Nine out of 10 women who go to their doctors with breast lumps have a benign disorder, not cancer. Normal changes associated with the menstrual cycle can make breasts feel lumpy.
The belief is that changing levels of female hormones during pregnancy could encourage the recurrence of breast cancer. However, there is no data to show that this is so. Some doctors will advise you to wait one or two years after completion of treatment before attempting to conceive. Nevertheless, do discuss with your doctor before planning to conceive.
Some women do better cosmetically with a mastectomy than with the removal of just the lump, since breast reconstruction is now available using tissue expanders or skin flaps. Your surgeon will be able to advise if you are suitable for breast reconstruction. The Singapore Cancer Society has a Reach to Recovery Programme that provides physical, cosmetic, post-operative and psychological support. The volunteer is usually a female who has undergone a mastectomy.
Radiation exposure from modern mammogram equipment is believed to be safe.
Although your worry is understandable, you should see your family doctor as soon as possible. The great majority of breast lumps are not cancerous.
A small proportion of breast cancer is linked to factors that can be inherited from one generation to the next. Depending upon the number of close relatives affected, you may have a greater chance than a woman who does not have a family history of breast cancer. Most family doctors or hospitals will provide information on breast self-examination and mammogram screenings.
Many women who have had breast cancer live a normal lifespan. Feel free to discuss your own prognosis with your doctor.
This depends on the size, position and type of your breast cancer as well as the size of your breast.
It is uncommon for women to experience lasting damage from modern radiotherapy techniques. Most chemotherapy side-effects are short-term. Nausea and vomiting are controlled in most patients. Hair loss is still common, and you may require a temporary wig. Your periods may disappear during chemotherapy but may return when you complete chemotherapy. However, for women in their late 30s and 40s, menopause may occur early, perhaps increasing the risk of osteoporosis and heart disease. If a fever occurs while you are on chemotherapy, see your doctor immediately in case antibiotics are needed.
Normal female hormones like oestrogen may promote growth of normal healthy breast tissue, but may also accelerate the growth and recurrence of certain breast cancers. Drugs that slow breast cancer growth by interfering with normal female hormone action are generically called hormone therapy. Some breast cancers need the hormone, oestrogen, to grow. Hormone therapy can prevent your body’s natural hormones from activating growth or spread of cancer cells.
The most common drug used for hormone therapy for breast cancer is the oral tablet, tamoxifen, which stops the action of oestrogen.
You may experience any of the following common side effects:
When used to treat early breast cancer, tamoxifen is most often prescribed for 5 years. Patients with advanced disease may take it for varying lengths of time depending on their response to treatment.
Many breast cancers have ‘receptors’ for oestrogen and progesterone. Receptors are proteins on the surface of the cancer cells to which specific hormones (e.g. oestrogen or progesterone) attach themselves. If the cancer has oestrogen or progesterone receptors, it is likely that hormonal treatment would benefit this group of women.
There is a wide range available. The type of breast form you require will depend on your needs. It should closely simulate the weight and shape of a natural breast and your other breast. If you need advice, speak with your Breast Care Nurse.
Yes, the prosthesis can be washed. Instructions on the care of the prosthesis can be found in the box when you purchase one. You should also place the prosthesis in the box when you are not using it.
It will be helpful to stay active and to exercise regularly if you can. Light exercise, such as walking after surgery, can assist in the recovery process. The amount and type of exercise will depend on what you are used to and how well you feel. It is best to discuss your concerns with your doctor.
It is important to have regular scheduled mammograms on the opposite breast. Breast self examination should continue. Check both the remaining and the reconstructed breast at the same time each month. You will learn what is normal for you since the breast reconstruction. The reconstructed breast will feel different and the other breast may have changed too.
You can still breastfeed your baby from the unaffected breast. It is not advisable to breastfeed your baby on the breast that is affected by cancer, as it will not be able to produce adequate milk.
Yes, you can. Lumpectomy is not so extensive that it will affect your breastfeeding capacity, but radiation therapy will. The breast treated with radiation may go through the same changes as the normal one during pregnancy, but it will produce little or no milk. You can, however, breastfeed your baby with the other breast.
Yes, you can still breastfeed your baby with the other breast. Frequent nursing will be necessary at first so as to build up a good supply of milk.
Yes. A biopsy will not interfere with your ability to breastfeed. Even if you need a biopsy while you are breastfeeding, you can still continue to breast-feed. However, you will need to discuss this with your doctor.
