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Smilow Cares Survivorship Education Series: "Caring for Yourself After A Diagnosis of Breast Cancer"

July 02, 2025

June 12, 2025

Presented by Melanie Lynch, MD, Assistant Professor of Surgery (Surgical Oncology); Director of Breast Surgery at Smilow Cancer Hospital at Bridgeport, Fairfield, and Trumbull

ID
13278

Transcript

  • 00:01Welcome for welcome for joining
  • 00:03us. Welcome,
  • 00:04tonight. And we're so grateful
  • 00:06to,
  • 00:07Valerie Cassella,
  • 00:09who is, one of our
  • 00:10nurse leaders,
  • 00:12and really the heart of
  • 00:13the Norma Freme Breast Center
  • 00:15here in
  • 00:17Trumbull for organizing this cancer
  • 00:20survivorship
  • 00:20series.
  • 00:21She is, very connected to
  • 00:24our patients and has,
  • 00:26been for quite some time.
  • 00:28And she asked me tonight
  • 00:29to talk about,
  • 00:31caring for yourself after a
  • 00:33diagnosis of breast cancer.
  • 00:44So when we think about
  • 00:45breast cancer incidence and survivorship,
  • 00:48we really think about the
  • 00:49phases of care, the experience
  • 00:51of women as, they are
  • 00:53screened for, diagnosed, or treated
  • 00:54for breast cancer.
  • 00:57This is,
  • 00:59the cancer survivorship
  • 01:00continuum as
  • 01:02defined in the,
  • 01:04National Academy
  • 01:05of Medicine report, delivering high
  • 01:07quality cancer care that was
  • 01:08published initially in twenty thirteen.
  • 01:11But this cancer continuum really
  • 01:14has come to define,
  • 01:16both how we do research
  • 01:17into,
  • 01:19cancer,
  • 01:20types and also how would
  • 01:21we think about, treatment.
  • 01:23And so tonight, we're gonna
  • 01:24focus on this,
  • 01:26divide our talk up based
  • 01:27upon this,
  • 01:29cancer survivorship
  • 01:30continuum.
  • 01:36Breast cancer is the most
  • 01:37common cancer of women in
  • 01:38the United States, accounting for
  • 01:40about thirty percent of all
  • 01:41cancers in women.
  • 01:47In twenty twenty five, we
  • 01:48estimate there will be three
  • 01:49hundred and sixteen
  • 01:51thousand cases of invasive breast
  • 01:53cancer in the United States,
  • 01:56and with a relative five
  • 01:58year survival of over ninety
  • 02:00percent.
  • 02:01So breast cancer
  • 02:03is a very curable
  • 02:05cancer.
  • 02:07This graph,
  • 02:09demonstrates
  • 02:09the rates of breast cancer,
  • 02:12over time,
  • 02:14where they have held relatively
  • 02:16stable
  • 02:17and breast cancer mortality,
  • 02:19which continues
  • 02:20to decrease.
  • 02:22And the difference between our
  • 02:24rates of incidence and mortality
  • 02:26is the success of our
  • 02:28our screening treatment and,
  • 02:31cure.
  • 02:36Again, breast cancer survival,
  • 02:38when you take all comers,
  • 02:39is greater than ninety percent.
  • 02:42It's great to see it
  • 02:43graphically,
  • 02:44to know that most women
  • 02:46with breast cancer,
  • 02:48will,
  • 02:50achieve a cure.
  • 02:55We know that the likelihood
  • 02:57of cure is really related
  • 02:58to breath, stage at diagnosis.
  • 03:01And women who are diagnosed
  • 03:03with early stage
  • 03:05localized disease
  • 03:07have very high rates of
  • 03:09long term survival.
  • 03:11Regional disease, which would include
  • 03:13lymph positive lymph nodes, also
  • 03:15have a high rate of
  • 03:16cure.
  • 03:17And then women with metastatic
  • 03:19disease or distant disease,
  • 03:22have lower rates of,
  • 03:24long term survival.
  • 03:30And, again, just another way
  • 03:31of looking at,
  • 03:33this relative success that we
  • 03:35have with breast cancer screening,
  • 03:37we know that sixty four
  • 03:39percent of women are diagnosed
  • 03:41with localized or early stage
  • 03:43disease.
  • 03:44Another twenty eight percent was
  • 03:45spread to regional lymph nodes.
  • 03:48And this group, the majority
  • 03:50of that pie graph are
  • 03:51the women who have,
  • 03:53the highest rates of survival,
  • 03:55averaging at ninety percent.
  • 04:03This is one of a
  • 04:04number of studies that have
  • 04:05looked at the experience of
  • 04:07breast cancer,
  • 04:08screening
  • 04:09on breast cancer survival.
  • 04:12And in this graph, you
  • 04:13can see in the top
  • 04:14line here that women who
  • 04:16undergo regular breast cancer screening
  • 04:19have a ninety percent survival.
  • 04:22These women who are diagnosed
  • 04:23at the earliest possible stage.
  • 04:26The next line with the
  • 04:27green triangles
  • 04:29are women who develop
  • 04:31cancer
  • 04:32in between their screening intervals.
  • 04:34So these are typical
  • 04:36typically more aggressive or faster
  • 04:38moving tumors that will where
  • 04:40women will develop symptoms in
  • 04:42the year after a normal
  • 04:44screening mammogram.
