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Illnesses & Conditions Categories
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Allergies
- Allergy to Natural Rubber (Latex)
- Jellyfish Stings: Allergic Reaction
- Allergies: Should I Take Allergy Shots?
- Non-Allergic Rhinitis
- Allergic Reaction
- Allergies
- Allergy Shots for Allergic Rhinitis
- Allergies: Rush Immunotherapy
- Over-the-Counter Medicines for Allergies
- Allergic Rhinitis
- Types of Allergens
- Allergies: Avoiding Indoor Triggers
- Allergies: Avoiding Outdoor Triggers
- Controlling Dust, Dust Mites, and Other Allergens in Your Home
- Controlling Pet Allergens
- Allergies to Insect Stings
- Allergies: Should I Take Shots for Insect Sting Allergies?
- Immunotherapy for Allergies to Insect Stings
- Types of Allergic Rhinitis
- Allergic Reaction to Tattoo Dye
- Drug Allergies
- Penicillin Allergy
- Hay Fever and Other Seasonal Allergies
- Allergies: Giving Yourself an Epinephrine Shot
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Arthritis and Osteoporosis
- Rheumatoid Arthritis: Finger and Hand Surgeries
- Rheumatoid Arthritis: Classification Criteria
- Rheumatoid Arthritis: Systemic Symptoms
- Comparing Rheumatoid Arthritis and Osteoarthritis
- Rheumatoid Arthritis: Neck Symptoms
- Osteoporosis in Men
- Psoriatic Arthritis
- Arthritis: Shots for Knee Pain
- Complementary Medicine for Arthritis
- Steve's Story: Coping With Arthritis
- Bev's Story: Coping With Arthritis
- Quick Tips: Modifying Your Home and Work Area When You Have Arthritis
- Coping With Osteoarthritis
- Arthritis: Should I Have Shoulder Replacement Surgery?
- Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis: Stretching and Strengthening Exercises
- Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis
- Capsaicin for Osteoarthritis
- Small Joint Surgery for Osteoarthritis
- Osteoarthritis: Heat and Cold Therapy
- Modifying Activities for Osteoarthritis
- Osteoarthritis
- Gout
- Rheumatoid Arthritis
- Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis: Inflammatory Eye Disease
- Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis: Range-of-Motion Exercises
- Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis: Deciding About Total Joint Replacement
- Complications of Osteoarthritis
- Arthritis: Managing Rheumatoid Arthritis
- Arthritis: Should I Have Knee Replacement Surgery?
- Arthritis: Should I Have Hip Replacement Surgery?
- Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis: Pain Management
- Osteoporosis Risk in Younger Women
- Osteoporosis Screening
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Asthma
- Asthma: Peak Expiratory Flow and Personal Best
- Asthma and Wheezing
- Asthma: Using an Asthma Action Plan
- Asthma: Measuring Peak Flow
- Asthma: Identifying Your Triggers
- Steroid Medicine for Asthma: Myths and Facts
- Asthma
- Inhaled corticosteroids for asthma
- Inhaled quick-relief medicines for asthma
- Classification of Asthma
- Challenge Tests for Asthma
- Asthma's Impact on Your Child's Life
- Asthma Action Plan: Yellow Zone
- Asthma Triggers
- Asthma Action Plan: Red Zone
- Asthma and GERD
- Occupational Asthma
- Asthma Attack
- Asthma: Symptoms of Difficulty Breathing
- Exercise-Induced Asthma
- Asthma Treatment Goals
- Asthma: Overcoming Obstacles to Taking Medicines
- Asthma in Older Adults: Managing Treatment
- Asthma: Controlling Cockroaches
- Asthma: Educating Yourself and Your Child
- Allergy Shots for Asthma
- Asthma: Taking Charge of Your Asthma
- Monitoring Asthma Treatment
- Omalizumab for Asthma
- Asthma: Ways to Take Inhaled Medicines
- Asthma: Overuse of Quick-Relief Medicines
- Asthma Diary
- Asthma Diary Template
- Asthma Action Plan
- Assessing Your Asthma Knowledge
- My Asthma Action Plan
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Bowel and Gastrointestinal Conditions
- Abdominal Fullness or Bloating
- Irritable Bowel Syndrome: Criteria for Diagnosis
- Gastritis
- Gas, Bloating, and Burping
- Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
- Constipation: Keeping Your Bowels Healthy
- Rectal Problems
- Mild, Moderate, or Severe Diarrhea
- Torn or Detached Nail
- Chronic Constipation
- Gas (Flatus)
- Dyspepsia
- Diverticulosis
- Bowel Obstruction
- Anal Fissure
- Bowel Disease: Caring for Your Ostomy
- Anal Fistulas and Crohn's Disease
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Cancer
- Lung Cancer and Other Lung Problems From Smoking
- Skin Cancer, Non-Melanoma
- Radiation Therapy for Non-Melanoma Skin Cancer
- Colorectal Cancer Test Recommendations
- Breast Cancer Screening: When Should I Start Having Mammograms?
- Lifestyle Changes That May Help Prevent Cancer
- Choosing a Prosthesis After Breast Cancer Surgery
- Hormone Treatment for Breast Cancer
- Cancer Staging and Grading
- Pancreatic Cancer
- Kidney (Renal Cell) Cancer
- Cancer Support: Managing Stress
- Cancer Support: When Your Cancer Comes Back or Gets Worse
- Cancer Support: Dealing With Emotions and Fears
- Cancer Support: Finding Out That You Have Cancer
- Cancer Support: Being an Active Patient
- Cancer Support: Coping With Cancer Treatments
- Cancer Support: Life After Treatment
- Cancer Support: Family, Friends, and Relationships
- Reducing Cancer Risk When You Are BRCA-Positive
- Anal Cancer
- Prostate Cancer: Should I Choose Active Surveillance?
- Lung Cancer Screening
- Basal Cell Skin Cancer: Should I Have Surgery or Use Medicated Cream?
- Tumour Markers
- Does Aspirin Prevent Cancer?
- Cancer
- Lung Cancer
- Oral Cancer
- Colorectal Cancer
- Metastatic Melanoma
- Radiation Treatment for Cancer
- Skin Cancer, Melanoma
- Cervical Cancer Screening
- Hepatitis B and C: Risk of Liver Cancer
- Inflammatory Bowel Disease and Cancer Risk
- Radiation Therapy for Prostate Cancer
- Prostate Cancer
- Cancer: Home Treatment for Mouth Sores
- Skin Cancer Screening
- Breast Cancer: Should I Have Breast Reconstruction After a Mastectomy?
- Prostate Cancer: Should I Have Radiation or Surgery for Localized Prostate Cancer?
- Prostate Cancer Screening
- Side Effects of Chemotherapy
- Breast Cancer: Lymph Node Surgery for Staging Cancer
- Endometrial (Uterine) Cancer
- Cryosurgery for Prostate Cancer
- Breast Cancer
- Cancer: Home Treatment for Nausea or Vomiting
- Cancer: Home Treatment for Pain
- Cancer: Home Treatment for Diarrhea
- Cancer: Home Treatment for Constipation
- Breast Cancer Types
- Cancer: Home Treatment for Sleep Problems
- Cancer: Home Treatment for Fatigue
- Hair Loss From Cancer Treatment
- Body Image After Cancer Treatment
- Breast Cancer: Should I Have Breast-Conserving Surgery or a Mastectomy for Early-Stage Cancer?
