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Diagnosed With Breast Cancer? Ask These Eight Questions

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One in eight women will receive a breast cancer diagnosis in her lifetime, according to the National Breast Cancer Foundation. While treatments for the disease have advanced and survival rates are improving, the National Breast Cancer Foundation also reported that breast cancer remains the most common cancer for American women and approximately 287,500 new diagnoses will be made by the end of 2022.

Early detection and prevention plans are important for slowing the progression of the disease and increasing the rate of survival. Additionally, asking the right questions when diagnosed with cancer is critical, providing essential information for patients who are beginning their journey to recovery.

Below are eight questions to ask upon receiving a breast cancer diagnosis.

  1. What type of breast cancer and receptor status do I have? Learning more about the type of cancer along with the receptor status can give patients clarity about their diagnosis and a better understanding of their current health status. Patients need to know their diagnosis because it encourages follow-up questions and the opportunity for accurate information to be discussed between the oncologist and patient.
  2. How is the type of treatment decided? Women are different and so are cancers and their characteristics. That is why treatments are individualized to the patient and targeted to the specific type of cancer. Certain therapies that work for one patient may not be as successful for another.
  3. Do all breast cancer patients require chemotherapy? Chemotherapy is a common treatment chosen for many cancer patients because of its aggressive nature. However, depending on the type of cancer, chemotherapy may not be recommended as part of the treatment plan for breast cancer.
  4. How will my cancer and treatment plan affect my quality of life? Cancer and cancer treatments can disrupt many aspects of life. Patients can struggle with cognitive performance and pain management, for example. It is important to share concerns with the oncologist throughout the cancer journey, from the start of the diagnosis to post-treatment. Oncologists do their best to ensure quality of life is maintained, and if it is not, sometimes there are changes that can be made to help patients in this particular area of concern or additional remedies that can be recommended.
  5. Will I be able to continue working or take care of my family while undergoing treatment? While many cancer patients find treatments lead to nausea, fatigue and weakness, each patient experiences their treatments differently. Discussing with the oncologist symptoms and side effects of the cancer diagnosis and associated treatments helps patients determine what is to be expected, allowing them to make needed adjustments in their day-to-day routine — whether that is at work or at home.
  6. Will I need to make any nutritional changes? Eating well and ensuring proper nutrition is maintained play important roles in a patients’ cancer journey and recovery, which is why a  dietitian is often part of the care team. There are several foods that patients will want to consume and others, such as raw fish and unpasteurized dairy products, that need to be avoided.
  7. How do I tell my children I have breast cancer? Sharing news of a life-threatening disease is difficult and emotionally taxing. Patients should share their diagnosis with children when they are ready and have received accurate information to avoid misleading the conversation. Many patients have found it helpful to rehearse what is to be said with a spouse, family member or close friend.
  8. Are there support groups available to help patients and their families? Having support throughout the cancer journey is important because cancer can take a toll mentally, physically and emotionally. Support systems have been shown to positively influence cancer outcomes, and patients should establish their support systems early on. Start with creating a support group of family and friends and then branch out to local and national groups such as those provided by the American Cancer Society to find additional resources.

These questions provide transparency into a complicated disease. Knowing not only the type of breast cancer but more about the treatment options available and lifestyle changes that may be required helps patients understand their diagnosis, make better-informed health decisions and feel involved in their care plan.

The Future of Breast Cancer Treatment

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Breast cancer is the second-most common form of cancer in women with 13% expected to develop the disease at some time in their life. Breast cancer can also happen to men — though it makes up for 1% or less of all breast cancer diagnoses.

October marks Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the ideal time to not only remind women about the importance of annual mammograms and self-examinations but to also take a closer look at the progress being made in treatments — all of which are helping breast cancer patients live longer and better lives while offering hope for the future.

Newer, More Effective Treatments

Several new medications have been approved for patients diagnosed with both early and late stages of breast cancer. One such treatment is immunotherapy, which helps the body’s immune system identify and destroy cancer cells.

In clinical trials, immunotherapy has yielded positive results and demonstrated increased response rates in patients with both early and late stages of breast cancer. Immunotherapy is approved for patients with advanced triple-negative cancer, which often grows and spreads faster than other types of breast cancer. Treatment options for triple-negative patients have been limited in the past, making the approval of immunotherapy an exciting breakthrough.

Hormonal therapy, which targets the estrogen receptor, and subsequently, the most common type of breast cancer, can be used before or after surgery, reducing the risk of breast cancer recurrence by approximately 50%. Hormone therapy, either alone or in combination with targeted therapies, is also highly effective in the treatment of late-stage breast cancer.

Targeted therapies are developed when researchers identify what causes a tumor to mutate, such as certain proteins that are present or overproduced in cancer cells compared with healthy cells, and then develop a treatment to stop that mutation. Targeted therapies against the HER2 protein, present in 15%-20% of breast cancers, significantly reduce the risk of breast cancer recurrence and improve overall survival in both early and late stages of disease.  Clinical trials demonstrate that targeted therapies significantly reduce the risk of cancer progression and lead to an increased response rate when given in combination with standard therapies or compared with standard therapies.