  • 04:47The orange line at the
  • 04:49bottom here are women who
  • 04:50have never undergone screening.
  • 04:53So, again, this is more
  • 04:54evidence
  • 04:55that the of the value
  • 04:57of screening mammography,
  • 04:59for to,
  • 05:01diagnose women at the earliest
  • 05:02possible stage and to ensure
  • 05:05the best outcomes.
  • 05:09So when we think about
  • 05:10how to care for yourself
  • 05:11with breast cancer, it's about
  • 05:13caring for yourself before we're
  • 05:15even diagnosed.
  • 05:16And that is making sure,
  • 05:19that we're all getting annual
  • 05:21screening mammograms
  • 05:22and also having regular breast
  • 05:25self exams
  • 05:26and an annual clinical breast
  • 05:28exam with our physician.
  • 05:35Once we have screening, imaging,
  • 05:36and have an abnormality,
  • 05:39most women will then undergo,
  • 05:42diagnostic
  • 05:43image guided biopsy.
  • 05:47The standard of care, of
  • 05:48course, is to have a
  • 05:49biopsy before
  • 05:51any surgery is completed.
  • 05:53An image guided biopsy can
  • 05:55be completed under ultrasound guidance,
  • 05:57mammogram guidance, or MRI guidance
  • 06:00if MRI was used as
  • 06:02part of the screening plan.
  • 06:09And then after a biopsy,
  • 06:10there will be a pathology
  • 06:11report.
  • 06:13In the pathology report, the
  • 06:15type of tumor will be
  • 06:16described
  • 06:17along with the tumor grade.
  • 06:21Grade one is the best
  • 06:22differentiated,
  • 06:24the most normal looking cells.
  • 06:26Grade two, they start to
  • 06:28appear a little more abnormal.
  • 06:29And grade three
  • 06:31are the most abnormal appearing
  • 06:33cells.
  • 06:34Grade three tumors are faster
  • 06:36growing
  • 06:37and tend to be,
  • 06:40of a more,
  • 06:41aggressive,
  • 06:43type requiring more therapy.
  • 06:46Also in the pathology report
  • 06:48will be the breast cancer,
  • 06:51receptors or biomarkers.
  • 06:53These receptors on the cell
  • 06:55surface determine what's,
  • 06:58what will control the cell's
  • 07:00growth.
  • 07:01There are three receptors that
  • 07:02we evaluate.
  • 07:04The estrogen receptor and progesterone
  • 07:06receptor are the female hormones.
  • 07:09The other receptor is called
  • 07:11HER2,
  • 07:12which is a marker of
  • 07:13a very specific cancer that
  • 07:15we treat with targeted molecular
  • 07:18therapy.
  • 07:22And so the breast cancer
  • 07:24stage
  • 07:25is determined by a combination
  • 07:27of factors.
  • 07:29It includes
  • 07:30the estimate of the tumor
  • 07:31size,
  • 07:32based on the imaging findings
  • 07:34and the physical exam.
  • 07:36The lymph node status,
  • 07:39also determined based upon physical
  • 07:41exam and the imaging findings.
  • 07:45We will look for metastatic
  • 07:46disease if anyone has if
  • 07:48a patient has a symptom.
  • 07:50Otherwise, there's usually not a
  • 07:52reason to do,
  • 07:54scans for metastases
  • 07:56elsewhere in the body,
  • 07:58at the time of diagnosis.
  • 08:01Then we look at the
  • 08:02tumor biomarkers, the receptors of
  • 08:04the estrogen,
  • 08:05progesterone,
  • 08:06and HER2 receptor,
  • 08:08and the tumor grade.
  • 08:10These are all then put
  • 08:12together
  • 08:13to determine the tumor stage.
  • 08:20So once you've been through
  • 08:21screening
  • 08:22and imaging and have a
  • 08:24diagnosis
  • 08:25of breast cancer,
  • 08:27it's time to gather your
  • 08:28team
  • 08:29to then identify your sources
  • 08:31of social support,
  • 08:33to help walk you through
  • 08:35the process,
  • 08:36of breast cancer treatment and
  • 08:38into survivorship.
  • 08:42Your team might include family
  • 08:44members,
  • 08:45friends,
  • 08:46spiritual advisors.
  • 08:48It could be coworkers,
  • 08:50supervisors, or mentors.
  • 08:52Can include your health care
  • 08:54providers,
  • 08:56patient advocates,
  • 08:58other cancer survivors,
  • 09:00support group members.
  • 09:02I included this picture from
  • 09:04when I was treated for
  • 09:05breast cancer
  • 09:06in twenty sixteen.
  • 09:08This is as I'm getting
  • 09:09ready to roll back to
  • 09:10the operating room, and my
  • 09:12daughters
  • 09:13my daughters, my son, my
  • 09:15sister were all there with
  • 09:16me on that day.
  • 09:18This is my daughter, Eleanor.
  • 09:25The benefits of social support
  • 09:26and breast cancer treatment and
  • 09:28outcomes are are very well
  • 09:29documented.
  • 09:31Several studies have looked at
  • 09:32different types of social support
  • 09:34and the benefits that they
  • 09:35offer.
  • 09:38Social support is clearly
  • 09:40linked to reduce anxiety and
  • 09:43stress,
  • 09:45reduced fatigue,
  • 09:46and reduced experience of pain.