- Breast Cancer, Metastatic or Recurrent
- Cancer Pain
- Leukemia
- Colorectal Cancer, Metastatic or Recurrent
- Thyroid Cancer
- Types of Thyroid Cancer
- Radiation Therapy for Cancer Pain
- Breast Cancer in Men (Male Breast Cancer)
- Breast Cancer Screening
- Breast Cancer: Should I Have Chemotherapy for Early-Stage Breast Cancer?
- Asbestos and Lung Cancer
- Cervical Cancer
- Ovarian Cancer
- Colon Cancer Genetic Testing
- Testicular Cancer Screening
- Skin Cancer: Protecting Your Skin
- Non-Melanoma Skin Cancer: Comparing Treatments
- Bladder Cancer
- Prostate Cancer, Advanced or Metastatic
- Active Surveillance for Prostate Cancer
- Urinary Problems and Prostate Cancer
- Cancer: Controlling Cancer Pain
- Heat and Cold Treatment for Cancer Pain
- Testicular Cancer
- Testicular Cancer: Which Treatment Should I Have for Stage I Non-Seminoma Testicular Cancer After My Surgery?
- Testicular Cancer: Which Treatment Should I Have for Stage I Seminoma Testicular Cancer After My Surgery?
- Cancer: Controlling Nausea and Vomiting From Chemotherapy
- Lymphedema: Managing Lymphedema
- Breast Cancer Risk: Should I Have a BRCA Gene Test?
- Inflammatory Breast Cancer
- Ovarian Cancer: Should I Have My Ovaries Removed to Prevent Ovarian Cancer?
- Family History and the Risk for Breast or Ovarian Cancer
- Breast Cancer: What Should I Do if I'm at High Risk?
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Cold and Flu
- Difference Between Influenza (Flu) and a Cold
- Colds and Flu
- Influenza (Flu) Complications
- Flu Vaccine Myths
- Influenza (Seasonal Flu)
- Whooping Cough (Pertussis)
- Productive Coughs
- Dry Coughs
- Influenza (Flu): Should I Take Antiviral Medicine?
- Flu Vaccines: Should I Get a Flu Vaccine?
- Relieving A Cough
- Colds
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COPD
- Cal's Story: Learning to Exercise When You have COPD
- Conserving Energy When You Have COPD or Other Chronic Conditions
- Nebulizer for COPD Treatment
- COPD Action Plan
- COPD: Help for Caregivers
- COPD: Keeping Your Diet Healthy
- COPD: Using Exercise to Feel Better
- COPD
- COPD Flare-Ups
- Bullectomy for COPD
- COPD and Alpha-1 Antitrypsin (AAT) Deficiency
- COPD and Sex
- Pulmonary Rehabilitation for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
- COPD
- Oxygen Treatment for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
- COPD: Avoiding Weight Loss
- COPD: Avoiding Your Triggers
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Dementia
- Alzheimer's or Other Dementia: Should I Move My Relative Into Long-Term Care?
- Alzheimer's and Other Dementias: Coping With Sundowning
- Dementia: Assessing Pain
- Medical History and Physical Examination for Dementia or Alzheimer's Disease
- Alzheimer's and Other Dementias: Making the Most of Remaining Abilities
- Dementia: Helping a Person Avoid Confusion
- Alzheimer's and Other Dementias: Maintaining Good Nutrition
- Dementia: Tips for Communicating
- Agitation and Dementia
- Dementia: Bladder and Bowel Problems
- Dementia: Support for Caregivers
- Dementia: Legal Issues
- Dementia: Understanding Behaviour Changes
- Dementia: Medicines to Treat Behaviour Changes
- Dementia
- Mild Cognitive Impairment and Dementia
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Diabetes
- Diabetes: Blood Sugar Levels
- Diabetes: Counting Carbs if You Don't Use Insulin
- Diabetes: Coping With Your Feelings About Your Diet
- Diabetes: Tracking My Feelings
- Diabetes: Taking Care of Your Feet
- Diabetes: Care of Blood Sugar Test Supplies
- Diabetes: Checking Your Blood Sugar
- Diabetes: Checking Your Feet
- Diabetes: Steps for Foot-Washing
- Diabetes: Protecting Your Feet
- Diabetes: Dealing With Low Blood Sugar From Medicines
- Diabetes: Dealing With Low Blood Sugar From Insulin
- Diabetes: How to Give Glucagon
- Low Blood Sugar Level Record
- Symptoms of Low Blood Sugar
- Diabetes: Preventing High Blood Sugar Emergencies
- Diabetic Ketoacidosis (DKA)
- High Blood Sugar Level Record
- Symptoms of High Blood Sugar
- Diabetes: Using a Plate Format to Plan Meals
- Diabetes: Giving Yourself an Insulin Shot
- Diabetes: Eating Low-Glycemic Foods
- Diabetes and Alcohol
- Continuous Glucose Monitoring
- Quick Tips: Diabetes and Shift Work
- Diabetes: How to Prepare for a Colonoscopy
- Type 2 Diabetes: Can You Cure It?
- Diabetes, Type 2: Should I Take Insulin?
- Prediabetes: Which Treatment Should I Use to Prevent Type 2 Diabetes?
- Diabetes: Making Medical Decisions as Your Health Changes
- Diabetes Care Plan
- Diabetes: Caregiving for an Older Adult
- Quick Tips: Smart Snacking When You Have Diabetes
- Testing Tips From a Diabetes Educator
- Gloria's Story: Adding Activity to Help Control Blood Sugar
- Andy's Story: Finding Your Own Routine When You Have Diabetes
- Jerry's Story: Take Prediabetes Seriously
- Linda's Story: Getting Active When You Have Prediabetes
- Diabetes
- Tips for Exercising Safely When You Have Diabetes
- Diabetes: Travel Tips
- Type 2 Diabetes
- Type 1 Diabetes
- Care of Your Skin When You Have Diabetes
- Care of Your Teeth and Gums When You Have Diabetes
- Non-insulin medicines for type 2 diabetes
- Metformin for diabetes
- Hypoglycemia (Low Blood Sugar) in People Without Diabetes
- Diabetic Retinopathy
- Laser Photocoagulation for Diabetic Retinopathy
- Diabetic Neuropathy
- Diabetic Focal Neuropathy
- Diabetic Neuropathy: Exercising Safely
- Diabetic Autonomic Neuropathy
- Criteria for Diagnosing Diabetes
- Diabetes-Related High and Low Blood Sugar Levels
- Diabetic Nephropathy
- Diabetes: Counting Carbs if You Use Insulin
- Diabetes: Cholesterol Levels
- Diabetes and Infections
- Diabetes: Tests to Watch for Complications
- Diabetes: Differences Between Type 1 and 2
- Diabetes Complications
- How Diabetes Causes Blindness
- How Diabetes Causes Foot Problems
- Reading Food Labels When You Have Diabetes
- Eating Out When You Have Diabetes
- Breastfeeding When You Have Diabetes
- Diabetes: Staying Motivated
- Sick-Day Guidelines for People With Diabetes
- Diabetes: Amputation for Foot Problems
- Prediabetes
- Prediabetes: Exercise Tips
- Type 2 Diabetes: Screening for Adults
- Diabetes: Should I Get an Insulin Pump?
