With today’s improved treatment techniques and early breast cancer detection, we are more successful than ever at treating breast cancer than ever before! The main goal of having any type of cancer, whether it is breast cancer or any other, is to kill and eliminate any and all cancer cells from your body; and with the help of the many specialists and health-care teams today, it is likely to become cancer free in a matter or time, but you must be strong when going through this battle of two fronts.

There are two lines of attack when battling breast cancer or any other type of cancer, which are the following…

The first line of attack method, is using local treatments, such as Radiation Therapy and Surgery. After having the cancerous tumor removed, radiation therapy is used to kill any left over cancer cells that have been left behind in the breast tissue or breast area. When having surgery preformed, the tumor is completely removed by your surgeon from the breast.

The second line of attack used is aimed to destroy and kill any cancer cells that have may have broken off  and traveled away from the tumor , and have spread to any distant part of the body. This line of attack, or approach, is called Systemic Treatment.

Systemic Treatment can be used in the form of either Chemotherapy, Targeted Therapy, or Hormonal Therapy.

Chemotherapy is a drug that kills cancer cells in your body, Targeted Therapy is a drug that helps your body to fight off cancer, and Hormonal Therapy are drugs that are used to help prevent new cancer cells from growing inside your body.

Try not to worry about all of the new concepts and words you are learning right now, in the next few weeks gather as much information as you can, and when you get together with your health care professionals, speak with them about the concerns and ask them questions that you have on your mind. You will be able to make more informed decisions after exploring all of the information and tips throughout Breast Cancer Awareness, which will help give you the knowledge you need to understand more about your breast cancer and treatment options.

Local Treatments - Surgery and Radiation Therapy.

Systemic Treatments – Chemotherapy, Targeted Therapy, and Hormone Therapy.

Your Health Care Team as well as your loved ones or partner should be involved in the entire planning of your treatment for your breast cancer. Make sure to be strong and to never let anyone or anything make you feel rushed, while you are making important decisions, regarding the treatment of your breast cancer. Take your time to learn as much as you can about your treatment options depending on your specific case, as well as gathering information, and  make sure to write down any questions or concerns you have about your breast cancer, so that when you speak to your health care professionals; you are well prepared. Breast Cancer, with rare exceptions, is not an emergency where you need to make any decision quickly. You are more than safe to take several weeks to make decisions and to process the information you have been given, so take your time and try not to worry so much.

When being diagnosed with Breast Cancer, one of your first steps should be putting together a Support Team. Joining a support group can be one of the most beneficial things to do for yourself. When joining a support group, you will meet regularly, under the guidance of a trained facilitator, who will be able to discuss the concerns you have about your Breast Cancer, as well as helping you to better understand and cope with the feelings you may be having.

There are many types of support programs, and each one is different, so take your time to choose which one will be the most beneficial to you and your Breast Cancer.

Support Group programs are organized in a variety of ways, including long-term support groups, short-term support groups; And even some support groups that are composed of people that are dealing with the same issues or disease. I believe it’s a good choice to choose a Breast Cancer Support group, in order to be able to speak openly and relate to the other people, that are going through a very similar process, which will help you in the long run. Having someone to talk to about your concerns about your Breast Cancer, is one of the most important things you will need as you go through this fight, so gather your Health Care Team and think about joining a Support Group. Make sure to visit the support group a few times before choosing one, to make sure you feel comfortable with the people around you and that the group supports your needs and expectations.

Your Health Care team will usually involve a variety of doctors and specialists, who are experts in their field, and will be able to give you the best recommendations regarding issues such as Surgery options, Chemotherapy, Radiation, and even your Nutrition. There are actually many Hospitals and Cancer centers today that already have such Breast Cancer expert teams available to you, which are referred to as, ” Multidisciplinary Teams “. If the hospital or Cancer Center you are attending at the time, does not have any breast cancer team available, there are many other resources available such as; Susan G. Komen for The Cure, Breast Cancer Network of Strength, The National Cancer Institute, and The American Cancer Society. These are some of the different resources that are available if you are interested in finding new health care professionals to add to your team, or to possibly get a second opinion from another health care provider ( which is always a good idea ),  and to open the door to knowledge and information that will be able to help you with you with your diagnosis.  If you have a Health Care Team already, you may want to seek out other specialists that are of interest to you ( Like Chemotherapy, Radiation, or Reconstruction ), whom you can call if you have any questions that come up at the time when your regular health care team is not available.

When going through Breast Cancer, you will most likely have many specialists involved in your treatment, such as the following.

Clinical Nurse Specialist- A clinical nurse specialist is a nurse who has training and knowledge in a specific area, such as breast cancer, post-operative care, radiation, or chemotherapy.

Anesthesiologist- An anesthesiologist is a specialist who administers specific gases or drugs which will put you to sleep before having surgery.

