomy +/- Immediate reconstruction and various types of these reconstruction procedures will be explained (of course depending on patients wishes if she needs it or not).

2. If lumps are small and in one single quadrant of the breast, your surgeon may discuss the option of a breast conserving surgery in the form of Lumpectomy and Sentinel Lymph node Biopsy may be performed in case the axilla is normal.

In the latter option, it is mandatory to ungergo a 3 week course of Adjuvant radiotherapy to the breast as well.

The Uk statistics and survival are now freely available to patients on the click of a button, and more or less the outcomes are more or less uniformly similar whether you get your best friends mum operated in private or NHS, in north or south or east or west of Uk.

Best of luck to her and my best wishes for a speedy recovery for your family at such difficult times.

Dr Rohit Malde MD, DNB, FRCR (UK)

Consultant Clinical & Radiation Oncologist

[Jm1979 in reply to roxboxfox]

Hi I've been diagnosed with triple negative tumor approx 6cm with nothing in my lymph node biopsy. They are recomending 18 weeks chemo them lumpectomy then more chemo/radiotherapy. I'm try8ng to find out about all my options and reluctantly they are letting me speak to a surgeon. I would prefer a double mastectomy with immediate reconstruction. I do not want chemotherapy/radiotherapy especially not upfront delaying an op. I want it out. You mentioned mandatory adjuvent chemo and I'm led to believe that I would need this even with a mastectomy. I'm not convinced how they know I'll still need it until my other scans mri c.t and bone results are known. Any advice would be welcome.

J.

[roxboxfox RadiationOncologist in reply to Jm1979]

Chemotherapy is mandatory as you have a Triple negative breast cancer and look at the size.......

No Oncologist on this planet EARTH would Not recommend Chemo.

You can avoid Radiotherapy by having Mastectomy provided your nodes are negative.

[Jm1979 in reply to roxboxfox]

Sorry I'm very new to this. Can you explain the rationale for chemo or the significance of it being triple negative please? I haven't yet spoke to an oncologist so don't fully understand the implications or options.

[roxboxfox RadiationOncologist in reply to Jm1979]

There is high probability of having microscopic disease in your body in some one has TNBC.

The larger the size, the higher are the chances.

We estimate the benefit a women may have with Adjuvant chemotherapy based on clinical trials which have been done in 1000s of women of your age and your tumour suze and with TNBC.

We estimate here an at least 10% benefit in improving your survival from 70% to 79% at 5 years

or

improve your chances of survival from 60% to 71% at 10 years.

Anybody having a benefit more than 2-3% is usually offered Adjuvant Chemotherapy in the UK / US

[Jm1979 in reply to roxboxfox]

Ok thanks for your response. I can understand why its offered but not why a treatment would ever be mandatory. That would imply no consent is required.

[roxboxfox RadiationOncologist in reply to Jm1979]

Of course.

Sorry for being too casual....

It's of course the natural choice which most often patients make when consulted by an Oncologist.

Of course there are thousands who don't follow their oncologists advice.

Most of them in my experience are in trouble...few lucky ones do get their lottery of escaping chemotherapy even after strong recommendation.

You need to have luck on your side as well.

[Jm1979 in reply to roxboxfox]

Absolutely. And likewise there will be cases where chemo simply doesn't have an effect. i.e. the remaining patients outwith the 10% you quote. There is no perfect solution. It's a gamble either way and I prefer to opt for quality of life.

[roxboxfox RadiationOncologist in reply to Jm1979]

The statistics given were for survival. You need to ideally consult an oncologist.

The actual risk of relapse may be three times than what you understand and comprehend.

The chemo works only in few pts is absolutely correct...and it makes a difference in lives of that 10% of women.

[mariacarrrilla]

I had breast cancer, UK NHS wanted to do lumpectomy 5 times, I went private route and had LD flap, this caused me severe back pain also the implants capsulated and needed replaced, UK Surgeons said I am too slim for the Diep reconstruction, I went to Antwerp in Belgium where Dr Steven Colpaert performed a bi lateral Diep Reconstruction on me in August 2017 and his workmanship is fantastic, I would highly recommend him, also the hospital he works in Belgium is highly regulated and the prices are far more competitive than the UK