Breast Cancer, The Different Stages Of Facing The Disease
In this article, we want to share with you the different stages that a woman goes through when she is diagnosed with breast cancer. So we will try to do an empathy exercise, however complicated it may seem. Let’s imagine that the doctor has just broken this news to a woman. What does she feel? How does she react to the impact of this disease? What are the phases that this woman will have to go through on a mental level?
Breast cancer is the accelerated and uncontrolled proliferation of cells in the glandular epithelium. These are cells that have considerably increased their reproductive capacity. Breast cancer cells can spread through the blood or lymph vessels and reach other parts of the body, thereby producing metastasis. Knowing whether this process happened or not is very important information to talk about the prognosis of the disease.
Regarding epidemiology and risk factors, it is possible to state that it is the most frequent cancer in women. However, thanks to advances in medicine, breast cancer mortality has decreased in recent years.
How do we treat breast cancer?
On the one hand, the oncology specialist will be in charge of the physical process of the disease through surgery with the removal of the tumor, carrying out the radiotherapy, the decision and application of chemotherapy and the choice regarding hormonal therapy. Furthermore, in this intervention planning, the physician must take into account the patient’s particular characteristics, such as the psychological strength he/she has.
On the other hand, the figure of the psychologist is essential in any therapeutic process of this disease. Does the patient know, understand and accept the disease? From the first moment of diagnosis, it is necessary to be at the person’s side to support, help and promote emotional ventilation and the correct use of information. In addition, the psychologist can be an essential figure when it comes to intensifying patient adherence to treatment, as well as managing their expectations.
The different stages a person goes through when diagnosed with cancer
As Kübler-Ross mentioned, there are different stages a person goes through when diagnosed with cancer. Therefore, it is essential to detect what stage the person is at, as the support, help and way of acting in the therapeutic process will be different.
At first, the person is in denial phase, refuses to believe that he has cancer. In many situations, the patient himself asks for the exams to be performed several times to confirm. At this stage, it is common to seek different medical opinions to convince yourself that there was no mistake in the diagnosis.
Then the denial disappears and turns into anger, anger and hostility, often blaming the situation on the doctors, on herself or on family members. After that, the person who has been diagnosed with cancer may enter a phase of depression, in which they feel powerless, unwilling to fight, in which sadness and fear are at the center of their daily state of mind.
And then it comes to negotiation. We can say that the phrase of this phase is… “What would have happened if…?” Secretly and with themselves, the person tries to make a deal. This is a defense mechanism to protect yourself from the reality of cancer when you are not ready or prepared to accept the disease.
The last phase that a person goes through is the acceptance of the disease, the acceptance of his cancer. From that moment on, the patient will start to live with their problem and will fight directly against cancer.
How to help during these phases?
From the point of view of therapy, it is necessary to monitor the woman diagnosed with breast cancer in the different stages through which she will go, alleviating her pain until she reaches acceptance of the disease. From that moment on, we will continue walking by your side during the therapeutic process. It is important and fundamental to reduce any uncertainty that women may have about cancer, providing psychoeducation about the disease itself, about the therapies and techniques that we will use to improve the physical and mental state.
For this reason, it is essential to remember that, step by step, the different phases are overcome. With help, support, willingness and energy it is possible to walk through this process. Certainly, there will be not-so-good days. But within these days, there will also be positive details that will make the person move on, whether it be the smile of a child, the kiss of a partner, a kind word from a friend, a walk in the countryside…
Each phase has its moment, but in one way or another, for there to be an evolution, the person needs to accept the disease. She needs to accept that she has a disease, not that she is sick. From then on, knowing and recognizing your fears, anxieties and uncertainties, the strength, energy and positivity will become greater to win this battle.
Women with breast cancer, be brave and warriors! Courage on this path!