Medical Onocologist-  A medical oncologist is a trained doctor who administers special anti-cancer drugs or chemotherapy during your treatment.

Pathologist- A pathologist is a doctor who will be examining the tissue removed during a biopsy, and who issues a report which will help you and your other doctors choose which type of treatment will be the most effective for your specific case.

Personal Physician- A personal physician is a doctor who is responsible for treatment coordination, and sometimes can also be a radiation oncologist, surgeon, medical oncologist, or even a family physician. A personal physician will put together your treatment plan and inform you of your options.

Personal Navigator- A personal Navigator is a trained nurse who will act as a guide, to help you through the medical maze, logistic issues, insurance, and more. Your personal navigator is there to help guide you whenever you have questions about specific issues or questions throughout your treatment and recovery.

Plastic Surgeon- A plastic surgeon is a trained specialist in the field of cosmetic surgery, such as breast reconstruction after having surgery of the breasts, such as a mastectomy.

Physical Therapist- A physical therapist is trained to help you with post-surgical rehabilitation. Physical therapist use many different techniques, such as heat therapy, specific exercises, and even massage. They will help you to gain your strength before and after surgery. Exercising before and after surgery is very important, so make sure to speak with a physical therapist and your personal navigator or your personal physician to seek information on insurance coverage, and if you are eligible.

Radiation Therapy Technologist- A radiation therapy technologist works with and under a radiation oncologist, to help administer radiation treatment.

Radiation Oncologist- A radiation oncologist is a physician who is specifically trained to use high-energy X-rays for treatment of your breast cancer ( and other cancers ).

Surgeon- A surgeon is a medical doctor who has many years of experience and knowledge, specializing in surgery, who will be preforming the initial operation on your breast cancer.

Social Worker-  A social worker is a professional who is trained to deal with economic and social aspects of treatments, such as solving insurance issues or helping you to choose a support group, if you need help or advice with issues such as these.

When I heard those words, it just felt like a bad dream..

My mind went blank as I tried not to cry or scream…

But I knew I had to stay strong and fight this monster inside…

The monster wanted to take my life and even my pride…

I closed my eyes and as I realized how beautiful and precious the little things are in life..

Seeing a loved one, walking on the beach, a kiss on the cheek, or even a simple “hello” has no price…

I decided to stop crying about this monster who seemed to take over my mind…

I couldn’t give up this life of mine, so I seeked advice and support to see what help I could find…

I ended up meeting many new people, who were in the same situation as me…

They told me that the monster they had inside, had finally been set free…

The new friends I had met gave me Hope and Stength I never knew I had inside…

I was waiting at the doctors office the next day, as a woman walked out as she cried…

I sat down next to her and put a note inside of her coat…

As the lady put her hand in her pocket to pull out a note…

The woman was gone, but the note said…”Keep your Strength and Hope”…

She smiled as her tears dried..as another woman walked out of the doctors office and cried…

She took the note out of her pocket and sat down next to this new woman, who was sitting in a chair…

As this new woman looked up, she saw a note fall into her lap….but nobody was there…

She opened that note to read…” Keep your Hope and Strength… as angels are watching…and now you are aware…”

After you have had a Biopsy preformed, the sample will be examined under a special microscope for testing. Getting the results from your biopsy is one of the most frightening times, as you wait for your results to be explained to you. Tumor testing determines whether or not the tumor is malignant or benign. If a tumor is tested positive to be malignant, addition testing is required to select the treatment that will be the most effective. Results of your biopsy will come back depending on what type of biopsy you have had preformed.

The pathology Report- The Pathologist will be able to report the results of your biopsy depending on which type of Biopsy you have had done. If you have had an Fine Needle Aspiration Biopsy, you should be able to recieve your test results within an hour of having your biopsy. If you have had a larger sample taken, or have had a Core Needle Biopsy or Surgical Biopsy, the results of your test will most likely take several days, because of the examination being a more complete identification of the tumor cells. The final report is only able to be given after the tumor and lymph nodes have been removed at the time of surgery, which allows examination of the tumor and which type of cells it’s composed of, and also if the lymph nodes have been effected by any spreading from the tumor; As well as the tumors size. Getting this information is the most important process for finding the most effective treatment for your breast cancer.

Biopsys can determine whether you have cancer, but they cannot determine if the cancer has spread, which is why additional tests are nessesary to have done. This is very important so the physicians can determine the stage of your tumor. Below are some of the tests you may need to have done in order to furtur examine your tumor for proper diagnosis and staging.

MRI- An MRI stands for “ Magnetic Resonance Imaging”. MRI uses a conbination of original radio waves and magnetic energy to create an image of the inside of your body. The surgeon will have a better idea of the size, shape, and location of the tumor, as well as locations of any other tumors that might be present inside your body. Having a scan or MRI of each of your breasts is common when having breast cancer. If you are having a body MRI, it will show any images of distant spread of cancer, and know that you may be a little bit uncomfortable for about an hour, but always inform your technologist if you are feeling cramped or uncomforable in the confined space. Don’t worry, it is painless, and will be done quicker than you think.

