There’s more optimism and hopeful results for patients with breast cancer than ever before due to scientific research! The treatment options offered to every patient is highly dependent on the kind of cancer as well as other aspects. What is effective for one patient may not work for another. Consulting a breast cancer doctor in Ahmedabad can help you understand the best treatment plan tailored to your specific needs.
Let’s address some frequently asked concerns raised by women suffering from breast cancer, with respect to your level and type of cancer.
1. How Long Will The Treatment For Breast Cancer Last?
There is no way to provide the exact date to treat breast cancer. There are many factors to consider in the treatment process, such as your cancer’s type and stage, general health, and ag,e along with your individual preferences, as well as the number of treatment options that are included in your treatment program. Also, it is influenced by the speed with which you recover from the surgery prior to beginning different treatments.
Treatment length varies:
- Surgery-related radiation can last up to six weeks. The radiation following surgery may last between four and eight weeks.
- Chemotherapy treatments are given in cycles, which require precise times for each treatment. They can be given once per week, to every three weeks. The sequence of sessions is referred to as a “cycle. Following each cycle, there is an interval of rest so that the body can heal. It is possible that you will require multiple cycles.
- The early stage of breast cancer might only need three or one year of therapy. If you’ve got more advanced breast cancer, the treatment will be generally more extensive.
- Hormone therapy is an oral medication to treat breast cancer patients that may last as long as five years following surgery.
- Immunotherapy and targeted therapy are generally given once every two weeks over a period of time.
- The treatment can last up to 6 months, based on the way your body responds.
2. Am I Likely To Lose My Hair Due To Chemotherapy For Breast Cancer?
A majority of women won’t lose hair due to breast cancer when they are not receiving chemotherapy. The radiation can lead to loss or thinning of hair on the region being treated. If you are treating breast cancer, that implies that there’s a low chance that you will lose hair that is on your head.
It is true that loss of hair occurs frequently during chemotherapy. Hair loss can occur on your head, lashes and eyebrows, as well as armpits and even the pubic area. Loss of hair may be influenced by the dose of chemotherapy drugs you are given. Loss can range from loss of hair to thinning.
Many patients’ loss of hair is only temporary. Growth can begin in the three-to six-month period following the end of your treatment. Re-growth of hair, as well as the amount of hair that grows back is unique for every patient. Color, texture and even the density may differ when compared with your hair prior to diagnosis.
A breast cancer specialist in Ahmedabad can guide you through these choices and help you prepare for the journey ahead.
The cooling cap technique could be the best option. The procedure functions like an air conditioner to cool your scalp prior to treatment and following chemotherapy. Through the use of cooling fluids in helmets (like a hood or a helmet) this cools the scalp and dilates blood vessels. A lower blood flow will mean that less chemotherapy drugs are able to reach the scalp. The insurance you have may not pay for it since there is no FDA approval.
3. Are I Likely To Feel Unwell After Treatment? How Long?
The treatments for breast cancer can kill cancer cells; however, they also affect healthy cells. When healthy cells get damaged, there could be negative side effects, depending on the kind of treatment you’re getting.
The side effects associated with radiation are dependent on the kind of radiation as well as the location that is being affected. Common side effects are moderate discomfort, skin irritation or darkening, as well as increased breast swelling at the conclusion of treatment. It is possible to experience lymphedema when your lymph nodes and underarms have been treated. A low count of blood cells is higher if you are receiving radiation in the same session with chemotherapy. It could take up to a few weeks before any symptoms stop.
Chemotherapy is usually associated with nausea and vomiting. This is especially true in the case that you usually vomit whenever you’re sick, are anxious as a female, or are younger than 50. There are a variety of effective medications to treat nausea. These can be added to an IV infusion or be used in pill form at home. A breast cancer surgeon in Ahmedabad can help you understand these options and ensure you’re as comfortable as possible during treatment.
Chemotherapy can also trigger an increase in fatigue, loss of hair and appetite loss, diarrhea or constipation, alteration of your nails and skin as well as a greater likelihood of contracting infections. Additional side effects could be related to memory loss and concentration as well as numbness and the sensation of tingling on your toes and fingers (neuropathy). The more short-term effects usually fade after treatment is completed or within one year after the treatment has been completed.
Immunotherapy administered as checkpoint inhibitors could induce nausea, fatigue, diarrhea, constipation, inflammation of the skin, as well as cough. Though rare, some sufferers might experience an allergic reaction after receiving immunotherapy infusions.
Side effects associated with targeted therapies are dependent on the medication that you are receiving and the dosage. The drugs may cause hypertension as well as fatigue, nail and skin issues, hair loss, colour, breast swelling, diarrhea, as well as problems with blood clotting or healing of wounds.
Lung disease, liver problems as well as heart-related damage that leads to congestive heart failure may be a result in response to the medications that you take. Heart issues are typically more severe for women over the age of 50, overweight or have existing heart conditions.
4. What Effects Long-Term From Chemotherapy For Breast Cancer Must I Be Informed Of?
The long-term effects of treatment can manifest weeks or years later, even after the treatment has ended. The potential side effects of chemotherapy that can last for a long time include menopausal infertility as well as women’s spousal symptoms that start early (hot flashes, and ending of menstrual cycles) as well as heart disease, bone thinning (osteoporosis), and leukemia.
The treatment can trigger autoimmune reactions as the medication reduces the immune system. While it is not common, it could affect your lungs and intestines and kidneys, hormone glands, and liver.
5. What Is The Likelihood That My Cancer will recur?
A recurrence or return of breast cancer indicates that it has returned after treatment had been completed successfully. Some cancerous cells could be able to survive treatment, and then begin to expand, forming another cancerous tumor. It could happen for weeks or years following the initial breast cancer treatment.
Your chance of developing recurrent breast cancer is contingent on the characteristics of your first cancer, such as:
- The type of cancer
- Stage, grade, and extent at the time of initial treatment
- Status of the hormone-receptor
- If there was cancer in the lymph nodes of your body, and it has since spread
If cancer recurs in exactly the same location it was in when the cancer first began, this is known as a local recrudescence. A distant recurrence indicates that it cancer has spread to various regions of the body, typically the liver, bones, or lungs.
The majority of breast cancers tend to return during the first two years following the treatment. When you are five years free of cancer, the probability of the cancer returning decreases dramatically.
Leading Providers of Breast Cancer Care in Ahmedabad
If you are able to learn all that you can about the treatment options for your breast cancer choices, you will be able to make the right decision based on facts about what method is right for you. The doctors treating breast cancer are available to help you with any questions you may have and will be there for each step of your recovery and treatment.
At Airavat Cancer Care, we offer multidisciplinary clinics for treatment that offer our patients better results. The entire team of our care works in concert to coordinate treatment and assist you in achieving your best possible outcomes. They’ll look at the kind and the stage of your cancer before forming the best treatment strategy for your needs.
Breast specialist doctor in Ahmedabad will also take into consideration the individual needs of you, the history of your medical condition, any other ailments, any previous treatment history, physical and mental health in determining the most effective treatment plan for you.