- Diabetes: Living With an Insulin Pump
- Form for Carbohydrate Counting
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Disease and Disease Prevention
- Diseases and Conditions
- Osgood-Schlatter Disease
- Needle Aponeurotomy for Dupuytren's Disease
- Mitochondrial Diseases
- Disease and Injury Prevention
- Alzheimer's Disease
- Root Planing and Scaling for Gum Disease
- Kawasaki Disease
- Tay-Sachs Disease
- Von Willebrand's Disease
- Hirschsprung's Disease
- Complications of Paget's Disease
- Paget's Disease of Bone
- Celiac Disease
- Peptic Ulcer Disease
- Ménière's Disease
- Pelvic Inflammatory Disease: Tubo-Ovarian Abscess
- Pelvic Inflammatory Disease
- Addison's Disease
- Misdiagnosis of Lyme Disease
- Lyme Disease
- Parkinson's Disease and Freezing
- Parkinson's Disease: Other Symptoms
- Parkinson's Disease: Modifying Your Activities and Your Home
- Parkinson's Disease and Tremors
- Parkinson's Disease and Speech Problems
- Parkinson's Disease
- Disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs)
- Parkinson's Disease: Movement Problems From Levodopa
- Mad Cow Disease
- Handwashing
- Peyronie's Disease
- Stages of Lyme Disease
- Osteotomy and Paget's Disease
- Dupuytren's Disease
- Crohn's Disease
- Crohn's Disease: Problems Outside the Digestive Tract
- Pilonidal Disease
- Acquired Von Willebrand's Disease
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Down Syndrome, Autism and Developmental Delays
- Autism
- Down Syndrome: Helping Your Child Eat Independently
- Down Syndrome: Grooming and Hygiene
- Down Syndrome: Helping Your Child Learn to Walk and Use Other Motor Skills
- Down Syndrome: Helping Your Child Learn to Communicate
- Down Syndrome
- Dyslexia
- Conditions Related to Dyslexia
- Autism: Behavioural Training and Management
- Autism: Support and Training for the Family
- Unproven Treatments for Autism
- Caring for Adults With Autism
- Down Syndrome: Helping Your Child Avoid Social Problems
- Down Syndrome: Training and Therapy for Young People
- Down Syndrome: Helping Your Child Dress Independently
- Down Syndrome, Ages Birth to 1 Month
- Down Syndrome, Ages 1 Month to 1 Year
- Down Syndrome, Ages 1 to 5
- Down Syndrome, Ages 5 to 13
- Down Syndrome, Ages 13 to 21
- Eating Disorders
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Epilepsy
- Absence Epilepsy
- Juvenile Myoclonic Epilepsy
- Temporal Lobe Epilepsy
- Focal Epilepsy
- Epilepsy: Simple Partial Seizures
- Epilepsy
- Epilepsy and Driving
- Epilepsy: Generalized Seizures
- Epilepsy: Generalized Tonic-Clonic Seizures
- Epilepsy: Myoclonic Seizures
- Epilepsy: Atonic Seizures
- Epilepsy: Tonic Seizures
- Epilepsy: Complex Partial Seizures
- Epilepsy Medicine Therapy Failure
- Stopping Medicine for Epilepsy
- Questions About Medicines for Epilepsy
- Epilepsy: Taking Your Medicines Properly
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Fatigue and Sleep
- Sleep Apnea: Should I Have a Sleep Study?
- Sleep and Your Health
- Quick Tips: Making the Best of Shift Work
- Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Managing Your Energy
- Sleeping Better
- Sleep Problems
- Doxepin (Sleep) - Oral
- Improving Sleep When You Have Chronic Pain
- Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
- Chronic Fatigue: Changing Your Schedule
- Chronic Fatigue: Getting Support
- Snoring and Obstructive Sleep Apnea
- Coping With Changing Sleep Patterns as You Get Older
- Stages of Sleep
- Sleep Apnea: Fibre-Optic Pharyngoscopy
- Sleep Apnea: Oral Devices
- Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) Therapy for Obstructive Sleep Apnea
- Sleep Apnea
- Sleep Problems, Age 12 and Older
- Stages of Sleep Apnea
- Sleep Journal
- Shift Work Sleep Disorder
- Snoring
- Sleep Problems: Dealing With Jet Lag
- Insomnia
- Sleep and Your Body Clock
- Weakness and Fatigue
- Insomnia: Improving Your Sleep
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Heart Health and Stroke
- Peripheral Arterial Disease of the Legs
- Bradycardia (Slow Heart Rate)
- Types of Bradycardia
- Cardiac Device Monitoring
- Angioplasty for Peripheral Arterial Disease of the Legs
- Isolated Systolic High Blood Pressure
- Atrial Fibrillation: Should I Try Electrical Cardioversion?
- Change in Heartbeat
- Deep Vein Thrombosis
- Fast Heart Rate
- Heart Failure: Symptom Record
- Heart Failure: Compensation by the Heart and Body
- Heart Failure: Taking Medicines Properly
- Heart Failure: Watching Your Fluids
- Heart Failure: Avoiding Triggers for Sudden Heart Failure
- Heart Failure: Activity and Exercise
- Heart Tests: When Do You Need Them?
- Low Blood Pressure (Hypotension)
- Cardiac Arrest
- Heart Failure Daily Action Plan
- Premature Ventricular Contractions (PVCs)
- Heart Rate Problems: Should I Get a Pacemaker?
- Heart Rhythm Problems: Should I Get an Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillator (ICD)?
- What to Do if Your Cardiac Device Is Recalled
- Venous Insufficiency
- Carotid Artery Stenting
- ICD: Living Well With It
- Diabetes: Lower Your Risk for Heart Attack and Stroke
- Pacemaker for Heart Failure (Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy)
- Heart Attack: How to Prevent Another One
- Stroke: How to Prevent Another One
- Sex and Your Heart
- Supraventricular Tachycardia: Should I Have Catheter Ablation?
- Carotid Artery Disease
- Giant Cell Arteritis
- High Blood Pressure: Over-the-Counter Medicines to Avoid
- Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS)
- Leg Aneurysm
- Pulmonary Hypertension
- Left Ventricular Hypertrophy (LVH)
- Heart Failure: Checking Your Weight
- Alan's Story: Coping With Change After a Heart Attack
- Coronary Artery Disease: Prevention Myths
- Quick Tips: Taking Charge of Your Angina
- Heart and Circulation
- High Blood Pressure
- Heartburn
- Angioplasty for Coronary Artery Disease
- Coronary Artery Disease
- Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillator (ICD)
- Aortic Valve Regurgitation
- Aortic Valve Stenosis
- Secondary High Blood Pressure
- Hemorrhagic Stroke
- Stroke: Common Disabilities
- Self-Care After a Stroke
- Stroke: Dealing With Depression
- Stroke: Getting Dressed
- Stroke: Speech and Language Problems
- Stroke: Bladder and Bowel Problems
- Stroke: Preventing Injury in Affected Limbs
- After a Stroke: Helping Your Family Adjust
- Stroke: Behaviour Changes
- Stroke: Changes in Emotions
- Stroke: Perception Changes
- Stroke: Problems With Ignoring the Affected Side
- Stroke: Memory Tips
- Stroke: Your Rehabilitation Team
- Stroke
- Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA)
- Cardiac Rehabilitation: Lifestyle Changes
- Cardiac Rehabilitation: Hospital Program
- Cardiac Rehabilitation: Home Program
- Cardiac Rehabilitation: Outpatient Program
- Cardiac Rehabilitation: Maintenance Program
- Congenital Heart Defects
- Congenital Heart Defects: Caring for Your Child
- Coronary Artery Disease: Should I Have an Angiogram?
