Breast Diseases Diagnosis & Treatment

Breast cancer is cancer that forms in the cells of the breasts.After skin cancer, breast cancer is the most common cancer diagnosed in women. Breast cancer can occur in both men and women, but it’s far more common in women. Substantial support for breast cancer awareness and research funding has helped created advances in the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer. Breast cancer survival rates have increased, and the number of deaths associated with this disease is steadily declining, largely due to factors such as earlier detection, a new personalized approach to treatment and a better understanding of the disease.

• A breast lump or thickening that feels different from the surrounding tissue
• Change in the size, shape or appearance of a breast
• Changes to the skin over the breast, such as dimpling
• A newly inverted nipple
• Peeling, scaling, crusting or flaking of the pigmented area of skin surrounding the nipple (areola) or breast skin

Typically, if you have early-stage breast cancer, you’ll undergo chemotherapy treatments for three to six months, but your doctor will adjust the timing to your circumstances. If you have advanced breast cancer, treatment may continue beyond six months.

• Fatigue
• Headaches
• Pain and numbness (peripheral neuropathy)
• Dental issues
• Lymphedema
• Musculoskeletal symptoms

If you have a lumpectomy, you will usually be able to go home within a day or two, and full recovery can take up to a week or two. If you have a mastectomy, your hospital stay may be longer.