  • 09:50Social support is also linked
  • 09:51to improved ability
  • 09:53to, cope for feelings of
  • 09:55control,
  • 09:57improved mood, self image, and
  • 09:59sexual function.
  • 10:01And social support has a
  • 10:03long term association with improved
  • 10:05physical well-being
  • 10:06and ability to perform daily
  • 10:08tasks.
  • 10:14So consider all the help
  • 10:15that is available,
  • 10:17to provide support as you
  • 10:18go through treatment planning and
  • 10:21treatment and survivorship for breast
  • 10:22cancer.
  • 10:24The kinds of help that
  • 10:25are available can come from
  • 10:26family and friends,
  • 10:28can come from a patient
  • 10:29navigator.
  • 10:30We have on-site patient navigators
  • 10:33in all of our treatment
  • 10:34sites, but there are also
  • 10:35patient navigators that are available
  • 10:37from national organizations including,
  • 10:41organizations like the Susan Komen
  • 10:43Foundation where they have navigators
  • 10:45available,
  • 10:47for consultation at their website.
  • 10:51It's always important to consider
  • 10:52the cost of cancer treatment
  • 10:54and and,
  • 10:56other opportunities for support include
  • 10:58a financial counselor.
  • 11:00It could be a physical
  • 11:01therapist,
  • 11:02fertility specialist,
  • 11:04a physical trainer,
  • 11:05a massage therapist,
  • 11:07support with house cleaning and
  • 11:09childcare,
  • 11:10acupuncture, music therapy, and other
  • 11:12integrative mental therapies.
  • 11:15Most important thing is to
  • 11:16be willing to ask for
  • 11:18help.
  • 11:25And so after you've,
  • 11:28gathered your team and identified
  • 11:30social support,
  • 11:32then you move into the
  • 11:33phase of shared decision making
  • 11:35or making a treatment plan.
  • 11:41I'm gonna stop my share
  • 11:42for just a minute
  • 11:44and see if there are
  • 11:45any questions.
  • 11:47I'm looking at the chat.
  • 11:50I don't see any chats
  • 11:52yet. Any questions in the
  • 11:53chat yet?
  • 11:57So if there are any
  • 11:58questions, don't hesitate to put
  • 11:59them in the chat. I'm
  • 12:00gonna go back to
  • 12:02to sharing my screen.
  • 12:10Okay.
  • 12:22So we know that multidisciplinary
  • 12:25care is associated with improved
  • 12:28outcomes in breast cancer treatment.
  • 12:31Multidisciplinary
  • 12:32care
  • 12:33includes a coordinated
  • 12:35team
  • 12:36of professionals,
  • 12:38dedicated to the treatment of
  • 12:39women with breast cancer.
  • 12:42The multidisciplinary
  • 12:43team can include a breast
  • 12:45surgeon, a a medical oncologist,
  • 12:47a radiation oncologist,
  • 12:49a pathologist,
  • 12:52a breast radiologist,
  • 12:53a patient navigator,
  • 12:55our out outpatient clinical nurses,
  • 12:58and all the supportive services
  • 13:00that we just discussed.
  • 13:03The improved outcomes associated with
  • 13:05a multidisciplinary
  • 13:06team include improved time to
  • 13:09treatment,
  • 13:11the receipt of guideline,
  • 13:13concordant treatment,
  • 13:15improved patient satisfaction,
  • 13:18and improved overall survival.
  • 13:27And at the heart of
  • 13:28the multidisciplinary
  • 13:29team and that model
  • 13:31is shared decision making.
  • 13:34For every treatment
  • 13:36that is provided,
  • 13:38it is a decision that
  • 13:40is made in in,
  • 13:44a shared format
  • 13:46amongst providers,
  • 13:48patients,
  • 13:49and their support, whether it's
  • 13:50their family or their friends.
  • 13:53So the patient and family's
  • 13:55goals and preferences,
  • 13:57that provider's clinical experience and
  • 14:00expertise,
  • 14:02what science has to offer,
  • 14:06in terms of making a
  • 14:07treatment,
  • 14:08choice,
  • 14:10And then the biological,
  • 14:11psychological,
  • 14:12and social context.
  • 14:14Things like
  • 14:15where you live, what resources
  • 14:17are available,
  • 14:18how old the patient is.
  • 14:23Those will all come into
  • 14:24play as we make a
  • 14:25decision,
  • 14:27in a shared way as
  • 14:29a team.
  • 14:33In this context, you'll make
  • 14:35a treatment plan. And the
  • 14:37treatment plan for breast cancer
  • 14:38includes both local regional treatment,
  • 14:41managing the cancer in the
  • 14:42body where it is.
  • 14:44Systemic treatment,
  • 14:46preventing the development of cancer
  • 14:48elsewhere in the body.
  • 14:50It will include a consideration
  • 14:52of genetic counseling and testing
  • 14:55and fertility preservation.
  • 15:02Local regional treatment can include
  • 15:05breast conservation,
  • 15:06which could be a lumpectomy
  • 15:08or a partial mastectomy removing
  • 15:10the area where the cancer
  • 15:11is with a clear margin
  • 15:13or a total mastectomy removing
  • 15:15all of the breast tissue.
  • 15:19The lymph node surgery might
  • 15:20include simple lymph node sampling
  • 15:23or an axillary dissection where
  • 15:25all the lymph nodes from
  • 15:26underneath the arm are removed.
