Health
After a breast cancer diagnosis, here are 10 important things you should do, experts say
One in eight women in the U.S. will be diagnosed with breast cancer at some point in their lifetime, statistics show.
The diagnosis can be shocking, scary and overwhelming, leaving the patient with a long list of questions — perhaps the first of which is, “What should I do next?”
“Hearing the words ‘you have cancer’ is life-changing and brings with it many emotions,” Tingting Tan, MD, PhD, a medical oncologist and hematologist at City of Hope Newport Beach in California, told Fox News Digital.
“Know that your feelings are perfectly normal and give yourself some time.”
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Fox News Digital spoke with breast cancer experts who have helped other women navigate this tough journey, gathering their guidance about what to do in the days and weeks after the diagnosis.
“Hearing the words ‘you have cancer’ is life-changing and brings with it many emotions,” a doctor said. (iStock)
1. Take a beat — and breathe
Experts agree that it’s important to give yourself time to process the news.
“It’s natural to want to rush into action, but taking some time and letting the news sink in is important,” Dr. Alyssa Middleton, a psychosocial oncologist in Louisville, Kentucky, and founder of MyCancerResources.com, told Fox News Digital.
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“Allow yourself to feel the range of emotions that come with this life-altering news.”
In most cases, Middleton said, oncologists will wait several weeks to begin treatment to allow time for further testing — “so there’s no need to feel panicked about making decisions today.”
2. Write down questions and gather information
Once you’ve allowed yourself some time to process the diagnosis, it’s time to learn as much as you can from reliable sources.
“Read the information the doctor provided about the type of breast cancer you have and the stage — a number from 0-4 that describes how big the tumor is, where it is located, and how far it may have spread from the breast,” Middleton advised.
Experts recommend writing down a list of questions to ask your doctor in the days following a diagnosis. (iStock)
Next, it’s important to understand the typical treatments for your type and stage, which may include surgery, chemotherapy, radiation and/or hormone therapy.
Write down all of your questions and bring them to every doctor’s appointment, Tan advised.
“Those first appointments can be extremely emotional, and there may still be shock or disbelief,” she told Fox News Digital. “Writing your questions down will ensure you don’t forget them.”
3. Notify — and lean on — your support team
“You aren’t obligated to inform the whole world about your diagnosis,” Middleton said. “Share the news with those who you feel need to know and who will be most supportive.”
You can share as much or as little information as you like, she added. “This is your health, and you control what and how much information is shared.”
“Allow yourself to feel the range of emotions that come with this life-altering news.”
Once you’ve notified your loved ones, it can be helpful to bring a friend or family member to your appointments, Tan said.
“This time can be overwhelming, and you want to be sure you understand everything your doctor is explaining,” she said.
One in eight women in the U.S. will be diagnosed with breast cancer at some point in their lifetime. (iStock)
“Having your support system with you for an extra set of ears can be helpful if you don’t understand something or miss something.”
In your day-to-day life, it’s OK to ask for help, Tan emphasized.
“Loved ones are often ready and happy to help with preparing meals, taking kids to school, or anything and everything in between,” she said.
4. Consider a second opinion
Studies have shown that getting a second opinion after a breast cancer diagnosis can be beneficial for the patient.
“Second opinions can save lives,” Tan said.
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“Cancer is unique, and if you are diagnosed with breast cancer, you want to see an expert who specializes in your exact type. Don’t be afraid to ask your doctor for a second opinion.”
Even if you don’t switch oncologists, seeking a second opinion can provide reassurance that you have chosen the right care team and treatment plan, Tan noted.
Studies have shown that getting a second opinion after a breast cancer diagnosis can be beneficial for the patient. (iStock)
“It is essential to do this before starting treatment, as there may be additional options that you should consider,” she said.
Another breast oncologist may have different recommendations on how to treat your breast cancer, Middleton agreed.
“If the treatment recommendation is the same, you can decide which oncologist you feel most comfortable with and move forward with them,” she said.
