How to Explore Local Therapy for Breast Cancer Treatment

Local therapy is one of the two main types of treatment offered for breast cancer. This illness, occurring when malignant tumors form in the breast ducts or glands, affects different people in different ways, making it important to understand all of the treatment options available and how each may affect you.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Understand Who Is Eligible for Local Therapy

1. Know that local therapy is a type of targeted radiation treatment. It only affects the breast, rather than the entire body.

2. Understand that, in general, only people whose cancer has not spread into other areas of the body are proper candidates for this type of therapy.

3. Be aware that local therapy has side effects, just as systemic therapy does. These may include skin irritation, swelling, difficulty swallowing, shortness of breath and tenderness.

4. Read detailed descriptions of local therapy effects at the National Cancer Institute Web site (see Resources below).

Explore More Healing Options

5. Explore what you can do to augment your local therapy. Complementary therapies such as meditation have helped many people. Ask your doctor if she has any information on complementary therapies.

6. Customize your treatment by talking to other cancer sufferers in your support group. Ask them what they have found that works for them, whether it's how to manage the pain or how to find a good nutritionist who can boost energy and health.

7. Ask a physician at another facility or at an academic hospital for a second opinion. Sometimes just a bit of extra information can make a big difference in treatment.

Tips & Warnings

• Ask your doctor if you are a candidate for local therapy and what your local therapy options are. If the cancer has not spread, local therapy may be your best bet.
• The United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) offers a helpful resource detailing the ways in which the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) applies to employees suffering from cancer (see Resources below).
• Stress and anxiety are understandable side effects of a cancer diagnosis. Cope with them by connecting with your hospital's breast cancer support group. The American Cancer Society help connect you to a group as well (see Resources below). Even if you join a cancer support group, you will still need the support of friends and family. Let them know what you need.

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