  • 15:29Increasingly,
  • 15:30our lymph node surgery may
  • 15:32be no lymph node surgery
  • 15:33needed at all.
  • 15:38Part of breast conservation is
  • 15:40the use of radiation therapy
  • 15:42after lumpectomy
  • 15:44to help reduce the risk
  • 15:46for local recurrence.
  • 15:52Systemic therapies,
  • 15:55could include hormone therapy, which
  • 15:56are estrogen blockers.
  • 15:59These are drugs like tamoxifen
  • 16:00or anastrozole.
  • 16:02Targeted therapies that include monoclonal
  • 16:04antibodies like trastuzumab
  • 16:06for HER2 positive cancer,
  • 16:10a new class of drugs
  • 16:11called tyrosine kinase inhibitors,
  • 16:14cyclin dependent kinase inhibitors,
  • 16:17immunotherapy,
  • 16:19or or standard chemotherapy
  • 16:21agents like cyclophosphamide
  • 16:23or taxider.
  • 16:29So once you've brought together
  • 16:31the multi your you've identified
  • 16:33your social support, you've brought
  • 16:35together your multidisciplinary
  • 16:36team,
  • 16:37and through shared decision making,
  • 16:39you've put in place a
  • 16:40treatment plan
  • 16:42to begin treatment for breast
  • 16:43cancer.
  • 16:44That may be surgery as
  • 16:46the first course of treatment
  • 16:47or it may be systemic
  • 16:48therapies as the first course
  • 16:50of treatment.
  • 16:51As you go through treatment,
  • 16:54a big part of self
  • 16:55care is managing the symptoms
  • 16:58related to treatment.
  • 17:03I'm gonna stop for a
  • 17:04minute. I see there's a
  • 17:05question in the chat.
  • 17:09Can you talk more about
  • 17:10systemic therapies and when they
  • 17:12might be useful or appropriate?
  • 17:14Happy to.
  • 17:16Systemic therapies will be recommended
  • 17:19for every
  • 17:21breast cancer treatment plan. There
  • 17:23will not be a time
  • 17:25when we don't recommend some
  • 17:26systemic therapy for an invasive
  • 17:28breast cancer.
  • 17:30The only time we would
  • 17:31not necessarily
  • 17:32recommend
  • 17:34systemic therapy might be for
  • 17:35ductal carcinoma in situ, which
  • 17:37is noninvasive
  • 17:38disease.
  • 17:40The systemic therapies will be,
  • 17:43tailored to the stage of
  • 17:45the disease
  • 17:46and the biology of the
  • 17:48tumor.
  • 17:49And so for early stage
  • 17:51estrogen receptor positive,
  • 17:53cancer,
  • 17:54we might recommend
  • 17:55estrogen blocking therapy, a drug
  • 17:57like Tamoxifen.
  • 18:00For a HER2 positive
  • 18:02cancer,
  • 18:02we would recommend
  • 18:04if the tumor is bigger
  • 18:05than five millimeters, we would
  • 18:07recommend
  • 18:07chemotherapy
  • 18:09that would include
  • 18:10HER2 targeted antibodies.
  • 18:13And so, the the systemic
  • 18:16therapy would be recommended for
  • 18:18every invasive breast cancer,
  • 18:20and then the type of
  • 18:21therapy is really tailored to
  • 18:23the stage of the disease
  • 18:24and the biology of the
  • 18:25tumor.
  • 18:27Happy to talk more about
  • 18:28that or answer more questions.
  • 18:34I'm gonna move on to
  • 18:35symptom management.
  • 18:37And so self care during
  • 18:38treatment is really about managing
  • 18:41the symptoms related to the
  • 18:43treatment.
  • 18:44These symptoms really focus on,
  • 18:48pain,
  • 18:49anxiety,
  • 18:50nausea,
  • 18:52insomnia,
  • 18:54constipation,
  • 18:55and fatigue.
  • 19:01Based upon the system a
  • 19:02systematic review of the literature,
  • 19:04the Society for Integrative Oncology
  • 19:06recommends integrative therapies that can
  • 19:09help you manage those symptoms.
  • 19:11As you are go through
  • 19:13treatment, your provider,
  • 19:14whether it's your medical oncologist
  • 19:16or your surgeon or your
  • 19:17radiation oncologist,
  • 19:19will,
  • 19:20have recommendations
  • 19:21and provide support
  • 19:23for symptoms related to treatment.
  • 19:25These are additional integrative,
  • 19:28therapies that can be considered
  • 19:29for symptom management.
  • 19:31For pain, you might consider
  • 19:33acupuncture,
  • 19:35reiki, or hypnosis.
  • 19:36This is in addition
  • 19:38to pain,
  • 19:39therapies that might be prescribed
  • 19:41by your providers.
  • 19:43For anxiety,
  • 19:45there is evidence that supports
  • 19:46the use of music therapy,
  • 19:48meditation,
  • 19:49stress management techniques, and yoga.
  • 19:53Nausea
  • 19:54can be also managed with
  • 19:55acupuncture
  • 19:56and yoga.
  • 19:59Insomnia,
  • 20:00which I hear
  • 20:01a lot about from patients,
  • 20:03can be managed with sleep
  • 20:04hygiene techniques and yoga.
  • 20:07Yoga is good for just
  • 20:08about all of it.