“If the treatment recommendation differs, you can decide which approach you prefer.”
5. Build your care team
When it comes to seeking care, it’s vital to seek experts who specialize in breast cancer, Tan said.
She recommends choosing an oncologist who practices at a cancer center that’s designated by the National Cancer Institute (NCI).
“When breast cancer is localized – meaning it hasn’t spread outside the breast – the five-year survival rate is 99%.”
“Getting on the right treatment plan at the beginning of your journey is very important,” she said. “Physicians at academic medical centers are the most up to date on the latest treatment breakthroughs and options in the field.”
Dr. Anjeanette Brown, MD, a board-certified breast surgeon at the Premier Surgical Network in New Jersey, emphasized the importance of choosing a health care professional with the proper credentials.
Experts recommend choosing an oncologist who practices at a cancer center that’s designated by the National Cancer Institute (NCI). (iStock)
“This person should be your ‘quarterback,’ directing the essential steps that need to be taken for proper evaluation and imaging prior to going into surgery,” she told Fox News Digital.
It’s essential that the patient feels comfortable with her provider, Brown noted.
“This will be a long, intense relationship, dealing with emotions and physical changes that are about to happen, secondary to surgical intervention, as well as possible medical management,” she added.
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Dr. Lauren Ramsey, a breast cancer surgeon in Ft. Worth, Texas, specifically recommends seeing a breast surgeon (surgical oncologist) in a timely fashion — ideally a provider who has completed a specialized fellowship in breast surgical oncology.
“Other doctors, such as medical oncologists and radiation oncologists, may end up playing a role — however, the breast surgeon will be able to make those referrals for you,” she said.
6. Connect with others
Many women find invaluable support from other breast cancer patients and survivors.
“Online groups can be a great source of support, with others who are further along in treatment sharing their experiences and supporting you in your journey,” said Middleton.
Many women find invaluable support from other breast cancer patients and survivors. (iStock)
“If you’re feeling overwhelmed with all the information that’s been thrown at you, you may want to wait a little while to do this,” she added.
7. Think about fertility
For patients who want to have children in the future, it’s important to consider this before beginning treatment, according to Middleton.
“You’ll want to meet with a fertility specialist to learn about your options and make arrangements for any procedures to be done before any breast cancer treatment starts,” she advised.
8. Focus on the good news
While a breast cancer diagnosis can seem ominous, experts agree that prognoses have improved over the decades.
“Breast cancer mortality rates have dropped by 44% since 1989, thanks to early detection and treatment,” a doctor said. (iStock)
“Breast cancer mortality rates have dropped by 44% since 1989, thanks to early detection and treatment,” Tan said.
“When breast cancer is localized – meaning it hasn’t spread outside the breast – the five-year survival rate is 99%, based on NCI data of women diagnosed with breast cancer between 2013 and 2019.”
“It’s a lot, so there is no shame in reaching out to others.”
There are also more than four million breast cancer survivors in the U.S., Tan added.
9. Maintain an active and healthy lifestyle
Exercise is recommended even with a breast cancer diagnosis, Ramsey said.
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“We recommend any form of physical activity, whether it’s light walking or a more structured exercise,” she advised. “Continue performing your usual daily activities.”
Adopting a balanced and nutrient-dense diet can also help support the body during treatment and recovery, Ramsey added.
Exercise is recommended even with a breast cancer diagnosis. (iStock)
“Focus on lean proteins, fruits, vegetables, whole grains and healthy fats,” she said. “Avoid sugary and highly processed foods.”
10. Take care of yourself
It’s important to pay attention to your emotional, psychological and spiritual needs throughout a breast cancer journey, Tan advised.
Brown echoed the importance of self-care.
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“This could include a discussion with a nutritionist, giving yourself the space to accept and adjust to the diagnosis, and finding a support group or therapist,” she said.
“It’s a lot, so there is no shame in reaching out to others.”
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A new injectable therapy is showing positive results in reducing melanoma throughout a five-year period.
