Giving hope to those affected
by secondary breast cancer
Research. Support. Education.
Giving hope to those affected
by secondary breast cancer
17th July 2025 by Finlay Samson
Your treatment is planned by your Multidisciplinary Team (MDT), who are a group of specialists. Treatments are planned by your MDT based on the latest available evidence on treatments of your cancer type, as well as national treatment guidelines. Treatments will be different based on the location and subtype of the disease. More information on this can be found here.
Ask your current doctor for another doctor to give their opinion on your diagnosis or treatment - or you can ask someone to have this conversation with your doctor if you don’t feel comfortable. Once requested, your current doctor will send the new doctor all of your medical information including previous treatments, previous tests and results, and your current medication. Getting a second opinion does not mean that the new doctor will take over your care plan. The outcome of this will help to either reassure you about your current plan or lead to you starting a more appropriate treatment type.
There are positives and negatives to consider when asking for a second opinion. These are listed below.
Getting confirmation from a second doctor that you are on the right treatment pathway may make you feel a lot more confident and reassured.
You may be offered a different treatment, or be recommended to take part in a clinical trial.
Getting a second opinion may also require more travel and cause delays in your treatment while you wait for your referral.
If the outcome is not what you had hoped for, this can be upsetting.
It is important to remember that it is within your right to get a second opinion. Based on doctors guidelines, they must respect this right. It is possible that you may be confused as to why you are being given certain medications, or aware of other treatments available for the subtype of secondary breast cancer you have.
Here are some ideas for ways you can ask for a second opinion:
- I really appreciate your care so far. Because this is a big decision, I'd like to get a second opinion to make sure I've considered everything.
- In my case, would it be useful to get a second opinion? I'm willing to travel to another hospital if this could open up other treatment options.
- I know your recommendation is based on experience. I'd just like to get another perspective to be sure I fully understand all the options before I make a decision. Is there anyone you would recommend?
- Would you support me in getting a second opinion, just so I can feel more confident moving forward?
- It's not a reflection on my care so far, I'm just the type of person who likes to double check things before making a big change.
- Thanks for your support. What's the next step in getting a second opinion? Can you refer me and share my notes, or do I need to contact them myself?
It is important that you feel reassured and confident about the treatment plan that you are on. Every secondary breast cancer journey is unique, and that extends to treatment pathways.
Navigating your treatment plan and voicing your concerns can be distressing. Our support services can help:
Join our 2nds Together Closed Facebook Group where you can chat to other people living with secondary breast cancer and get peer-to-peer support
Our 2nds Support Hub provides links to local community services specifically for people living with secondary breast cancer.
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