  • 20:10Constipation
  • 20:11can be managed with brachy
  • 20:12and acupuncture as well.
  • 20:15Fatigue
  • 20:17is best managed with exercise.
  • 20:19I know that seems counterintuitive
  • 20:21that when you're most fatigued
  • 20:23that exercise can help, but,
  • 20:25the data on that's very
  • 20:26clear.
  • 20:28For depression or depressed mood,
  • 20:30meditation, relaxation,
  • 20:32yoga, massage, and music therapy
  • 20:34are effective.
  • 20:36And for neuropathy,
  • 20:38acupuncture can be helpful.
  • 20:46So now that we've talked
  • 20:48a little bit about,
  • 20:49symptom management
  • 20:52during treatment,
  • 20:53I wanna talk up now
  • 20:55about breast cancer survivorship.
  • 21:00The National Cancer Institute
  • 21:02has defined breast cancer survivorship
  • 21:04or breast cancer survivors
  • 21:06as individuals,
  • 21:08from the time of diagnosis
  • 21:11through the balance of their
  • 21:12lives.
  • 21:14So two years after I
  • 21:15was treated for breast cancer,
  • 21:17my daughter and I did
  • 21:18a backpacking trip,
  • 21:20in in the Alps in
  • 21:22Europe.
  • 21:23This was to celebrate my
  • 21:25survivorship and her thirtieth birthday,
  • 21:27and this is a photo
  • 21:29from,
  • 21:31a part of that backpacking
  • 21:32trip.
  • 21:38And so what are the
  • 21:39components of breast cancer survivorship
  • 21:41care?
  • 21:42There are four key components
  • 21:44of every survivorship
  • 21:46visit.
  • 21:47Survivorship
  • 21:48really starts at the end
  • 21:49of active treatment
  • 21:51and extends for
  • 21:52five years.
  • 21:55The components of survivorship
  • 21:57care include
  • 21:59monitoring for breast cancer recurrence,
  • 22:02monitoring for the late effects
  • 22:03of treatment,
  • 22:06supporting adherence to ongoing treatments,
  • 22:09and health promotion.
  • 22:14And just take a quick
  • 22:15look at the chat and
  • 22:16see if there are any
  • 22:17other questions. Okay.
  • 22:23So I'm
  • 22:27I'm showing you the National
  • 22:29Cancer Center Network guidelines for
  • 22:31survivorship care.
  • 22:33These are the guidelines for
  • 22:34best practice
  • 22:36that,
  • 22:38define,
  • 22:41what we do and how
  • 22:42we provide survivorship care.
  • 22:45This these guidelines are developed
  • 22:47by an expert panel
  • 22:49based upon review of the
  • 22:51available scientific literature.
  • 22:54And so, again, just to
  • 22:55reiterate,
  • 22:57the
  • 22:58cancer survivorship
  • 22:59focuses on
  • 23:00surveillance for cancer spread or
  • 23:02recurrence
  • 23:04and screening, for subsequent primary
  • 23:06cancers.
  • 23:08Monitoring
  • 23:09for the long term effects
  • 23:10of cancer
  • 23:12including psychosocial,
  • 23:13physical, and immunologic
  • 23:15effects
  • 23:16of the cancer itself,
  • 23:19the prevention and detection of
  • 23:20the late effects of cancer
  • 23:22and cancer therapy.
  • 23:24I see there's a question
  • 23:25in the chat of what
  • 23:26do you consider the late
  • 23:27effects of treatment.
  • 23:28We're gonna jump into that
  • 23:29now. But with regards to
  • 23:31breast cancer, this can,
  • 23:33include neuropathy related to chemotherapy,
  • 23:37lymphedema
  • 23:38related to surgery and radiation,
  • 23:41depression
  • 23:42related to the trauma of
  • 23:44cancer treatment.
  • 23:46These would all be considered
  • 23:47late effects.
  • 23:51Evaluation management of cancer related
  • 23:53syndromes,
  • 23:55coordination of care with a
  • 23:57primary care provider,
  • 23:59to ensure all,
  • 24:02breast cancer survivors,
  • 24:03health needs are met,
  • 24:05and planning for ongoing survivorship
  • 24:08care.
  • 24:14So in monitoring for breast
  • 24:16cancer recurrence,
  • 24:18we can talk about,
  • 24:20screening for local recurrence.
  • 24:22Many women ask, don't I
  • 24:24need a mammogram more often?
  • 24:26And,
  • 24:27the answer is no.
  • 24:29Screening afterwards
  • 24:31is at,
  • 24:33annual mammogram is is adequate.
  • 24:37A clinical exam though is
  • 24:39equally, if not more important
  • 24:41than screening imaging.
  • 24:43The clinical exam, it would
  • 24:45include a clinical breast exam
  • 24:47if there's been breast conservation,
  • 24:49an exam of the mastectomy
  • 24:51site and the reconstruction.
  • 24:53And those should occur at
  • 24:54six month intervals for five
  • 24:56years.
  • 24:57Screening imaging can include a
  • 24:59mammogram and an ultrasound or
  • 25:01mammogram alone depending on if
  • 25:03you, have had breast conservation
  • 25:05or not.
  • 25:07For young women or women
  • 25:08with dense breasts who have
  • 25:09breast conservation, we might recommend
  • 25:11screening with a breast MRI.
  • 25:13That screening plan will be
  • 25:15tailored to every patient.
