Breast cancer is diagnosed in more than 207,000 women in the United States each year, according to the National Cancer Institute. Treatment varies widely from a simple surgery for the removal of early-stage, noninvasive cancer to many months of surgery, chemotherapy and radiation followed by years of follow-up therapy for women with metastatic disease. Breast cancer is an intense experience for many families and it has become a chronic disease for many women. The support of family and friends, offered in concrete and practical ways, can make the journey, short or long, much easier.
Step 1
Drive a woman with breast cancer to day-surgery, chemotherapy or radiation sessions and offer to take notes during consultations, if she would find this helpful. The use of a designated note taker is also recommended by the National Comprehensive Cancer Network as a way of improving communication between the patient and the health care providers.
Step 2
Cook for her and for her family, focusing on highly nutrient-dense foods that are safe during times when her immune system may not be able to fight off infection. High nutrient density refers to the number of vitamins, minerals and other vital nutrients contained in each calorie of a food (see Resources). Raw fruits and vegetables and any form of raw or rare meat or uncooked egg are not safe during the time a woman's white blood cell counts are depleted during chemotherapy, so stick to cooked options. Steamed or grilled fish or poultry, lightly cooked vegetables, whole grains like brown rice and yams, and omega-3 rich foods like walnuts, avocado and sunflower seeds are good choices. Because bacteria can grow during storage, prepare your gifts of food immediately before delivery and in single-serving portions.
Step 3
Help the woman with breast cancer keep her job by offering to help with projects, delivering work done at home to her office, or bringing assignments from work to her home. If she finds it difficult to work, The Americans with Disabilities Act protects the right of a person with cancer to reasonable accommodations in the workplace. Also the Family Medical Leave Act allows her to take up to 12 weeks of excused leave each year, if her company has more than 50 employees within 75 miles and if she worked 1250 hours or more in the previous 12 months, for the same company. Helping her obtain and fill out the required forms is a nice service to offer. Encourage her to seek the advise of an attorney specializing in employment law.
Step 4
Connect her with cancer survivors, especially breast cancer survivors. The American Cancer Society (ACS) maintains local branches in most U.S. communities and offers a visitor program for woman newly diagnosed. There is no physician authorization required for this service. Online communities of cancer survivors also are available through this organization. (see Resources).
Step 5
Research the option of clinical trials for her. The National Institutes of Health Clinical Trials registry, as of July 2010, listed 3,429 different research programs open to patients with breast cancer. Participation can be a good way to access the work of leading cancer specialists, often without leaving your home community, and is especially important in aggressive or advanced stages of breast cancer.
Step 6
Clean her house. Most women with breast cancer continue to work through treatment. They take their kids to soccer, cook for their families, supervise homework and pay the bills. Thanks to medications that eliminate many side effects, women continue their normal activities through treatment, but more than 30 percent of patients experience cancer fatigue syndrome for up to five years after chemotherapy is complete and this can make housecleaning and lawn maintenance very difficult, according William Ershler, M.D., director of the Institute for Advanced Studies in Aging. Send her out for a few hours of rest at the local library or coffee shop and bring in your cleaning and yard team. A clean home, free of clutter and dust, is good medicine and friendship offered in such a practical way makes you a part of her cancer recovery.
Things You'll Need
- Car
- Notebook
- Pen
- Nutrient-dense food list
- Americans with Disabilities Act and Family Medical Leave Act filing forms
- Cleaning supplies
References
- National Cancer Institute: Breast Cancer
- National Cancer Comprehensive Network: How to Talk to Your Doctor About Your Cancer Questions
- Equal Employment Opportunity Commission: Questions and Answers about Cancer in the Workplace and the Americans With Disabilities Act
- U.S. Department of Labor: Family and Medical Leave Act
- "Hospital Medical Alert"; Post Chemotherapy Fatigue and the Role of Anti-Inflammatory Treatment; William Ershler, M.D.; August 1, 2006
