Several treatments that are alternative to radical mastectomy have been introduced over the past few decades. Complete removal of the breast is not necessary any more; instead of radiotherapy in order to reduce the physical problems of patients (Caldwell, 1971), different types of anticancer drugs are also been in use for chemotherapy as well (Bonadonna, 1976). No matter which treatment the patients or doctors chose, they all can achieve certain extent of success by preventing the situation becoming worse or stop the cancer spreading to other parts of the body.
Although the effective treatment has completely achieved success, there are also many elderly women who die from breast cancer. It can be detected earlier than before, however the most progress of breast cancer usually develops slowly and the numbers of patients had already suffered from other causes before their cancer being symptomatic. It has been calculated that the average cost for breast cancer treatment may rise approximately about $20,000 after the patient survives breast cancer. These figures are from Medicare and National Cancer Institute’s Surveillance on the innovations in treatment from 1985 to 1996.
As this essay mentioned, treatments often have side effects especially the treatments for cancers. Feeling tired, have no appetite, losing weight, wanting to throw up and damaged skin, these are all common side effects which may happen during the process of breast cancer treatment. While reducing the dose or changing the prescription has fewer side effects majority of women would like to let their body heal itself. Nowadays, natural remedies seem more popular among women who suffer from breast cancer because of cancer-related fatigue. Cancer –related fatigue is now known all over the world, it can be caused by herbal medications, hormonal changes, nutrition and lack of sleep. Fortunately, some remedies are found useful with sleep interruptions and hormone balance, and nausea can effectively be cured by medial hypnosis. It is necessary for everyone if he or she goes through such bad experiences of side effects to find out why these will happen and help themselves get rid of the side effects or reduce the harmful level which threatens their bodies.
Although most of side effects now can be managed well by the innovations of medical technology, there are some problems with the treatment of breast cancer. Mastectomy, one of the most effective therapies of breast cancer, will change the image of the patient’s body, which may damage patient’s confidence and also the comfort with intimacy. Plastic surgery is now a mature medical technique that can reconstruct the human body, but it still has to reduce the potential psychological problems. The intimate relationship between couples may also be difficult after surviving breast cancer. So the problem comes after the journey of survival is not an individual problem anymore, it may not do harm to both partners’ physical health but how about their mental health? Lack of sex is a kind of problems that comes from mental problem due to the partner’s mastectomy surgery.
To conclude, this essay has discussed how the therapy of breast cancer has improved through years. An increasing number of women avoid death as a result of breast cancer. It has emerged that mastectomy; the most effective way to heal breast cancer that can save victims from death may also cause some troubling side effects to both patient and partner. It is to be hoped that while the innovation of medical technology continues, medical experts can focus more on the side effects of every new therapy, in order to prevent patients suffering harmful side effects.
by
cww30 (student)
