Making Strides Against Breast Cancer

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Making Strides Against Breast Cancer. Mammograms have been the gold standard on screening for breast cancer and early detection for 25 years. Mammograms can detect benign breast conditions as well as breast cancer. Learn how to get the most benefit from your mammogram.

The five-year mark for a breast cancer patient is a special date. It usually marks the end of hormone therapy and the completion of active treatment. Many of us bid farewell to our oncologist and go forth into a cancer-free future. I'm sure that's what Robin Roberts, co-anchor of "Good Morning America" was hoping for at her 5-year checkup, but it didn't happen. Instead, she was told that the chemo drugs which saved her life from breast cancer had caused another life-threatening problem: myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). Myelodysplasia is a rare blood condition -- and while it isn't actually cancer, it can develop into leukemia if left untreated.

Chemotherapy drugs work by attacking fast-growing cells in the body -- and blood cells fit neatly into that description. In Roberts' case, the chemo apparently permanently damaged cells in her blood stream. Cells have a natural life cycle: they grow, divide, and die off. Healthy new blood cells replace the healthy old blood cells that have finished their job, so a constant blood supply is maintained.

Myelodysplasia is a condition in which damaged blood cells don't live out their normal life span and don't replace themselves with an equal number of new cells. This leaves the body with fewer red cells than normal - anemia, or fewer white cells than is healthy - neutropenia. Myelodysplasia makes a person easily fatigued, at greater risk of infections, and since fewer platelets are produced - in danger of bleeding that is difficult to stop, since the clotting capability of the blood stream is reduced. Just about 5% of all breast cancer patients who took chemo may develop myelodysplasia, but if MDS runs in your family, tell your oncologist before starting treatment.

Robin Roberts announced her diagnosis on GMA today, with tears and thanks: her sister has undergone genetic testing and will be Robin's bone marrow donor. Myelodysplasia is treated by bone marrow transplant , given after special chemo preparations are given to kill off all of the patient's defective blood cells. It is a rigorous treatment regime - my sister had a bone marrow transplant for MDS just last year - and the body can go to war with itself when the transplanted cells are infused into a patient's bone marrow. There is the risk of graft versus host disease (GVHD) - if your body' immune system attacks the donor cells, it becomes a war within your bone marrow. The good news is this: Roberts is 51 - young enough and healthy enough to withstand treatment and with better odds of conquering myelodysplasia. Patients who are children or relatively young adults have between a 30 - 50% cure rate from a bone marrow transplant. Having a close relative as a donor improves the odds, so having her sister Sally-Ann Roberts as a genetic match is a great blessing.

Roberts will soon have a PICC line placed in her arm, to make blood draws, transfusions, and chemotherapy treatments easier on her and her healthcare team. Intravenous catheters can protect your veins from chemical damage and cut down on repeated needle sticks due to rolling veins. It's likely that she will begin regular chemotherapy treatments aimed at killing off the damaged blood cells before her bone marrow transplant, so if you don't see her on GMA in her regular spot, don't worry. She will be starting a new routine, with a treatment schedule and side effects that will be different than those she has already endured.

Robin Roberts is an icon of strength, a brave and beautiful model of a public figure that refuses to hide her health ordeal or pretend that things are just fine. She and her sister are soon to share a very close bond - those special shared marrow cells - and bring greater awareness to bone marrow donation. She spoke about her situation, saying, "Bottom line: I've been living with this diagnosis for awhile and will continue to anchor GMA. I love what I do and the people with whom I do it. Along with my faith, family and friends, all of you at ABC News give me the motivation and energy to face this challenge." Many people followed her very public fight with breast cancer which she recalled, "When I faced breast cancer, your prayers and good wishes sustained me, gave me such hope and played a major role in my recovery. In facing this new challenge, I ask humbly for more of your prayers and love - as I will keep you in my mine and update you regularly on my condition." Best wishes to Robin Roberts - one tough and wonderful lady.

