Once you are diagnosed with breast cancer, the overwhelming feeling of doing something to get rid of it permeates your mind. What to do next and the feeling that one must move quickly takes over. The reality of the progression of breast cancer and the fact that it grows slowly is often all but forgotten when you are initially diagnosed. Studies of cancer cells show that it takes about ten years for most tumors to get to a size that can be felt. Although your diagnosis seems to be an emergency, know that there is time to choose your treatment and time to go for second opinions at each stage of your breast cancer treatment. You owe it to yourself to feel comfortable with your decisions and it takes time to process the information that allows you to make those choices. For example, if the possibility of early menopause interferes with your life goals of having children, you may want to consult a specialist that has researched this area and how it relates to breast cancer prior to choosing adjuvant chemotherapy.

Usually, after breast surgery, chemotherapy and radiation will not start for four to six weeks and, although you may be tired and feeling weak from surgery, you can use this time to further investigate your options to help with your final decision-making about post-surgery treatment options.