While a diagnosis of breast cancer is devastating no matter what, it's important to know that advances in the treatment of it have resulted in much better outcomes for women. While surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation are all first line treatments, science now has other like targeted therapies and hormone therapies that can sing small circulating tumor cells and kill them off.
Because of these medical advances, more information is available to patients and their families. Not all breast cancer patients have the same kind of cancer, so it's important to understand the specific diagnosis. With so much information, comes more options for treatment. This can be overwhelming as well, but the key is to remember that you, as the patient, are in charge of your health plan. Ask questions, get 2nd or even 3rd opinions. It's a lot to take in, but getting the right information should be the first step.