Breast Cancer: What To Do If It Happens To You

Breast cancer: what to do if it happens to you

Vadim Gushchin, Director of Surgical Oncology at Mercy Medical Center in Baltimore, USA, talks about what to do for those facing breast cancer.

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Vadim Gushchin, Director of Surgical Oncology at Mercy Medical Center in Baltimore, USA, talks about what to do for those facing breast cancer.

Popular literature cites that in the United States, 9 out of 10 women with this diagnosis are cured, and the proportion of total breast removal surgeries is small and declining every year. From patients who have conquered the disease, these are practical tips on what to do if you are diagnosed with breast cancer.

1. Life has not stopped. Give up the question "Why me?" and ask yourself the question "How?" "How can illness change my usual life?" and "how can I fight her?" –The right questions.

2. Learn. You need to know the enemy by sight. You must become a specialist in this type of disease. Terms, statistics, treatment methods are your allies.

3. Find people with the same diagnosis and those who have been successfully cured. Collect and organize their feedback on doctors, places and treatments.

4. Find a partner. You need someone who is emotionally detached from your illness, among relatives or friends. Go to appointments with him, because you will not perceive most of what the doctor said because of your worries.

5. A list of questions for the attending physician - compose and take with you to each appointment. If you do not receive a satisfactory answer, see point 6.

6. Get a second opinion from an independent professional. Quotas, time, money are solvable problems. You want the best possible treatment plan, without compromise.

7. Organize all those who sympathize with you around you and shift to them a share of your household chores. Life consists of a routine that your loved ones now have to do.

8. And again - PRIORITIES. They are determined only by you and they must be specific. “I want to live” is an immeasurable concept. “I want to avoid breast removal” or “I want my hair not to fall out” are practical tasks, and medicine is coping with them.

It is not easy, but the most important thing for you to highlight is whether it is a cosmetic effect, the cost of treatment, pain relief, treatment time, what side effects you are willing to suffer. There are many treatment options, and they exist to ensure that the patient maintains not only health, but also the quality of life during the treatment process.

PS If someone in your family has been diagnosed with breast cancer, it's time to get tested.

BREAST CANCER: WHAT TO DO IF IT HAPPENED TO YOU

My publication is intended for those who have already encountered breast cancer, either personally or in a family.