Cecily O'Connor
RedwoodAge.com

Surviving breast cancer can be an empowering experience. But it doesn't always improve the way women monitor their health.

Women's knowledge about actions they can take to reduce breast cancer recurrence is low. More than three quarters of women who have had breast cancer are concerned about recurrence, but 30 percent don't believe and 23 percent aren't sure there is anything they can do to lessen the potential for developing the disease again, according to a new study. Meanwhile, little more than half of woman have spoken to their doctor about recurrence. 

Lack of knowledge and communication stems, in part, from the fact that some women don't understand the goals of treatment, said Elyse Kaplan, education director of Living Beyond Breast Cancer who battled breast cancer herself 16 years ago. After a woman undergoes a course of treatment, her office visits become less frequent and may not include candid discussions about lifestyle risks and the importance of taking medications regularly, Kaplan said. 

"Women going through breast cancer understand the purpose (of treatment) is to eradicate the disease, but don't understand the impact if they don't follow through with treatment in the way it's prescribed," Kaplan said. 

Mammograms play an important role, too, in monitoring the health of a woman affected by breast cancer. Mammography screening, which is recommended annually for women 40 years of age and older, frequently detects early signs of breast cancer and, thus, improves survival chances.

Those women who have undergone radiation following a lumpectomy may be advised to have a mammogram six months after the procedure, and then have annual screens going forward, Kaplan said.

Recurrence can come in different forms. Local recurrence includes cancer forming in the same breast, while distant, or metastatic, growth occurs when the cancer enters the bloodstream and affects another vital organ like the lung or brain. 

Elizabeth Edwards, wife of Democratic presidential hopeful John Edwards, serves as a painful reminder that women affected at one point in time by cancer are not immune to a second bout. Mrs. Edwards, who initially battled breast cancer in 2004, revealed this spring that the disease had spread to other parts of her body.

Need for Timely Information
Overall, breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer in women and is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in women, exceeded only by lung cancer, according to the American Cancer Society. It is estimated that 40,460 women will die of the disease this year.

The latest survey, which was commissioned by drugmaker AstraZeneca, suggested that more action and education is needed about the many ways women can help reduce the risk of recurrence, such as healthier eating, reducing stress and taking hormonal therapy. Visiting a physical therapist who can help with an exercise regime, as well as meeting with a dietician for nutrition tips, are two steps worth considering, Kaplan said. 

Even though time with their doctors is often compressed during office visits, about 72 percent of women affected by breast cancer said they relied heavily on their doctors or health professionals in their path to recovery. That was more than they relied on either friends (67 percent) or spouse (52 percent). 

The majority of respondents said that they are somewhat involved/not involved in a breast cancer survivor community, and thus might lack the support and access to timely information that they need.

Hopeful and Optimistic
The survey, conducted by Harris Interactive, consisted of interviews with 543 US women diagnosed with breast cancer. Many have chosen not to let cancer diminish their spirit, relying on renewed inner strength.

The vast majority reported a positive change in their lifestyles since being diagnosed, and nearly two-thirds said they are hopeful and optimistic about the future. Nearly nine in 10 said that having breast cancer made them a stronger person, and about four in five said they were better able to put their lives in perspective.

Significant medical advances over the past decade that include targeted treatments, increased hormonal therapy options and new chemotherapy medicines, have a lot to do with brightened spirits, Kaplan said. 

"There have been great strides in the research and development end in treatments for breast cancer," she said. "A lot has happened in a relatively short period of time."

In addition, cancer is being talked about more openly than ever before, and that peer emotional support goes a long way toward improving  a woman's' outlook.

Breast cancer survivors are more likely to identify a great deal with other women who have had the disease than with people of the same ethnic/racial background or religious beliefs, the study found.