Breast cancer develops into a mass made up of mutated breast cells. The tumor can original in the glandular lobules or ducts of the breast, or within the nipple. During breast cancer development, patients may notice the development of a palpable lump in the breast, a thickening of breast tissue, a lump under the arm or skin abnormalities on the breast. Doctors typically diagnose breast cancer based on physical examinations, mammograms and tissue biopsies, and then begin cancer treatment. Patients receiving these therapies typically experience a number of effects during and after treatment.
Breast Cancer Remission
The obvious effect of breast cancer treatment is cancer remission. During surgical procedures, like a lumpectomy or mastectomy, the surgeon removes breast cancer cells growing in and around the breast. Complete removal of cancerous tissues removes active cancer growth and effectively treats cancer in the breast. Other forms of treatment, such as chemotherapy, allow doctors to target cancer cells throughout the entire body. Chemotherapy can treat initial cancer growth, as well as harm invasive cancer cells that have migrated to other tissues that would not be affected by breast cancer surgery. A strategy of combining breast cancer treatments can prove very effective in curing the cancer, especially if the breast cancer is detected and treated early.
Nausea
In addition to the obvious benefits of breast cancer treatments, breast cancer patients may also experience a number of adverse effects. A very common effect of breast cancer treatment is the development of nausea. This can occur due to chemotherapy, radiation treatment, hormone therapies or other targeted therapies, since many drugs list nausea as a potential side effect. Nausea may also develop as a result of the cancer itself, since cancer development leads to a general feeling of malaise, which can include nausea. Over time, nausea can contribute to serious health complications, such as malnutrition from a long-term inability or desire not to eat. The BC Cancer Agency indicates that patients suffering from nausea can help alleviate their discomfort by avoiding certain foods. In extreme cases, breast cancer patients may receive treatment to help ease nausea and increase the quality of their lives.
Hair Loss
Another possible effect of breast cancer therapy is hair loss, which can occur as a result of cancer chemotherapy. Although effective in killing breast cancer cells, chemotherapy targets other rapidly dividing cells throughout the body. Among these are cells within the hair follicle, which proliferate continually to help support and contribute to hair growth and maintenance. Some chemotherapy drugs harm hair follicle cells, leading to damage to the follicles and eventually causing hair loss. Although a temporary symptom, hair loss causes emotional distress in many breast cancer patients. MacMillan Cancer Support indicates that scalp cooling during chemotherapy treatment can help reduce or prevent extensive hair loss following treatment.