The Future of Cancer Treatment

Precision medicine refers to treatment based on the genetic understanding of a patient’s disease.

With precision medicine, doctors can use information about a patient’s own genes or tumor mutations to assist with the diagnosis and treatment of cancer. In a patient who has been diagnosed with breast cancer, precision medicine helps to determine whether certain targeted therapies and immunotherapy will be beneficial in their treatment.

Not only can precision medicine help doctors put together very specific plans that often lead to a more accurate diagnosis and more effective cancer treatment, but it can also let a patient know if they are a high risk for developing breast cancer. Having this knowledge allows for a proactive approach to early detection, which includes more frequent and better screening tests.

The Benefits of Community-based Treatment

At Messino Cancer Centers, we use the most up-to-date approved treatments including hormonal-based therapies, chemotherapies, immunotherapies and targeted therapies, and offer patients access to a robust list of clinical-based trials. We have many support services available to our patients including social and behavioral therapy, a cancer-specific dietitian and a care management team.  We also offer the DigniCap Cooling System, which has been clinically proven to help prevent hair loss from certain chemotherapy treatments.

Because we are a community-based practice, our patients don’t have to worry about traveling out of the area for treatment and are able to stay close to their support system of family and friends. It also allows our nurses and physicians to create strong, trustful relationships with our patients, who feel less like a number and more like an individual who is truly cared for.

The strong support of a community-based staff coupled with exciting therapeutic treatment advances give breast cancer patients more hope than ever in their quest to live happier, healthier and longer lives.

Breast Cancer in Men: Recognizing Symptoms, Reducing Risk

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Breast cancer is most often associated with women, which is understandable as more than 276,000 women are expected to be diagnosed in 2020. Yet, breast cancer occurs in 1 of every 83 men and carries a 5% mortality rate.

Consequently, men need to be vigilant and educated about the symptoms and signs of breast cancer and should feel comfortable discussing them with their physician.

Symptoms of Male Breast Cancer

The clinical features of breast cancer in men are no different than they are in women. Symptoms include a lump or thickening in or near the breast or underneath an arm. A dimpling or puckering of the skin—known as peau d’orange—can also be a symptom, particularly of inflammatory breast cancer, and the nipple of the breast may be inverted. Another thing to look for is nipple secretion, which can be especially concerning if the drainage is blood.

No one is immune to cancer, but there are some factors that can heighten the risk of breast cancer in men, including exposure to radiation and a history of breast cancer in their family. An increase in a man’s estrogen level can also heighten the chances of breast cancer, so conditions such as Klinefelter’s syndrome and cirrhosis are risk factors. Transgender men using estrogen injections are also at an increased risk.

Self-Examination and Treatment

Like women, men should do routine self-examinations and check for thickening or lumps in the breasts. The best screening is a simple palpating of the tissue and checking in a mirror for any changes in the look of the breast’s skin or nipple. This should be done once a month, especially for men with a family history of cancer.

If any irregularities are noticed, reach out to a physician immediately. In the event of a tumor, the procedure for men is the same as women – a biopsy followed by a diagnosis, and then the decision whether to do surgery with or without chemotherapy or radiation therapy.

One of the biggest differences regarding breast cancer treatment in men and women is endocrine therapy. Aromatase inhibitors, which stop estrogen production in postmenopausal women, are used to treat women whereas men are typically treated with tamoxifen, which blocks the effects of estrogen in breast tissue. The reason for the difference is the insufficient amount of data supporting use of aromatase inhibitors to treat male breast cancer.

Erasing the Stigma

Cancer takes an emotional and mental toll on anyone it strikes. But because breast cancer is so strongly associated with women, men often face additional psychological challenges.

Some may feel their manhood is in question once they hear the diagnosis or they may become embarrassed by it. While stigmas are real and can be debilitating, the reality is that male and female breasts are made of the same tissue.

Consequently, psychological care is a big component of treating breast cancer in men, especially for patients with estrogen-receptor-positive cancer—the most common form of breast cancer wherein estrogen receptors on the surface of the cell bind to estrogen and enable the cancer to grow. In men, this means they are creating more estrogen than progesterone, which can make them feel like less of a man. Therefore, taking extra time to address stigma is an extremely important element of care.

Scarring is another concern. Reconstructive plastic surgery isn’t offered for men who undergo surgery to treat breast cancer, so it is important to remind male patients that the scar does not make them less of a person. In fact, the scar should be looked at as a symbol of the surgery that may have saved their life.

Resources for Men

In tandem with the multitude of female-driven support systems in place for women, such as the saturation of pink every October to mark Breast Cancer Awareness Month, there are also good resources for men battling breast cancer.

The Male Breast Cancer Coalition and the Young Survival Coalition are helpful resources offering information about male breast cancer, as well as hotlines and support groups.

It is important to remember that cancer can happen to anyone – and while breast cancer in men is rare, it is real and can be deadly. As providers and oncologists, it is important that we recognize the physical and mental components of working with male breast cancer patients and provide the support systems that deliver optimal care outcomes.