..Drafting.
It is estimated that one in eight women will develop breast cancer in her lifetime. A pathology in which the humanization of care, a comprehensive and multidisciplinary approach and continuous monitoring are essential. To optimize these keys, the Gynecology and Obstetrics Service of the General University Hospital of Villalba celebrates its periodic workshops’Breast cancer, you are not alone. ‘ Now these workshops have been adapted to a virtual format so that they can continue to be held in the context of the pandemic caused by Covid-19. In addition, they have the collaboration of the Spanish Association against Cancer (AECC).
Thus, the Dr. Mercedes Andeyro, Head of the Gynecology and Obstetrics Service of the center, has indicated: “Since the hospital opened more than six years ago, we have given this workshop aimed at solving the doubts that patients and their families may have about the approach to this pathology.” He also added that “With this initiative we have created a space in which patients in different phases of the disease participate. In addition, it makes us all feel more united in the diagnosis and treatment of the pathology ”.
Professionals from different specialties that collaborate in the treatment of breast cancer participate in the meeting
These professionals include, in addition to Gynecology and Oncology professionals, Plastic Surgery professionals, in charge of reconstructive treatment, both immediate and delayed, of the breast; of Rehabilitation, which explains the care of the scar, the exercises that patients can do after surgery and to avoid lymphedema; Nutrition, which offer tips for healthy eating throughout the process; and Psychology, which provide insight into the emotional burden involved in diagnosing the disease.
Finally, AECC professionals who work at the Villalba General University Hospital also participate. Its job is to provide patients with all the resources that the Association puts at their disposal. On the other hand, they inform about the existing options in the aesthetic field.
An accompaniment in sickness
“Breast cancer represents a change at work and personal level. The entire environment of the patient is affected by the situation and each one goes through different moments of adaptation to the disease “explains Dr. Andeyro. Therefore, in this workshop, in addition to clearing up doubts about the disease, both patients and relatives receive psychological support from professionals and also from other people who are going through the same situation.
The specialists insist on the importance of doing periodic self-examinations and going to the doctor before any anomaly that is detected
Specifically, one of the most feared aspects in the diagnosis is that it is a disease without a cure. However, 95% of patients recover. “Of course, you have to ‘go for it’. It is a long staircase in which you have to go up the steps one by one and, if you climb all of them, the normal thing is that you reach a cure “, explains the specialist.
A common cause for concern is chemotherapy and its effects. However, the Drag. Andeyro has detailed that each organism responds in a different way, not all patients need this treatment. “In addition, today, there are many drugs that help to cope with it, even allowing many patients to continue working.”
The importance of early detection
According to Dr. Andeyro, thanks to early arrest, survival in breast cancer is very high at 95%. In addition, it has pointed out that due to the pandemic some tumors have been diagnosed later. This fact is due to the fact that the patients, despite noticing an anomaly, have not gone to the hospital for fear of contagion.
Thanks to early detection, survival in breast cancer is very high at 95%
Finding cancer as early as possible increases the chances that the tumor is very small at the time of diagnosis. Thus, it makes it possible to treat it less severely and to resolve it with greater safety. For this reason, the main recommendation of doctors is to take good care of yourself, be alert, explore yourself and, if any alteration is noticed, always consult your primary care doctor. “Most of the anomalies that are detected in the breast are benign, but it is necessary to consult the professional and to do the necessary tests to confirm it”, He insists.
The fact of not having a family history of this pathology does not imply that there is no risk of suffering from it. “Familial breast cancer only represents 10% of all cases of this type of neoplasm. For this reason, it is important that all women do a breast self-examination once every 3 or 4 months to assess if they notice something different. In other words, a new-appearing lump, an alteration in the skin, a strange discharge from the nipple, bloody or purulent… ”. In order to detect the tumor even before it is palpable, women over 50 years of age must have mammograms every two years within the Program for the Early Detection of Breast Cancer of the Community of Madrid (Deprecam).
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