When do you refer to a breast surgeon?

Consider seeking care from a breast surgeon under the following situations: You feel a lump or mass in your breast or your doctor finds one on a mammogram. You have breast pain unrelated to your menstrual cycle. You have breast swelling, redness, or inflammation.

What happens at follow up appointment after lumpectomy?

Your follow-up may involve regular blood tests, scans or procedures, depending on the type of cancer. At your appointment, your doctor will examine you and ask how you have been feeling. They will explain if you need any other tests.

What happens at a breast surgeon appointment?

The surgeon will meet with you and discuss your concerns, medical history, breast history, and family history. Then the doctor will step out ask you to change into a gown for the breast exam. The breast exam may or may not include an ultrasound of the breast at that time.

How often do you see your oncologist after breast cancer?

After you finish treatment for breast cancer, you’ll see your oncologist and other members of your health care team on a regular basis, usually about every 6 months for the first few years. After that, you’ll see them every year for many years.

Can I go to A&E for a breast lump?

If we cannot get you seen, we will ask you to go to A&E. I have found a lump in my breast. Breast lumps are common and have a number of different causes. Although most lumps aren’t breast cancer, any unusual changes to the breasts should be checked by a GP as soon as possible.

How long can you wait for radiation after lumpectomy?

Post-surgical radiotherapy is designed to destroy remaining cancer cells following the removal of a localized breast tumor. Punglia said four to six weeks after surgery is widely viewed as a safe interval for beginning radiotherapy, which typically is administered five days a week for six weeks.

What are the side effects of a lumpectomy?

Lumpectomy is a surgical procedure that carries a risk of side effects, including:

Bleeding.
Infection.
Pain.
Temporary swelling.
Tenderness.
Formation of hard scar tissue at the surgical site.
Change in the shape and appearance of the breast, particularly if a large portion is removed.

Are breast tumors painful?

A lump in your breast A lump or mass in the breast is the most common symptom of breast cancer. Lumps are often hard and painless, although some are painful. However, not all lumps are cancer. Benign breast conditions (like cysts) that can also cause lumps.

How soon after breast cancer surgery do you start radiation?

Radiation therapy usually begins three to eight weeks after surgery unless chemotherapy is planned. When chemotherapy is planned, radiation usually starts three to four weeks after chemotherapy is finished.

When are you considered a breast cancer survivor?

Many think of it as a badge they can only wear after they are cancer-free for a number of years. Others, including those at the National Cancer Institute, say you are considered a survivor on the day that you are diagnosed and remain one throughout the rest of your life.

Do you have to go to follow up appointments with breast cancer?

Learning to live with breast cancer that doesn’t go away can have its own type of uncertainty. Even if you have completed breast cancer treatment, your doctors will want to watch you closely. It’s very important to go to all of your follow-up appointments.

How to fit breast cancer treatment into your schedule?

Ask your doctor how much wiggle room is in the schedule, and work around it. Most people will need to take time off from work when they undergo surgery, whether the surgery is a lumpectomy or a mastectomy with reconstruction. The amount of time you take will depend on what type of surgery you receive and how your recovery goes.

When is the best time to have breast surgery?

The conclusion was the same as above—earlier surgery (ideally within 30 days) is better. For women who are young (defined as 15 to 39), a 2013 study in JAMA Surgery suggested that young women should have surgery no more than six weeks after diagnosis and preferably earlier.

How often should you see a doctor after breast cancer treatment?

Doctor visits: If you have finished treatment, your follow-up doctor visits will probably be scheduled for every few months at first. The longer you have been free of cancer, the less often the appointments are needed. After 5 years, they are typically done about once a year.