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100 Questions & Answers about Advanced and Metastatic Breast Cancer
100 Questions Answers about Advanced and Metastatic Breast Cancer Author:Lillie D. Shockney, Gary R. Shapiro Foreword -- — Part 1: Suspicions Of Metastatic Breast Cancer: -- — Questions 1-8 cover topics related to the initial diagnosis of metastatic breast cancer, including: -- — Does the diagnosis of metastatic breast cancer mean an instant death sentence? -- — How will my oncologist decide to treat my metastatic breast cancer? -- — I want to get under way... more » with treatment immediately and everything is taking too long; Why can't I start treatment immediately? --
Part 2: Ensuring You Are In Good Hands-Selecting The Oncology Team To Take Care Of You: --
Questions 9-18 discuss the selection of your oncology team, and important criteria to look for, such as: How do I know I'm receiving the best and most appropriate care for my current situation? --
How can I participate in the decision-making about my treatment? --
How do I select a medical oncologist who will be primarily responsible for my care and treatments? --
Part 3: Decisions Regarding Surgery And Radiation For Treatment Of Metastatic Disease: --
Questions 19-25 share information regarding surgery and radiation, with topics such as: --
My cancer has spread to my brain and is located in one spot; What are the treatment options for this type of metastasis? --
How is radiation used for treatment or control of metastatic breast cancer? --
I've had radiation already to shrink my cancer in the spine and it has regrown; Can I have radiation again? --
Part 4: Chemotherapy For Treatment Of Metastatic Disease: --
Questions 26-47 are concerned with the details of chemotherapy treatment: --
How will my oncologist decide how much chemotherapy to give me? --
How will the doctors determine if the chemotherapy is working? --
What are my chances of remission, and how long will it last? --
Part 5: Hormonal Therapy: --
Questions 48-51 discuss hormonal therapy as a treatment option: --
How does the doctor determine if I should get hormonal therapy instead of chemotherapy? --
Are there different types of hormonal therapies? How does my doctor decide which to use? --
I am taking hormonal therapy for treatment of my metastatic breast cancer; I thought chemotherapy was "better" than hormonal therapy since it is given intravenously; Is that true or a myth? Part 6: Side Effects Of Metastatic Breast Cancer And Its Treatment And How To Control Them: --
Questions 52-71 address emotional and physical changes that occur after diagnosis and treatment of metastatic breast cancer, as well as management strategies, including: --
What kind of side effects might I expect to experience as a result of getting treatment for my metastatic breast cancer? --
My chemotherapy and hormonal therapy have caused me to develop symptoms of menopause; How can I manage these symptoms and feel more like myself again? --
I am feeling more joint pain and backaches that make it difficult to walk around; What can I do to manage my pain? --
Part 7: Targeted Therapy: --
Questions 72-74 reviews information based on targeted therapy for metastatic breast cancer, such as: --
What is monoclonal antibody? --
What is biologic targeted therapy, and how does it work? --
Part 8: Clinical Trials: --
Questions 75-78 help decipher the pros and cons of participating in a clinical trial: --
What is a "clinical trial," and am I a candidate to still participate in one if I have metastatic breast cancer? --
What questions should I ask the doctor about a specific clinical trial he has recommended for me? --
How do I find out about clinical trials that might be appropriate for me to consider? --
Part 9: Complementary And Alternative Medicine: --
Questions 79-85 describe alternative treatment methods, such as: --
What are examples of some complementary and alternative treatments that I might hear about or want to learn more about? --
I want to try some complementary therapies while receiving my chemo treatments; How do I go about deciding which therapies to do? --
Where can I go to get credible information that is up-to-date related to research studies that have been done regarding complementary and alternative medicine? --
Part 10: Other Common Questions: --
Questions 86-90 answer common concerns of cancer patients, including: --
My family wants me to stop smoking, but I already have incurable cancer; Do I have to stop? --
Friend of mine who has metastatic disease says that periodically she get to stop treatment for a while; How does my oncologist decide if I can have a drug holiday? How long does it usually last? --
Should I still get my annual screening mammogram? --
Part 11: End Of Life, Treatment, Crossroads, Making Plans: --
Questions 91-100 help guide you through decisions regarding end-of-life plans, such as: --
I don't know how to approach talking about such decisions with my family; How do I do this? --
How and when will the doctor recommend that I stop treatment? --
I feel very stressed about my medical situation and need time to clear my head and think about what I want to do; How can I do this? --