5 Important Things Every Patient Suffering from Breast Cancer Must Know

With the increasing number of breast cancer patients in urban and rural India, there is an increased debate and awareness about the ailment. However, discussions about treatment options available are just one part of the breast cancer. There are other factors also that need attention. 

Here are a few basic things to know right at the early stage of breast cancer.

1. Breast Cancer Involves the Need for Mental-Social Care

A person diagnosed with breast cancer suffers from emotional and mental distress. This news affects not only the patients but also their family members.

Panic, anxiety, stress, and fear are common psychological issues that include social, functional, and cognitive problems. A distress level varies from patient to patient and based on the stage of breast cancer.

If it is early-stage breast cancer, it can be cured conveniently. Family members and patients must know that their distress would decrease gradually.

Family members and friends must help patients to cope with fear, anxiety, and depression. They must also offer support and help to help patients understand the situation better.

2. Weigh the Different Treatment Options Available

Breast cancers can be of different types. Even early-stage breast cancer can be categorized into Stage 1 and Stage 2. Based on the kind of breast cancer and tumor grade, your specialist will decide the treatment.

With years of technological and scientific advancements, studies have presented curing of breast cancer with personalized treatments. The good thing about patients with early-stage breast cancer is that they have very high chances of curing the ailment and live ahead of a healthy life.

Having brief knowledge of various treatment options available can help cancer sufferers to actively part in deciding the treatment.

3. Managing the Career or Professional Life

Getting diagnosed with breast cancer can pose severe effects on a patient’s professional life as well. Apart from planning and managing the treatment, the patient needs to decide whether to quit or continue working while undergoing treatment.

The decision of not working may leave the patient stressed about the treatment-related expenses and may even develop the fear of losing the job. A woman diagnosed with breast cancer at an early stage has to deal with numerous factors.

It is suggested that patients must handle changes in the career or professional front efficiently and with a lot of maturity and care.

4. Patients Suffering from Early Stage Breast Cancer Pose Higher Chances of Survival

Over the past 20 years, the number of patients suffering from breast cancer has doubled. Still, breast cancer accounts as a major reason for death in women with the survival rate being up to 66%. The main reason for this is the late detection of breast cancer.

When the size of the cancerous tumors increases its potential to spread in the other body parts also increases. This affects the chances of survival as well as treatment. If the tumor is big or has spread to other parts of the body, the survival chances are very less.

Hence, it is best to detect breast cancer at an early stage so that effective treatment can be availed.

5. Gather More Knowledge About the Same

It is vital that friends, spouses, and families must support breast cancer patients throughout their journey of cancer treatment. The patient alongside must try to gain more knowledge about the same in order to overcome all anxiety and fear related to the treatment process and recovery. 

The best way is that patients must contact directly their health experts and oncologists to gain complete knowledge about breast cancer. 

Understanding and knowing some of these basic yet highly important things about breast cancer can help patients plan their treatment wisely. Remember, it is possible to completely eliminate the disease by gaining more knowledge about it and staying strong.