- Triggers of Sudden Heart Failure
- Classification of Heart Failure
- Heart Failure: Tips for Easier Breathing
- Heart Failure: Avoiding Colds and Flu
- Heart Failure
- Helping Someone During a Panic Attack
- Aortic Aneurysm
- High Blood Pressure
- Coronary Artery Disease: Family History
- Angina
- Using Nitroglycerin for Angina
- Heartburn: Changing Your Eating Habits
- Angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs)
- Beta-blockers
- Heart Rhythm Problems: Diary of Symptoms
- Vagal Manoeuvres for Supraventricular Tachycardia (SVT)
- Electrical Cardioversion (Defibrillation) for a Fast Heart Rate
- Catheter Ablation for a Fast Heart Rate
- Supraventricular Tachycardia
- Home Blood Pressure Log
- Blood Pressure Screening
- Heart Block
- Electrical System of the Heart
- Heart Rhythm Problems and Driving
- Heart Rhythm Problems: Symptoms
- Resuming Sexual Activity After a Heart Attack
- Risk Factors for Coronary Artery Disease
- Pacemaker for Bradycardia
- SPECT Image of the Heart
- Heart Attack and Stroke in Women: Reducing Your Risk
- Ventricular Tachycardia
- Aspirin to Prevent Heart Attack and Stroke
- Temporal Artery Biopsy
- Emergency First Aid for Heatstroke
- Heartburn Symptom Record
- Heart Attack and Unstable Angina
- Congenital Heart Defects in Adults
- Monitoring and Medicines for Heart Failure
- Ventricular Assist Device (VAD) for Heart Failure
- Cardiac Output
- Heart Failure Symptoms
- Heart Failure: Less Common Symptoms
- Heart Failure With Reduced Ejection Fraction (Systolic Heart Failure)
- Heart Failure With Preserved Ejection Fraction (Diastolic Heart Failure)
- High-Output Heart Failure
- Right-Sided Heart Failure
- Heart Failure Complications
- How the Heart Works
- Coronary Arteries and Heart Function
- Heart Failure Types
- Enjoying Life When You Have Heart Failure
- Heart Failure: Tips for Caregivers
- Medicines to Prevent Abnormal Heart Rhythm in Heart Failure
- Cardiac Cachexia
- Heart Failure Stages
- Cardiac Rehabilitation Team
- Cardiac Rehabilitation: Emotional Health Benefits
- Ischemia
- Coronary Artery Disease: Roles of Different Doctors
- Coronary Artery Disease: Helping a Loved One
- Manage Stress for Your Heart
- Intermittent Claudication
- Peripheral Arterial Disease: Pulse and Blood Pressure Measurement
- Heart Failure and Sexual Activity
- Joan's Story: Coping With Depression and Anxiety From Heart Failure
- Rheumatic Fever and the Heart
- Heart Valve Problems: Should I Choose a Mechanical Valve or Tissue Valve to Replace My Heart Valve?
- Acute Coronary Syndrome
- Aspirin: Should I Take Daily Aspirin to Prevent a Heart Attack or Stroke?
- Heart Failure: Should I Get a Pacemaker ?
- Heart Failure: Should I Get an Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillator (ICD)?
- Heart Valve Disease
- Myxoma Tumours of the Heart
- Aortic Dissection
- Heart Attack and Stroke Risk Screening
- High Blood Pressure: Checking Your Blood Pressure at Home
- Hypertensive Emergency
- Stroke Rehabilitation
- Treatment for Stroke-Related Spasticity
- Driving a Car After a Stroke
- Heart Failure: Avoiding Medicines That Make Symptoms Worse
- Stroke Recovery: Coping With Eating Problems
- Heart Murmur
- High Blood Pressure: Should I Take Medicine?
- Coronary Artery Disease: Should I Have Angioplasty for Stable Angina?
- Tyrell's Story: Taking Pills for High Blood Pressure
- Stroke Prevention: Should I Have a Carotid Artery Procedure?
- Atrial Fibrillation: Which Anticoagulant Should I Take to Prevent Stroke?
- Stroke: Should I Move My Loved One Into Long-Term Care?
- Atrial Fibrillation: Should I Take an Anticoagulant to Prevent Stroke?
- Smoking and Coronary Artery Disease
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Hepatitis
- Hepatitis C: Your Risk for Cirrhosis
- Hepatitis E
- Hepatitis B Immune Globulin - Injection
- Heparin - Injection
- Fulminant Hepatitis
- Protect Yourself From Hepatitis A When Travelling
- Hepatitis A
- Viral Hepatitis
- Hepatitis C
- Hepatitis D
- Hepatitis B: How to Avoid Spreading the Virus
- Hepatitis B
- Hepatitis Panel
- Hepatitis B Treatment Recommendations
- Hepatitis B: Should I Be Tested?
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HIV
- HIV Infection
- HIV Viral Load
- HIV: Stages of Infection
- Ways HIV Cannot Be Spread
- HIV and Exercise
- HIV: Giving Support
- HIV: Tips for Caregivers to Avoid Infection
- HIV: Preventing Other Infections When You Have HIV
- HIV Home Care
- Antiretroviral medicines for HIV
- Resistance to HIV Medicines
- HIV: Preventing Infections
- HIV: Antiretroviral Therapy (ART)
- Opportunistic Infections in HIV
- HIV: Taking Antiretroviral Drugs
- HIV: Non-Progressors and HIV-Resistant People
- HIV Screening
- HIV and Weight Loss
- HIV and Fatigue
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Infectious Diseases
- Anthrax
- Avian Influenza
- Avoiding Infections in the Hospital
- Bacterial Infections of the Spine
- Bites and Stings: Flu-Like Symptoms
- Boric Acid for Vaginal Yeast Infection
- Caregiving: Reducing Germs and Infection in the Home
- Central Venous Catheter: Flushing
- Chickenpox (Varicella)
- Chickenpox: Preventing Skin Infections
- Chikungunya Fever
- Complicated Urinary Tract Infections
- Complications of Ear Infections
- Cranberry Juice and Urinary Tract Infections
- Dengue Fever
- Ear Infection: Should I Give My Child Antibiotics?
- Ear Infections
- Ebola or Marburg Virus Infection
- Ebola Virus Disease
- Enterovirus D68 (EV-D68)
- Fever or Chills, Age 11 and Younger
- Fever or Chills, Age 12 and Older
- Fever Seizures
- Fever Temperatures: Accuracy and Comparison
- Feverfew for Migraines
- Fifth Disease
- Flu: Signs of Bacterial Infection
- Fungal Nail Infections
- Giardiasis
- Hand-Foot-and-Mouth Disease
- Kissing Bugs
- Measles (Rubeola)
- Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS)
- Molluscum Contagiosum
- Monkeypox
- Mononucleosis (Mono)
- Mononucleosis Complications
- Mumps
- Nail Infection: Should I Take Antifungal Pills?
