Gettinganybreast cancer diagnosis can feel impossible to navigate.
And astage IV breast cancer diagnosiscan feel infinitely more overwhelming.
Its considered a terminal diagnosis.
Oleksii Syrotkin / Stocksy United
But how do you get from diagnosis to doing well?
Step one: Come to your medical oncology consultation with a loved one, Dr. Fasano says.
Having another person present to act a second set of ears is so important.
Besides a loved one, Dr. Fasano shares seven questions you should bring with you as well.
What does my imaging show?
Its important to understand whats visible in your initial CAT or PET scans.
If therapy is keeping the cancer stable, then we continue treatment, Dr. Fasano says.
If the therapy is no longer working, then we try a different treatment.
What are my tumor markers?
Breast cancers express certain proteins (calledtumor markers or biomarkers) that can be checked with blood tests.
Should I undergo genetic testing?
What can you tell me about my tumor?
The majority of breast cancers arehormone-receptor positive, meaning estrogen and progesterone feed the cancer.
Your tumor may beHER2-positiveortriple-negative.
If its HER2-positive, youll likely be a candidate for multiple HER2-targeted therapies.
Has my tumor been sent for testing?
We often send the tumor for a genomic profile analysis, Dr. Fasano says.
Also, if a tumor has a particular mutation, it may make someone eligible for a clinical trial.
Am I eligible for any clinical trials?
Oncologists are always on the lookout for treatments that will increase the life expectancy of breast cancer patients.
(you’ve got the option to learn more about clinical trials here.)
What side effects can I expect?
Kim Peifferis a journalist who writes about style, health, and wellness.
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