Breast Cancer Care in 2024: What Women Need to Know

A diagnosis of breast cancer arrives like an earthquake, reshaping the landscape of a woman’s life in an instant. Yet, amid the uncertainty, medical advances and personalized treatment approaches offer more hope than ever.
Risk factors vary significantly among women, Dr. Cindy Cen, a breast surgical oncologist at the Northwell Health Cancer Institute, told The Epoch Times, emphasizing the role genetics plays in women’s risk. “If you have a lot of cancer in the family, your risk is going to be higher.”
Some other risk factors are not properly emphasized, such as the role lifestyle can play in a woman’s risk, Cen said. “Breast cancer risk is very much entwined with alcohol intake,” she noted. “So the more that you drink, the higher the breast cancer risk is—and this is something that not a lot of women are aware of.”
Other lifestyle choices that help reduce breast cancer risk include exercise and maintaining a healthy weight, she added.
“The big picture here is that everyone’s cancer is different,” Cen said. When facing a diagnosis, women often find themselves overwhelmed by treatment choices.
However, unlike many other medical conditions, breast cancer treatment can often be tailored to patient preferences, according to Matos.
When considering surgery, patients have the option of mastectomy (removal of all the breast tissue) or lumpectomy (removal of the tumor from the breast tissue) while also considering cosmetic outcome, patient preference, tumor size, location, and volume of disease, Matos said.
“We also offer whole breast versus partial breast radiation,” she added. “Some factors that impact the scope of radiation include tumor grade, size, patient age, and history of prior radiation.”
Lastly, Matos said that systemic therapy options can vary “from a pill to chemotherapy, depending on  the type of tumor, size, patient age, and existing medical conditions.”
Creating a robust support network is crucial for successful treatment. This network should include surgeons, oncologists, nurses, social workers, and patient navigators who guide patients through the complexities of care.
Dr. Katharine A. Yao, a surgical oncologist, emphasizes the importance of trust in one’s health care team. “One of the most important things is that patients should seek out a team that they have confidence in, that they trust will have their back when they need it, and a team they feel they can get access to and that will help them when they are in need,” she said.
Having family, friends, and a support system around helps. For those who don’t have as much support, there are support groups, she added.
Receiving a cancer diagnosis can take a toll on emotional well-being. Ochoa highlighted the need to address mental health as part of the overall care plan.
She suggests reaching out to licensed professionals like social workers and psychologists who specialize in oncology, as well as joining support groups, whether in person or online. Connecting with others who share similar experiences can provide comfort and valuable coping strategies.
Receiving a breast cancer diagnosis can be extraordinarily stressful, but Cen emphasized that the patient’s emotional state is routinely addressed as a part of care.
“I always ask when [patients] come in,” Cen said. “Sometimes they come in alone for these talks and I ask is there someone we can get on the phone, a loved one, family member, friend, somebody else that can listen in.”