- Neutropenia: Preventing Infections
- Non-Surgical Nail Removal for Fungal Nail Infections
- Noroviruses
- Pleurisy
- Pneumonia
- Preventing Tetanus Infections
- Pseudomonas Infection
- Recurrent Ear Infections and Persistent Effusion
- Recurrent Vaginal Yeast Infections
- Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) Infection
- Rotavirus
- Rubella (German Measles)
- Scarlet Fever
- Sexually Transmitted Infections
- Sexually Transmitted Infections: Genital Examination for Men
- Sexually Transmitted Infections: Symptoms in Women
- Sexually Transmitted Infections: Treatment
- Shingles
- Smallpox
- Sore Throat and Other Throat Problems
- Staph Infection
- Strep Throat
- Symptoms of Pelvic Infection
- Thrush
- Tick Bites: Flu-Like Symptoms
- Tinea Versicolor
- Tuberculosis (TB)
- Tuberculosis Screening
- Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs) in Older Adults
- Vaginal Yeast Infection: Should I Treat It Myself?
- Vaginal Yeast Infections
- Valley Fever
- West Nile Virus
- Zika Virus
- Informed Health Decisions
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Injuries
- Trapped Finger, Toe, or Limb
- Blister Care
- Exercises for Heel Pain or Tightness
- Broken Toe
- Broken Nose (Nasal Fracture)
- Preventing Blisters
- Hip Fracture
- Medial Collateral Ligament (MCL) Injury
- Pressure Injuries From Scuba Diving
- Pressure Injuries: Stages
- Pressure Injuries: Prevention and Treatment
- Calf Muscle Injury
- Avulsion Fracture
- Lateral Collateral Ligament (LCL) Injury
- Posterior Cruciate Ligament (PCL) Injury
- Frozen or Stuck Tongue or Other Body Part
- Fifth Metatarsal Jones Fracture
- Animal and Human Bites
- Blisters
- Burns and Electric Shock
- Choking Rescue Procedure: Heimlich Manoeuvre
- Cold Temperature Exposure
- Cuts
- Ear Problems and Injuries, Age 11 and Younger
- Elbow Injuries
- Elbow Problems, Non-Injury
- Facial Injuries
- Facial Problems, Non-Injury
- Fish Hook Injuries
- Toe, Foot, and Ankle Injuries
- Groin Problems and Injuries
- Finger, Hand, and Wrist Injuries
- Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) Injuries
- Safe Hand and Wrist Movements
- Physical Rehabilitation for ACL Injuries
- Marine Stings and Scrapes
- Mouth Problems, Non-Injury
- Nail Problems and Injuries
- Puncture Wounds
- Shoulder Problems and Injuries
- Removing Splinters
- Swallowed Button Disc Battery, Magnet, or Object With Lead
- Object Stuck in the Throat
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Joints and Spinal Conditions
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British Columbia Specific Information
Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer in women in British Columbia. Breast cancer can occur in men as well, but it is not as common. Tests and treatments for breast cancer vary from person to person, and are based on individual circumstances. Certain factors such as your age, family history, or a previous breast cancer diagnosis may increase your risk of developing breast cancer. For information about your specific risk factors, speak with your health care provider.
A number of screening methods, including mammograms in women, can help find and diagnose breast cancer. The decision to have a mammogram or use any other screening method may be a difficult decision for some women. While screening for breast cancer is often recommended, it is not mandatory. Speak with your health care provider for information regarding how to get screened, the facts and myths about screening tests, how to maintain your breast health, and to get help making an informed decision.
For more information about breast cancer and breast cancer screening, visit:
- BC Cancer Agency: About Cancer Screening - Breast
- BC Cancer Agency: Hereditary Cancer
- BC Cancer Agency: Types of Cancer - Breast
- Canadian Cancer Society: What is Breast Cancer?
- Canadian Task Force on Preventative Health Care: Screening for Breast Cancer
- Government of Canada: Breast Cancer and Your Risk
If you have questions about breast cancer or medications, speak with your health care provider or call 8-1-1 to speak with a registered nurse or pharmacist. Our nurses are available anytime, every day of the year, and our pharmacists are available every night from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 a.m.
Condition Overview
Is this topic for you?
This topic is for women who have been diagnosed with breast cancer for the first time. If you are looking for information on breast cancer that has spread or come back after treatment, see the topic Breast Cancer, Metastatic or Recurrent.
For male breast cancer, see the topic Breast Cancer in Men.
What is breast cancer?
Breast cancer occurs when abnormal cells grow out of control in one or both breasts. They can invade nearby tissues and form a mass, called a malignant tumour. The cancer cells can spread (metastasize) to the lymph nodes and other parts of the body.
Breast cancer that begins in the ducts of the breast is called ductal carcinoma. It is the most common type of breast cancer. When breast cancer begins in the lobes of the breast, it is called lobular carcinoma. Sometimes breast cancer is a mix of both types.
If abnormal cells are found only in the lining of a duct or lobe of the breast, they are said to be non-invasive, or "in situ" (say "in-SY-too"). These abnormal cells are called ductal carcinoma in situ or lobular carcinoma in situ.
There are also some less common types of breast cancer, such as inflammatory breast cancer and male breast cancer.
What causes breast cancer?
Doctors don't know exactly what causes breast cancer. But some things are known to increase the chance that you will get it. These are called risk factors. Risk factors that you cannot change include getting older and having changes to certain genes. Risk factors you may be able to change include using certain types of hormone therapy after menopause, being overweight, and not getting enough physical activity.
But many women who have risk factors don't get breast cancer. And many women who get breast cancer don't have any known risk factors other than being female and getting older.
What are the symptoms?
Breast cancer can cause:
- A change in the way the breast feels. The most common symptom is a painless lump or thickening in the breast or underarm.
- A change in the way the breast looks. The skin on the breast may dimple or look like an orange peel. There may be a change in the size or shape of the breast.
- A change in the nipple. It may turn in. The skin around it may look scaly.
- A fluid that comes out of the nipple.
See your doctor right away if you notice any of these changes.
How is breast cancer diagnosed?
During a regular physical examination, your doctor can check your breasts to look for lumps or changes. Depending on your age and risk factors, the doctor may advise you to have a mammogram, which is an X-ray of the breast. A mammogram can often find a lump that is too small to be felt. Sometimes a woman finds a lump during a breast self-examination.
If you or your doctor finds a lump or another change, the doctor will want to take a sample of the cells in your breast (biopsy). The results of the biopsy help your doctor know if you have cancer and what type of cancer it is.
You may have other tests to find out the stage of the cancer. The stage is a way for doctors to describe how far the cancer has spread. Your treatment choices will be based partly on the type and stage of cancer.
How is it treated?
You and your doctor will decide which mix of treatments is right for you based on many things. These include facts about your cancer as well as your family history, other health problems, and your feelings about keeping your breast.
Breast cancer is usually treated with surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, hormone therapy, or targeted therapy.
In some cases, you may need to decide whether to have surgery to remove just the cancer (breast-conserving surgery, or lumpectomy) or surgery that removes the entire breast (mastectomy).
Treatments can cause side effects. Your doctor can let you know what problems to expect and help you find ways to manage them.
When you find out that you have cancer, you may feel many emotions and may need some help coping. Talking with other women who are going through the same thing may help. Your doctor or your local branch of the Canadian Cancer Society can help you find a support group.
Can breast cancer be prevented?
At this time, there is no sure way to prevent breast cancer.
Some risk factors, such as your age and being female, cannot be controlled. But you may be able to do things to stay as healthy as you can, such as having a healthy diet and being active. Knowing your risk of getting breast cancer also can help you choose what steps to take.
Talk to your doctor about your risk. Find out when to start having mammograms and how often you need one. If your doctor confirms that you have a high or very high risk, ask about ways to reduce your risk, such as getting extra screening, taking medicine, or having surgery.
