Finding Out You Have Breast Cancer

The doctor told me I have breast cancer. What do I do now?

You may be in shock. You may feel angry, worried, overwhelmed, hopeless, or scared. In fact, you may not know what to do. That's okay. It's normal to be upset and confused. No one wants to hear that she has breast cancer.

Don't rush.

You may feel like your cancer must be treated right now, even if you aren't sure how. But learning more about your breast cancer first can help.

Reading this book might be helpful to you. Take a few days or weeks to talk to your doctor and learn about your treatment choices. That way, you can make sure you're making the best decisions for you and your health.

What will happen to me?

Each person's cancer is different.

Most women with breast cancer are treated and live. In fact, two million women in the United States have had breast cancer and are alive today.

You may already know family members and friends who have had breast cancer, were treated, and went on with their lives. These women are proof that there is life after breast cancer treatment for most people.

Experts are working on better ways to find and treat breast cancer all the time.

Will I lose my breast?

Most women do not lose a breast.

Doctors can often remove the breast cancer without removing the whole breast. They take out the cancerous lump and some of the breast tissue around the cancer. This is called a lumpectomy (lump-EK-tuh-me).

What if I do need my breast removed?

Some women do need their whole breast removed to get all the cancer

Removing one breast is called a mastectomy (ma-TEK-tuh-me). Removing both breasts is called a double mastectomy.

It is very upsetting to lose one or both of your breasts. You will need support and information to help you cope with your loss. Read more about mastectomy and coping after a mastectomy on pages 42–43.

Will I be in pain?

Having cancer does not mean you have to be in pain.

If you do have pain from cancer or cancer treatment, there are many ways you can feel better. You do not have to suffer through any pain you feel. Medicines and some ways of relaxing can help. Here are some suggestions:

• Talk to your doctors about any pain you feel. The more doctors know about your pain, the better job they can do to relieve it. Don't be afraid to talk about your pain.

• Ask for help with your pain. Getting relief from your pain can help you deal with your cancer. Being free of pain will help you stay strong so you can get through your cancer treatment.

• Don't feel you have to choose between getting treated for cancer and getting treated for pain. Doctors can take away your pain while also treating your cancer.

My friend had breast cancer. Will the same things happen to me?

Each woman with breast cancer is different.

What happens to one woman with breast cancer will not happen to all women with breast cancer. Here are a few reasons why:

• Breast cancer affects people in different ways. Not everyone with one type of cancer has the same experience.

• There are different kinds of breast cancer. They affect the body in varied ways.

Doctors don't treat every breast cancer the same way. They think about your breast cancer and your health. Then they make a special treatment plan for your cancer. Your doctors will make a treatment plan just for you.

My loved one had another kind of cancer. Should I expect the same things to happen to me?

Not all cancers are the same.

You've probably known someone who has had cancer. Just because something happened to that person does not mean it will happen to you. There are several reasons for this:

• Some types of cancer, like breast cancer, can be treated more easily than other types.

• Some types of cancer and cancer treatments make people sicker than others.

• Some types of cancer are found when they are small and easier to treat. Others are found later, after they have been growing for a while, and are harder to treat.

• People often have other illnesses that affect how they respond to the cancer treatment.

What is breast cancer?

All living things, from plants to people, are made up of tiny cells. The healthy cells in your body grow, form new cells, and die when they're supposed to.

But cancer cells are not normal and do not follow the patterns they should. They don't die like other cells. They keep growing, making new cells, and spreading in the body. In breast cancer, these cells grow out of control and form a lump called a tumor (TOO-mer).

Here are more facts about breast cancer:

• When doctors find breast cancer before it grows into a large tumor or spreads, they can treat it more easily.

• There are different types of breast cancer. Not every breast cancer grows the same way, and doctors don't treat every breast cancer the same way.

• Breast cancer mostly grows in women, but men also can get breast cancer.

For information about different types of breast cancer, call the American Cancer Society — Toll-free: (800) ACS-2345.

Why me?

No. It's not your fault you have breast cancer.

Many women want to know why they got breast cancer. Some women think they caused their cancer. They may think they got breast cancer as a punishment for something they did or didn't do. Or they may think if they had done something differently, they wouldn't have breast cancer. You did not cause your breast cancer.

We don't know what makes most breast cancer start to grow. We do know that some things in a woman's life affect her chances of getting breast cancer. This is called her "breast cancer risk." But even if they increase a woman's chances of getting breast cancer, no one has proved that they cause breast cancer.

For more information about breast cancer risk, see pages 139–144.

If I don't feel sick, do I really have cancer?

Cancer doesn't always make you feel sick.

Some women say they can't believe they have cancer because they feel fine. It can be hard to accept that you have breast cancer when you don't feel any different. Other women may not feel quite right for a while before doctors find their breast cancer.

Cancer can grow for a long time before it spreads and causes problems or pain. That's why getting checked regularly for cancer is so important. The earlier cancer is found and treated, the better a person's chances for a long life after treatment.

How serious is my cancer?

They study the lump in your breast.

Doctors study your breast tissue sample (taken out during your biopsy) and...