Question:

How can I communicate with my oncology team about breast cancer when I don't understand it myself?

After Diagnosis: Learning to Speak the Language of Breast Cancer

After a breast cancer diagnosis, you’ll find yourself in a new world that speaks a different language. Your oncologist will refer to new terms like: mammography report, cancer stages and symptoms, surgery options, chemotherapy, radiation, pathology results, metastasis, tumor markers, clinical trials . . . it’s information overload. How can you communicate with your oncology team about something that is so foreign to you? There is a way that you can understand all of these terms and more as they pertain to you, personally, from the comfort of your own home by using the Nexprofiler Treatment Option Tool for Breast Cancer. Whether you are newly diagnosed, or are experiencing a recurrence after previous treatment, this tool will enable you to become an active participant in your treatment decisions. When you log in the site for the first time, you will answer a questionnaire about your breast cancer diagnosis. You don’t have to know all the answers about your diagnosis. Nexprofiler will generate a report from your answers that will include questions to take to your oncology team to fill in any information you lack. Not only that, but your report will also include information about your personal treatment plan including side effects you may not be aware of as well as access to information about clinical studies. Recommended by the American Cancer Society, the Nexprofiler Treatment Option Tool for Breast Cancer is a free service, and they will never share your personal information with anyone without your permission. It’s an opportunity to weigh the pros and cons of your personal breast cancer treatment in a non-pressure situation, know the right questions to ask your oncology team, and learn to speak the language of breast cancer at your own pace.

Breast Cancer Frequently Asked Questions

What causes breast cancer?

Can I improve my chances of avoiding breast cancer?

Are there breast cancer risks I can't prevent?

How likely am I to get breast cancer?

Do women who have abortions get breast cancer?

Do antiperspirants and underwire bras cause breast cancer?

Will hormone replacement therapy give me breast cancer?

If I'm at high risk for breast cancer, should I consider radical prevention measures?

What are the treatment options for breast cancer?

Will I need surgery for breast cancer?

What can I expect if I have chemotherapy for breast cancer?

What can I expect if I receive radiation therapy for breast cancer?

Can breast cancer be cured with drugs alone?

If I'm not comfortable with available treatment options, could experimental treatments work for me?

What should I eat while being treated for breast cancer?

Will I ever look good again after breast cancer treatment?

What exactly is breast cancer?

Who can get breast cancer?

How many women die from breast cancer each year?

How can I help build awareness of breast cancer?

Where can I find the latest information on breast cancer?

How do I know if breast cancer information is reliable?

Should I take part in breast cancer research if I have breast cancer?

Can I be part of the research effort if I don't have breast cancer?

What are the most popular breast cancer research topics?

Has research made significant changes to the way breast cancer is diagnosed and treated?

What is the Breast Cancer Research Program?

What is a breast cancer gene?

How do breast cancer genes cause cancer?

How can I find out whether I carry the breast cancer gene?

Should I find out whether I carry the breast cancer gene?

If I carry the breast cancer gene, is my family also at risk?

If I carry the breast cancer gene, will I eventually get cancer?

What should I do if I find out I carry the breast cancer gene?

What different methods are available to screen for breast cancer?

What exactly happens during a mammogram?

How often should I get screened for breast cancer?

How effective are screening measures at detecting breast cancer?

How do I perform a breast self-exam?

What are the symptoms of breast cancer?

Will I need a biopsy?

Is breast cancer deadly?

What can I do to improve my odds of surviving breast cancer?

If my breast cancer is cured, will it come back?

How can breast cancer survivors help in the fight against this disease?

Who survives breast cancer?

Where can I find breast cancer survivors who are willing to talk to me?

If I survive breast cancer, will I have to live my life differently?

What are the best Web sites to check for breast cancer information?

If breast cancer information is posted on a Web site, it's reliable, right?

How do I know if breast cancer information I read online can be trusted?

Are there breast cancer Web site scams I should be aware of?

