Breast Cancer Treatment

Question: How do I help my sister get through her breast cancer treatment ? My sister was recently told she has breast cancer. I am her big brother and not sure how to help get through this ordeal. I am so afraid of losing her. But I want to be supportive and not bring her down. What can I do?

Answer: just be there for her. if she needs something or needs to talk be there . in the meantime you are gonna need someone to talk to you yourself so you can be a good support for your sister............................good luck! e mail me if you want. I had a 3 yr old with cancer terrinjohn89@adelphia.net

Question: What is the total cost of breast cancer treatment? Can you give me an estimate of the total cost of breast cancer treatment? I would like to know the cost in order for me to see whether I can afford one The treatment is for my love who possibly has breast cancer :( but I want to know the total cost to pay it

Answer: The answer varies tremendously based on: 1) What country the treatment is performed in 2) Stage of cancer 3) What type of surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, and follow-on medications are used An early stage cancer, not requiring expensive imported drugs, that is treated in China or India might cost US$10,000 to $20,000. However, 2nd or 3rd stage cancer treated in the USA could easily cost US$200,000 to $300,000. Treatment in America is ridiculously expensive, but their outcomes are no better and sometimes worse than in other countries. Cancer is an open-ended illness. A patient's cancer may be successfully treated today, but it could return in another year, so plans must be made to pay for possible future treatment.

Question: Does taking tamoxifen for breast cancer treatment induce cancer of the uterus ? What are the side effects of Tamoxifen ? What body organs are affected with cancer after having breast cancer before it reaches your uterus ?

Answer: Why it decreases the incidence of breast cancer reoccurrence it increases your chances of developing uterine cancer. You need to have pelvic ultrasounds done and if there is any thickening of your uterus you will need to have an endometrial biopsy done. If you have any vaginal bleeding you must inform your oncologist so they can arrange a biopsy.. I had breast cancer and have pasted the 5 year mark with the tamoxifen and am now on femera. Along the way I have had 3 biopsy's done, all were negative.

Question: Can you refuse breast cancer treatment? I'm an author and I'm going to write a book about a woman who discovers herself and blah blah blah. The point is, she has breast cancer but she's going to refuse treatment. I was wondering if, in America, you can do that? And what would be excepted? Would you be able to do things or would you be bedridden?

Answer: You can refuse treatment pretty much everywhere. The exceptions might be the mentally ill or retarded. It is likely that her doctors would recommend counselling with a psychiatrist. The other responder had it about right, rot and stink. But before that she would be able to live normally for a time. Some cancers will spread to other organs before they do a skin break through. Bones are a common one with breast cancer - spine, hips and ribs are the most usual and crippling fractures may result - then the person would be disabled.

Question: How can someone visiting US get funds for breast cancer treatment? Hi, My mother is visitng USA and noticed a lump in one breast. She does not have any insurance. I am looking for any financial, funding or insurance related help that I can get to pursue her diagnosis here. Kindly post your suggestions to my question and I will greatly appriciate it.

Answer: First of all a prayer to your mom and her family. A very informative website,http://www.breastcancer.org/, and also try Avon (yes the perfume and makeup gurus). They may have a grant that she qualifies for. There are many out there if you are willing to do the work in looking for them.

Question: How much do you think breast cancer treatment would cost if we found the cure? I don't have it i'm too young, but i'm really curious.

Answer: This is like asking how much a house will cost when you’re old enough to buy one. There is no way of knowing. However, I’m sure whatever the cost, it will be out of reach for most people. There is a vaccine that is getting ready to go to market for prostate cancer the cost is between $70,000-$80,000.

Question: I need info on paying for breast cancer treatment? My aunt was recently diagnosed with breast cancer she is 62 yrs old. My aunt and uncle retired last year (my uncle is 64) and don't have health insurance, and don't know how they are going to pay for the chemo and radiation treatments. I'm doing research trying to find a way to help them out. So any info you can give me will help me. Thank You

Answer: Talk to the financial dept. at the hospital they are going to use to do the treatments at. A lot of hospitals have a cushion built in for cases like your aunt's. I know. I had to go thru chemo a few months ago for ovarian cancer, and the hospital I chose wrote every treatment off 100% because we had no insurance or money to pay for it. Chemo is very expensive. They will need to provide financial information, but they should qualify. The last thing they need to be worried about now is how they're going to pay for it. Your aunt's health is more important than any amount of money in the world. God speed to them!