Susan G Komen

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Susan G. Komen for the Cure, formerly known as The Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, often referred to as simply Komen, is the most widely known, largest and best-funded breast cancer organization in the United States.
Since its inception in 1982, Komen has invested nearly $2 billion for breast cancer research, education, advocacy, health services and social support programs in the U.S., and through partnerships in more than 50 countries. Today, Komen has more than 100,000 volunteers working in a network of 124 affiliates worldwide. As of March 2011, Komen is listed on Charity Navigator with the site's highest rating of four stars. According to the Harris Interactive 2010 EquiTrend annual brand equity poll, Komen is one of the most trusted nonprofit organizations in America. However, the organization has been criticized for its use of donor funds, as well as its choice of sponsor affiliations and its role in commercial cause marketing.

History

Susan Goodman, later Susan Goodman Komen, was born in 1943 in Peoria, Illinois. She was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 33. She died of the disease at age 36 in 1980. Komen's younger sister, Nancy Goodman Brinker, who believed that Susan's outcome might have been better if patients knew more about cancer and its treatment, promised her sister that she would do everything she could to end breast cancer.[13][14] To fulfill that promise, Brinker founded the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation in Komen's memory in 1982.

In 2008, the 25th anniversary of the organization, the name was changed to Susan G. Komen for the Cure and trademarked a new logo in support of its promise "to end breast cancer forever." The new logo is a pink ribbon that resembles a runner in motion and is meant to reflect the importance of Komen's signature Race for the Cure event, which is currently the world's largest fund raising event for breast cancer education and research. The logo symbolically associates the organization with the values of the pink ribbon culture: fear of breast cancer, hope, and the charitable goodness of people and businesses who publicly support the breast cancer movement.

In December 2009 Brinker was appointed CEO of the organization.

Philosophy

Komen advocates for breast self-awareness as a primary method for fighting breast cancer. Komen supports universal screening mammography and breast self-examinations, as well as ever-increasing levels of government spending on diagnosing and treating breast cancer.[21] They promote early detection as the primary tool for preventing breast cancer deaths.

Their response to scientific evidence that the indiscriminate nature of screening mammography for all middle-aged and older women, regardless of each woman's individual risk of developing breast cancer, results in overtreatment of some women whose cancer would regress on its own or would grow so slowly that it would never harm them—for every one woman whose life is saved by screening mammography, between two and ten women will receive completely unnecessary and toxic treatment for a harmless growth, 250 to 500 women will be wrongly told that they might have breast cancer (false positives), and 125 to 250 will have biopsies performed—is to "keep hammering away at our basic message, which is, early detection saves lives".

By contrast, organizations like the National Breast Cancer Coalition follow a medical consumerism model, in which individual women are educated by their physicians about their options and encouraged to make individualized, evidence-based decisions about their health care.[21] Other organizations advocate more research into the environmental causes of breast cancer and cancer prevention.

Activities

Use of funds

In the 2009-2010 fiscal year, ending March 31, 2010, Komen reported approximately US $400 million in earnings. Of this, $365 million (91.3 percent) came from contributions from the public, including donations, sponsorships, race entry fees, and contributed goods and services. Approximately $35 million (8.8 percent) came from interest and dividends and gains on investments.

That same fiscal year, Komen reported approximately US $360 million in expenses. $283.2 million of this went towards program services: $75.4 million (20.9 percent of total expenditure) went to research, $140.8 million (39.1 percent) went to public health education, $46.9 million (13 percent) went to health screening services, and $20.1 million (5.6 percent) went to treatment services. The other $76.8 million went to supporting services, including $36.1 million (10 percent of total expenditure) toward fund-raising costs and $40.6 million (11.3 percent) toward general and administrative costs.

The Komen CEO salary in 2010 was $459,406 a year. Komen paid founder and CEO Nancy Brinker $417,712 in 2011.

Grants and awards
Since its foundation in 1982, Komen has provided funding for basic, clinical, and translational breast cancer research and for innovative projects in the areas of breast health education and breast cancer screening and treatment. The organization has awarded more than 1,000 breast cancer research grants totaling more than $180 million.[28] Komen adheres to a peer-review process that is recognized by the US National Cancer Institute.

