It has been reported that fear of breast cancer is severe than that of heart disease. Obviously enough, the diagnosis of breast cancer given by experts is shocking to the women. There is no wonder she and her family members seek second opinion about the diagnosis. It has also been estimated that breast cancer recovery is slower in women who are exceedingly depressed after the diagnosis that those who face the situation bravely. All these things point to a single fact that breast cancer has lot of implications on mind, before and after diagnosis.

Yes, we are saying before diagnosis, because breast cancer or any other cancer is reported to have a close relation with the psychological makeup of an individual. People who are psychologically vulnerable and have many depressive spells during earlier life are reported to have suffered from cancers more than those who have positive outlook towards life. That is why the cancers and especially the breast cancer are also referred to as psychosomatic diseases.

The emotional vulnerability of breast cancer patients is seen in following manner

* Excessive stress leading to marked irritability.
* Fear and shock
* Sadness leading to loneliness and socially withdrawn attitude.
* Anger and self pity leading to fluctuations in blood pressure, thus causing palpitations.
* Excess depression leading to fatigue, crying, and melancholic mood.
* When the patient does not express her emotions to anyone, this further adds to her woes and she may further suffer from frustration, hopelessness, etc.

The above things clearly indicate that the emotional sphere of the sufferer has to be kept alive and positive in order to get positive feedback during treatments. Not only the diagnosis but the treatment of cancer poses lot of emotional stress to the patient. If she has to undergo breast removal surgery, she may have to face further emotional dilemmas as follows:

* Loss of attractiveness because of which she fears losing love of her husband.
* Sexual problems pertaining to emotional disturbances.
* Because the fear of recurrence is so inbred, she may suffer from further depressive spells.

It has been stressed by the experts that emotional help to the concerned patients can prove immensely beneficial for their recovery or cure depending upon the stage of the cancer. The person with positive outlook and firm emotional support can revert back even from advanced stage and a depressed woman may succumb in the first stage of the disease itself. Let’s see how a woman can establish her emotional balance during such vulnerable situations.

Secure emotional balance

* First and the foremost thing to be remembered in any cancer case is, one should shed the ego and ask for emotional help from the person whom you are close to. It is not an act of bravery to suffer in silence.
* Remember the study that revealed that suppressing emotions led to earlier deaths in women with breast cancer. On the other hand the woman who expresses every concern has more days to enjoy life.
* Your physical health will get amazing boost if your emotional health is normal.
* Communicate with family and friends as frequently as you can. Keep your conversation easy and free-flowing and never hesitate to seek suggestions.
* Don’t fret the intimacy with your partner.
* Keep a close check of your physical symptoms and report them to your close family members as well as to the medical team.
* Prepare an exercise plan for yourself with the help of an expert.
* Joining a support group or visiting a counselor can be very helpful to boost your morale.
* Finally make an attempt to educate patients of breast cancer in your group. This will immensely benefit to raise your confidence and your feel-good factor!

Breast is a collection of glands and fatty tissues that lies between the skin and the chest wall. Milk is produced by the glands inside the breast when the woman has a baby. The milk gets to the nipple by way of glands through a tube called ducts. 

At times, the cells in the breast grow out of control and attack the nearby tissues. Without any check, this growth spreads throughout the body and becomes breast cancer. These out of control tissues are called tumors. Some of the tumors are harmless, as they cannot spread and threaten one’s life. So they are called benign tumors. The other harmful tumors are called malignant tumors. 

Any type of tissue in the breast can form a cancer but it either comes from the ducts or the glands. It takes months or years for a tumor to get large enough to feel in the breast. Screening of the breast to check for tumors is called mammograms.

Women in North America and Europe are prone to get affected by breast cancer. In fact, every woman is at risk for breast cancer. Statistics prove the breast cancer in American women are the second largest and the first largest is the lung cancer.

Some of the factors, which influence the breast cancer are being a women growing older, having a family history of breast cancer, or previous history of cancer and radiation therapy to the chest region, initiation of periods when still young, i.e., below 12 years of age, and starting menopause quite late after 50’s, never having children, or having children late after 30’s.  Hormone Replacement Therapy in some cases, can also lead to breast cancer. Overweight or alcoholic women are prone to get cancer.

Proper screening and early detection are the best methods in which most of the cancer can be treated. Regular check ups with the physicians, and learn to perform breast self exam is also a natural way to check for breast cancer. X ray of the breast is called a mammogram. The breast is placed between two plates for some seconds and the x ray is taken. If something appears abnormal, then a better angled film can be taken with the magnified view. 

Every woman after the age of 40 should take mammogram every year.  Every month, one should check your breast on your own. About 15% of the tumors can be felt but cannot be seen in the regular mammography screen. Women above 20 and below 39 should go for check up at least once in three years. A diagnostic mammogram or ultra sound can be done and then biopsy can be sent for checking. 

Breast cancer has four stages. In stage one the tumor is less than 2cms. In the second stage, it is more than 2 cms but less than 5cms. In stage three, it is more than 5 cms and spread up to the lymph nodes.  In stage four, it spreads outside the breast and inside the other parts of the body. 

Depending upon the stages, doctors will decide if the treatment would be surgery, or chemotherapy, radiotherapy, hormonal therapy and biologic therapy.  Once the patient has undergone this treatment, the follow up testing is very important.