Ads
related to: after the shock breast cancerRead About Metastatic Breast Cancer And An Rx Treatment Option. Visit Website For Info On A Metastatic Breast Cancer Rx Treatment Option.
View A Therapy For Metastatic Breast Cancer. Visit Official Patient Site. Visit Patient Site To Learn More.
Search results
- You may have expected to feel “normal” at this point, but it’s not happening. Not physically and not emotionally. Because the initial focus is on treatment, the aftereffects can come as quite a shock. You may worry about living up to your own expectations and the expectations of others.
www.healthline.com › health › breast-cancer
People also ask
What happens if you're in active treatment for breast cancer?
Does breast cancer come back?
Is post-treatment life a 'right' way to feel about breast cancer?
Feb 13, 2024 · A recurrence is when cancer comes back after a period of remission, whether that’s 6 months or 6 years later – sometimes it’s even longer. It happens when, despite efforts to clear your body of cancer, some cancer cells remained.
For nearly a decade, Beyond The Shock has helped millions of people around the world. It started out as a safe and reliable place to learn about breast cancer, ask questions and get answers, and hear real stories from survivors.
Aug 9, 2023 · Recommended medical care after breast cancer treatment. The table below shows recommended follow-up care with your oncology team after breast cancer treatment. During follow-up visits, your health care provider will ask you about any symptoms or concerns you may have.
Mar 26, 2023 · Accept your feelings. When you first get your diagnosis, you might feel a mix of shock and worry to anger and sadness. You may just feel numb. Just remember that there’s no “right” way to...
- Overview
- Lasting physical effects of treatment
- Lasting emotional and mental effects
- Fear of recurrence
- Maintaining a support network
- Achieving realistic positivity
- The bottom line
One day you’re in active treatment for breast cancer, and the next you’re not. You might feel an immediate sense of relief and gratitude that you’re still here and the worst may be over.
At the same time, side effects from treatment are still with you. Healing takes time. And because there’s a risk of recurrence, medical appointments still populate your calendar. You may have expected to feel “normal” at this point, but it’s not happening. Not physically and not emotionally.
Because the initial focus is on treatment, the aftereffects can come as quite a shock. You may worry about living up to your own expectations and the expectations of others. If you’re stuck in a foggy gray zone after completing treatment for breast cancer, you’re far from alone.
While everyone’s experiences are different, this article will cover some common challenges of life after breast cancer.
Depending on factors such as the type of breast cancer and stage, your treatment may have involved:
•one or more surgeries
•chemotherapy
•radiation therapy
•hormone or targeted therapies
Each of these comes with its own set of potential short- and long-term side effects.
A 2018 review of 60 studies suggests that when compared with women who have never had cancer, breast cancer survivors have an increased risk of:
•anxiety
•depression
•suicide
•neurocognitive dysfunction
•sexual dysfunction
Anyone who has had breast cancer has some risk of recurrence. A person’s level of risk depends on factors such as the specific type of breast cancer, stage at diagnosis, and type of treatment.
After treatment, your doctor will set up a screening schedule and educate you on symptoms of recurrence. Depending on where the cancer recurs, these symptoms may include:
•weight loss
•bone pain
•new lumps or swelling
It’s important to be aware, follow the screening schedule, and report new symptoms. But for some people, thoughts of recurrence can become overwhelming.
For some people, connecting with others is different after breast cancer.
Cathy Angel was diagnosed in 2015. She told Healthline that unless someone has experienced it, they don’t understand.
“Even some cancer patients and survivors have different experiences and need different types of support. I had to give grace to those who didn’t know what to say, or how to help,” she says.
“Losing my hair and breasts was so hard, and some make light of it with comments like, ‘At least you get new boobs’ or ‘At least you don’t have to fix your hair. You can wear a wig or scarf.’
“You have to accept that people may not say the right things, so that’s where grace comes in,” says Angel.
Whether it’s a breast cancer support group or just connecting with friends and family, Angel believes you should surround yourself with the people who bring you the most peace.
Breast cancer is highly treatable in its early stages. For people with advanced breast cancer, treatment goes on indefinitely. And no matter how many pretty pink bows you put on it, this disease takes at least 42,500 U.S. lives each year.
In addition to physical and mental long-term effects, survivors may be left with significant financial pressures from lost income and medical bills.
That’s a lot to process.
As you grapple with these issues, maybe you’ve been told to be “grateful” that it was breast cancer rather than a “worse” cancer. Or maybe you’ve been assured that a positive attitude is all you need to “beat it.”
Good intentions, perhaps, but statements like these can feel dismissive. They’re best taken with a grain of salt.
You had cancer, but you’re so much more than that. And ready or not, life’s other challenges keep coming. That means you still get to feel — and express — the full spectrum of human emotions.
While some challenges are almost universal, your post-treatment experience is unique to you and your individual circumstances.
Treatment itself can be demanding. Post-treatment life can be demanding in an entirely different way. There’s no “right” way to feel about it.
If you do have long-term side effects or trouble acclimating to life after breast cancer, know that it’s not your fault. It’s not at all uncommon, and you don’t have to deal with it alone.
Your healthcare team can help with the lingering physical and mental effects of breast cancer treatment.
- Ann Pietrangelo
Feb 10, 2024 · After skin cancer, breast cancer is the most common cancer diagnosed in women in the United States. But breast cancer doesn't just happen in women. Everyone is born with some breast tissue, so anyone can get breast cancer.
Jan 29, 2020 · Step-by-Step: What to Expect After a Breast Cancer Diagnosis. Receiving unexpected news about the possibility of cancer can be very scary. Fortunately, doctors find most cases of breast cancer before symptoms appear.
Ads
related to: after the shock breast cancerRead About Metastatic Breast Cancer And An Rx Treatment Option. Visit Website For Info On A Metastatic Breast Cancer Rx Treatment Option.
View A Therapy For Metastatic Breast Cancer. Visit Official Patient Site. Visit Patient Site To Learn More.