As of 2007, research grants are available for basic, clinical, and translational research; postdoctoral fellowships; and breast cancer disparities research.[29]
Komen awards three-year postdoctoral fellowships to individuals working under the guidance of experienced cancer researchers in order to recruit and retain young scientists in the field of breast cancer research. In addition to funding research, Komen and its affiliates fund non-duplicative, community-based breast health education and breast cancer screening and treatment projects for the medically under-served.

Since 1992, Komen has also annually awarded work in the field of cancer research with the Komen Brinker Award for Scientific Distinction.

In recent years, Komen has cut by nearly half the proportion of fund-raising dollars it spends on research grants, according to a 2012 Reuters analysis. In 2011, the foundation spent $63 million (15 percent) of its donations on research.

Global activities

According to the United Nations World Health Organization, around 500,000 people worldwide die from breast cancer every year.[32] Komen for the Cure states that its aim is to "reduce the burden of breast cancer on a global level". Believing that no single approach to breast health will prove effective around the world, Komen works with local communities and organizations to develop programs for particular groups or cultures.

In 2006, Susan G. Komen for the Cure announced their involvement with the US-Middle East Partnership for Breast Cancer Awareness and Research, a Middle East Partnership Initiative program that unites leading breast cancer advocates in the U.S. and the Middle East with the goal increasing early detection of breast cancer and reduce mortality through improved awareness, increased clinical resources, and research.

Today, Susan G. Komen for the Cure is active in over 50 countries with its largest affiliates in Italy and Germany.

On October 28, 2010, Jerusalem, Israel held its first Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure. Over 5,000 Christian, Muslim and Jewish people walked and ran to show solidarity in what was described as a historic event. The main goal of the race was to raise awareness of breast cancer and establish the organization as a permanent fixture in Israel. Prior to the Race the Old City walls of Jerusalem were illuminated pink by Komen founder Nancy G. Brinker, Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat and the Prime Minister's wife Sara Netanyahu.

Breast Cancer Symptoms

Breast Cancer Symptoms - Breast cancer is a cancer that starts in the tissues of the breast. There are two main types of breast cancer:

Ductal carcinoma starts in the tubes (ducts) that move milk from the breast to the nipple. Most breast cancers are of this type.
Lobular carcinoma starts in the parts of the breast, called lobules, that produce milk.
In rare cases, breast cancer can start in other areas of the breast.

Breast cancer may be invasive or noninvasive. Invasive means it has spread from the milk duct or lobule to other tissues in the breast. Noninvasive means it has not yet invaded other breast tissue. Noninvasive breast cancer is called "in situ."

Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), or intraductal carcinoma, is breast cancer in the lining of the milk ducts that has not yet invaded nearby tissues. It may progress to invasive cancer if untreated.
Lobular carcinoma in situ (LCIS) is a marker for an increased risk of invasive cancer in the same or both breasts.
Many breast cancers are sensitive to the hormone estrogen. This means that estrogen causes the breast cancers tumor to grow. Such cancers have estrogen receptors on the surface of their cells. They are called estrogen receptor-positive cancer or ER-positive cancer.

Some women have what is called HER2-positive breast cancer. HER2 refers to a gene that helps cells grow, divide, and repair themselves. When cells (including cancer cells) have too many copies of this gene, they grow faster. Historically, women with HER2-positive breast cancer have a more aggressive disease and a higher risk that the disease will return (recur) than women who do not have this type. However, this may be changing with specifically targeted treatments against HER2.

