Being Real About Breast Cancer

Living with breast cancer impacts more than your medical history. In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, these resources can help with self-care, body image, and relationships.
 
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Breast cancer can do a number on your body, your psyche, and your self-confidence.  Whether you’re newly diagnosed, receiving treatment, in long-term survivorship, or living with metastatic breast cancer, you probably have a long list of important questions about understanding and managing your care. You may also be wondering how to adjust to changes in the way you look and feel. 

We’ve partnered with Healthline for Breast Cancer Awareness Month to compile our best resources about self-care, body image, relationships, and more. Read on for tips and strategies that can help you heal and enhance your well-being.

 

Being real about side effects

Breast cancer treatment side effects range from uncomfortable to extremely disruptive. Learn more about managing and treating them.

 

Being real about body image 

If you’re feeling less confident about your appearance and less comfortable with your body after being diagnosed with breast cancer, you’re not alone. Many people find that it takes some time and effort to get used to the ways their body has changed during treatment. These tips and personal stories can help you discover ways of redefining your relationship with your body, appearance, and style that work for you.

 

Being real about feeling and staying well 

Self-care can take many forms. It may mean making time for yoga, joining a support group, or pursuing complementary therapies. Sometimes, it may seem hard to find the time and money for self-care. But even the little things you do to boost your well-being can make a difference in how you feel.

 

Being real about relationships and sex 

Whether you’re single or in a relationship, breast cancer can affect your self-image and your feelings about relationships, sex, and fertility. These podcast episodes and articles explore what it’s like to navigate dating after a breast cancer diagnosis and solutions to some of the most common sexual side effects of breast cancer treatment.

 

Being real about survivorship

It’s helpful to have a plan in place for managing your long-term health and wellness after breast cancer treatment ends. Ask your doctor for a survivorship care plan, which outlines the treatments you received, side effects to watch out for, and the follow-up care and screening tests you need. Planning for survivorship can also include thinking about how to prepare to return to work, seek mental health support, and more.

 

Being real about breast cancer risk

Breast cancer accounts for 12.5% of all new annual cancer cases worldwide, making it the most common cancer in the world. Whether your risk is average or high, being aware of your risk is imperative — the most important element of which is screening and testing.

 

Being real about triple-negative breast cancer

Triple-negative breast cancer most commonly affects Black women, women under 40, and women who have a BRCA1 gene mutation. Though it only represents 10% of breast cancers overall, it’s more aggressive, harder to treat, and more likely to recur than other types of breast cancer. Learn more about the diagnosis, symptoms, and treatment of triple-negative breast cancer from our resources.

— Last updated on December 4, 2023 at 4:24 PM