If you have a strong family history of breast cancer, ask your doctor about genetic testing. The test can check for gene changes that increase your risk for getting breast cancer and ovarian cancer.
Health Tools
Health Tools help you make wise health decisions or take action to improve your health.
- Breast Cancer Screening: When Should I Start Having Mammograms?
- Breast Cancer: Should I Have Breast Reconstruction After a Mastectomy?
- Breast Cancer: Should I Have Breast-Conserving Surgery or a Mastectomy?
- Breast Cancer: Should I Have Chemotherapy for Early-Stage Breast Cancer?
- Breast Cancer: What Should I Do if I'm at High Risk?
Cause
The exact cause of breast cancer is not known. A woman's age and health history play a part. The chances that you will get breast cancer increase as you age. In Canada, 1 woman out of 9 will be diagnosed with breast cancer at some point in her life.footnote 1
Symptoms
The first sign of breast cancer is often a painless lump. But early breast cancer is often found on a mammogram before a lump can be felt.
Other symptoms of breast cancer may not appear until the cancer is more advanced. These include:
- A thickening in the breast or armpit.
- A change in the size or shape of the breast.
- Changes in the skin of the breast, such as a dimple or skin that looks like an orange peel.
- A change in the nipple, such as scaling of the skin or a nipple that turns in.
- A green or bloody fluid that comes from the nipple.
- A change in the colour or feel of the skin around the nipple (areola).
Symptoms such as changes in the skin of the breast or the nipple may be a sign of inflammatory breast cancer. For more information, see the topic Inflammatory Breast Cancer.
What Happens
Breast cancer occurs when cells in the breast grow abnormally. As the breast cancer grows, it can spread to nearby tissues and lymph nodes. Advanced breast cancer can affect the bones, liver, and brain.
Your doctor will find out more about your breast cancer when the cancer cells are examined under the microscope. Tests for hormone receptors and gene changes are usually done after surgery. For the tests, your doctor uses tissue taken from your breast.
Your doctor will also stage the cancer to see how far it has spread within the breast, to nearby tissues, and to other organs. Your doctor will find the stage by using tests, such as chest X-rays or CT scans. The stage of your cancer will help guide your treatment options.
What Increases Your Risk
Although the exact cause of breast cancer is not known, most experts agree that several things can increase your risk of breast cancer.
Top risk factors linked to breast cancer
-
Aging. Your breast cancer risk increases as you get older. By age group, breast cancer is diagnosed in:footnote 2
- 4 out of 1,000 women in their 30s.
- 15 out of 1,000 women in their 40s.
- 24 out of 1,000 women in their 50s.
- 36 out of 1,000 women in their 60s.
- 38 out of 1,000 women in their 70s.
- Being female. Although breast cancer can occur in men, most breast cancer is found in women.
Conditions that can raise your risk of breast cancer
- Personal history. Women who have dense breasts, a breast disease that is not cancer, or who have had breast cancer before have an increased risk.
-
Family history. A woman's risk of breast cancer increases if her mother, sister, daughter, or two or more other close relatives, such as cousins, have a history of breast cancer, especially if they were diagnosed with breast cancer at age 50 or younger.
- A small number of women who have a family history of breast cancer have inherited changes to certain genes, such as BRCA1 or BRCA2, that increase their breast cancer risk.
- Genetic tests are available to find out if you have the genetic mutations long before any cancer appears.
- Breast Cancer Risk: Should I Have a BRCA Gene Test?
- Breast changes. Some breast changes, such as having atypical hyperplasia, ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), or lobular carcinoma in situ (LCIS), increase a woman's risk for breast cancer.
Other things that increase the risk of breast cancer
- Race. Breast cancer occurs more often in white women than in black, Hispanic, or Asian women.
- Radiation therapy. Women whose breasts were exposed to significant amounts of radiation at a young age, especially those who were treated for Hodgkin's lymphoma, have an increased risk for breast cancer.
- Not breastfeeding. Women who don't breastfeed have a higher risk of breast cancer than those who breastfeed. The more months of breastfeeding, the lower the breast cancer risk.
- Alcohol. Your risk goes up the more you drink. For the best health, women should have no more than 1 drink a day or 7 drinks a week. Studies show that for women who have a personal or family history of breast cancer, limiting alcohol use to less than one drink a day is better.
-
Hormones. Female hormones play a part in some types of breast cancer. Your risk of breast cancer is higher if:footnote 3
- You use estrogen-progestin hormone therapy after menopause for several years or more.
- You begin menstruation before age 12 and start menopause later than age 55.
- You have your first baby at a later age or you do not bear any children.
- You have extra body fat or gain weight later in life. These can increase the amount of estrogen in your body.
For more information about your personal risk level, go to www.cancer.gov/bcrisktool.
When To Call
Call your doctor if you have:
- A painless lump in your breast or armpit.
- A change in the size or shape of the breast.
- Changes in the skin of the breast, such as a dimple or skin that looks like an orange peel.
- A change in the nipple, such as scaling of the skin, a nipple that turns in, or discharge or bleeding.
- A change in the colour or feel of the skin around the nipple.
If you have been diagnosed with cancer, be sure to follow your doctor's instructions about calling when you have problems, new symptoms, or symptoms that get worse.
Examinations and Tests
Early detection
You may have a screening test to look for breast cancer. (Screening tests help your doctor look for a certain disease before any symptoms appear.) The earlier breast cancer is found, the more easily and successfully it can be treated.
The type and frequency of breast cancer screening that is best for you changes as you age. The most common ways to find breast cancer early include:
- Mammogram. A mammogram is an X-ray of the breast that can often find tumours that are too small for you or your doctor to feel.
- Clinical breast examination (CBE). Your doctor may do this examination during your routine physical examination.
- Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the breast. MRI is a test that uses a magnetic field and pulses of radio wave energy to provide pictures of the inside of the breast. It may be used as a screening test for women who are at high risk.
Diagnostic tests
If your doctor thinks that you have breast cancer, you may have other tests, including:
- More mammograms.
- An ultrasound. You may have an ultrasound of the breast if a lump is found during a clinical breast examination or on a mammogram.
- An MRI of the breast. This is sometimes used to get more information about a breast lump or to evaluate problems in women who have breast implants.
- A breast biopsy. If a lump is found in your breast, your doctor will need to remove a small sample of the lump (biopsy) and look at it under a microscope to see whether any cancer cells are present.
- Other tests may be done to help with treatment decisions. These include:
- Estrogen and progesterone receptor status. The hormones estrogen and progesterone stimulate the growth of normal breast cells as well as some breast cancers. Hormone receptor status is an important piece of information that will help you and your doctor plan treatment.
- HER-2 receptor status. HER-2/neu is a protein that regulates the growth of some breast cancer cells. Some women with breast cancer have too much (overexpression) of this growth-promoting protein.
- Multi-gene tests for post-menopausal women with hormone-receptor-positive, HER-2 negative breast cancer. These tests can show your chances of the cancer coming back. This can help your doctor tell whether chemotherapy is likely to work for you.
- A complete blood count (CBC) to provide important information about the kinds and numbers of cells in your blood.
- A chemistry screen, to measure the levels of several substances (such as those involved in liver functions) in your blood.
- A chest X-ray, to provide a picture of organs and structures within your chest, including your heart and lungs, your blood vessels, and the thin sheet of muscle just below your lungs (diaphragm).
