Breast cancer
12 articles shown
Regular Check-ups After Treatment Ends — How Do You Catch the Signs of Recurrence?
This article summarizes the frequency and meaning of regular check-ups after breast cancer treatment, and the bodily changes that may suggest recurrence or metastasis. Signs such as a lump, skin changes, lasting pain or a persistent cough can be discussed by moving up your appointment when they last more than two weeks. Most symptoms have common causes, so rather than being overly anxious, a balance of calmly checking your body once a month and keeping up your daily life is important.
What Is Triple-Negative Breast Cancer? A Step-by-Step Look at Why It Is Called a Tricky Cancer
Triple-negative breast cancer is a type in which both the hormone receptors and HER2 are negative, so hormone and HER2 targeted therapies do not work, which is why it is considered tricky. But as immunotherapy and new targeted drugs increase, the treatment options are widening — this article explains that step by step.
BRCA Genetic Testing — Should You Definitely Get It If You Have a Family History?
BRCA gene mutations raise the risk of breast and ovarian cancer but do not make the disease certain. If you have a family history such as onset at a young age, cancer in both breasts, breast and ovarian cancer together, or male breast cancer, it is good to get genetic counseling before testing. More important than the test itself are interpreting the result, the management that follows, and being mentally prepared.
Premenopausal Breast Cancer — Why Is an Ovarian Function Suppression Injection Recommended?
Hormone receptor-positive breast cancer grows by feeding on estrogen, so for premenopausal women, treatment that blocks the hormone supply with an ovarian function suppression injection is sometimes added. It is recommended especially when the risk of recurrence is high, and although it has side effects similar to menopause, they generally recover once the injections stop. Whether to undergo it is decided with the medical team, weighing both the risk level and your physical condition.
Protecting the Arm on the Operated Side — Daily Habits to Slow Down Lymphedema After Breast Cancer
After breast cancer surgery, removing the axillary lymph nodes makes lymphedema likely in the arm on that side. Avoid lifting heavy loads and overusing the arm, be careful with wounds, burns, blood draws and blood pressure measurement, avoid tight clothing and pressure while making use of a prescribed compression sleeve, keep your weight steady and moisturize the skin. If the arm suddenly swells or turns red, see a doctor right away — catching it early is the key.
When They Say Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Is Tricky, What Does It Mean?
Triple-negative breast cancer is the type where all three markers - ER, PR, and HER2 - are negative, accounting for about ten to fifteen percent of cases. The core of why it is called tricky is having few targets to aim at, like anti-hormone or HER2 therapy - it does not mean there is no treatment. Options such as immunotherapy, antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), and PARP inhibitors for BRCA mutations are widening, and the course differs by tumor characteristics and stage even under the same label.
Returning to Work After Breast Cancer Treatment: Between Heart and Reality
Going back to work is not just showing up again but returning while carrying a changed body and mind. Raise the intensity slowly to match your fatigue, ask colleagues specifically for the accommodations you need, and fill the gaps of chemo brain by reshaping your environment. Fear and worry about recurrence are not weakness but a natural response; a supportive piece urging you not to compare your pace with others and to find the path that fits who you are now.
Lymphedema After Breast Cancer Surgery: Everyday Care to Protect Your Arm
Lymphedema, which can follow removal of the underarm lymph nodes, is closer to a chronic condition you manage and live with than something that fully heals. This guide covers spotting early signs like a tight ring or heavy arm, using the arm neither too much nor too little, and preventing skin infection. Compression sleeves and lymphatic drainage should be done under professional guidance, and sudden redness or fever is treated as a sign of infection.
The Days My Hair Fell Out During Chemo: Caring for a Wig and My Scalp
A first-person account of accepting hair loss that began in the second week of chemo, and softening the blow by shaving short early. The writer rotates a human-hair wig with beanies and scarves as the situation calls for, and cares for the scalp - which turned out to need the most attention - with gentle cleansing, moisturizing, and sun protection, through to the soft regrowth after treatment ends.
HER2-Positive Breast Cancer: Who Gets Targeted Therapy, and Why?
HER2-positive breast cancer overexpresses the HER2 protein and accounts for roughly one in five cases. Targeted drugs such as trastuzumab (Herceptin), pertuzumab, and T-DM1 attack HER2 directly to improve outcomes. Eligibility is set by biopsy (IHC 3+ or FISH-positive), and some of these drugs require heart-function monitoring.
PET-CT Was Clear, but the Breast Ultrasound Found a Lump? The Two Scans Simply Look at Different Things
When a whole-body PET-CT comes back clean but a breast ultrasound spots a lump and a biopsy is recommended, it feels alarming, yet it isn't a testing error. The two scans simply look at the body in different ways. PET-CT is like a telescope sweeping broadly for whole-body spread, while breast ultrasound is more like a magnifying glass zooming in on a small lump. Recommending a biopsy despite increased blood flow or a low estimated cancer probability is a step taken to confirm and reassure, and the two results only complete the picture when read together.
Breast Reconstruction After Mastectomy: Now or Later? What to Weigh Before You Decide
For anyone wrestling with whether to have reconstruction at the same time as a mastectomy or wait until later, this walks through the differences between immediate and delayed reconstruction, how radiation factors in, implant versus your own tissue, and the option of not reconstructing at all.