Breast Cancer:Choosing Treatment
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What You Need to Know
- Breast Cancer News
- My Breast Cancer Diary in Pictures
- How to Choose Your Breast Cancer Treatment
- Finding Good Breast Cancer Doctors
- Building Your Breast Cancer Treatment Team
- Why Consider a Second Opinion?
- I Got a Second Opinion on My Mastectomy
- How to Find a Support Group
- Being Triple-Negative Made My Cancer Hard to Treat
- Fertility Concerns for Young Women on Chemo
- What Is a Clinical Trial?
- Are Clinical Trials Right for You?
- My Clinical Drug Trial Had Its Ups and Downs
- Getting Into a Clinical Trial
- Expert Tips for Choosing Your Treatment
- 6 Websites for Weighing Treatment Options
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Dr. Deborah L. Toppmeyer's Low-Stress Guide to Choosing Breast Cancer Treatment
Dr. Deborah L. Toppmeyer
Director of the New Jersey Comprehensive Breast Care Center
Q: How much time do I have to decide about treatment?
A: Waiting a couple of weeks after your diagnosis to decide what kind of surgery to have (and whether you want reconstruction, if that's an option) won't make a difference for the cancer's growth. It may be as much as six weeks after that before you're able to schedule the surgery. The key thing is not rush into any sort of treatment decision. Read More
A: Waiting a couple of weeks after your diagnosis to decide what kind of surgery to have (and whether you want reconstruction, if that's an option) won't make a difference for the cancer's growth. It may be as much as six weeks after that before you're able to schedule the surgery. The key thing is not rush into any sort of treatment decision. Read More
Slideshow: My Breast Cancer Diary in Pictures
How I lost my breast, got a haircut, and won a big prize
Four months of chemo made my hair fall out, and one of the drugs made me temporarily lose feeling in my extremities. Sleeping was the best way to get through the day. Here I am with my boyfriend’s dog, Peso... Read More
6 Factors to Consider When Choosing Your Breast Cancer Treatment
It's partly about your cancer, partly about you
Your options for treating breast cancer generally include some combination of surgery, medication (chemotherapy, hormone therapy, Herceptin), and radiation—or sometimes just surgery alone... Read More
When a Second Opinion Helps: One Woman's Mastectomy Decision
Twilah Richardson consulted several doctors on her surgery and follow-up treatment
The first time, Twilah was advised by a general surgeon to get a bilateral mastectomy, and she wanted to be quite sure there was no other option. "I wasn't prepared mentally to deal with a bilateral mastectomy." ... Read More
Finding Good Breast Cancer Doctors
Take it from a nurse of 15 years: "What other staff say about doctors is pretty important," says Georgette Williams, 44, of Elysburg, Pa., who was herself diagnosed with stage IIB breast cancer in September 2007. When choosing your breast cancer doctors, ask people you know and trust. Read More
How Important Is the Size of the Hospital Providing My Breast Cancer Treatment?
Bigger is often better when it comes to selecting a hospital for your breast cancer treatment, but that's not always the case. Read More
Video: Perspectives on Choosing Treatment
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Breast Cancer TeamI had to look around, but it was worth it
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Double MastectomyI didn't want to worry all the time
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Her Anxious Lumpectomy SagaAfter 3, she chose mastectomy
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More Treatment OptionsYou have more say, medically and beyond
( 1:31 )
