Scared and having trouble feeling confident in my decisions

Hi jenrich!

Sorry you had to join us here. I chose to stay close to home rather than to go to a University Hospital, 30 minutes away. Comparing my treatment to that of others like me (stage 3, grade 3, triple positive), my treatment plan followed the parameters of the national guidelines, just as most of theirs did. I had access to the most recent targeted therapy for HER2+ cancer (Perjeta), and we altered my hormonal therapy plans after the SOFT study results came out. I guess if I had some comorbidities (bad heart, severe allergies, or anything that would diminish the effectiveness of my treatment plan), I would have sought a second opinion at the University Hospital. But, I work, have three school age children at home, and didn't plan to take off from work. So, it worked out for me. Best wishes!

Jenrich- It is always an option to get a second opinion whether you get it from MD Anderson or from any other major cancer center/hospital at any point in your journey. I know that where you are at at this point in diagnosis is one filled with anxiety and understand your desire to stay close to home for treatment. No matter what, your decision is a very personal one and will be the one that is the best for you. Please feel free to private message me.

I live roughly 50 miles from Houston and received my cancer care at MD Anderson. Obviously, the choice of where you receive your care is absolutely up to you, but I will tell you that I was in excellent hands at MD Anderson!
The atmosphere was so warm and inviting, the nurses and techs were incredible and my oncologists were extremely knowledgeable. Every single question that I threw at them was answered very thoroughly. I was never rushed or made to feel like I was taking up too much of their time. As a matter of fact, my surgical oncologist called me after my lumpectomy to check on me, to see how I was feeling and if I needed anything. (This was over the weekend, on her free time!)
The nurse navigator that I was assigned to was AMAZING! She checked in with my weekly to make sure I was doing okay, if I had any questions, or needed to schedule an appointment with my oncologists.
In all honestly, I never received such good care anywhere else. When I was first diagnosed, I was given a complete run down of every option and had a TWO HOUR appointment with all three of my oncologists, (surgical, radiation, and medical), to make sure that everything was covered.

If you are comfortable with the oncologist that you have and feel that you are getting the best possible care, than by all means stay where you are. But, if you are wondering about trying someplace else, I can not suggest MD Anderson enough! Also, remember, you will have a VERY LONG relationship with your oncologist. Even when everything is over, you will still need to see your oncologist for follow up appointments. In my opinion, I want my follow up to be done at the most cutting edge place.

After I was diagnosed I ended up getting a second opinion from the NCI - designated cancer center about an hour from my home. (I also went to multiple plastic surgeons before surgery.) I stuck with my local doctors because they were very qualified, spent a lot more time with me, and recommended the same treatments as the other cancer center. Actually, the NCI cancer center oncologist told me that if I had only had the right-side 1cm tumor he wouldn't have even ordered an Oncotype test, because he would have considered it unnecessary. I found that interesting (and not in a good way), considering how many women here had 1cm or less tumors and learned whether they should have chemo from the Oncotype. Needless to say, I'm very happy that I stayed with my local doctors. I was also not impressed with the feel of the NCI cancer center. It was VERY large and industrial-seeming. My local hospital and doctors made sure I was comfortable with all treatments and I couldn't have asked for better care.

I did both. Went to a university breast cancer center (100+ miles) for my surgery and oncology care, but did RADS locally. I needed to work and the day to day nature of RADS dictated that I stay closer to home for that part of my treatment.

Follow up care with my OC at the cancer center is just twice a year. Once you are done with active treatment, distance isn't that big of a deal. My feeling was I'd only get one chance to get it all surgically, and I wanted a surgeon I knew had lots of experience with BC. Because I had a lumpectomy, I needed a surgeon that I was confident would get it all the first time around (I so did not want a second surgery) and who was experienced with doing SNBs and would also be able to give me a cosmetically acceptable result. In the end, I decided in order to feel confident in finding a surgeon able to do all these things I would need to go to a breast center-and my GP recommended I do so rather than use a local surgeon. She said that is what she would do.