Bets cancer affects thousands of individuals early. It’s the most common form of cancer among women today and is attributed to a significant number of deaths yearly. However, you can manage the condition with early diagnosis, treatment, and surgery.
Here are things to do before getting breast cancer surgery:
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1. Keep calm
Getting a positive breast cancer result can be devastating. It may feel like a crisis you would want to deal with immediately. But, staying calm goes a long way. Rushing to have the surgery performed won’t help much. The best way to deal with this is to keep calm and learn of the treatment options available.
Therefore, seek advice from your doctor, who will help determine the most suitable treatment option for your case. Again, you don’t have to be anxious; most breast cancer patients have undergone successful treatment and surgery.
2. Get different opinions
Breast cancer surgery may seem like the only way to fight breast cancer. However, there are many treatment options available, and it’s critical to engage an experienced general surgeon. The professional will discuss the steps involved during surgery and the associated side effects.
It’s also wise to get different opinions from other doctors to ensure you’re on the right path.
3. Inquire if it’s best to go for chemotherapy before surgery
It’s typical to undergo chemotherapy after surgery. However, you can reap numerous benefits by going from chemotherapy before your breast cancer surgery. Chemotherapy before a cancer surgery can help clear cancer from lymph nodes, which reduces the side effects of lymph node surgery.
Chemotherapy also helps shrink the breast tumor to minimize the extent of breast surgery and improve breast appearance. The benefits are endless, so if you have been advised to go chemotherapy, inquire from your doctor if you can have it before surgery.
4. Ask about alternative treatments like traditional breast radiation.
Patients diagnosed with early breast cancer can significantly benefit from newer treatments. These minimize the side effects of breast cancer care and maybe a suitable treatment alternative.
A little information won’t hurt; seek more details about cryoablation, a cancer treatment that freezes the cancer cells with a small needle instead of surgery.
Radiation treatments are also common. An example is targeted intraoperative radiotherapy; administered at the time of lumpectomy. It can benefit women with breast cancer less than 3 cms and no evidence of lymph node spread.
5. Avoid extensive lymph node surgery.
Recently, we have experienced major advancements in the treatment of lymph nodes in breast cancer patients. The main aim of this evolution is to lessen the complications of lymph node surgery, particularly chronic arm swelling. While lymph node surgery is still an essential part of breast cancer surgery, advances in cancer treatment have significantly reduced the extent of the procedure and its side effects.
The bottom line
Breast cancer surgery is common treatment option for most patients. If you have been referred for the surgery, engage an experienced surgeon and gather as much information as possible. Also, get a second opinion from other professionals to make an informed decision.