Taking Control
See about getting anti-nausea drugs. And try to :
Deciding which approach will be most successful for you can be tricky. It's very normal to feel scared and overwhelmed by all the information and differing options you are offered. And the appeal of one treatment over another can be frustatingly small. The most difficult program may not necessarily be the best; some arduous regimens increase success rates by as little as 1 percent. However, you do have time to research various options---at least several weeks unless the cancer is advanced--before you start treatment. See other doctors to confirm your diagnosis and discuss the treatment plan recommended for you. If you get two different opinions, see a third or fourth doctor.
Try to find experts you feel comfortable talking to about your fears--being anaesthetised for surgery, losing part of your femininity, having cancer develop elsewhere in your body. Good doctors are familiar with such concerns and can give you insightful ideas for handling them. The decision is then up to you; many women find that writing in a journal and talking to friends and family leads them to a decision that they feel comfortable with.
Procedures
The first step in breast cancer treatment is surgery to determine, among other factors, exactly what kind of tumour it is and whether it contains hormone receptors. A surgeon or radiologist does this
initial procedure, called a biopsy.
STAGES OF BREAST CANCER
In Australia the TNM classification is used: T for tumour size, N for lymph nodes (whether the cancer has spread to the lymph nodes), and M for whether the cancer has metasta-sised to other parts
of the body.
STAGE SPREAD
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
0 Cancer has not spread beyond the ducts or lobules of the breast.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1 Tumour is less than 2 cm with no nodes or metastases.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2a Tumour is less than 2 cm with mobile nodes and no distant spread.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2b Tumour is less than 2 cm and 5 cm with mobile nodes and no distant
spread.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3a Any tumour size with fixed nodes or a tumour greater than 5 cm
with mobile nodes.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3b Any tumour size with spread to the chest wall or skin, with or
without nodes and no distant spread.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
4 A tumour that has spread.
This can be done by means of a fine needle (fine needle biopsy), a lager needle and local anaesthetic (core biopsy), or an open biopsy. The next step for most women is to have the cancer excised. This is your best shot at a cure, at stopping the cancer from getting any bigger or spreading.
>With breast cancer, can I safely eat soy foods or take soy supplements for my menopausal symptoms?Soy drinks and supplements have been touted as alternatives to harmone replacement therapy (HRT) on the grounds that they contain chemicals with osetrogen- like effects (phyto-oestrogens). Try them and judge for yourself whether hot flushes and other menopausal symptoms ease. Women participating in trials haven't found soy foods to be only better than a placebo. There are also some concerns that, as a phyto-oestrogen, say may induce breast concerns that, as a phyto-oestrogen, say may induce breast cancers to grow when taken in concentrated supplement form.
>What is a sentinel node biopsy and why is it done?
In the last few years, a sentinel node biopsy during surgery has begun to replace axillary (under arm) node removal as a method of analysing those nodes for cancer. Instead, the lymph node that drains the cancer-containing part of the breast, called the sentinel node, is identified and scrutinised. If no cancer cells are found, it is unlikely that the remaining axillary nodes contain cancer either. This means that further surgery isn't needed.
If retaining the natural shape of your breasts is important to you, discuss different possibilities for reconstruction with a plastic surgeon (see on shortly).
- Bring a friend along. When discussing treatment options with your doctor, have an advocate in the room to take notes and pose questions you can't muster. Even better: tape-record the appointment . Later you can review what was said without pressure.
- Pose key questions to your self. Feeling comfortable with a treatment choice is critical, because often there's no 'right' choice. Ask yourself: What feels best for me? Can I manage the side effects? what kind of support can I expect from family or friends?
- Sign up for a clinical trial. Doing so can put you in the expert hands of highly experienced doctors.
- Plan for a wig. Before you lose your hair from the chemotherapy, visit a wig maker to choose a style and colour that matches your own. A hairdresser can style it further. With a doctor's prescription, insurance companies will cover the expense.
See about getting anti-nausea drugs. And try to :
- Eat five or six small meals instead of three large ones.
- Sip clear fluids or suck on ice blocks, ice chips or jelly.
- Avoid favourite foods so you won't dislike them later.
- Rest quietly after meals.
- Pursue what relaxes you: reading, soothing music.
- Explore acupuncture, especially for nausea.
Deciding which approach will be most successful for you can be tricky. It's very normal to feel scared and overwhelmed by all the information and differing options you are offered. And the appeal of one treatment over another can be frustatingly small. The most difficult program may not necessarily be the best; some arduous regimens increase success rates by as little as 1 percent. However, you do have time to research various options---at least several weeks unless the cancer is advanced--before you start treatment. See other doctors to confirm your diagnosis and discuss the treatment plan recommended for you. If you get two different opinions, see a third or fourth doctor.
Try to find experts you feel comfortable talking to about your fears--being anaesthetised for surgery, losing part of your femininity, having cancer develop elsewhere in your body. Good doctors are familiar with such concerns and can give you insightful ideas for handling them. The decision is then up to you; many women find that writing in a journal and talking to friends and family leads them to a decision that they feel comfortable with.
Procedures
The first step in breast cancer treatment is surgery to determine, among other factors, exactly what kind of tumour it is and whether it contains hormone receptors. A surgeon or radiologist does this
initial procedure, called a biopsy.
STAGES OF BREAST CANCER
In Australia the TNM classification is used: T for tumour size, N for lymph nodes (whether the cancer has spread to the lymph nodes), and M for whether the cancer has metasta-sised to other parts
of the body.
STAGE SPREAD
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
0 Cancer has not spread beyond the ducts or lobules of the breast.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1 Tumour is less than 2 cm with no nodes or metastases.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2a Tumour is less than 2 cm with mobile nodes and no distant spread.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2b Tumour is less than 2 cm and 5 cm with mobile nodes and no distant
spread.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3a Any tumour size with fixed nodes or a tumour greater than 5 cm
with mobile nodes.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3b Any tumour size with spread to the chest wall or skin, with or
without nodes and no distant spread.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
4 A tumour that has spread.
This can be done by means of a fine needle (fine needle biopsy), a lager needle and local anaesthetic (core biopsy), or an open biopsy. The next step for most women is to have the cancer excised. This is your best shot at a cure, at stopping the cancer from getting any bigger or spreading.
>With breast cancer, can I safely eat soy foods or take soy supplements for my menopausal symptoms?Soy drinks and supplements have been touted as alternatives to harmone replacement therapy (HRT) on the grounds that they contain chemicals with osetrogen- like effects (phyto-oestrogens). Try them and judge for yourself whether hot flushes and other menopausal symptoms ease. Women participating in trials haven't found soy foods to be only better than a placebo. There are also some concerns that, as a phyto-oestrogen, say may induce breast concerns that, as a phyto-oestrogen, say may induce breast cancers to grow when taken in concentrated supplement form.
>What is a sentinel node biopsy and why is it done?
In the last few years, a sentinel node biopsy during surgery has begun to replace axillary (under arm) node removal as a method of analysing those nodes for cancer. Instead, the lymph node that drains the cancer-containing part of the breast, called the sentinel node, is identified and scrutinised. If no cancer cells are found, it is unlikely that the remaining axillary nodes contain cancer either. This means that further surgery isn't needed.
If retaining the natural shape of your breasts is important to you, discuss different possibilities for reconstruction with a plastic surgeon (see on shortly).
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