Breast Cancer
Breast Cancer Symptoms
- Treatments for breast cancer
- Ways to prevent breast cancer
- Breast cancer and challenges getting coverage
- Medical insurance options for those with breast cancer
Breast Cancer Treatment
Depending upon what stage the breast cancer is in when it is discovered by doctors, the treatments will vary. Surgery to remove the cancer is a common choice for most stages; it's the type of surgery that will vary according to the tumor's stage of development. Breast-conserving surgeries—those that remove just the cancer and not the entire breast—like the lumpectomy and the segmental or partial mastectomy. Both of these procedures remove the tumor and the normal tissue around it and usually the lymph nodes underneath the arms to see if the cancer spread.
Later stages of breast cancer may be treated by a total mastectomy in which the entire breast is removed. A radical mastectomy removes the breast as well as the lymph nodes under the arm and part of the chest wall muscles. A modified radical mastectomy removes all of these and part of the lining over the chest wall muscles as well.
After surgery, a round of radiation treatment or chemotherapy may follow. Hormone therapy after surgery is common, too.
Are There Any Preventative Measures Which May Prevent Breast Cancer?
Most of the causes of breast cancer cannot be helped — genetic predisposition, age, early menstruation, other benign breast conditions — but some can. Some lifestyle choices can decrease your chances of developing breast cancer including maintaining a healthy weight and diet, indulging in regular exercise, and avoiding excessive alcohol consumption and smoking.
How Might Breast Cancer Affect My Ability to Get Health Insurance?
Breast cancer is a preexisting condition but it cannot keep you from getting health insurance. Every state is different but many states offer individual health coverage to everyone, even if the preexisting condition will not be covered for a set period of time. Also, federal HIPAA laws provide for those with preexisting conditions, limiting the length of the wait period to 12 months and ensuring that they are not excluded from health insurance coverage or overcharged based on their health status.
What Insurance Options Are Available to Those Who Have Breast Cancer?
If you have lost your job as a result of breast cancer treatment, then you may be eligible for a number of insurance options including Medicaid and coverage under COBRA, which allows employees and their families the ability to continue their job-based coverage after their employment ends.
Ask for an insurance quote now!
Last Updated : Friday, October 31, 2008