Early breast cancer: a guide for women - Cancer Australia

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Your multidisciplinary treatment teamDuring your cancer journey, you will meet a number of healthprofessionals. Your treatment team will help you decide which treatmentsare best for you. They will also support you through your journey. Meetinglots of different health professionals can be quite daunting. You willusually have one main contact person who can answer any questions youhave. This person may change at different points during your journey. Aska member of your treatment team if you are unsure who your maincontact person is.It is likely that the health professionals managing your care will meet todiscuss what treatments are best for you. This is called multidisciplinarycare.Talk to your doctor or breast care nurse about who will be involved indiscussions about your treatment plan.Multidisciplinary care: a team approach to cancer treatmentplanning and support.The health professionals who are likely to be involved in your care include:• general practitioner (GP): provides ongoing care and works withother members of your treatment team• surgeon: specialises in surgery, including biopsies• pathologist: examines cells, tissue and blood from the body• radiologist: examines mammograms, ultrasounds and otherimaging results and may perform biopsies or help locate cancersprior to surgery• radiation oncologist: specialises in radiotherapy• radiation therapist: assists in planning and giving radiotherapy• medical oncologist: specialises in cancer drugs such aschemotherapy, hormonal therapies and targeted therapies• breast care nurse: specialises in caring for people with breast cancer8
• oncology nurse: specialises in caring for people with cancer.Other health professionals who may be involved in your care include:• psychologist, psychiatrist or counsellor: specialise in providingemotional support and managing anxiety and depression• social worker: specialises in providing emotional support, counsellingand advice about some practical and legal matters• welfare worker: provides practical support and advice• physiotherapist, occupational therapist, lymphoedema therapist:assist with exercise after treatment and managing lymphoedema• plastic surgeon: specialises in breast reconstruction afterbreast surgery• genetic counsellor: provides advice for women with a strong familyhistory of breast cancer.Oncologist: a doctor who specialises in treating cancer.Lymphoedema: swelling of the arm that can sometimes developafter treatment for breast cancer.The names for different health professionals might vary dependingon which State/Territory you live in. Ask a member of yourtreatment team if you have any questions. For more informationabout lymphoedema see the ‘Lymphoedema’ chapter in the ‘Whentreatment is over’ section.It is important that you feel comfortable with the members of your treatmentteam. Talk to them about your questions and what is important to you. Askfor more information if you need it. You have the right to a second opinionat any time. If you would like to talk to someone else about your treatmentoptions, ask your GP or specialist to refer you to another doctor.“Having a multidisciplinary team was a great plus because it meanteveryone, the whole team, was working together and discussing mycase. I think that was far better than just being treated in isolation.”Guide for women with early breast cancer9
Page 1 and 2: Endorsed by:Guide for women withear
Page 3 and 4: Guide for women with early breast c
Page 5 and 6: AcknowledgementsCancer Australia gr
Page 7 and 8: IntroductionWho this book is forThi
Page 9 and 10: Breast Cancer Network Australia’s
Page 11 and 12: Notes:Guide for women with early br
Page 13 and 14: Breast cancer: the factsThis sectio
Page 15 and 16: Metastasis: the name for cancer tha
Page 17 and 18: Cancer Australia has information fo
Page 19 and 20: You may like to write your own ques
Page 21 and 22: Breast cancer survival is measured
Page 23 and 24: Making sense of test resultsThis se
Page 25 and 26: Hormone receptorsThe report shows w
Page 27 and 28: Stages of early breast cancerStage
Page 29 and 30: You may like to write your own ques
Page 31: Guide for women with early breast c
Page 34 and 35: Surgery to the armpit (axilla) 29Su
Page 36 and 37: Targeted therapies 95Summary ......