Tests if your doctor thinks that breast cancer has spread
If your doctor thinks that breast cancer may have spread to other organs in your body (metastasized), he or she may order additional testing, including a bone scan or CT scans.
Follow-up tests
If you have had breast cancer in one breast, you have an increased risk for developing breast cancer again. Breast cancer can come back in the same breast, on the chest wall, in your other breast, or somewhere else in your body. You can expect to have:
- Physical examinations. The frequency of your physical examinations depends on your general health and the type of breast cancer you have. In general, you will see your doctor every 3 to 6 months for 3 years and then every 6 months until 5 years have passed since your diagnosis of breast cancer. Then you may see your doctor once a year.
- Mammograms to screen for breast cancer and to investigate lumps that can be felt during a breast examination.
If you find any unusual changes in the treated area or in your other breast, or if you have swollen lymph glands or bone pain, call your doctor to discuss these changes. For more information, see the topic Breast Cancer, Metastatic or Recurrent.
It is important to know what your breasts normally look and feel like. When you know what is normal for you, you are better able to notice changes. Tell your doctor right away if you notice any changes in your breasts.
Treatment Overview
When making decisions about treatment, you and your doctor will consider many things, such as your age and health, the type of breast cancer you have, and how likely it is to spread.
Breast cancer is usually treated with surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, hormone therapy, or targeted therapy.
Types of treatment
- Surgery to remove the cancer. This may be done by removing the whole breast (mastectomy) or just the part of the breast that contains the breast cancer (lumpectomy). Some of the lymph nodes under the arm may also be removed.
- Radiation therapy, which is the use of high-dose X-rays to destroy cancer cells and shrink tumours.
- Chemotherapy, which is the use of medicine to destroy cancer cells. Chemotherapy is called a systemic treatment, because the medicines enter the bloodstream, travel through the body, and can destroy cancer cells outside the target area.
- Hormone therapy with tamoxifen or an aromatase inhibitor, to change the way hormones in the body cause cancer growth.
- Targeted therapy with medicines that go directly to the cancer cells, such as trastuzumab (Herceptin), palbociclib (Ibrance), and pertuzumab (Perjeta).
In some cases, chemotherapy or hormone therapy is used before surgery to shrink the breast cancer. This may mean that less breast tissue has to be removed during surgery.
Depending on the tumour's size and whether cancer has spread to your lymph nodes, you may have several treatment options. Hormone therapy, chemotherapy, or a combination of the two treatments may be used after surgery to destroy any remaining cancer cells. This also lowers the chances that the cancer will come back. Your doctor may suggest gene tests to find out if chemotherapy will help.
For women with DCIS (ductal carcinoma in situ), surgery is the standard treatment. But researchers are trying to find out which women might be good candidates for active surveillance. These women might be able to safely avoid or delay surgery.
Side effects of treatment
Treatments can have side effects, such as nausea and vomiting and hair loss. For more information on how to manage side effects, see Home Treatment.
You can find more information about breast cancer online.
- Canadian Cancer Society: www.cancer.ca
- U.S. National Cancer Institute: www.cancer.gov
Coping with emotions
When you first find out that you have cancer, you may feel scared or angry. Or you may feel very calm. It's normal to have a wide range of feelings and for those feelings to change quickly. Some people find that it helps to talk about their feelings with family and friends.
If your emotional reaction to cancer gets in the way of your ability to make decisions about your health, it's important to talk with your doctor. Your cancer treatment centre may offer psychological or financial services. And a local chapter of the Canadian Cancer Society can help you find a support group.
Having cancer can change your life in many ways. For support in managing these changes, see the topic Getting Support When You Have Cancer.
Body image and sexual problems
Your feelings about your body may change after treatment for breast cancer. Managing body image issues may involve talking openly about your concerns with your partner and discussing your feelings with your doctor. Your doctor may be able to refer you to groups that can offer support and information.
Sexual problems can be caused by the physical or emotional effects of cancer or its treatment. Some women may feel less sexual pleasure or lose their desire to be intimate. For more information, see the topic Sexual Problems in Women.
Follow-up care
After the initial treatment for breast cancer, you may see your family doctor, medical oncologist, radiation oncologist, or surgeon at regularly scheduled intervals, depending on your individual situation. Your checkups will happen less often as time goes by.
As part of your follow-up, you may have regular physical examinations and mammograms.
It's also important to do regular self-examinations. That way, if the cancer does come back, you have a better chance of finding it early enough for successful treatment. Early signs of recurrence may appear in the incision area itself, the opposite breast, under your arm, or in the area above the collarbone.
If new problems develop, you may have additional tests, such as blood tests, bone scans, chest X-rays, CT scans, or MRI tests.
If your breast cancer tested positive for estrogen and progesterone receptors, your doctor may prescribe medicines that can lower your risk of the cancer coming back. For more information, see Medications.
For information about the treatment of metastatic or recurrent breast cancer, see the topic Breast Cancer, Metastatic or Recurrent.
Prevention
You cannot control some things that put you at risk for breast cancer, such as your age and being female. But you can make personal choices that lower your risk of breast cancer.
- Stay at a healthy weight.
- Eat a healthy diet with plenty of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.
- Get plenty of physical activity.
- Limit alcohol to no more than one drink a day.
If you think you are at high risk for breast cancer
If you are concerned about your risk for breast cancer, talk with your doctor. He or she can help you understand your risk if you have a strong family history of breast cancer. Based on your risk, your doctor will recommend a screening schedule for you.
Your doctor may talk with you about genetic testing, the risks and benefits of taking hormone therapy, or even surgery if your risk is very high.
For more information, see:
- Breast Cancer Risk: Should I Have a BRCA Gene Test?
- Breast Cancer: What Should I Do if I'm at High Risk?
Self-Care
Managing side effects
The side effects of breast cancer treatment can be serious. Healthy habits such as eating a balanced diet and getting enough sleep and exercise may help control your symptoms. Your doctor may also give you medicines to help you with certain side effects, such as medicines to control and prevent nausea and vomiting.
- Home treatment for fatigue includes learning how to manage when you feel a tiredness that doesn't go away with rest or sleep. For example, if taking a shower is a priority, and mornings are when you have the most energy, plan to take your shower at that time.
- Home treatment for nausea or vomiting includes watching for and treating early signs of dehydration, such as having a dry mouth or feeling light-headed when you stand up. Eating smaller meals may help. So can a little bit of ginger candy or ginger tea.
- Home treatment for diarrhea includes resting your stomach and being alert for signs of dehydration. Check with your doctor before using any non-prescription medicines for your diarrhea. Be sure to drink enough fluids.
- Home treatment for constipation includes making sure that you drink enough fluids and eat fruits, vegetables, and fibre in your diet each day. Do not use a laxative without first talking to your doctor.
Other problems that can be treated at home include:
- Sleep problems. If you have trouble sleeping, managing sleep problems may help. This includes establishing a sleep routine and making your bedroom a restful place.
- Hair loss may be unavoidable. But you can decrease irritation of your scalp by using mild shampoos and avoiding damaging hair products.
- Stress. Cancer and its treatment can be stressful. But there are many steps you can take to manage stress, from learning specific relaxation skills to finding ways to express yourself.
- Pain. Not all forms of cancer or cancer treatment cause pain. But if you do have pain, there are many home treatments that can help, such as over-the-counter medicines and using ice and heat.
