Should I Seek a Second Opinion for My Stage 4 Breast Cancer Treatment Plan?

As I understand it, there are many opinions regarding oligometastatic breast cancer. Some doctors treat it very aggressively and say it may be curable. Metastatic cancer is rarely treated with surgery. However, I was treated by Stanford. I have the exact same diagnosis as you. I was treated with targeted chemo (Kadcyla) surgery, radiation to my single area of metastasis. I am currently on Herceptin, Perjeta and Endocrine therapy. I was diagnosed in May of 2019, and I have no evidence of disease. I think it is always wise to get a second opinion at the most up to date cancer center available in your area.

Thank you , I will look into getting a 2nd opinion

@ Jan if you don’t mind sharing were you NED after completing chemo ? Or after completing the full treatment .

I was NED after the surgery and radiation.

I am Her2 positive pr er positive. Had a tiny lump in the left breast biopsied August 5th by September 3rd I had a double mastectomy. I did go get a second opinion oncology-wise best thing I could have done. Because the lump was on the left side and they wanted to do radiation and that is bad for the heart. So since I have more time behind me then I do in front of me a double mastectomy was fine with me. So now I am in chemo with herceptin. I think what angers me the most is that you get no help to know what the progressive stages are and the chemo treatment like how bad hives could get or that they can get in your mouth and on your face and in your eyes it would have been nice to no some things before you start all this. I guess nobody bothers to talk about that. I'm not talking about in this form I'm just talking about in general at the doctor's office. There really should be a pamphlet of some sort that tells things.

I agree with the recommendations . Request a second opinion doctor . Tell your Current Doctor you’d also like to consult with a surgical oncologist . After your chemo treatment you do get antibodies treatment , I but if you still have a visible tumor , that’s a consideration for second opinion with surgery in mind

Seeking a second opinion is always a reasonable step when facing important treatment decisions, especially when there are questions about the recommended approach. Treatment plans for stage 4 disease can vary significantly between patients and medical centers, and different oncologists may have varying perspectives on the best path forward. Many patients find value in consulting with specialized cancer centers or oncologists who focus specifically on breast cancer, as they may offer additional insights or be aware of newer treatment approaches. The HER2+ community here has many members who have navigated similar decisions and may be able to share their experiences with different treatment pathways.