Question: Any breast cancer treatment options for the uninsured? Begining Medicaid application for insurance, unemployed currently. Recently found lump in underarm one week ago. I think insurance application will take min 3mo to process. Is my only choice to wait without treatment? I don't know who to talk to or where to go. I'm in western NY Erie County.

Answer: Find a Doctor you want to go to and talk to the people there. They will point you in the right direction.

Question: What is the cost of breast cancer treatment in the United States? I am specifically looking for current per patient data.

Answer: From http://www.businessgrouphealth.org/healthtopics/breast_cancer.cfm * Breast cancer treatment costs nearly $7 billion a year in the United States. * Almost $2 billion is spent on late-stage breast cancer treatment. When the cancer is found in the early stage, treatment is much less costly. Also http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/119414384/abstract?CRETRY=1&SRETRY=0 But if you want per patient information, that depends entirely on the stage and the treatment. Some women with very early stage disease require only lumpectomy with no radiation or chemotherapy. But for advanced disease, we can spend an absolute fortune fighting a breast cancer in one person with all of the new treatments available. Some patients have even gone for bone marrow transplantation to allow for more aggressive chemotherapy. It will also vary in different parts of the country - since you are asking about the USA. It could vary from $10,000 to $500,000 or more. If you just want a very rough guess - take $7 billion and divide by the expected cases of breast cancer in 2009 which is 194,280 by ACS data. That comes to $36,000 per person with a breast cancer diagnosis. About half of these 194,280 are early stage disease.

Question: Does anyone know what treatment Suzanne Summers rec'd for the breast cancer she had? Suzanne Summers had breast cancer and according to all reports, she is cancer-free now. (She was diagnosed in 2001). I would like to know what alternative cancer treatment she received? My sister has breast cancer and we are looking at alternative treatments. Thanks!

Answer: I agree with quijjibored; most people who make claims for miraculous cancer 'cures' have also had conventional treatment but claim - and believe - that it was an alternative treatment they also took that did the trick. This is apparently the case with Suzanne Summers. Please bear in mind that the word 'alternative' in this context means 'unproven'. If a medicine has been tested and proven to work, it is no longer 'alternative medicine' it is just 'medicine'. Wherever there's cancer there are people eager to part desperate people from their cash in exchange for ineffective and sometimes dangerous treatments. If you are tempted by any particular 'alternative', please do a search on http://www.quackwatch.org for some facts before investing money, hope and (most dangerous of all) time in something that will not work and will delay effective treatment. There is no way that Suzanne Summers or any other breast cancer patient can know that they are 'cancer-free' - breast cancer can recur at any time, even years after diagnosis and treatment. Conventional treatment isn't perfect, far from it, but we know - because it has been rigourously tested and proven in double-blind, peer-reviewed clinical trials - that it saves many lives and prolongs many more. No 'alternative' treatment has been tested and proven in this way. I sympathise with your wish to pursue less traumatic alternatives; when I was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2003 I was something of an alternatives enthusiast. Nobody was going to give ME chemotherapy! I researched thoroughly and in the space of a month had changed my mind, realising that alternative treatments were not only ineffective but a multi-million pound industry out to take my money. Summers apparently decided against chemo; I know people who have done this and in every case their cancer was low grade and early stage - having looked into it they decided the benefits of chemo in their particular cases were not worth it. This is the sort of information you do not have about Summers' cancer - its stage and grade, how many lymph nodes affected - factors she will have taken into consideration before declining chemo and that her doctors will have taken into consideration before deciding how strongly to recommend chemo. I had stage 3 grade 3 breast cancer, with 13 lymph nodes involved (that's aggressive, late stage and likely to spread). I had surgery, chemo , radiotherapy and hormone therapy. Over four years after diagnosis I am fit and well, with no sign of cancer at my most recent routine check-up. My best wishes to your sister for her treatment

Question: My friend is going into hospital next week for breast cancer treatment. What can I do to help.? I'd really like to make up a wee goody bag to give her to take in to hospital. If anyone has been through this or just has any good ideas - what kind of things could I put in it?

