Fear, Not Breast Cancer - Know the Different Treatments
Breast tumors, even if biopsied malignant, are no longer causes for so much alarm and anxiety. Breakthroughs had resulted to put a stop on the malady's spread - that is, if your breast cancer is detected at an early stage. There are 4 known treatments for breast cancer, depending upon the stage or grade of the affliction. If it is at an early stage and you had treatments, then you may be lucky not to die of breast cancer.
The 4 treatments are mastectomy, chemotherapy, radio therapy and hormone therapy. Remember, if you are a breast cancer patient, do not choose your therapy - let an oncologist do it for you!
•Mastectomy
This procedure is very depressing to any woman. It involves removing a part or in some cases, the whole breast where the cancer cells form into a lump. What is your choice - life or breast? You want to live longer, so let that breast go!
•Chemotherapy
This is a method where drugs get into your system, intravenously. It entails a series of cycles. The number of cycles, the kind and dosage of drugs are dependent upon the stage of your breast cancer. Today, chemotherapy side effects are controlled - gone are the dreaded nausea and vomiting. You can take tablets and pills to combat the side effects. But the worst thing that can happen is inevitable - you get bald. Your hair will fall by leaps and bounds. How soon? This depends on the drug's potency. The good thing however - it is temporary baldness. A few months after your last session, your hair will grow and before you know it, you have a cap of beautiful strands.
•Radiotherapy
To destroy the cancer cells in your breast, this treatment uses X-ray. It may be done before or after surgery, depending upon the oncologist's assessment of your condition. Radiotherapy may be centered on your breast, your chest or your lymph nodes in the armpit, wherever the cancer cells could have spread.
•Hormonal therapy
Not all breast cancer patients can have hormonal therapy. Pathology report stating that you are progesterone positive (PR+) or estrogen positive (ER+)will definitely mean hormonal therapy as additional precautionary measure. This is taking a pill daily, usually for 5 years. This will stop the positive hormone receptors from multiplying. This is very convenient and a good chance of killing whatever cancer cells are left or are developing.
With all these available treatments, there is no reason to have that great fear of breast cancer. Survival rate is very high if and only if your breast cancer is detected early and appropriate treatments are instituted.
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