Causes
Over the course of a lifetime, 1 in 8 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer.
Risk factors you cannot change include:
Age and gender -- Your risk of developing breast cancer increases as you get older. Most advanced breast cancer cases are found in women over age 50. Women are 100 times more likely to get breast cancer than men.
Family history of breast cancer -- You may also have a higher risk for breast cancer if you have a close relative who has had breast, uterine, ovarian, or colon cancer. About 20 - 30% of women with breast cancer have a family history of the disease.
Genes -- Some people have genes that make them more likely to develop breast cancer. The most common gene defects are found in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes. These genes normally produce proteins that protect you from cancer. If a parent passes you a defective gene, you have an increased risk for breast cancer. Women with one of these defects have up to an 80% chance of getting breast cancer sometime during their life.
Menstrual cycle -- Women who got their periods early (before age 12) or went through menopause late (after age 55) have an increased risk for breast cancers .
Other risk factors include:
Alcohol use -- Drinking more than 1 - 2 glasses of alcohol a day may increase your risk for breast cancers .
Childbirth -- Women who have never had children or who had them only after age 30 have an increased risk for breast cancer. Being pregnant more than once or becoming pregnant at an early age reduces your risk of breast cancer.
DES -- Women who took diethylstilbestrol (DES) to prevent miscarriage may have an increased risk of breast cancer after age 40. This drug was given to the women in the 1940s - 1960s.
Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) -- You have a higher risk for breast cancer if you have received hormone replacement therapy with estrogen for several years or more. Obesity -- Obesity has been linked to breast cancer, although this link is controversial. The theory is that obese women produce more estrogen, which can fuel the development of breast cancer.
Radiation -- If you received radiation therapy as a child or young adult to treat cancer of the chest area, you have a much higher risk for developing breast cancer. The younger you started such radiation and the higher the dose, the higher your risk -- especially if the radiation was given during breast development.
Breast implants, using antiperspirants, and wearing underwire bras do not raise your risk for breast cancer. There is no evidence of a direct link between breast cancer and pesticides.
The National Cancer Institute provides an online tool to help you figure out your risk of breast cancer. See: www.cancer.gov/bcrisktool
Back to Top
Symptoms »
Early breast cancer usually does not cause symptoms. This is why regular breast exams are important. As the cancer grows, symptoms may include:
Breast lump or lump in the armpit that is hard, has uneven edges, and usually does not hurt
Change in the size, shape, or feel of the breast or nipple -- for example, you may have redness, dimpling, or puckering that looks like the skin of an orange
Fluid coming from the nipple -- may be bloody, clear to yellow, green, and look like pus
Men can get breast cancer, too. Symptoms include breast lump and breast pain and tenderness.
Symptoms of advanced breast cancer may include:
Bone pain
Breast pain or discomfort
Skin ulcers
Swelling of one arm (next to the breast with cancer)
Weight loss
In-Depth Symptoms »
Back to Top
Exams and Tests »
The doctor will ask you about your symptoms and risk factors. Then the doctor will perform a physical exam, which includes both breasts, armpits, and the neck and chest area.
Tests used to diagnose and monitor patients with breast cancer may include:
Breast MRI to help better identify the breast lump or evaluate an abnormal change on a mammogram
Breast ultrasound to show whether the lump is solid or fluid-filled
Breast biopsy, using methods such as needle aspiration, ultrasound-guided, stereotactic, or open
CT scan to see if the cancer has spread
Mammography to screen for breast cancer or help identify the breast lump
PET scan
Sentinal lymph node biopsy to see if the cancer has spread
If your doctor learns that you do have breast cancer, more tests will be done to see if the cancer has spread. This is called staging. Staging helps guide future treatment and follow-up and gives you some idea of what to expect in the future.
Breast cancer stages range from 0 to IV. The higher the staging number, the more advanced the cancer.
In-Depth Diagnosis »
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Treatment »
Treatment is based on many factors, including:
Type and stage of the cancer
Whether the cancer is sensitive to certain hormones
Whether the cancer overproduces (overexpresses) a gene called HER2/neu
In general, cancer treatments may include:
Chemotherapy medicines to kill cancer cells
Radiation therapy to destroy cancerous tissue
Surgery to remove cancerous tissue -- a lumpectomy removes the breast lump; mastectomy removes all or part of the breast and possible nearby structures
Hormonal therapy is prescribed to women with ER-positive breast cancer to block certain hormones that fuel cancer growth.
An example of hormonal therapy is the drug tamoxifen. This drug blocks the effects of estrogen, which can help breast cancer cells survive and grow. Most women with estrogen-sensitive breast cancer benefit from this drug.