Answer: When a close friend is diagnosed with cancer, you may be confused, scared, sad, angry, or everything in between. It is normal to feel unsure about how to behave around your friend, but these tips will help you overcome your uncertainty and feel more comfortable as you help your friend deal with his or her illness. Step1 Let your relationship be your guide. You know what kind of relationship you have with your friend, and what he or she responds to. Step2 Accept whatever emotions your friend may display. He or she may be angry, sad, scared, and anything in between. Don't take it personally: he or she is not angry at you, just at the situation. Make sure your friend understands that you don't blame him/her for those emotions, and that you understand that they are not directed at you personally. Step3 Unless you personally have had cancer, it may be best to avoid saying "I know what you're going through". Instead, say "I can only imagine how you feel". Step4 Don't underestimate the value of the small things. Just knowing that you are there to lend an ear or a shoulder to cry on can mean all the difference. Don't think that you're not doing enough just by being there. Step5 Don't force your friend to talk about it, but make sure he or she knows that you're available if they do want to talk. Don't shut yourself out for fear of saying the wrong thing or not knowing what to say. Sometimes all it takes is a person to listen. Step6 Don't avoid the elephant in the room, but don't make it the central focus of every conversation. A simple "how are you feeling today?" or "is there anything I can do for you?" can let your friend know that you care and acknowledge his or her illness. Some people feel awkward bringing it up, but unless your friend has adamantly stated that they don't want to talk about it, a simple gesture can make sure your friend doesn't feel like you're avoiding the situation. Step7 Stay in touch as often as is reasonable and possible. Even if you don't talk about your friend's illness, staying in touch will make sure that your friend doesn't feel like you're avoiding him or her because of the illness. Step8 Try to keep things as normal as possible. If your friend is healthy enough and is willing to do so, go out and do the things that you did before. Step9 If the clinic allows it, offer to go along with your friend to his or her chemotherapy session. Chemotherapy can be scary, and having a hand to hold can be helpful. Step10 While you should stay in touch and try to help, don't overstep your boundaries. Try to be careful not to overshadow a spouse or other close relative. This is where letting your relationship with your friend guide you is helpful. Step11 Be open with your emotions and take care of yourself, too. If you're scared or mad, talk about it with someone. Step12 If you know someone else who has gone through cancer, consider inviting him/her to meet your friend to talk about their experience.

Question: How good is the Manipal Hospital in Bangalore for breast cancer treatment? Is a 2nd opinion on diagnosis reqd?

Answer: No doubt Manipal Hospital is good for any treatment including Cancer treatment, but most of the eminant consultants visit to this hospital from other places. I would suggest you to go to the experts at Bangalore institute of Oncology - at- Bangalore Institute Of Oncology Cancer Institute - #44-45/2, 2nd Cross,Off Lalbagh Double Road, Rajaram Mohan Roy Road Extension, Bangalore - 080 22225644 Specialist oncologist - Dr. B.S Srinath MS, FRCS (EDIN), FRCS (GLAS) Director & Consultant Surgical Oncologist Dr. Shanjeev Sharma MBBS , MD Director & Consultant Radiation Oncologist Dr. Shekhar Patil MD, DM Director & Consultant Medical Oncologist Or else you may even go to Kidwai Cancer hospital but you will have a feeling of Government and Cancer Hospital. I once again suggest you to go to Bangalore institute of Oncology-

Question: Which is the best hospital in India for breast cancer treatment?

Answer: In Chennai, APOLLO HOSPITAL' MALAR HOSPITAL ADYAR CANCER INSTITUTE.

Question: what is the overall cost of breast cancer treatment in india? please if u can give details separately. thanks

Answer: All the information related to cancer available on http://www.cancerssociety.org

Question: Is there anyone else here going through treatment for breast cancer? I am going through treatment for inflammatory breast cancer since 2004. I'm doing well, have had a few set backs, but all in all, it's good. I have gone through 2 separate times of radiation, 3 separate times of chemo and a bilateral mastectomy. Let me know how you are doing and what you have been going through.

Answer: Please read the details on the page below. I am sure you will find some information useful to you.

Question: Breast cancer treatment what was your experience in waiting time for diagnositic test & treatment? I have been through the fight this yr. Just courious about others experience in their area.

Answer: I went for my mammogram and the nurse came back in and showed me the spot. Took more pictures and did a ultra sound. A week later the needle biopsy. I waited 3 days for the result and it was cancer. A week later consult with the surgeon another 3 days the 2nd consult (he wanted to make sure I had time to digest what he told me). Partial mastectomy a week later. Now I am done with chemo (6 month later) and will start radiation. even though I think things moved rather quickly, every day of waiting is torture. Especially when you just been told you have cancer. These tests take time especially when they figure out what kind of cancer it is and the hormone receptors. I was told that for instance the Her2 test takes a long time because they literally watch it grow.