Page 38: “I like the way my doctor treated
Page 43 and 44: “He said, ‘Go away and think ab
Page 45 and 46: Questions to ask about your treatme
Page 47 and 48: Breast surgeryDate of development:
Page 49 and 50: • Compression sleeve — this is
Page 51 and 52: After surgery, the pathologist will
Page 53 and 54: Side effects of breast conserving s
Page 55 and 56: If you are at increased risk of bre
Page 57 and 58: “After the surgery I couldn’t r
Page 59 and 60: Rare side effects of mastectomy:•
Page 61 and 62: Frequently asked questionsHow do I
Page 63 and 64: If there are cancer cells in the ly
Page 65 and 66: Things that affect whether you have
Page 67 and 68: • numbness of the arm, shoulder,
Page 69 and 70: The aim at this stage is to find th
Page 71 and 72: Questions yet to be answered about
Page 73 and 74: Frequently asked questionsWill the
Page 75 and 76: Choosing a breast prosthesisThere a
Page 77 and 78: For more information about breast r
Page 79 and 80: • there is a small risk the tissu
Page 81 and 82: • Do you specialise in breast rec
Page 83 and 84: How safe are breast implants?The te
Page 85 and 86: For more information about the risk
Page 87 and 88: “If I start to feel tired I’ll
Page 89 and 90:
Other suggestions, based on the exp
Page 91 and 92:
Frequently asked questionsWill havi
Page 93 and 94:
“You can still lead a normal life
Page 95 and 96:
Combinations of chemotherapy are of
Page 97 and 98:
central catheter). This involves pu
Page 99 and 100:
The following are two examples of c
Page 101 and 102:
Common side effects of chemotherapy
Page 103 and 104:
after treatment can help you to fee
Page 105 and 106:
chemotherapy. Talk to your doctor o
Page 107 and 108:
Sometimes chemotherapy can cause ot
Page 109 and 110:
Tell your doctor immediately (or go
Page 111 and 112:
If these signs develop during the n
Page 113 and 114:
You may like to write your own ques
Page 115 and 116:
Hormonal therapiesDate of developme
Page 117 and 118:
• After menopause (post-menopause
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For more information about the side
Page 121 and 122:
Deciding about hormonal therapiesBe
Page 123 and 124:
Questions to ask about hormonal the
Page 125 and 126:
Frequently asked questionsHow do I
Page 128 and 129:
Targeted therapiesDate of developme
Page 130 and 131:
Side effects of trastuzumabThe most
Page 132 and 133:
Page 134 and 135:
Clinical trialsDate of development:
Page 136 and 137:
It is up to you whether you choose
Page 138 and 139:
Page 140 and 141:
Complementary andalternative therap
Page 142 and 143:
Cancer Council NSW has produced a b
Page 144 and 145:
Frequently asked questionsCan I tak
Page 146 and 147:
When treatment is overThis section
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Follow-up after breast cancerDate o
Page 150 and 151:
Your follow-up schedule will be pla
Page 152 and 153:
Breast cancer and family historyIf
Page 154 and 155:
Page 156 and 157:
LymphoedemaDate of development: Oct
Page 158 and 159:
How to reduce the risk of lymphoede
Page 160 and 161:
How is lymphoedema managed?There is
Page 162 and 163:
There are a range of alternative tr
Page 164 and 165:
• Can you refer me to a qualified
Page 166 and 167:
Frequently asked questionsHow commo
Page 168 and 169:
Symptoms of menopauseWhether your m
Page 170 and 171:
Although hormonal therapies for bre
Page 172 and 173:
Questions to ask about the effect o
Page 174 and 175:
Frequently asked questionsIs it saf
Page 176 and 177:
It can be helpful to talk to your f
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Page 180 and 181:
36Notes:
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Finding supportDate of development:
Page 184 and 185:
“Certainly after the diagnosis I
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Your partnerMany partners also find
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• Give simple, honest answers to
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Same sex couplesYou may feel that a
Page 192 and 193:
Depending on your situation and whe
Page 194 and 195:
Page 196 and 197:
Cancer Council Australia: www.cance
Page 198 and 199:
GlossaryAdjuvant:Alkylating agent:A
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Ductal carcinoma in situ non-invasi
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Mammogram:Mastectomy:Metastasis:Mit
Page 204 and 205:
Transverse rectus a type of breast
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Early breast cancer: a guide for women - Cancer Australia

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