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Increased stress due to continued biopsies?

Page last modified on: September 11, 2008

Question from Terry: It seems that I continue to need biopsies, and each one causes me so much stress that I find myself just wanting it all to stop.: Answer —Rosalind Kleban, L.C.S.W.: That's a very difficult situation that many, many patients experience. Too often the route through breast cancer is not smooth, and people are often stopped by these additional tests, biopsies and waiting for results—which is probably the most tortuous time during a cancer experience. The things that can help are the things we've been discussing during this conference. We can go back to exercise, yoga, meditation and support groups, and sometimes medication.

After many years of frightening experiences, one patient told me she finally figured out how to get through tests. When I asked what that magic was, she said "Drugs." It's such an uncomfortable, miserable, anxiety-provoking situation that it's important to find some way to get through this more comfortably.

On Wednesday, March 19, 2003, our Ask-the-Expert Online Conference was called Overcoming Depression. Rosalind Kleban, M.S.W., Diane S. Thompson, M.D., and Jennifer Griggs, M.D., M.P.H. answered your questions about medication and lifestyle changes that can ease depression along with to put hope, fun, and pleasure back into your life during and after breast cancer treatment.

The materials presented in these conferences do not necessarily reflect the views of breastcancer.org. A qualified healthcare professional should be consulted before using any therapeutic product or regimen discussed. All readers should verify all information and data before employing any therapies described here.

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Meet the Experts

Rosalind Kleban, L.C.S.W. is administrative supervisor for psychosocial programs at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center's Lauder Breast Center in New York City, where she leads weekly support groups for women with early and advanced breast cancer.

Diane S. Thompson, M.D. is director of clinical research at Queen's Medical Center and associate professor of psychiatry at the University of Hawaii's John A. Burns School of Medicine.

Jennifer Griggs, M.D., M.P.H. is a medical oncologist specializing in the treatment of breast cancer, with a a special interest in cancer survivorship, patient-physician communication, and quality of care for women with breast cancer.