Skip to main content

Breast cancer survivor health guide

This guide was a review of previous literature by multidisciplinary experts. Based on 237 articles, this guide was drafted to guide primary care physicians and other healthcare providers on the care of breast cancer survivors.

The guidelines are recommended in five aspects: monitoring breast cancer recurrence, screening for second primary cancers, evaluating and managing the long-term and late effects of breast cancer and treatment on the body and mind, health promotion, and coordinated care/practical significance.

How to monitor breast cancer recurrence?

According to the survivor’s age, diagnosis, and the treatment plan recommended by the oncologist, individualized clinical follow-up care will be developed; for the first 3 years after the basic treatment, checkups will be conducted every 3-6 months, including cancer-related medical history, physical examination, and Breast examinations will be performed every 6-12 months for the next 2 years, and once a year thereafter.

  • Screening for local recurrence of breast cancer or new breast cancer

Survivors of unilateral mastectomy or breast-conserving surgery undergo a mammography examination once a year; according to the ACS guidelines, only high-risk survivors who meet the increased breast cancer surveillance standards undergo breast MRI examination.

  • Auxiliary examination

For asymptomatic survivors, other auxiliary examinations, including laboratory examinations and imaging examinations, are not performed except for mammography.

Primary care doctors should inform and educate survivors about the symptoms and signs of local recurrence, fully evaluate the patient’s family history of cancer; provide genetic counseling for women with potential genetic risk factors, such as the family history of cancer (breast, colon, endometrial), Or triple-negative breast cancer ≤60 years of age.

Screening for secondary primary cancer

Routine screening of other cancers for survivors; annual gynecological evaluation for postmenopausal women treated with selective estrogen receptor modulators.

Pay attention to the physical and mental health of breast cancer patients

1. Concern about body image

Fully evaluate the survivor’s attention to body image, provide appropriate equipment such as breast prosthesis, wig, etc. when necessary, and provide patients with surgery and/or psychological care when appropriate.

2. Lymphedema

Inform and educate patients on how to prevent and reduce lymphedema, including recommending overweight women to lose weight; for patients with lymphedema, we recommend experienced therapists, such as physical therapists, occupational therapists, or lymphedema specialists.

3. Cardiotoxicity

Monitor the blood lipid levels of survivors as a monitoring of the cardiovascular system; educate survivors to live a healthy lifestyle, inform them of potential heart disease risk factors, and inform health care providers when related symptoms (shortness of breath or fatigue) occur.

4. Cognitive impairment

Ask women some questions about cognition; assess reversible factors; choose the best possible treatment; conduct neurocognitive assessment and rehabilitation for survivors of cognitive impairment, including collective cognitive training.

5. Distress, depression, anxiety

Assess the depression and anxiety of survivors, especially for high-risk survivors, such as young survivors, past psychiatric history, low socioeconomic status, etc. Provide consultation and medicine for survivors, and recommend suitable oncologists and psychologists to patients.

6. Fatigue

Assess survivors’ fatigue and possible causes, such as anemia, thyroid dysfunction, and cardiac insufficiency. Treat the factors that may affect fatigue, such as fatigue, mood disorders, sleep disorders, pain, etc. It is recommended that survivors exercise regularly and, if appropriate, undergo cognitive behavioral therapy.

7. Bone health

Bone scans of postmenopausal survivors with dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) at baseline, and DEXA scans for survivors taking aromatase inhibitors every 2 years; taking tamoxifen and/or gonadotropins Premenopausal women with hormone-releasing hormone (GnRH) agonists, chemotherapy-induced women, and women with early menopause should also be tested.

8. Musculoskeletal health

Fully evaluate the survivors' musculoskeletal symptoms, including pain, and provide them with appropriate interventions, such as acupuncture, physical activity, physical therapy, or rehabilitation.

9. Pain and neuropathy

Fully evaluate the pain, and if necessary, use acetaminophen, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, exercise, acupuncture, and other interventions; refer to relevant experts, such as lymphedema experts, occupational therapists, etc., according to different causes of pain. Fully evaluate the neuropathy of survivors, especially symptoms such as numbness and tingling of hands and feet, and encourage patients to exercise. When appropriate, duloxetine can be used to treat neuropathic pain, numbness, and tingling.

10. Infertility

Survivors of infertility during childbearing age seek medical advice from a reproductive endocrinologist.

11. Sexual health

Assess the symptoms and signs of sexual dysfunction in survivors; evaluate and treat the reversible factors of sexual dysfunction; provide non-hormonal, water-based lubricants and vaginal dry moisturizers when appropriate; choose psychological education support, group therapy, and sex when appropriate Counseling, marriage counseling, or intensive psychotherapy, etc.

12. Menopause/hot flashes

Provide selective serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, or gabapentin for early menopausal women with vasomotor symptoms; suggest that they change their lifestyle and living environment.

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Anti aging | Does eating pig trotters Fight aging?Women can do more to delay aging

When a woman reaches the age of 30, she may show signs of aging. If you look in the mirror, you will notice the appearance of color spots on her face, and there may be some wrinkles, so she may age obviously. As a result, many women actively combat aging in a variety of ways to keep themselves young. In the process of fighting against aging, the dietary regulation effect is obvious, choose some appropriate food to get nutrients, can make the aging rate slow. So, whether can the woman eat pig's feet to delay airframe senility? Many women believe that eating pig's feet is an effective way to fight to age. Because pig trotters contain collagen needed by the human body, this collagen is an important part of the skin, and obtaining enough collagen can achieve the effect of beauty and beauty, make the skin more delicate and smooth. In fact, eating pig feet does not have a good effect on delaying the aging of the body. Although pig trotters contain collagen, they are also rich in fat....
Post a Comment
Read more

Lose weight | Weight loss methods for obstinate obesity

There are many types of obesity, among which obesity is the hardest to lose weight. Next, I will share with you some stubborn obesity methods to lose weight. After stubborn obesity, you must exercise if you want to lose weight. You can walk after dinner every day and walk briskly for at least half an hour to consume excess calories. However, it is not advisable to exercise immediately after a meal. You can rest for half an hour before doing so so that weight loss is more effective than running. The diet should also be controlled, without excessive dieting, but several aspects must be paid attention to. First of all, breakfast must be eaten, otherwise, the stomach and intestines will absorb more calories during lunch. Don't eat too little at noon, and eat as little as possible at dinner. In one day's diet, cut down on meat and avoid sweets and greasy foods. When eating, slow down and chew more food in your mouth to eat up to 80% full. Losing weight is a long-term thing, and it i...
Post a Comment
Read more

Obesity | Five ways to prevent obesity

Being fat will not only make your body look bad, but your appearance will also become ugly. If you can't wear beautiful clothes, it will bring many diseases, so it is recommended that you try not to get fat, so is there any way to prevent obesity? Five ways to prevent obesity 1. Supplement fiber in time In our daily diet, eat more high-fiber foods and fiber-rich foods, which can help our intestinal peristalsis, improve intestinal digestion, help us consume food better, and prevent obesity. For example, oats, celery, spinach, etc. 2. Choose organic food for consumption Nowadays, environmental pollution is getting more and more serious. Food health is always the focus of people’s attention. You can keep your weight while feeling belly. 3. Learn to release stress Stress is an important cause of obesity. The overwork and fatness reported some time ago are caused by excessive stress. Work pressure and life pressure, we must learn to release to resolve, improve this state, and keep fat a...
Post a Comment
Read more