- Lymphedema, which is swelling of the arm. You can reduce your risk for lymphedema by protecting your arm on the side where you had surgery and letting your doctor know right away if you have swelling or redness in that arm.
Medicines
Medicines are used to treat breast cancer and also to help relieve side effects of treatment.
Chemotherapy
A combination of medicines is typically used to treat breast cancer. The number of cycles of treatment will depend on the medicines that are used and how the medicines are given. Chemotherapy often uses several medicines together. They may include medicines like capecitabine, doxorubicin, and gemcitabine.
The side effects of chemotherapy depend mainly on the medicines you receive. As with other types of treatment, side effects vary from person to person. Your doctor may also prescribe medicines to control and prevent nausea and vomiting.
Hormone therapy
Medicines used for hormone therapy stop or slow the growth of hormone-sensitive cancer cells. These medicines include:
- Selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERMs), such as raloxifene (Evista) and tamoxifen (Nolvadex).
- Anti-estrogen medicine, such as fulvestrant (Faslodex).
- Aromatase inhibitors, such as anastrozole (Arimidex), exemestane (Aromasin), and letrozole (Femara).
- LH-RH agonists, such as goserelin (Zoladex) and leuprolide (Lupron).
Hormone-blocking treatments may cause fewer side effects than chemotherapy. If you are deciding what type of medicine to use, weigh the benefits and risks of these medicines for your type of cancer.
Targeted therapies
Targeted therapies use medicines or substances that go directly to the cancer cells and don't harm normal cells. They include monoclonal antibodies, tyrosine kinase inhibitors, and PARP inhibitors.
- Trastuzumab (Herceptin) and pertuzumab (Perjeta) are used to treat HER-2 positive breast cancer. These medicines are monoclonal antibodies. They help chemotherapy work better.
- Lapatinib, a tyrosine kinase inhibitor, may be used to treat women who have HER-2+ cancer that has progressed even after they have taken trastuzumab.
- Researchers are looking for a targeted therapy for triple-negative breast cancer (cancer cells that do not have estrogen or progesterone receptors or large amounts of HER-2).
The side effects of targeted therapies will depend on the type of medicine that is given. They include nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. Some medicines can also cause side effects that are more serious.
Surgery
Most people with breast cancer have surgery to remove the cancer. You may have breast-conserving surgery or surgery to remove the entire breast. Some of the lymph nodes under the arm may also be removed to check for cancer cells.
The kind of surgery you have may depend on the size and location of your cancer and your personal preferences.
Surgery that removes part of the breast
Breast-conserving surgery (lumpectomy) is the removal of the cancer and just enough tissue to make sure that all the cancer is removed.
Talk to your doctor about what your breast might look like after the surgery.
Surgery that removes all of the breast
Mastectomy procedures include:
- Total or simple mastectomy, which is the removal of the whole breast.
- Modified radical mastectomy, which is the removal of the whole breast and the lymph nodes under the arm (axillary lymph nodes).
- Radical mastectomy, which is the removal of the breast, chest muscles, and all of the lymph nodes under the arm (axillary lymph node dissection). This surgery is rarely used.
Depending on the location of the tumour in the breast or other factors, some women may be able to have a skin-sparing or nipple-sparing mastectomy. Skin-sparing mastectomy leaves most of the skin, except for the nipple and the areola. Nipple-sparing mastectomy saves the skin as well as the nipple and areola.
Breast reconstruction
After mastectomy, a new breast can be reconstructed. Your surgeon will rebuild the shape of your breast using artificial implants or tissue from other parts of your body.
If you want breast reconstruction, talk to your doctor before your surgery is planned. You may be able to have breast reconstruction immediately following your mastectomy.
Other Treatment
Radiation
Radiation treatment is the use of high-energy X-rays to destroy cancer cells and shrink tumours. It lowers the risk of your cancer coming back in the breast or chest wall. Radiation therapy is used after breast-conserving surgery and sometimes after mastectomy, depending on how advanced the breast cancer is at the time of surgery.
The way radiation therapy is given will depend on the type and stage of your cancer.
The most common way to give radiation treatment is called external beam radiation. This method of treatment exposes the skin on the chest and under the arm to a carefully focused beam of radiation.
Sometimes tiny radioactive pellets are placed in or near the tumour site. This is called brachytherapy, internal radiation, or interstitial radiation. One example is accelerated partial breast irradiation (APBI).
Radiation may also be given in a single treatment, such as during surgery when a woman is having a lumpectomy.
Radiation treatment can cause many side effects. Your breast may swell and feel heavy. Fatigue is common. For information about managing side effects, see Home Treatment.
Clinical trials
You may be interested in participating in research studies called clinical trials. Clinical trials are designed to find better ways to treat cancer patients and are based on the most up-to-date information. Women who want to help with breast cancer research and those who are not cured using standard treatments may want to participate in clinical trials. These are ongoing in most parts of Canada, the United States, and in some other countries for all stages of breast cancer.
Check with your doctor to see whether clinical trials are available in your area and whether you might be eligible.
Complementary therapy
People sometimes use complementary therapies along with medical treatment to help relieve symptoms and side effects of cancer treatments. Some of the complementary therapies that may be helpful include:
- Acupuncture to relieve pain.
- Meditation or yoga to relieve stress.
- Massage and biofeedback to reduce pain and ease tension.
- Breathing exercises for relaxation.
These mind-body treatments may help you feel better. They can make it easier to cope with treatment. They also may reduce chronic low back pain, joint pain, headaches, and pain from treatments.
Before you try a complementary therapy, talk to your doctor about the possible value and potential side effects. Let your doctor know if you are already using any such therapies. They are not meant to take the place of standard medical treatment.
Related Information
- Breast Cancer in Men (Male Breast Cancer)
- Breast Cancer, Metastatic or Recurrent
- Cancer: Home Treatment for Constipation
- Cancer: Home Treatment for Diarrhea
- Cancer: Home Treatment for Fatigue
- Cancer: Home Treatment for Sleep Problems
- Inflammatory Breast Cancer
- Making the Most of Your Appointment
- Preparing for Your Hospital Stay
- Surgery: What to Expect
References
Citations
- Canadian Cancer Society (2013). Breast cancer statistics. Available online: http://www.cancer.ca/en/cancer-information/cancer-type/breast/statistics/?region=on.
- National Cancer Institute (2012). Breast cancer risk in American women. National Cancer Institute Fact Sheet. Available online: http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Detection/probability-breast-cancer.
- Dizon DS, et al. (2009). Breast cancer. In RR Barakat et al., eds., Principles and Practice of Gynecologic Oncology, 5th ed., pp. 897–945. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams and Wilkins.
Credits
Current as of: September 8, 2021
Author: Healthwise Staff
Medical Review:
Sarah Marshall MD - Family Medicine
Anne C. Poinier MD - Internal Medicine
E. Gregory Thompson MD - Internal Medicine
Adam Husney MD - Family Medicine
Kathleen Romito MD - Family Medicine
Elizabeth T. Russo MD - Internal Medicine
Douglas A. Stewart MD - Medical Oncology
Current as of: September 8, 2021
Author: Healthwise Staff
Medical Review:Sarah Marshall MD - Family Medicine & Anne C. Poinier MD - Internal Medicine & E. Gregory Thompson MD - Internal Medicine & Adam Husney MD - Family Medicine & Kathleen Romito MD - Family Medicine & Elizabeth T. Russo MD - Internal Medicine & Douglas A. Stewart MD - Medical Oncology
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