Learning you have breast cancer is scary, but you are not alone. According to the National Cancer Institute, an estimated 226,870 women and 2,190 men got a breast cancer diagnosis in 2012.
Even so, you may feel alone. Or at least unsure what to do next. If you’re here, you’re probably looking for answers. But that can also feel overwhelming. There’s so much information all over the web. Where do you start?
Start with the resources listed here. They’ll help you start to learn more about your diagnosis, treatment options and how to live with breast cancer, without letting it take over your life. Of course, there are more resources than just these. But the goal of this page is to get you started with a few high-quality resources.
When you’re ready, you can dig deeper. Many of the resources here will also direct you to additional information. Or you can do an internet search yourself, but be sure you use reliable sources. We have a few tips for evaluating your search results.
Men, we know you can get breast cancer, too. Although there’s much less information available, we have a page with resources just for you, too! But feel free to check out the links on this page, too.
If you’re here because you think you might have breast cancer, our best advice is to see your doctor. Whether it’s breast cancer or something else, you need a real answer. That said, the overviews and organizations listed here also include information about symptoms that could indicate breast cancer.
Breast Cancer Overviews
It’s a good idea to get an overview of your disease before getting into all the details about treatment, success rates and side effects. Often an overview will help answer your immediate questions and help you understand what your doctor told you.
Breast Cancer Overview from the American Cancer Society: This guide covers everything from what breast cancer is to early detection, treatment and life after treatment. There is also a downloadable version (PDF)
Breast Cancer Understanding Your Diagnosis (PDF): Another good overview of the disease, its symptoms, diagnosis and treatment; from the Canadian Cancer Society.
Breast Cancer: The Basics: This overview is from OncoLink, a comprehensive resource from the Abramson Cancer Center of the University of Pennsylvania.
Your Guide to the Breast Cancer Pathology Report (PDF): This short guide explains in plain English what the various parts of your pathology report (the report your doctor gets after a biopsy) mean.
Breast Cancer Types: This article from the Mayo Clinic website helps you understand the different types of breast cancer.
Organizations Devoted to Breast Cancer
Many organizations exist to help patients and their loved ones access resources and connect with other people who understand what you’re going through.
Susan G Komen for the Cure: This is one of the best known organizations, with affiliates across the country. On this site you can find a lot of information about the disease, diagnosis and where to find help. Friends and family of breast cancer patients, you can also find answers on how to help your loved ones.
National Breast Cancer Foundation: This foundation is dedicated to promoting early detection and helping women in need get mammograms. You can find a wealth of information on this site, including the truth about many breast cancer myths, answers to common questions and programs to help patients and loved ones deal with the diagnosis.
Canadian Breast Cancer Network: This Canadian group acts to link together other groups and people with an interest in breast cancer. It promotes breast cancer awareness and education throughout Canada. The website offers links to resources for family and friends of those with breast cancer. The site also hosts a variety of useful reports, as well as information on clinical trials looking for patients and recent research results.
Inflammatory Breast Cancer (IBC) Foundation: This organization is devoted to spreading the word about IBC, which is often misdiagnosed, because it does not look like most breast cancers and is often missed on mammograms.
Research into Breast Cancer
Many researchers are trying to improve understanding of breast cancer and investigating new drugs to treat or prevent it. Use these resources to see the results of some recent studies and, if you’d like, find studies looking for participants.
Breast Cancer Trial Results: Five years’ worth of results from cancer trials from the National Cancer Institute.
A Snapshop of Breast Cancer: This two-page PDF touches on various programs and research studies the NCI is involved with.
Breast Cancer Clinical Trials: This links to the results page of ClinicalTrials.gov for a search on “breast cancer”. You can refine these results to find trials close to home or narrow the criteria for the study.
Breast Cancer Prevention Trials: If a breast cancer diagnosis in a loved one has you wondering about prevention, and you’re interested in being part of this exciting research, this page can help.
Canadian patients can check the “seeking Participants” list on the Canadian Breast Cancer Network’s Research and Clinical Trials page to find a clinical trial.
Forums and Support Groups for Breast Cancer
Family and friends provide a great support network who want to help, but often they can’t fully understand what you’re going through. Connect with others who’ve been there and know how you’re feeling through discussion boards and support groups.
Discussion Boards and Chat Rooms at Breastcancer.org: You can browse the discussions to see what others are saying, or register and join the conversations. It’s divided into 72 different forums, depending on the kind of information you need. A tiny sampling of what you’ll find:
- A discussion just for women who are not diagnosed but worried
- A section just about lymphedema
- Threads on breast reconstruction
- A forum specifically for those with stage IV or metastatic breast cancer
This site also provides a lot of information about breast cancer, treatments and day-to-day life with the disease.
Advanced Breast Cancer Support Community: An online community devoted specifically to women with advanced (metastatic) breast cancer and their loved ones.
Find local Support Services: the American Cancer Society’s website can help you find support groups and other services, like rides to treatment, in your area.
Ask an Expert: this free Q&A board from the Johns Hopkins Breast Center lets you ask a question and have a breast specialist answer it. You can also browse previously asked questions and answers. It can take up to a week for an answer (they may ask for opinions from other specialists). So if you need a fast answer, this is not your best option unless you can find the answer in the already-asked questions.
Other Resources for Breast Cancer
Here are a few other resources you might find helpful.
Mammography Facility Database: This searchable database from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration can help you find a MQSA certified mammography facility.
The National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program: This program provides breast cancer screening and related services to low-income and uninsured women. You can find a program location near you.
Information For Kids About Breast Cancer
When mom (or dad) has breast cancer, it affects the whole family. Here are some resources to use when talking with your children about this disease and helping them cope with our diagnosis.
KidsHealth Breast Cancer page: KidsHealth is a great site that explains medical conditions in simple language that kids can understand. The section on breast cancer explains what it is, how doctors diagnose and treat it, and how mom might feel during treatment. You might also want to check out the page on “When a Friend Has Cancer,” which helps kids understand their feelings (it focuses on same-age friends, but can still help your child cope with being scared and unsure of what to do).
Kids Konnected: This organization offers programs, including support groups and camps, where kids can connect with other kids who understand what it’s like to have a parent with cancer.
Children’s Issues, article on talking with your kids about your diagnosis. This article offers some good advice, including tips by age group. At the end is a list of additional resources for helping your children understand and cope with this scary change in their lives.