Just Diagnosed?

Moderators

If you are reading this, you have just been diagnosed with breast cancer and are probably feeling overwhelmed. Breastcancer.org provides not only expert-reviewed medical information about breast cancer, but also a community of members who are all somehow affected by the disease.

The Discussion Boards is the Community area of Breastcancer.org where you can share and discuss information, as well as give and receive support from others going through similar experiences.

I just received my pathology report, how do I get started?

An informational place to start is Your Diagnosis on Breastcancer.org. This section describes the characteristics of the cancer -- featured on your pathology report -- that might affect your treatment plan, including information about Stages of Breast Cancer, Lymph Node Involvement and Hormone Receptor Status.

On the Breastcancer.org Discussion Boards, there are dozens of forums discussing literally thousands of topics - for some, it may be overwhelming to know where to start. One forum to try is Just Diagnosed. This forum is for people with all different stages of breast cancer who are dealing with a new diagnosis.

When you are new ("newbie") to the discussion forum, it is recommended to post initially in a number of different places on the discussion boards. By doing this, you increase the likelihood of finding your community of support. Don't forget to select any thread you start as a Favorite, so you can get notifications when someone responds to your post! You can also select any thread you post on as a Favorite by clicking the Heart icon at the top or bottom of each page. This way, you can follow up with members who have responded to you.

How can I find out about different treatment options?

Breastcancer.org provides a lot of information on Treatment & Side Effects. A good place to start within this section is Planning Your Treatment, which describes what types of treatment are available, the most likely sequence of treatments, and treatment options by cancer stage.

On the Discussion Boards you may want to explore the following forums: Surgery - Before, During, and After, Chemotherapy - Before, During and After, Radiation Therapy - Before, During and After, and Hormonal Therapy - Before, During and After.

Where can I find definitions for all the medical terms and abbreviations?

The terms associated with a breast cancer diagnosis may seem like a whole new language. To find out what all the different abbreviations and acronyms mean on the discussion boards, consult the Discussion Board Abbreviation Key.

I know I should be focused on my diagnosis and treatment, but I am worried about paying for my care.

On Breastcancer.org, the Paying for Your Care section includes good suggestions on lowering the cost of your medication, navigating your health insurance, and what to do if you have no insurance. And if you are concerned about how your treatments will affect your job, see Breast Cancer and Your Job.

On the Discussion Boards, there is a forum called Employment, Insurance and Other Financial Issues, where members discuss their experiences negotiating insurance and other financial issues.

Remember, we are here to help. Any questions that you have, you can always send a Private Message (or PM) to the Moderators (or Mods).