If you or someone you love has been diagnosed with breast cancer, you're probably confused, afraid, shocked, or even angry. Or you may be all of the above. Let this book become your trusted manual. Discover more about the cancer, explore treatment options, find ways to make this part of your life easier. Let shared experiences serve as your knowledgeable guide and anchor to help you make wise and confident choices. Think of breast cancer as a journey and this book as your roadmap. Have you already been diagnosed? In that case, this book can help you explore these important truths: Breast cancer is not a death sentence. Most women diagnosed with early stage breast cancer can look forward to enjoying a healthy, full life. Not only are you unique as a person, but so, too, is your particular form of cancer, your treatment options, and your prognosis. Every day more is discovered about how to prevent, detect earlier, and more effectively treat breast cancer. You are not alone. More than two million women in the United States today are breast cancer survivors. Thousands of groups and programs across the country offer support, and chances are, one is close to your neighborhood. All the information in this book is based on the most recent research findings, the clinical expertise of oncologists, and the invaluable experiences of the women who have walked this road before. Breast Cancer For Dummies covers all of the following topics and more in simple, easy-to-understand terms: Coming to grips with breast cancer Decoding your pathology report Finding the right treatment for you Rekindling intimacy after treatment Health Insurance and money woes Talking to children about breast cancer This book can help you feel like you have a sister who's a doctor, a sister who tells you what to expect every step of the way, who gives you the best advice she can, and guides you along the way. (Of course, there is absolutely no replacement for advice about you from your own doctor.) You'll feel empowered to know and understand what's going on in your body, so that you can become a part of your own treatment team and make decisions along with your doctors and your family.

Your trusted, no-nonsense guide to detecting and managing breast cancer From the breast health experts at the American Breast Cancer Foundation comes a sensitive and authoritative guide to the most common cancer in women: breast cancer. Covering everything from prevention to dealing with a diagnosis to coping with life after cancer, it serves as a trusted resource for anyone whose life has been touched by this dreaded disease. Advancements in breast cancer prevention, detection, and treatment are being made every day, but it can be overwhelming and confusing knowing where to turn and who to trust. Detecting & Living with Breast Cancer For Dummies distills the information into one easy-to-follow guide, giving you quick, expert advice on everything you'll face as you manage your breast health. From getting to know your treatment options to talking to loved ones about breast cancer—and everything in between—it does the legwork for you so you can take a deep breath and focus on your health. Perform regular self-exams the right way Cope with the many decisions that need to be made if you're diagnosed Ask the right questions about surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, and breast reconstruction Decipher complicated pathology reports with confidence Whether you're at risk for breast cancer or have been diagnosed and want to know your options, Detecting & Living with Breast Cancer For Dummies empowers you to take your health into your own hands.

"Providing comprehensive, current, and reliable information on breast cancer, this book, written by an experienced oncologist, a surgeon, and a breast cancer survivor, informs and inspires readers, wherever they are in the breast cancer experience. Patient stories, essays from medical specialists, and illustrations add clarity and insight"--

A cancer cell is defined as a typical, healthy cell that has undergone genetic modification to the point that it can survive in an anaerobic environment (an environment where there is no oxygen). In other words, if you deprive a group of cells of vital oxygen (their principal source of energy), some will end up dying, but others will change their genetic software package and morph in an extremely crafty way: the cells will be able to live without oxygen and derive several of their energy requirements from cellular metabolic waste. Only 5 to 10% of all breast cancers are caused by a hereditary predisposition, while over 70% of all gene alterations are generated by environmental causes. Learn more about breast cancer, its prevention and treatment in this guide.

Having breast cancer can be devastating for the woman affected - and for her family and loved ones. It can also be confusing, because there are many variations of the disease and at least as many treatments. By bringing together comprehensive information on the subject, Breast Cancer Basics and Beyond helps women better understand their illness and participate in making decisions about all aspects of their treatment and care. In this book, award-winning medical writer Delthia Ricks tells you all about: common and rare types of breast cancer, their causes and symptoms, diagnosis, including mammography and different kinds of biopsies, treatment options, including lumpectomy, mastectomy, chemotherapy, radiation and hormone therapy, benefits and side effects of the most commonly used drugs, your risk factors, including ethnicity, genetics, hormones and diet, life after cancer, follow-up care and dealing with recurrence, reasons for hope: breast cancer research and treatments in development.

A definitive and approachable guide to life during, and after, breast cancer The biggest risk factor for breast cancer is simply being a woman. Madhulika Sikka's A Breast Cancer Alphabet offers a new way to live with and plan past the hardest diagnosis that most women will ever receive: a personal, practical, and deeply informative look at the road from diagnosis to treatment and beyond. What Madhulika Sikka didn't foresee when initially diagnosed, and what this book brings to life so vividly, are the unexpected and minute challenges that make navigating the world of breast cancer all the trickier. A Breast Cancer Alphabet is an inspired reaction to what started as a personal predicament. This A-Z guide to living with breast cancer goes where so many fear to tread: sex (S is for Sex - really?), sentimentality (J is for Journey - it's a cliché we need to dispense with), hair (H is for Hair - yes, you can make a federal case of it) and work (Q is for Quitting - there'll be days when you feel like it). She draws an easy-to-follow, and quite memorable, map of her travels from breast cancer neophyte to seasoned veteran. As a prominent news executive, Madhulika had access to the most cutting edge data on the disease's reach and impact. At the same time, she craved the community of frank talk and personal insight that we rely on in life's toughest moments. This wonderfully inventive book navigates the world of science and story, bringing readers into Madhulika's mind and experience in a way that demystifies breast cancer and offers new hope for those living with it.

Each volume in the Early Detection and Treatment of Cancer Series is packed with practical, authoritative information designed to cover the full range of diagnostic procedures, including pathologic, radiologic, bronchoscopic, and surgical aspects. You’ll be able to determine the safest, shortest, least invasive way to reach an accurate diagnosis; stage the disease; and choose the best initial treatment for early stages. Based on current evidence in the literature, authors provide clinical, hands-on tools to help you make informed decisions on precisely what tests and imaging studies are needed to diagnose and stage each type of cancer. Practical, authoritative, and highly-illustrated, this volume in the brand new Early Detection and Treatment of Cancer series covers current protocols and the latest advances in diagnostic imaging and molecular and serologic markers for breast cancer. Apply expert advice on the best “next-step plan for different presentations and tips for less invasive protocols. Get clinical, hands-on tools to help you make informed decisions on precisely what tests and imaging studies are needed for accurate diagnosis and staging. Clear figures, tables, and boxes illustrate step-by-step care of the full range of problems encountered. The small size and convenient format make this an ideal purchase for diagnostic reference. Outlines the steps after diagnosis to guide you through formulating a treatment or patient care plan. Emphasizes important points—such as the promising new breast cancer vaccine, sentinel node biopsy, and hormone receptor tests—with “key points boxes at the beginning of each chapter and pedagogic features throughout. Summarizes the process of accurately diagnosing and staging cancer in a logical, almost algorithmic, approach for easy reference. Discusses the treatment of early-stage disease so you have clear options for care. Complements the procedures outlined in the text with full-color photographs and line drawings to reinforce your understanding of the material.