Fears of Breast Cancer

iBreast presents

June 21, 2000

Breast Cancer Specialist, Dr. Marisa Weiss settles fears and answers questions about breast cancer.

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Ibreast: Welcome, everyone, to the first ibreast.com™ Midnight Conference, addressing your unanswered questions and nagging fears about breast cancer--the ones that keep you up at night. This Conference marks the official launch of ibreast.com™ and it is held in collaboration with Living Beyond Breast Cancer®, a nonprofit education organization. This conference is sponsored by educational grants from AstraZeneca and Bristol-Myers Squibb Pharmaceuticals. Our speaker this evening is Dr. Marisa Weiss, a breast cancer specialist with an active practice in the Philadelphia area. In addition, Dr. Weiss is president and founder of ibreast.com™, president and founder of Living Beyond Breast Cancer®, and author of the book "Living Beyond Breast Cancer" published by Random House. Dr. Weiss will answer your questions and respond to your concerns. (Of course, for personal medical advice, you need to speak with your own healthcare team.) Welcome, Dr. Weiss.

Dr. Weiss: Welcome everyone, from all over the world, joining us tonight to mark the beginning of ibreast.com. We choose midnight on the shortest night of the year because even this short night can feel too long when you are struggling with your questions and fears.

Twinkle: Hi, my friend was just diagnosed with breast cancer for the second time. I am looking to give her encouragement. What can I tell her to make her feel better?

Dr. Weiss: I think that the most important thing, I would say, is to spend time with her, and to listen to what she is saying and feeling. Based on that, you can best understand how you can be most helpful to her. Let her know that you really care about her. And, ask her if she would like you to go with her to doctor's appointments, offer to find important information about treatment options, and try to encourage her to let other people in, also.

Abbafan: Yesterday I discovered a lump that I hadn't noticed before in my breast. It is red and painful. I'm going to go to the doctor next week to check it out. I'm concerned because I just found out about a year ago that cancer runs high in my family. I'm only 32. How concerned should I be about this?

Dr. Weiss: A breast lump that becomes painful and red very quickly in someone your age is most likely due to inflammation or infection. If this lump persists, go see your doctor immediately. An infection should respond quickly to antibiotics. A biopsy or fluid removal is only necessary if the lump persists, the redness does not resolve, or you are worrying and need reassurance.

EZGuest113: My mother has been told that because her platelets are shot they can no longer do chemotherapy (small cell lung cancer). She will be starting radiation. And she is afraid that radiation is the end.is it? What happens if the radiation doesn't work?

Dr. Weiss: Radiation therapy is an important and effective treatment for many types of cancers, including lung cancer. It's best to wait for her blood count to return closer to normal before starting. Her doctor may recommend Neumega, a medication that boosts platelet counts.

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