Another class of hormonal therapy medicines called aromatase inhibitors, such as exemestane (Aromasin), have been shown to work just as well or even better than tamoxifen in postmenopausal women with breast cancer. Aromatase inhibitors block estrogen from being made.
Targeted therapy, also called biologic therapy, is a newer type of cancer treatment. This therapy uses special anticancer drugs that target certain changes in a cell that can lead to cancer. One such drug is trastuzumab (Herceptin). It may be used for women with HER2-positive breast cancer.
Cancer treatment may be local or systemic.
Local treatments involve only the area of disease. Radiation and surgery are forms of local treatment.
Systemic treatments affect the entire body. Chemotherapy is a type of systemic treatment.
Most women receive a combination of treatments. For women with stage I, II, or III breast cancer, the main goal is to treat the cancer and prevent it from returning (curing). For women with stage IV cancer, the goal is to improve symptoms and help them live longer. In most cases, stage IV breast cancer cannot be cured.
Stage 0 and DCIS -- Lumpectomy plus radiation or mastectomy is the standard treatment. There is some controversy on how best to treat DCIS.
Stage I and II -- Lumpectomy plus radiation or mastectomy with some sort of lymph node removal is the standard treatment. Hormone therapy, chemotherapy, and biologic therapy may also be recommended following surgery.
Stage III -- Treatment involves surgery, possibly followed by chemotherapy, hormone therapy, and biologic therapy.
Stage IV -- Treatment may involve surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, hormonal therapy, or a combination of these treatments.
After treatment, some women will continue to take medications such as tamoxifen for a period of time. All women will continue to have blood tests, mammograms, and other tests after treatment.
Women who have had a mastectomy may have reconstructive breast surgery, either at the same time as the mastectomy or later.
In-Depth Treatment »
Back to TopSupport Groups
Talking about your disease and treatment with others who share common experiences and problems can be helpful. See: Cancer support group
Back to TopOutlook (Prognosis)
New, improved treatments are helping persons with breast cancer live longer than ever before. However, even with treatment, breast cancer can spread to other parts of the body. Sometimes, cancer returns even after the entire tumor is removed and nearby lymph nodes are found to be cancer-free.
How well you do after being treated for breast cancer depends on many things. The more advanced your cancer, the poorer the outcome. Other factors used to determine the risk for recurrence and the likelihood of successful treatment include:
Location of the tumor and how far it has spread
Whether the tumor is hormone receptor-positive or -negative
Tumor markers, such as HER2
Gene expression
Tumor size and shape
Rate of cell division or how quickly the tumor is growing
After considering all of the above, your doctor can discuss your risk of having a recurrence of breast cancer.
Back to TopPossible Complications
You may experience side effects or complications from cancer treatment. For example, radiation therapy may cause temporary swelling of the breast (lymphedema), and aches and pains around the area.
Lymphedema may start 6 to 8 weeks after surgery or after radiation treatment for cancer.
It can also start very slowly after your cancer treatment is over. You may not notice symptoms until 18 to 24 months after treatment. Sometimes it can take years to develop.
Ask your doctor about the side effects you may have during treatment.
Back to TopWhen to Contact a Medical Professional
Contact your health care provider for an appointment if:
You have a breast or armpit lump
You have nipple discharge
Also call your health care provider if you develop symptoms after being treated for breast cancer, such as:
Nipple discharge
Rash on the breast
New lumps in the breast
Swelling in the area
Pain, especially chest pain, abdominal pain, or bone pain
Back to TopPrevention
Tamoxifen is approved for breast cancer prevention in women aged 35 and older who are at high risk. Discuss this with your doctor.
Women at very high risk for breast cancer may consider preventive (prophylactic) mastectomy. This is the surgical removal of the breasts before breast cancer is ever diagnosed. Possible candidates include:
Women who have already had one breast removed due to cancer
Women with a strong family history of breast cancer
Women with genes or genetic mutations that raise their risk of breast cancer (such as BRCA1 or BRCA2)
Your doctor may do a total mastectomy to reduce your risk of breast cancer. This may reduce, but does not eliminate the risk of breast cancer.
Many risk factors, such as your genes and family history, cannot be controlled. However, eating a healthy diet and making a few lifestyle changes may reduce your overall chance of getting cancer.
There is still little agreement about whether lifestyle changes can prevent breast cancer. The best advice is to eat a well-balanced diet and avoid focusing on one "cancer-fighting" food. The American Cancer Society's dietary guidelines for cancer prevention recommend that people:
Choose foods and portion sizes that promote a healthy weight
Choose whole grains instead of refined grain products
Eat 5 or more servings of fruits and vegetables each day
Limit processed and red meat in the diet
Limit alcohol consumption to one drink per day (women who are at high risk for breast cancer should consider not drinking alcohol at all).