Where's a good starting point for finding breast cancer information on the Web?

Should I use information I read online to make decisions about my own breast cancer screening or treatment?

How do doctors make a diagnosis of breast cancer?

What is breast cancer staging?

What is stage I breast cancer?

What is stage II breast cancer?

What is stage III breast cancer?

What is stage IV breast cancer?

What is inflammatory breast cancer?

What is Paget's disease of the nipple?

Should I ask about the prognosis for my stage of cancer?

Where in the breast does cancer begin?

Is all breast cancer the same?

What is breast cancer metastasis?

How does breast cancer spread?

Where else in the body can breast cancer spread?

What is a breast pathology report?

What is the difference between early and advanced breast cancer?

Is it impossible to totally prevent breast cancer?

Can I prevent breast cancer from coming back if I've already had it?

Will I improve my chances against breast cancer if I eat more soy?

Do omega-3 fatty acides prevent breast cancer?

Can I keep breast cancer from affecting my children?

Are there medications I can take to prevent breast cancer?

Would getting a mastectomy prevent me from getting breast cancer?

Is it really possible for a man to get breast cancer?

How common is breast cancer in men?

How is men's breast cancer different than women's?

What men are at risk for getting breast cancer?

What are the symptoms of breast cancer in men?

What are a man's breast cancer treatment options?

Is men's breast cancer more serious than women's?

Where can a man with breast cancer find support from other men who've been afflicted with this disease?

How can I donate to the breast cancer cause?

What will my donation be used for?

Besides donating directly to a breast cancer organization, how can I help?

How can I get involved with breast cancer fundraising events?

How can I make sure the breast cancer organization I'm donating to is reputable?

Can I make a non-cash donation to a breast cancer organization?

Is there any way to involve my workplace in making breast cancer donations?

What is breast cancer reconstruction?

Can I have breast reconstruction surgery at the same time as I have the mastectomy?

Will my breasts look like they did before if I had a mastectomy?

Will having breast reconstruction surgery increase my chances of recurrent breast cancer?

Are there disadvantages of breast reconstruction?

Who will be performing my reconstruction surgery?

Will my insurance company cover the cost of breast reconstruction surgery?

Are there non-surgical alternatives to breast reconstruction?

Who is at risk for breast cancer?

Is There A Gene For Breast Cancer?

If I am not comfortable with available treatment options, could experimental treatments work for me?

Who has survived breast cancer?

What are the best websites to check for breast cancer information?

Is all breast cancers the same?

How is breast cancer in men different than breast cancer in women?

What are the treatment options for male breast cancer?

Is male breast cancer more serious than female breast cancer?

Where can a man with breast cancer find support from other men who have been afflicted with this disease?

How can I make sure the breast cancer organization I am donating to is reputable?

What is breast reconstruction?

How can I communicate with my oncology team about breast cancer when I don't understand it myself?

Will I get breast cancer if I have a BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene mutation?

What is the difference between absolute and relative breast cancer risk factors when determining personal statistics?

Should I change my diet to reduce my risk factors for breast cancer?

Will eating cancer-fighting foods prevent me from getting breast cancer?

What is the difference between fine needle breast biopsy and a core needle breast biopsy?

If I’m sent for a breast biopsy, what are the chances I have cancer?

Will I look the same after breast cancer treatment is over?

Will my life ever get back to normal after breast cancer treatment?

How can I communicate with my oncology team about breast cancer when I don't understand it myself?

Will I get breast cancer if I have a BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene mutation?

How do I determine my family history risk factor for breast cancer?

Will eating cancer-fighting foods prevent me from getting breast cancer?

If I’m sent for a breast biopsy, what are the chances I have cancer?

Will I look the same after breast cancer treatment is over?

Will my life ever get back to normal after breast cancer treatment?





Not finding the advice and tips you need on this Breast Cancer Tip Site? Request a Tip Now!


Guru Spotlight
Sherril Steele-Carlin