  • 25:17We also look to monitor
  • 25:19for symptoms and signs of
  • 25:20a dis of distant recurrence
  • 25:23that's done with clinical history
  • 25:25and exam
  • 25:26and screening imaging only when
  • 25:28appropriate.
  • 25:35Our evaluation for the late
  • 25:37effects of treatment are really
  • 25:38specific to the cancer stage,
  • 25:40the tumor biology, and the
  • 25:41treatments that have been received.
  • 25:43And these can might include
  • 25:46clinical exam,
  • 25:47labs,
  • 25:48testing,
  • 25:51or imaging.
  • 25:56So this, monitoring for,
  • 25:59the
  • 26:00late effects of treatment and
  • 26:02for recurrence is complex,
  • 26:04and this is an example
  • 26:06of a rubric that we
  • 26:07would use.
  • 26:09This one is the one
  • 26:10that is recommended by the
  • 26:12National Cancer Center Network
  • 26:14for monitoring cancer survivors and
  • 26:16for evaluating for symptoms,
  • 26:20related to treatment,
  • 26:21cancer effects and treatment effects.
  • 26:25They include monitoring
  • 26:26for cardiac health,
  • 26:28anxiety, depression, and trauma,
  • 26:32cognitive function,
  • 26:34fatigue,
  • 26:36lymphedema,
  • 26:38pain,
  • 26:40hormone related symptoms,
  • 26:43sexual health,
  • 26:45fertility,
  • 26:46sleep disorders,
  • 26:49monitoring for a healthy lifestyle,
  • 26:52immunizations
  • 26:53and infections,
  • 26:55and employment, and return to
  • 26:57work.
  • 27:04Here's an example of a
  • 27:06fatigue assessment.
  • 27:07And so
  • 27:09the kinds of things that
  • 27:10we can do when patients
  • 27:11report fatigue,
  • 27:13it would include a history
  • 27:15and physical exam, an evaluation
  • 27:17of disease status,
  • 27:19looking at contributing factors to
  • 27:21fatigue,
  • 27:23screening for emotional distress and
  • 27:25sleep disturbance,
  • 27:27a laboratory evaluation, and other
  • 27:29diagnostic testing
  • 27:31to help sort out of
  • 27:32the issues that related to
  • 27:35long term fatigue.
  • 27:39Here's another example
  • 27:41of the evaluation for lymphedema.
  • 27:43We're gonna talk a little
  • 27:44bit more about this.
  • 27:47Women who have axillary surgery
  • 27:49have,
  • 27:50a ten percent,
  • 27:52risk of lymphedema
  • 27:54if, they have sentinel lymph
  • 27:55node biopsy only. It can
  • 27:57be up to a thirty
  • 27:58percent risk for lymphedema
  • 28:00for women who have, axillary
  • 28:02dissection.
  • 28:04And so screening and,
  • 28:07for lymphedema
  • 28:08is an important part of
  • 28:09what we do at survivorship
  • 28:11follow-up visits.
  • 28:12Once we identify a concern,
  • 28:15we have ways of working
  • 28:16it up and then
  • 28:19referring,
  • 28:20for treatment
  • 28:21that includes both
  • 28:23specialized physical therapy,
  • 28:25wearing a compression sleeve,
  • 28:27or possibly even reconstructive
  • 28:29surgery.
  • 28:33Lymphedema can be associated with
  • 28:35any axillary surgery.
  • 28:39The risk of lymphedema
  • 28:41increases,
  • 28:42with the extent of surgery
  • 28:45with, related to obesity,
  • 28:47diabetes,
  • 28:48someone who's smoking,
  • 28:50someone who has a history
  • 28:51of preexisting lymphedema,
  • 28:53and for patients who receive
  • 28:55radiation therapy.
  • 28:57The important thing to know
  • 28:58is that the most common
  • 28:59time to develop lymphedema is
  • 29:01eighteen months after the initial
  • 29:02operation. Lymphedema
  • 29:04often does not happen right
  • 29:06away.
  • 29:07Lymphedema can occur in stages
  • 29:11where the arm only appears
  • 29:12mildly swollen, maybe rings don't
  • 29:14fit on fingers or watch
  • 29:16leaves an impression.
  • 29:18Stage two, lymphedema
  • 29:21is,
  • 29:22managed
  • 29:23easily with elevation.
  • 29:27And then stage three is
  • 29:28when permanent swelling develops.
  • 29:32Stage four lymphedema
  • 29:33can be associated with significant
  • 29:35skin changes.
  • 29:42So screening for lymphedema
  • 29:44can include
  • 29:45physical exam,
  • 29:47monitoring of symptoms,
  • 29:49limb measurements,
  • 29:51or the use of bioimpedance,
  • 29:52which is what we use
  • 29:53in our practice here.
  • 29:55Bioimpedance
  • 29:56is,
  • 29:58using a small electric current
  • 30:00and looking at resistance to
  • 30:02flow of that electric current.
  • 30:04If we see that change
  • 30:05over time, we know that
  • 30:06patients are developing lymphedema
  • 30:08and we may be able
  • 30:09to identify lymphedema
  • 30:11before patients ever have symptoms.
  • 30:15Treatment for lymphedema as we,
  • 30:17you know, mentioned includes physical
  • 30:19therapy with a specially trained
  • 30:21lymphedema therapist and wearing a
  • 30:23compression sleeve.