Breast Cancer Awareness

Breast Cancer Awareness Month (BCAM) (also referred to in America as National Breast Cancer Awareness Month (NBCAM)) is an annual international health campaign organized by major breast cancer charities every October to increase awareness of the disease and to raise funds for research into its cause, prevention, diagnosis, treatment and cure. The campaign also offers information and support to those affected by breast cancers .
As well as providing a platform for breast cancers charities to raise awareness of their work and of the disease, BCAM is also a prime opportunity to remind women to be breast aware for earlier detection.

History
NBCAM was founded in 1985 as a partnership between the American Cancer Society and the pharmaceutical division of Imperial Chemical Industries (now part of AstraZeneca, maker of several anti-breast cancer drugs). The aim of the NBCAM from the start has been to promote mammography as the most effective weapon in the fight against breast cancer.[1]
In 1993 Evelyn Lauder, Senior Corporate Vice President of the Estée Lauder Companies founded The Breast Cancer Research Foundation and established the pink ribbon as its symbol, though this was not the first time the ribbon was used to symbolize breast cancer.[2] In the fall of 1991, the Susan G. Komen Foundation had handed out pink ribbons to participants in its New York City race for breast cancer survivors.[3]

Breast Cancer Today
There are various two-day-long walks to raise money for breast cancer research institutes. Avon sponsors a 39 mile (60 km) walk.[5] A walk in Atlanta offers varying lengths of up to 30 miles.[6] Canada's large "Weekend to End Breast Cancer" features a 60 km walk.


Ride to Empower
The Ride to Empower[9] started in 2008 and raises money for Breast Cancer Network of Strength's programs. The Ride to Empower is a destination bike ride, with fully supported route lengths ranging from a 100 miles to less than 32 miles. The location for the Ride to Empower changes yearly.

Pink days
During Breast Cancer Awareness Month each October, people raise money by organizing activities such as theme parties[10] or a "pink day" (when employees wear pink clothing or accessories) at work. The money raised is donated to the organizers' choice of breast cancer care or research programs. An increasingly prominent "pink day" is Global Pink Hijab Day celebrated by many to raise awareness and funds for breast cancer.

National Football League
During the month of October, the National Football League promotes breast cancer awareness by incorporating pink on its websites, graphics, and advertisements. Players also show support by wearing pink gloves, cleats, captains patches, and other apparel during games.

Pink comic strips
Over 50 comic strip artists used pink on October 10, 2010, using the pink ribbon with the words "Cartoonists Care". King Features Syndicate inspired the plan.


Corporate Sponsorship
It has been alleged that "the BCAM idea 'was conceived and paid for by a British chemical company that both profits from this epidemic and may be contributing to its cause...'".[13]
Sometimes referred to as National Breast Cancer Industry Month, critics of NBCAM point to a conflict of interest between corporations sponsoring breast cancer awareness while profiting from diagnosis and treatment. The breast cancer advocacy organization, Breast Cancer Action, has said repeatedly in newsletters and other information sources that October has become a public relations campaign that avoids discussion of the causes and prevention of breast cancer and instead focuses on “awareness” as a way to encourage women to get their mammograms. The term pinkwashing has been used by Breast Cancer Action to describe the actions of companies which manufacture and use chemicals which show a link with breast cancer and at the same time publicly support charities focused on curing the disease.[14] Other criticisms center on the marketing of "pink products" and tie ins, citing that more money is spent marketing these campaigns than is donated to the cause.[15]

Cure as "Treatment" vs. "Prevention"
The Cancer Prevention Coalition has criticized the basic message of NBCAM as a form of victim blaming because it focuses on "early detection and treatment" while ignoring environmental factors.[16] According Aaron Blair, Ph.D., chief of the Occupational Epidemiology Branch in National Cancer Institute's Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, For breast cancer, hormone use is one of the major factors affecting risk.[17] According to Rose Marie Williams, a columnist for the Townsend Letter, drug, chemical, and biotechnology companies have a vested interest in treating the disease rather than finding ways to minimize its rate of incidence.[18] Recent studies show that breast cancer is linked to several environmental and genetic factors which can be controlled or mitigated

Breast Cancer Treatment and Care

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Breast Cancer Treatment and Care - Did You know that in the United States alone, there are more than 2 million breast cancer survivors and modern medicine is a big reason for that success. Learn about breast cancer treatment and care.

