With breast cancer, education is empowerment According to the American Cancer Society, there are now about 2.5 million breast cancer survivors living in the United States. A diagnosis of breast cancer brings with it many questions, and requires sudden decision making about surgery and treatment. With this comes the need to learn an overwhelming amount of new information at a rapid rate, and to become familiar with new concepts and strange medical jargon.

You may currently be experiencing strong emotions such as anxiety, fear, sorrow or anger. It can be difficult to think clearly while experiencing such strong emotions, but dealing with a breast cancer diagnosis requires that you be at your most focused, because with breast cancer, education is empowerment.

When breast cancer is detected at an early stage of development, a number of effective treatment options are available. A woman and her physician will choose the treatment that is right for her, based on the location and extent of the cancer, her age and preferences, and the risks and benefits of each treatment. The basic treatment choices for breast cancer are surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, and hormonal therapy, not necessarily in that order. Local treatments such as breast surgery and radiation therapy are focused on the breast itself to remove or destroy the cancer cells confined to the breast. Systemic treatments such as chemotherapy and hormonal therapy aim to destroy the cancer cells that may have spread throughout the body.

Though fighting breast cancer may be one of the toughest life challenges you may encounter, it is important to understand that you do not have to face it alone. National Breast Cancer Awareness Month (NBCAM) has developed this Web site with many resources for you and your loved ones that will enable you to take an active role in your own treatment, including informational brochures and flyers and links to videos and other important resources. We invite you to explore this site and to bookmark this page and visit often for the latest updates.

Resource:
If You've Just Been Diagnosed (CancerCare Fact Sheet)