BSGI- ” Breast-Specific Gamma Imaging” is a new way of discovering small cancer cell clusters, even if your phycians had difficulty examing your breasts after having an ultrasound or mammogram of your breasts. You will be given an oral tracking agent that is radioactive, and is absorbed through each of the cells in the body. The cancerous cells seem to absorb this radioactive agent more than normal cells because of their increased metabolic energy, which makes even the smallest cancer cells light up on the BSGI imaging device. For people who have dense breast tissue, suspicous spots that have shown up on their mammogam, a strong family history of breast cancer, breast implants or breast augmentation, lumps that can be felt but not found with mammography, and ever scaring from past surgerys, having a BSGI is a very helpful procedure to have done.

CT Scan- A Cat Scan, CT, or ” Computerized Axial Tomography “ , is a short and painless test, that uses a rotating film source system as well as X-rays to develop a detailed picture of the body.

Bone Scan- The most common place cancer cells may metastasize or spread, is to the bones inside the body, so the most effective way to determine if any cancer cells have spread to the bones is by having a nuclear scan, where small amounts of radioactive fluid will is injected inside of a vein. This procedure is usually needed when lymph nodes are tested positive, when the tumor is large, or when there is some evidence or chance that some of the tumor cells have started to spread throughout the body. As the radio-active substance is inside the body, it concentrates on the areas inside your body that show an increased or abnormal number of blood vessels. This may show a “hot spot” or a place where a new cancerous growth could possibly form.

PET Scan- A PET Scan is similar to having a Bone Scan, and is a newer and valuable tool in imaging techniques available today. PET Scans reflect tissue function and combined with using the CT scan, it also shows the tissue structure. This technique gives amazing information in finding the right treatment and an accurate diagnosis for the Breast Cancer.

Every woman is unique, and every cancer is different in its own way. The stage of your cancer is one of the most important factors in deciding which treatment your cancer specialist will choose for you. Staging the tumor is very critical, so each cancer specialist relys on the staging system, along with all of the information they are provided, by the endless tests that are available for you to have done, so they may place your cancer into a specific group.  After they have staged your cancer and have gathered all of the information on your breast cancer and tumor, they will be able to provide you with the most effective treatment and which one is best for you.

So now is the time that you have scheduled an appointment for a mammogram, or have already had a mammogram, and you tested positive for breast cancer. There are different stages of breast cancer, as we all know, and they depend on the size of the tumor and if any of the cancer cells have spread to any distant parts of your body. Having breast cancer is not the end of the world, although it may feel that way in the beginning. I remember hearing from my mom that she had tested positive for an aggressive cancer gene, and after helping her do some research on treatment options and speaking with multiple doctors; She decided to have a mastectomy, recontruction of her breast, and also went through chemotherapy. It was very emotional for me to see my mother getting sick from the side effects, along with painful surgery procedures she had done, but time went on and things became better each day. I helped out around the house, made sure she was doing her excercises after her surgerys, and we ended up spending more time together than we ever did before. Breast cancer changed something inside of me. It was as if I had been procrastinating for so long, and finally I snapped out it, and realized how grateful I was to have my mother and family. She was diagnosed with stage 2 but also tested positive for HER-2 . My mother is finished with her treatments and seems to be doing great now, and her hair is even growing out more and more! I think she is beautiful no matter what, but I can tell she’s happy to have her hair coming back, so she doesn’t feel like she has to wear a hat anymore.

Doctors can use mammography or an ultrasound to detect suspicious lumps or lessions in your breast, but the only way to be diagnosed and to confirm the stage of your breast cancer, is to have a biopsy preformed. When having a biopsy preformed, a pathologist (  an expert in identifying tumors ) will remove a small sample of the tumor and then prepare it on a slide to view under a microscope for furture inspection. There are several ways to have a tissue sample taken. You can have a Fine Needle Aspiration or FNA, where a very thin needle that is connected to a syringe, almost like having your blood drawn; And you will not need to have any local anesthetic.  After this process, the sample is sent to the pathologist for examination. There are some physicians who believe that having a Fine Needle Aspiration does not give enough to examine, which could cause an unaccurate diagnosis because of how small the sample is.

Another biopsy you may have done is called a Core Needle Biopsy. This type of biopsy is the most common, and the patient is put under local anesthetic for a very short time, only a few minutes usually. This procedure has been said to only have caused minor discomfort. I would personally recommend having a little bit of discomfort rather than possibly getting inaccurate test results. But this decision is up to you, so speak with you family and get opinions from your physician. When having the Core Biopsy, a device that resembles and works almost like an ear peircing intrument is used, propelling a large needle through the lession very quickly. Don’t worry, you will not be awake to feel anything, my mother had this type of biopsy done; and the good news is that she never complained about it…just a soreness afterwards that did not last long. But it was worth knowing exactly what her diagnosis was. I thank God we were able to catch her breast cancer early and to have her here today, recovering and as happy as ever.

