Breast cancer, and any other type of cancer, can be scary to deal with yourself and can also be scary if your loved one is dealing with it. Understanding what this type of cancer is and how it affects the body is crucial in coping with it. These six simple tips will help you understand it so you can make the right decisions for yourself or family in the future.
Symptoms
Some of the symptoms are more obvious, and others aren’t as noticeable. One of the main symptoms is a lump in the breast area. This is a symptom that many doctors tell patients to check on at least once a month because of how prevalent it is. Other symptoms include swelling, irritation and redness around the breast.
All of these can be symptoms of this type of cancer, and if you’re experiencing any of them, then it’s best to see a doctor immediately.
How to stay positive
If you’re the one with breast cancer or if it’s someone you love, it can be difficult to stay positive when you’re diagnosed with this type of cancer. It’s important to stay connected to your family and friends for support when you’re going through this process. They will be there for you and be able to help you stay upbeat and positive about the entire process.
You might also want to ensure you pack a bag full of things you like and make you happy if you need to stay in the hospital for any period of time. This bag will help you to be positive by being filled with snacks, fun activities and other things that you find make you happy.
Treatment
Depending on the severity of cancer, surgery might be an option to treat this kind of cancer. The surgeons will go in & remove the lumps that they find cancerous and then prescribe chemotherapy treatment to make sure none of cancer survives after it was removed.
For some patients, doctors might prescribe chemotherapy without needing surgery because that might be the best route of treatment for the patient. Your doctor will discuss various treatment options with you so you can be updated on what the best option for your specific treatment might be.
Types
There are four types of cancer in the breast that can happen. They are ductal carcinoma in situ, invasive ductal carcinoma, inflammatory cancer of the breast, and metastatic cancer of the breast. Metastatic is also considered to be called stage 4 cancer.
All of these different types of cancer are scary in their own regard, and your doctor will be able to tell you how your type could impact your body and your life differently.
Stages
There are five different stages of cancer of the breast. Stage 0 describes non-invasive cancers that are not cancerous cells at all. Stage 1 is where invasive cancer of the breast begins, and it’s divided into two subcategories, A and B. Stage two is also divided into two subcategories, and it describes a larger more prominent version of stage one. Stage three is invasive cancer, divided into different subcategories that include tumours and non-tumours that are larger than stage two.
Stage four is a cancer of the breast that has spread further past the breast and into the lymph nodes of other organs like the skin, brain, lungs and bone.
