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Aug 27, 2008 7:30 pm US/Eastern
Health Watch: Breast Cancer Survivor Issues
NEW YORK (CBS) ―
There is good news on the breast cancer front. Thanks to early detection and improved treatment, many more women are surviving their disease. That also means that many more women are facing all sorts of survivor issues they never had to before.
A little exercise is part of the daily routine for many young women, but for Elissa Carioti, it's a gift. She is a four year breast cancer survivor, after a lumpectomy, double mastectomy and breast reconstruction, all by age 29.
"There's just loss of your energy and your will. So there's an impact on work, not being able to work at the capacity I was used to, so there were feelings of loss there. There's a loss of femininity, you know losing your breasts automatically makes you feel less attractive," Carioti said.
The psychological toll that cancer takes on a survivor is why many experts recommend at least some time with a mental health professional.
"We're a fast moving society, and sometimes you need somebody who will allow you to talk, brainstorm, so I'm a big advocate when its appropriate," said Dr. Herb Pardes, of NY Presbyterian Hospital.
There are also medical issues cancer survivors need pay attention to. Studies have shown that many women can significantly reduce the chance of their cancer coming back if they take a pill that blocks estrogen, such as tamoxifen or more recently: arimidex, femara and aromasin.
"Every woman needs to know what kind of surgery she had. She should know the size of her tumor. She should know how many lymph nodes, if any, were removed. She should know her stage. She should know if she received chemotherapy, what were the names of those drugs. And she should know if she had radiation," said Dr. Kathie-Ann Joseph.
Every cancer patient should receive a written plan for follow up care - what tests to have done and other health problems to watch for and when they're done with treatment.
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