Another biopsy used is called a Surgical Biopsy, where the sample is taken surgically through a skin incision made, and usually the surgeon will take out the entire tumor at the time of the surgical biopsy; which is called an excisional biopsy.  Local anesthesia is used when having a surgical biopsy, and sometimes sedation is used as well. This process most likely takes about an hour and then you may have a driver take you home, or you may wait for several hours for the sedation to wear off, and then drive home. After having a surgical biopsy, it is recomended that you do NOT lift any heavy objects for at least a few weeks, but you are able to continue non-stenuous work the day after your biopsy.

Biopsy Guidance - When you are able to feel the lession or lump in your breast with your hand, the surgeon should have no problem finding the tumor with a needle, but if you cannot feel the lump in your breast with your hand, a special device is used. If the tumor is very small, even the size of a pea, the surgeon will use a special mammography tool called a “stereotactic unit”. This stereotactic unit guides the needle and enable the physician to place the needle exactly inside of the tumor, no matter how small it may appear. The needle used may also be guided by a hand-held ulrasound unit, which is a special MRI scanner. But this is a  decision that will be in the hands of your doctor, depending on your specific case, and what he examines.

After your biopsy, the tumor sample will be put under a microscope for a pathologist to examine the cells, and to determine if the tumor is benign or if it is malignant. When a tumor is determined to be malignant, there will be more testing to be done in order to select the best treatment for your diagnosis.
Another very important task is to determine whether or not the cancer cells have grown inside of ducks or lobules ( ” in situ” )  , or if the cancer cells are “invasive” and have made their way inside of the breast tissue. Invasive cancer is more serious than the “in situ” cancer, so the treatments for these will be different. If you go to the “Breast Cancer Videos” Page, you can view an animated video on how a biopsy is preformed.

For those who are currently battling this fight…

Do not worry,  for the future is not only dark but sometimes very bright…

 And  for those whose loved ones sometimes cry at night…

 Hope and Strength will bring them to light…

My heart dropped  deep down inside of me that day…

But my positivity and hope,  just told me to lay down and pray…

I could not eat or even get much sleep at night… 

I then knew this was going to be a long fight… 

As the doctors and appointments filled the calender on the wall…

I hugged my mom and told her to remain strong and stand tall… 

The beginning was emotionally draining to us all… 

It must have felt like hitting a brick wall… 

After appointments, surgerys, treatments, sickness, no hair- and all…

My mother came through like the angel she is.. and she stood strong and tall.

It is important to review the function and structure of the breast, and to also learn new terms used like “lymph nodes” or “Lobules”, which are probably very new to you; But will help you to understand more as you go through your Breast Cancer Treatment.
During your breast examination, it is important that you and your physician examine the entire breast area. The general shape of the breast can be a teardrop shape or circular shape, and from the collarbone to the bra line and to the breast bone is where breast tissue can be found; Making it urgent to examine all of the area.
The breasts are generally made of the milk-carrying ducks and the milk producing glads, that are imbedded inside of the fibrous and fatty tissue, which each of the glands are grouped into sections named lobes. There are many lobes that each have smaller lobules which all end in these forms called bulbs, where they are the size and shape of a grape and produce the milk. The ducts are slender tubes that carry milk to the nipple from the lobes. The remaining tissue of the breast is mainly made up of fibrous supportive and fattty tissue.

The pectoralis minor and pectoralis major are the two muscles that are attached under ribs located underneath the breast. If needing an implant, one muscle may be removed and cut out, to make room for the new implant to be inserted. Within the breast  alone, there are no muscles but tissue.

The areola is the skin that is a little darker around the nipple area.

To supply the breast with nutrients and oxygen, the blood is carried by the arteries and veins to and from the breast.

The lymphatic system is another important concept to understand more about. The fluid that leaks out from the blood vessels and accumulates in the middle of cells is called the Lymph Fluid. The job of returning the fluid to the central circulation, is  the Lymph ducks main job. The Lymph nodes are a small bean-shaped structures where the lymphatic fluid is filtered through, where it can collect debris like cancer cells that have escaped, or bacteria and other debris. Think of the lymphatic system as a filtering system, like a fosset you drink from with a filtering system connected to it so that you do not drink any bacteria.

Most all of the fluid that leaks from the lymphatic system from your breast drains into the area of the armpit called the axilla, where there is another filtering system set up called the axillary lymph nodes. By looking closely at these nodes, it is the easiest way that doctors can examine whether or not any cancer cells have escaped from the breast and have traveled to any other part of the body.