The personalized mRNA cancer therapy, called intismeran autogene, combined with the cancer immunotherapy drug KEYTRUDA (pembrolizumab), is a collaboration between Merck and Moderna.
The results from the phase 2b KEYNOTE-942 study were presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting in Chicago on May 27.
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After about a five-year follow-up, the combo drug was found to reduce the risk of melanoma recurrence or death by 49% compared to pembrolizumab alone.
The researchers analyzed data from 157 patients with high-risk stage 3 and 4 melanoma whose cancer had been removed via surgery. The participants were split into two groups — one received the combo therapy and the other only received pembrolizumab, according to a press release.
The therapy was found to reduce the risk of melanoma recurrence or death by 49% compared to pembrolizumab alone after a five-year follow-up. (iStock)
The findings revealed that the combination group saw benefits that were “sustained and durable over time.”
Intismeran autogene is designed using mutations identified in a patient’s own tumor, with the intention of teaching the immune system what the cancer looks like so that it can recognize and attack it.
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According to the researchers, intismeran is “well-tolerated” with a “manageable” safety profile.
The most commonly cited side effects of the personalized mRNA vaccine plus KEYTRUDA were fatigue, injection-site pain, chills, fever and headache. The researchers reported no new long-term safety concerns and no severe vaccine-related adverse events.
The combination therapy is currently being evaluated in a phase 3 study — the final confirmation stage.
Patients with late-stage melanoma have a “significant risk” of cancer recurrence, according to an expert. (iStock)
In a Merck press release from January, Kyle Holen, MD, Moderna’s senior vice president and head of development, oncology and therapeutics, noted that this data highlights the “potential of a prolonged benefit … in patients with resected high-risk melanoma.”
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“We continue to invest in our platform in oncology because of encouraging outcomes like these, which illustrate mRNA’s potential in cancer care,” he said.
Dr. Marjorie Green, senior vice president and head of oncology, global clinical development at Merck Research Laboratories, also commented that for many patients with stage 3 or 4 melanoma, there is a “significant risk of recurrence following surgery.”
Researchers confirmed that the combination therapy is currently being evaluated in a phase 3 study. (iStock)
“As such, demonstrating the longer-term potential of intismeran autogene and KEYTRUDA to reduce the risk of recurrence for certain patients with melanoma is a meaningful milestone,” she said.
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The company cited encouraging five-year follow-up data and pointed to upcoming late-stage INTerpath trial results with Moderna in several hard-to-treat cancers.
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An accidental lab discovery has opened the door to entirely new ways of preventing the flu.
While investigating how influenza replicates, researchers discovered that different flu strains use completely different strategies to infiltrate human cells, SWNS reported.
By targeting the specific molecules the viruses rely on, scientists found that they could block them from entering new cells and halt their replication altogether.
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Researchers say these “fundamental insights” into seasonal influenza highlight a clear path toward developing better preventive medications.
“The hope is that fundamental, curiosity-based research like this helps to pave the way for novel strategies to treat and prevent influenza infections,” principal investigator Dr. Emily Bruce, from the University of Vermont’s Larner College of Medicine, said in the SWNS report.
While investigating how influenza replicates, researchers discovered that different flu strains use completely different strategies to infiltrate human cells. (iStock)
While several flu strains cause illness, H1N1 and H3N2 influenza A viruses are the most common. However, current flu tests cannot differentiate between them, and clinical treatments are identical for both.
Although vaccines and antivirals are available, Bruce noted a “dire” need for better medications to stop the virus from spreading cell to xxcell.
“You don’t get sick when a virus is in one cell,” he noted. “You get sick because a virus replicates itself and goes into many more cells.”
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The study, which was published in The Journal of Virology, originally aimed to map how viral RNA segments are transported within cells to create new viral particles.
The team used H1N1 and H3N2 viruses isolated from the nasal passages of positive patients in 2022.
Clinical treatments remain identical for both primary strains of the flu virus. (iStock)
During the investigation, the team unexpectedly stumbled upon a cellular pathway that blocked the virus from entering lung cells, SWNS reported.