Treatment
What Are Treatments for breast cancers ?
breast cancers treatments have come a long way in the past few generations. Get a general overview of treatment options for today’s breast cancer patients.

Choosing Your Best Breast Cancer Treatment
Patients’ preferences are part of the decision-making process in choosing breast cancer treatments. This article describes the options.
Tool: Breast Cancer Health Check
Explore and evaluate treatment options for your particular stage and type of breast cancers .

Breast Cancer Surgery
Surgery is done to remove cancer while it's still in the breast. This article is a brief introduction to breast cancers surgery.

Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy is often used to cut the chances of cancer’s return (recurrence).
Chemotherapy and breast cancers : Detailed Information
This article provides in-depth information on breast cancer chemotherapy.

Radiation for Breast Cancer
Radiation therapy is another way to help reduce the chance of cancer’s return.

Hormone Therapy
Hormone therapy may help curb the growth, spread, or recurrence of some types of breast cancers .
Hormone Therapy Drugs for breast cancers
Read about tamoxifen, aromatase inhibitors, and other hormonal treatments for breast cancers .
Hormone Therapy for Breast Cancer FAQs
Some (but not all) breast cancers are sensitive to hormones such as estrogen and progestin. Read about hormonal therapy for those types of breast cancers .

Biological Therapy for Breast Cancer
Biological therapy aims to use the body’s immune system to curb cancer. This article provides an overview of biological therapy for breast cancers .

Herceptin
Herceptin is a type of biological therapy for breast cancers . Read about it in this article.
Breast Cancer Treatment by Stage
Learn about treatment options by stage.
After Breast Cancer Treatment: Follow-Up Care
After breast cancer treatment, follow-up care is a must. Here’s an overview to help you keep track.

Treating Recurrent Breast Cancer
If breast cancer returns, it doesn’t always come back to the breast, and its location may help determine treatment. Learn more about treating recurrent breast cancers .
Related Web Site: Alternative Medicine and Complementary Therapies for Breast Cancer
Most doctors don’t recommend relying only on alternative medicine for breast cancers . But some complementary therapies, including meditation, prayer, and acupuncture, may be worth discussing with your doctor to enhance, but not replace, conventional care, says the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. This link will take you to its web site.

Care
Second Opinion for Breast Cancer Diagnosis
Are you looking for a second opinion about your breast cancers diagnosis? The information in this article may help.

Breast Cancer Doctors
Information on selecting board-certified specialists for treating your breast cancers .
Becoming a Proactive Cancer Patient
It’s your body and your life, so take a proactive role in your cancer care. This article explores ways to do that with any type of cancer.

Questions for Doctors About Breast Cancer?
New breast cancer patients may have a lot of questions about their care. Here’s a general list to start with before choosing treatment.

11 Questions to Ask the Medical Oncologist
Medical oncologists are cancer specialists. Here are questions you may want to ask them.

10 Questions to Ask the Breast Cancer Surgeon
Getting breast cancer surgery? Here are 10 questions to help you get the answers you need from your surgeon before the operation.
Related Web Site: Exercises for Recovery from Breast Cancer Surgery
This link will take you to an American Cancer Society article on exercises to help with recovery from breast cancers surgery.

10 Questions to Ask the Radiation Oncologist
If you're getting radiation therapy for breast cancer, this list of 10 questions may come in handy when speaking with your radiation cancer specialist.

Clinical Trials
Breast Cancer Clinical Trials
What is a clinical trial? What are the advantages and disadvantages? Learn all about about breast cancers clinical trials.
Finding a Breast Cancer Clinical Trial

Check out sites chosen by WebMD doctors that offer information and services to help you determine if a clinical trial may be right for you.