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Finding out that you have breast cancer while you are having a mammogram can be devastating. You may feel shocked, helpless, and panicky and you may fear the worst. But keep in mind that there have been great strides in breast cancer treatment over the years. A variety of options are available and you should find out about all of them and choose those that are best for you.
One treatment option is surgery. This is typically the first breast cancer treatment employed. There are several types of surgery that might be done. A mastectomy is a surgery where the entire breast is removed where lumpectomy is a surgery where the cancer itself is removed. Your doctor can help you understand which one is best for your situation based on the severity of your cancer and other factors.
Another breast cancer treatment that is often employed is chemotherapy. This courses through the bloodstream and has an affect on the entire body. The purpose of chemotherapy is to destroy any cancer cells that may have spread to other areas in the body. These days chemotherapy is more effective and produces fewer side effects than it has in the past.
In addition to traditional medicine, several forms of holistic therapies are also available. These therapies may include acupuncture and yoga. The objective of alternative therapies is not to treat the cancer per se, but rather to relieve some of the associated symptoms while improving the patient’s quality of life.
Another treatment procedure is called radiation therapy. People might be fearful of this form of therapy but they are often over reacting. Radiation therapy is precisely focused which means it is going to affect only the specific area designated by the radiologist for treatment and not other areas of the body. It is usually well tolerated and side effects are relegated to just the targeted zone.
All treatment options should be fully explored by you and your physician before arriving at a decision on a treatment plan. Normally a combination of treatments is utilized to make it more likely that the cancer will be eradicated. While undergoing treatment, report any atypical side effects to your doctor immediately so that he or she can adjust your treatment if necessary.
Finding out you have breast cancer while you are having a mammogram can be devastating. But keep in mind that there’ve been great strides in breast cancer treatment over the years. One treatment is surgery. A mastectomy is a surgery where the entire breast is removed where lumpectomy is a surgery where the cancer itself is removed. Another cancer treatment that is often employed is chemotherapy. In addition to traditional medicine, several forms of holistic therapies are available. There are many benefits if your doctor’s initial choice for treatment features radiation. No matter the choice of treatment, it is very important to discuss all the options with your physician.
- Stephan Grindley