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The data revealed that when a specific human protein called Rab11B was depleted, H3N2 viruses failed to enter human lung cells. H1N1 viruses were completely unaffected.
Using reverse genetics, the team mapped this defect and uncovered a brand-new, H3N2-specific role for Rab11B during viral entry.
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This discovery challenged the scientific assumption that all flu viruses enter cells the same way.
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“Viruses are like pirates from different countries hijacking someone’s ship,” Bruce said. “Different viruses, like different types of pirates, use different methods to get onboard.”
This discovery challenged the scientific assumption that all flu viruses enter cells the same way. (iStock)
“We had previously thought that all flu viruses used the same way to get into a cell, but we discovered that this is not true,” she went on. “H1N1 and H3N2 need different proteins to get in, and if you get rid of the right protein, a specific virus can’t get in.”
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While these findings identify a critical cellular pathway for viral entry, the study was conducted using isolated cells, the researchers acknowledged.
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Further research is needed to determine whether blocking the protein is safe and effective within a live, complex human respiratory system.
Bruce and the team hope to conduct further research to determine whether this Rab11B-dependency is a fundamental property of H3N2, or if it’s a trait unique to currently circulating flu strains.
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Eating processed meat like ham, sausage and bacon may be linked to a higher risk of certain types of cancer, according to new research.
While health organizations have already confirmed that processed meat can contribute to colon cancer, this study looked closer at cancers in the upper digestive tract, where the link has historically been less clear.
To understand these connections, researchers from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC), one of the world’s largest long-term nutrition and cancer cohorts, tracked the health and diets of 450,112 people across Europe for an average of 14 years.
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The study group included 131,426 men and 318,686 women, according to the study’s press release.
During the follow-up period, 876 people developed stomach cancer and 215 people developed esophageal adenocarcinoma, which is cancer of the tube connecting the mouth to the stomach.
For female participants, eating both processed meat and white meat was linked to an increased risk of developing the disease. (iStock)
Researchers tracked where the stomach cancers grew, separating them into the upper part of the stomach near the throat and the lower part of the stomach.
The researchers also sorted the tumors into two categories based on how the cancer cells appeared under a microscope: intestinal, which forms more organized structures, and diffuse, in which the cells are more scattered throughout the tissue.
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After adjusting for other lifestyle factors, the researchers found that for every extra 30 grams of processed meat a person ate per day, their overall risk of stomach cancer went up by 9%. Eating that same extra 30 grams a day was also linked to a 13% higher risk of esophageal adenocarcinoma.
A standard single slice of regular deli-sliced ham or lunch meat averages around 28 grams, according to USDA data and nutritional tracking databases.
An extra 20 grams of white meat, such as chicken and turkey, was linked to a 12% higher risk of cancer in the main body of the stomach. (iStock)
An extra 20 grams of white meat, such as chicken or turkey, was linked to a 12% higher risk of cancer in the main body of the stomach, the researchers noted.
The study also revealed differences between men and women. For male participants, only processed meat showed a clear, statistically significant link to a higher risk of stomach cancer. For female participants, however, eating both processed meat and white meat was linked to an increased risk.
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These findings align with global health benchmarks, particularly those established by the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer.
The agency has long classified processed meat as a known human carcinogen, primarily due to its strong, well-documented links to colorectal cancer.
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However, health organizations have also consistently pointed to a potential, yet less definitive, relationship between these meats and cancers of the stomach.
Eating 30 grams of processed meat a day, or the equivalent to one slice of ham, was linked to a 13% higher risk of esophageal adenocarcinoma. (iStock)
Further scientific investigation is needed to confirm the findings and to account for other underlying risk factors, such as certain stomach infections, which could interact with dietary habits.
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A key limitation of the study is its reliance on self-reported diets, which can sometimes lead to inaccuracies in how participants recall their meat consumption over time, the researchers noted.
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The findings were published in the International Journal of Cancer.
Fox News Digital reached out to the researchers requesting comment.
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