  • 30:25More severe lymphedema can be
  • 30:26treated with a a lymphedema
  • 30:28pump or with wraps.
  • 30:36So now that we've talked
  • 30:37a little bit about survivorship,
  • 30:39which is a huge complex
  • 30:40topic, we can talk,
  • 30:42move on to the five
  • 30:43things that we can all
  • 30:45do every day
  • 30:47to help reduce our risk
  • 30:49of cancer recurrence.
  • 30:55So our survivorship healthy habits
  • 30:57are five things that we
  • 30:58can do.
  • 31:00Number one is a plant
  • 31:01based diet.
  • 31:02Number two, limit alcohol.
  • 31:05Number three, maintain a lean
  • 31:07body mass.
  • 31:08Number four is regular exercise.
  • 31:11And number five is smoking
  • 31:13cessation.
  • 31:17So the plant based diet,
  • 31:20this is really a Mediterranean
  • 31:22diet
  • 31:23focusing on fresh fruits and
  • 31:24vegetables,
  • 31:25at least five servings a
  • 31:28day,
  • 31:30healthy grains,
  • 31:32and healthy proteins.
  • 31:35So we know that,
  • 31:37one of the sources of
  • 31:38estrogen in our diet comes
  • 31:40through
  • 31:40meat and dairy.
  • 31:42And so making sure that
  • 31:43we limit that.
  • 31:45And when we have meat
  • 31:46or dairy that it's,
  • 31:48not treated with hormones.
  • 31:52The American Institute for Cancer
  • 31:54Research
  • 31:55is the most authoritative
  • 31:57website
  • 31:59on cancer risk and nutrition.
  • 32:01It has a
  • 32:03wonderful,
  • 32:06resource for
  • 32:08how to set up your
  • 32:09kitchen,
  • 32:11for recipes,
  • 32:12for cooking classes.
  • 32:15They currently have the Healthy
  • 32:16Ten Challenge, which is this
  • 32:18ten week interactive program,
  • 32:20to kind of help build
  • 32:21healthier habits around nutrition
  • 32:24and everyday diet that is
  • 32:27simple,
  • 32:28and easy to achieve.
  • 32:31This is really the the
  • 32:32best and most authoritative
  • 32:34resource,
  • 32:35for nutrition and cancer.
  • 32:41Limiting alcohol is also essential
  • 32:44for, cancer risk reduction.
  • 32:46The nurses health study found
  • 32:48a seventy percent increase in
  • 32:49breast cancer
  • 32:51among women who reported more
  • 32:53than three alcoholic drinks per
  • 32:55week.
  • 32:56The,
  • 32:57most recent Surgeon General's report
  • 33:00has a really identified that
  • 33:01there's no level of alcohol
  • 33:03consumption that was not associated
  • 33:05with an increased cancer risk.
  • 33:08We know that alcohol consumption
  • 33:10is associated with an increase
  • 33:11in circulating estrogen levels which
  • 33:14is a risk factor for
  • 33:15estrogen receptor positive breast cancer.
  • 33:19And so,
  • 33:20there is really
  • 33:23no
  • 33:24safe level of alcohol.
  • 33:26We know that,
  • 33:28keeping alcohol consumption to less
  • 33:30than three drinks per week,
  • 33:32should help reduce your risk
  • 33:34of both
  • 33:36developing breast cancer and breast
  • 33:37cancer recurrence.
  • 33:44Regular exercise. This could be
  • 33:46a talk
  • 33:47in and of itself.
  • 33:48I'm
  • 33:50actually I'm seeing a a
  • 33:52question in the chat. How
  • 33:53about fish and seafood?
  • 33:56So fish and seafood is
  • 33:57an excellent source of protein
  • 33:59with not a significant cancer
  • 34:01risk associated with it.
  • 34:07There's always this question about
  • 34:09sugar and cancer. Does sugar
  • 34:12feed cancer?
  • 34:13We can't say that it's
  • 34:15sugar by itself,
  • 34:17but we know it's excess
  • 34:18calories,
  • 34:19that can be associated with
  • 34:21cancer risk.
  • 34:22And so making sure that
  • 34:24food is, has nutrients and
  • 34:26as few calories as possible
  • 34:28as in fruits and vegetables
  • 34:30that can be,
  • 34:32most associated with cancer risk
  • 34:34reduction.
  • 34:37And I promise at the
  • 34:38end, I'll go back to
  • 34:39the,
  • 34:40AICR,
  • 34:42information in that link, the
  • 34:43American Institute for Cancer Research.
  • 34:49With regards to exercise in
  • 34:50cancer, there are I could
  • 34:52talk about that for quite
  • 34:53a while. So I just
  • 34:54wanted to,
  • 34:56summarize in one slide
  • 34:58that there are several
  • 34:59large
  • 35:00multicenter trials
  • 35:02that have demonstrate the benefit
  • 35:03of regular exercise
  • 35:05and reduction of risk for
  • 35:06developing breast cancer
  • 35:08and for the prevention of
  • 35:10breast cancer
  • 35:11recurrence.
  • 35:12Current recommendations
  • 35:14is for at least thirty
  • 35:15minutes of exercise
  • 35:17five times a week.
