Breast Cancer Questions

1. How do I find an oncologists specializing in my type of breast cancer?

   Breast cancer that spreads to the stomach does sound rare. My suggestion to find a doctor who specializes in a specific type of cancer would be to go to a larger university cancer center. The oncologists there are more likely to be doing research and be more used to seeing unusual things...
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2. Is a knee replacement possible with advanced cancer?

   It certainly might be possible to have knee replacement surgery with cancer but when there is widespread cancer in many bones including the involved femur, the risk goes way up. There is also increased risk of complications like blood clots after the surgery as she will need to lie in bed much more...
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3. Is it true that there is no pain associated with breast cancer?

   The amount of pain with breast cancer depends on where the cancer is. Often if at an early stage only in the breast, there may be no pain or other symptoms. Regular mammograms are needed to find those early cancers before they grow bigger...
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4. What can symptoms can we expect during my mother-in-law's hormone therapy for breast cancer?

   It is challenging to predict future symptoms in many cancers including breast cancer. The symptoms depend on where the cancer spreads to and how rapidly it grows in different places; shortness of breath if in the lungs, swelling in the abdomen and legs if in the liver etc.
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5. What's the best way to ask for a second opinion for breast cancer?

   Getting a second (or even a third) opinion is critical to identifying the right type of care, so don't let a prickly personality stand in your way.
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6. Is there any way to help my mother, who's losing her hair, decrease the itching on her scalp?

   The first thing I'd ask her is what she's using to wash her hair. Sometimes as people lose their hair, they start using soap or body shampoo on their scalp, and that's not a good idea because it's too drying. That, combined with chemo agents — which also make the skin especially dry and flaky — coulcould...
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7. What can I do to help my mother stop crying all the time?

   This is a very common problem. Some cancer patients tear up at every little thing, or they'll start crying and be unable to stop. They can't control it, which just makes them feel more frightened and frustrated by everything that's happening to them.
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8. Can breast cancer start in another part of the body?

   The question is what is the primary site of any cancer. In order to be truly what we call "breast cancer" the origin or primary site of the cancer must be in the breast. Cancer that comes from another primary site and is found in the breast is not called breast cancer. It would be called ________ cancer that has metastasized to the breast...
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9. Can blood clots caused by breast cancer treatment be dissolved?

   The use of a female hormone blocking agent, like Tamoxifen, is a breast cancer treatment that has a very small risk of causing blood clotting, especially if used along with chemotherapy. In general, the benefits of its use far outweigh the risks of this rare complication...
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10. Am I in denial just emotionally healthy regarding my diagnosis?

    I am afraid I don't know you well enough to give you a definitive answer to that question, but it sounds like it may very well be an emotionally healthy response. Fortunately, your prognosis is very good, so there is good reason for optimism...
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11. Why does breast cancer often recur at the 10 year mark?

    The breast cancer recurrence at the 10 year mark is no more critical than any other mark. The one thing to know about breast cancer is that it can occur for many years into the future, far beyond the 10 year mark. But, it is also fair to say that the recurrence rates continue to decrease over time, with...
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12. What are lymph nodes, and what does it mean that they're finding cancer there?

    Lymph nodes are areas in the body, where lymph fluid flows and there often the body fights disease. The fluid carries the disease but also brings white blood cells and antibodies and other disease fighters to the lymph node where the fight often takes place. The fact that your mother's cancer has moved to her lymph nodes is a bad sign...
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13. How can we prevent bruising due to low platelets?

    Unfortunately, there's really nothing you can do to prevent your mother from bruising easily. This is a normal side effect of having a low platelet count, which means blood doesn't clot as easily. Cancer patients with low platelets get severe bruises, and sometimes they don't even know how they got them...
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14. What is biological treatment planning for radiation therapy?

    This is a brand-new area of radiation therapy that's still being researched but that holds a great deal of promise for colon cancer, lung cancer, breast cancer, and other cancers in which some parts of the tumor are growing much faster than others.
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15. Can breast cancer spread to the spine also spread to the brain?

    When breast cancer spreads to the spine, it's known as bone metastasis. And unfortunately yes, breast cancer that has spread to the bones may spread to other areas such as the brain as well. This happens when cancer cells break away from the primary tumor and travel through the circulatory system...
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16. What can be done to treat mouth and vaginal sores from chemo?

    Mouth and vaginal sores are a common side effect of chemotherapy because the chemo agents affect the fast growing cells of the skin inside the mouth. Read more about how to prevent and treat mouth sores here.
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17. My menstrual cycle lasted for 11 days. Is this normal for breast cancer patients who still have a cycle?

    If your oncologist is telling you your blood counts are normal, that’s a good sign, however, an oncologist is not a gynecologist. It’s common that your menstrual cycle would be influenced by different treatments including hormonal therapy or chemotherapy used with breast cancer.
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18. How can I help my mother deal with the lumps in her breasts?

    It may be that all you really can do is nothing. You could respectfully express your unhappiness and concern about your mom's decision, but it may not change her mind. It is indeed unfortunate that without an MRI, you don't know if her breast lumps are benign or malignant, and if they are malignant, how aggressive the cancer is, or not...
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19. What is stage 4 breast cancer life expectancy?

    Although we have no crystal ball, it is quite clear that your mother's condition is quite grave. Even without brain mets, liver mets and widespread bone mets make a short life-span likely. Average life expectancy for someone in your mother's condition could be 1 to 2 months...
    1 Expert Answer, 17 Community Answers

20. What could cause discoloration of skin?

    This is actually a common problem, and one that is easy to treat. This condition is called intertrigo, a skin infection from yeast. It occurs under the breasts (and other skin folds), since yeast love to live where it is moist and warm.
    1 Expert Answer, 6 Community Answers