How can I find a breast cancer support group in my area?
Answer: There are many organizations that provide lists of support groups all over the country. The following should help you in your search:
The National Cancer Institute's Cancer Information Service
1-800-4-CANCER (1-800-422-6237)
www.cancer.gov
Your local American Cancer Society chapter
1-800-ACS-2345 (1-800-227-2345)
www.cancer.org
Your local Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation chapter
1-800-IM-AWARE (1-800-462-9273)
www.breastcancerinfo.com
Local hospitals and breast cancer clinics
Where can I find out about clinical trials for breast cancer?
Answer: More information on current breast cancer trials is available at these sites:
National Cancer Institute (NCI)
1-800-4-CANCER (1-800-422-6237)
www.cancer.gov
National Institutes of Health (NIH)
www.clinicaltrials.gov
How long until considered cancer free?
Answer: According to the National Cancer Institute, the five-year survival rate for breast cancer that has not spread to other parts of the body is 80%. Newspaper and television reporters usually translate this to "you're a survivor if you've made it five years past the initial treatment."
True, but it's important to know that the risk of cancer coming back never really goes away. The risk of your cancer coming back is greatest during the first five years after the initial treatment. But breast cancer can return even after five years. In fact, one third of all recurrences in women with early
estrogen receptor positive breast cancer occur after five years.
The chance of living beyond breast cancer depends on many factors. The following will influence a woman's prognosis:
Lymph node involvement-- the more lymph nodes involved, the more serious the breast cancer
The size of the cancer
Hormone receptor status
Growth rate of the cancer
Your general health Tumor grade
Even with the best information, however, there are no guarantees and no one can predict the future. Every woman is different. How each one responds to breast cancer and to treatment is a mystery. Many women with a less than positive prognosis have beat the odds while others "sure to do well" didn't. All you can do is take care of yourself the best way you know how with the support of your doctors, your friends and family.
The good news is that more and more women are living longer than five years past breast cancer thanks to early detection and more effective treatments.
Where can I find information about benefit events for breast cancer?
Answer: Participating in a breast cancer benefit can be a life-changing event for women with breast cancer and for everyone who has ever known someone with breast cancer.
The Race for the Cure
For information on this event, visit the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.
www.breastcancerinfo.com
The Avon Walk for Breast Cancer
For more information, visit avoncompany.com/women/avoncrusade/
For information on other events, contact your local breast cancer clinic and local American Cancer Society chapter.
What are the signs of breast cancer?
Answer: In many instances, there are no signs that you can see or feel. If there are outward signs, they usually include a lump, an area of thickening or a dimple in the breast. Other less common signs are breast swelling and redness or an enlarged lymph node in the underarm.
Even if you have one or more of these, it does not mean that you have breast cancer. Most lumps in the breast turn out to be benign (non-cancerous)
That being said, it's important that you see your doctor right away. It will ease your fears and if anything is found, you will be able to address it quickly. Early detection often makes a tremendous difference in the treatment a woman receives.
How often should I see my doctor now that I've had my initial treatment (surgery, radiation and/or chemotherapy)?
Answer: You should continue to see your doctor on a regular basis.
The Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation recommends the following routine medical care for women who have undergone treatment for breast cancer:
Follow-up office visits with your physician for history and a complete physical examination every 4 to 6 months for the first 5 years following treatment, then every 12 months
Annual mammograms of the contralateral breast (the breast unaffected by cancer) for women who have had a mastectomy
Annual mammograms of both breasts for women who have had a lumpectomy