  • 35:20The most recent large trial
  • 35:22in colon cancer that was
  • 35:23in the New England Journal
  • 35:24of Medicine just this month
  • 35:26found that a combination
  • 35:28of both aerobic and
  • 35:30exercise and weight training
  • 35:33was the most effective in
  • 35:35preventing preventing cancer recurrence in
  • 35:37patients with colon cancer.
  • 35:41So we just can't emphasize
  • 35:42enough the importance of regular
  • 35:44exercise
  • 35:46in cancer survivorship.
  • 35:48I'm not great at this
  • 35:50myself, so I have
  • 35:51to improve my habits there.
  • 35:56The next is maintain a
  • 35:57lean body mass.
  • 35:59So increased body mass index
  • 36:01is associated with the increased
  • 36:03risk of cancer
  • 36:04recurrence and mortality in several
  • 36:06large epidemiologic
  • 36:08studies.
  • 36:09The increase in mortality ranges
  • 36:11from thirty to seventy percent
  • 36:13in most studies.
  • 36:15Increased BMI is also associated
  • 36:17with the increased risk of
  • 36:19developing breast cancer,
  • 36:21but really for postmenopausal
  • 36:22women only.
  • 36:24In studies that have been
  • 36:25done in cancer risk in
  • 36:26premenopausal
  • 36:27women, BMI or
  • 36:29body mass index does not
  • 36:31seem to play as important
  • 36:32a factor as in postmenopausal
  • 36:34women.
  • 36:36The current recommendation is to
  • 36:37maintain a healthy weight with
  • 36:39a BMI less than thirty.
  • 36:45And at last, smoking cessation,
  • 36:47which I'm not gonna say
  • 36:47a lot about. We do
  • 36:49have smoking cessation programs that
  • 36:51we refer patients to and
  • 36:52and other resources that are
  • 36:54available through the American Cancer
  • 36:55Institute for smoking cessation.
  • 37:02And so here are a
  • 37:03list of survivorship resources that
  • 37:05are available,
  • 37:08for cancer survivors and for
  • 37:10health care professionals.
  • 37:11This is all available,
  • 37:13through patient,
  • 37:16resources
  • 37:16from the National Cancer Center
  • 37:18Network.
  • 37:20The website for the AICR
  • 37:23is here, the American Institute
  • 37:25for Cancer Research,
  • 37:28which,
  • 37:29again, I think is is
  • 37:31a very well designed and
  • 37:32very authoritative
  • 37:33site for information on nutrition,
  • 37:36and weight management in cancer.
  • 37:39The American Cancer Society,
  • 37:42has wonderful resources available,
  • 37:45as well as all of
  • 37:46these other
  • 37:47organizations
  • 37:48including Livestrong.
  • 37:56So caring for yourself after
  • 37:57a breast cancer diagnosis.
  • 37:59It starts before you're diagnosed
  • 38:02with an annual screening mammogram
  • 38:05and, self exam and clinical
  • 38:07exam to make sure cancer
  • 38:08is diagnosed at its earliest
  • 38:10possible stage.
  • 38:11Once you have a cancer
  • 38:12diagnosis,
  • 38:13gathering your team and developing
  • 38:15your resources for social support.
  • 38:19Then
  • 38:20identifying your clinical team
  • 38:22and developing a treatment plan
  • 38:25with shared
  • 38:26decision making,
  • 38:28managing the symptoms
  • 38:30of cancer,
  • 38:31treatments as you're going through
  • 38:33active treatment,
  • 38:35And then survivorship care, which
  • 38:37we we discussed
  • 38:38including monitoring for recurrence and
  • 38:41the late effects of treatment.
  • 38:43And then the five things
  • 38:44that you can do every
  • 38:45day to help reduce your
  • 38:47risk of cancer recurrence.
  • 38:49I've been talking for a
  • 38:50while.
  • 38:51I'm gonna stop and see
  • 38:52if there any other comments
  • 38:53or questions. I'm seeing everybody
  • 38:55in the chat. I'm gonna
  • 38:56stop my share.
  • 39:20I have to say, my
  • 39:21family have been some of
  • 39:22my best advocates as I
  • 39:24have
  • 39:25gone through my treatment for
  • 39:27breast cancer in in my
  • 39:28survivorship.
  • 39:32And I feel very fortunate
  • 39:34that I, I have such
  • 39:35engaged, loving family members.
  • 39:59Wow.
  • 40:02If there are no other
  • 40:03questions,
  • 40:05I think we will
  • 40:07we'll end end this,
  • 40:09and I really appreciate the
  • 40:10opportunity to have this
  • 40:12conversation tonight. And,
  • 40:16hopefully, next year, we can
  • 40:17can do something in in
  • 40:19person.
  • 40:21Again, thank you to Sally
  • 40:22Cassella.
  • 40:27Oh, yes.
  • 40:29Danielle, thank you for mentioning,
  • 40:32Thrive,
  • 40:33which is a,
  • 40:35organization
  • 40:36that has been spearheaded by
  • 40:38doctor Neil Fishback, one of
  • 40:39our medical
  • 40:40oncologists
  • 40:41here,
  • 40:42to provide
  • 40:43a resource
  • 40:44for cancer survivors in our
  • 40:45community here in Trumbull.
  • 40:49It,
  • 40:50provides exercise classes,
  • 40:52and a workout room
  • 40:53and other support services, and
  • 40:56it is it's a really
  • 40:57dynamic
  • 40:59engaging place. So thank you
  • 41:01for mentioning that.