Multidisciplinary team (MDT) for breast cancer

A team of specialists meet to talk about the best treatment for you. They are called a multidisciplinary team (MDT).

The MDT look at national treatment guidelines or the latest evidence for the type of cancer you have. If you have any treatment preferences, your doctor will tell them about this.

The MDT for breast cancer will usually include a:

• surgeon who specialises in breast surgery – they may also do breast reconstruction
• plastic surgeon who specialises in breast reconstruction
• cancer doctor, who specialises in chemotherapy, radiotherapy, hormonal therapy and targeted therapy – they are sometimes called an oncologist
• specialist nurse, who gives information and support
• a radiologist, who specialises in x-rays and scans
• pathologist, who specialises in studying tissue samples and cells.

It may also include other healthcare professionals, such as a research nurse, a physiotherapist, a psychologist, a social worker and a counsellor.

Your treatment options will depend on the type of breast cancer you have:

• breast cancer in women
• breast cancer in men
• DCIS (ductal carcinoma in situ).

The MDT will look at many factors to help decide which treatments are likely to work best for you. These include the following:

• The stage and grade of the cancer
  The stage describes the size of the cancer and whether it has spread from where it started. Grading is about how the cancer cells look under the microscope compared with normal cells. Knowing the stage and grade helps doctors decide on the best treatment for you
• Whether the cancer cells have hormone receptors or HER2 receptors
  Some breast cancer cells have hormone or protein receptors that affect how the cancer grows. We have separate information for breast cancer in women and men.

After the MDT meeting, your cancer doctor or specialist care nurse will talk to you about the treatment options. You can decide together on the best treatment plan for you.