It’s Pink October, or National Breast Cancer Awareness Month again, and time to remind ourselves and everyone around, that breast cancer is one of the most common cancers affecting women.
If you or a loved one have recently been diagnosed with breast cancer, there’s no need to panic. Treatment options now are extensive, and very successful. According to the National Breast Cancer Foundation, the most commonly used treatment options include surgery, radiation and chemotherapy. Other targeted therapies may also be used, and these treatments may be used solely or in combination with each other. Some treatments target only the tumour, while other treatments actually target the area around the cancer.
Your treatment options will depend on a number of factors, including the stage of your cancer, size of the tumour, general medical health, and age. Menopausal women may have different treatment options, compared to younger women. In some cases, individuals have a genetic history that places at them at a higher risk for breast cancer. This history can also affect their treatment options. Have extensive discussions with your team of doctors about the right option for you.
If you are working, you are likely to find that most breast cancer treatments make it difficult for you to go back to work. Fortunately, Social Security disability benefits are available to persons who suffer from breast cancer, and are unable to go back to work and earn a sustainable income.
These benefits do not have to be permanent. Once you recover, you can transition out of the Social Security disability benefits program, and go back to working full time or part time, with the help of the Social Security Administration’s many programs to help individuals transition back to work.