With speculation among the medical community that an excess of 200,000 new cases will develop in 2010, the high incident rate of breast cancer makes it one of the most regularly detected forms of the disease, with a new diagnosis made every three minutes. Women, age 50 or older, are at the highest risk of developing breast cancer especially if a sibling, child, or parent was a previous breast cancer patient.
Approximately one in seven women who lives to be 85 years old will suffer from breast cancer, and although the number of breast cancer cases has risen over the last 30 years, with statistics showing nearly 40,000 women dying annually from the disease, the five year survival rate for breast cancer detected in its earliest stages remains about 90 percent.
Breast cancer risk factor indicators may include heavy alcohol consumption, maturity, family and personal history of inherited genes associated with cancer, obesity, radiation exposure, periods that begin at a young age, menopause or child bearing that starts at an older age, and postmenopausal hormone therapies.
Although eighty percent of breast lumps are not cancerous they should still be examined by a trained medical doctor, especially if the lump is hard or thick.
Inverted nipples, swollen or bloody nipple discharge, peeling of the skin on the nipple, breast size changes, warmth, swelling, redness, or puckering of the nipple or skin, nipple rashes, and consistent pain in the breast are ailments that an Oncologist should examine.
Complete blood count tests, breast x-rays, CT scans, PET scans, and mammograms of the undiagnosed breast will help the doctor stage the state of the patient’s breast cancer that can be diagnosed through the use of biopsies to determine if the cells are cancerous, ultrasounds of the affected breast to show images of deep structures in the body, MRIs to illustrate the interior of the breast, and mammograms that screen for suspected breast cancers.
Patients should ask lots and lots of questions, questions, questions of the doctor treating their breast cancer, and provide key personal information, family cancer history, a list of all medications, supplements, and vitamins the patient is currently taking, cancer diagnosis treatment records, a family member for moral support, and a written list of any and all questions that may need to be asked of the attending Physician.
These questions should be anything that will help provide the information necessary to cope with the daily issues faced by breast cancer patients, questions like what type of breast cancer and what stage is it presently in? What additional tests should the patient undergo and what treatment options are available to them? Has the doctor explained all the known side effects of the treatment options and pathological reports and ensured the patient receives a copy for their own records? How can each treatment possibility affect the patient’s daily life? What options does the doctor recommend and what benefits will be derived from them? Additional important questions to ask are what are the costs of the treatments received? What second opinions are available? And, are these treatments covered by the patient’s insurance?
By becoming as knowledgable as they possibly can about their breast cancer, surrounding themselves with Breast Cancer Survivors and support groups, keeping family members close to them, getting plenty of rest, eating a healthy, well balanced diet high in vegetables and fruits, exercising on the “good” days, and taking time for the little things they enjoy doing, breast cancer patients can more easily adapt to their diagnosis.
Doctors who may become involved as part of the breast cancer patient’s medical team may include Oncologists, Breast Surgeons, Family Doctors, and Plastic Surgeons. Friends, family members, and spouses can provide the best support for breast cancer patients through doing little things for them like going with them to doctor appointments, cooking meals, providing child and pet care, being a good listener, sharing true feelings openly, performing housekeeping chores, and respecting privacy.
Catching the disease early, staying positive, believing they will survive, finding inner peace, strength, and courage, and living each day to the fullest are key elements in helping patients win the war against breast cancer.
Additional information on breast cancer, and how to combat the disease, can be found from sources such as the American Medical Association and the American Cancer Society.
Author, Public Speaker, and Featured Health and Wellness Contributor Writer for associatedcontent.com. Currently writing the Series Lymphedema Straight Talk on associatedcontent.com. Certified Expert Writer for hubpages.com. Many articles on various subjects written have been published. Last two books Kalamata Kotopoulos (Greek Cookbook) and The Appalachian Trail completed. Consider Write-For-Hire and Ghost Writing options.
Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/cancer-articles/breast-cancer-you-are-not-alone-1402522.html
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