Survivorship Support

"Having diagnosed my own breast cancer at the age of 37, I personally understand the needs of breast cancer survivors. As a physician I am a strong advocate for my patients and as a breast cancer survivor I'm actively involved in building a strong support network. I'm  particularly passionate about providing critical information and support for younger women diagnosed with breast cancer. Women under the age of 50 who are diagnosed with breast cancer have some concerns that post-menopausal women don’t have, such as such as preserving fertility and long term treatment planning.  I'm actively involved with my patients and pleased to provide ongoing information, education and support to women." 

Dr. Lisa Curcio

After Your Cancer Treatment Ends

Did you know that in the United States, there are more than 10 million cancer survivors?  Of these amazing women about 14 percent of them are 20-year survivors! As a result, many women, including myself, are  developing coping skills necessary to fight the disease, as well as discovering new ways to celebrate and live our lives. 

Interested in connecting  with other cancer survivors?   Healing Odyssey reaches out to people with all forms of cancer and provides its cancer support and recovery programs regardless of ability to pay.  Healing Odyssey’s mission is “to empower cancer survivors to be strong, hopeful and courageous through innovative education and support programs ”.   Visit Healing Odyssey, retreats for women cancer survivors.  www.cancersupportprograms.com
 

Breast Health

Breast health is important to everyone! Do you know that 75% of breast cancer occurs in women with no risk factors? This means they have no family history, or have not had a biopsy with atypical cells. Their only identifiable risk factor is having breasts! But all is not lost. Knowing these facts you can take proactive steps to reduce your risks.

The first thing is to perform monthly breast exams on a regular basis. This enables you to get more comfortable over time with what your breasts feel like and will help to identify any new areas of concern. Ask your physician to teach you to perform a thorough breast exam.

Lastly there are definitive lifestyle habits we can all embrace for overall health and also breast health: eating a healthy low fat diet, consisting of at least 4 vegetables and one fruit daily.  (SEE BELOW)

Find an aerobic exercise program and do it regularly- it reduces stress, is good for your heart and keeps your bones strong. Together with your health care team you can take steps for a stronger healthier future!

 Diet and Nutrition

New Staff Member! Suellen M. Scarff, MS, RD joins Advanced Breast Care Specialist
Individual Consultations and Group Classes Now Available
Visit our New Nutritional Support Page

If you're currently undergoing treatment for breast cancer or have been treated for breast cancer in the past, eating well is particularly important for you. One of the best things you can do is to adopt healthy eating habits to overcome your exhaustion and rebuild your body.  Although there are few definitive studies on the links between diet and breast cancer, we do know that healthy eating strengthens muscles, reduces fatigue and anemia, decreases depression and anxiety and helps promote emotional balance.

Dr. Curcio encourages all of her patients and breast cancer survivors to understand the vital role nutrition plays in your overall health.  This is why Dr. Curcio is excited to welcome Suellen Scarff, MS, Registered Dietitian to  her practice. Ms. Scarff  is available for private nutritional assessments and consultations.  Call our office to schedule a private consultation.   

In 2004 an important study entitled,  Does diet affect breast cancer risk? by Michelle D Holmes and Walter C Willett ⁽Channing Laboratory, Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA Department of Nutrition, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA. Department of Epidemiology, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA) documented specific dietary habits and the incidence of breast cancer.  The study's abstract was as follows:

"The role of specific dietary factors in breast cancer causation is not completely resolved. Results from prospective studies do not support the concept that fat intake in middle life has a major relation to breast cancer risk. However, weight gain in middle life contributes substantially to breast cancer risk. Alcohol is the best established dietary risk factor, probably by increasing endogenous estrogen levels." 

For more information on this study visit: http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=468678

You will obtain the most benefit by seeking the advice of a nutritionist to meet your specific needs. You might want to gain or to lose weight, you might experience side effects from your specific treatment, or you might need a diet that complements your hormonal changes. 

In general, Dr. Curcio recommends that you eat a wide variety of foods that are low in fat and high in vegetables and fiber.  It’s particularly important to eat foods packed with nutrients. Eat small portions many times a day, drink plenty of fluids, select lean meats, and keep sugar and salt to a minimum.  To learn more about the American Cancer Society’s  recommendations on  “Food and Fitness,” visit; http://www.cancer.org/docroot/PED/ped_3.asp  to read their guidelines for diet and activity. 

 The American Cancer Society Web site, http://www.cancer.org, is a great resource for information and support including  a free Cancer Survivors Network at  http://csn.cancer.org/

To read an article published by the Susan B. Komen Foundation on "Weight Gain Linked to Increased Breast Cancer Risk," click here.

Dr. Lisa Curcio concurs with the recommendations in this recent AARP article.  “These are sound recommendations that women can incorporate into their lifestyle.” Click here for recommendations.

Other important articles, click here.  

Sexuality & Fertility

After Breast Cancer….Your Sexuality

Most women find that when they finish treatment, they have many questions, concerns, and fears about physical intimacy. Many wonder how their cancer and other treatments will affect their intimacy and physical relationship with their significant other. Dr. Curcio understands these concerns and urges you and your partner to talk frankly with her or a licensed healthcare professional about what to expect and how you can handle these issues. Many times, these issues go unaddressed for years. But it should be reassuring to know that couples who communicate openly have learned how to respond to each other’s sexual needs and have made successful transitions. 

It should be noted that at different stages of your treatment that your desire for physical intimacy may be affected.  Some women don't report any changes, but most experience extreme fatigue – some describe it as "mind numbing exhaustion".  Most patients feel lots of stress during and after treatment – the kind of stress that invades emotions and interferes with coping.  Having cancer can make feeling good about your appearance challenging.  Also, your hormones may undergo dramatic fluctuations during and after treatment, which will also affect your sexuality.  Some treatments may produce symptoms of menopause, such as hot flashes, loss of desire, and vaginal dryness.  Though challenging and frustrating, your desire for sexual intimacy will return and may even become stronger.  For further information, go to www.cancer.org.

Breast Cancer and Fertility

Here's what we do know:

• Early menopause brought on by chemotherapy may be temporary. In other words, your menstrual periods may stop and then start again after treatment is over. It can take a few months or as long as a year or more for your periods to return.
• Some chemotherapy drugs, especially those that belong to a group called alkylating agents, can cause relatively more damage to the ovaries. As a result, they are associated with an increased risk of infertility. The most common example of this type of chemotherapy is cyclophosphamide (brand name: Cytoxan). 
• The older the patient at the time of breast cancer treatment the less likely they will have ovulatory cycles capable of conception.
• The return of menses does not mean that  there is actual ovulation which is needed for conception.

What Are Your Options?

·        Egg Freezing

The freezing of eggs, also called human oocyte cryopreservation, is a rapidly advancing technology of extracting, freezing and storing a woman’s eggs (oocytes). The eggs can later be thawed, fertilized, and transferred to the uterus as embryos months or years later.

While sperm and embryo cryopreservation have become routine, egg freezing has developed at a slower pace but many successful births have been recorded from frozen eggs. Fertility specialists also share much optimism that it provides options for groups of women who might otherwise have few or none.

 Dr. Lisa Curcio consults with Dr. David G. Diaz, MD, Medical Director of West Coast Fertility (Fountain Valley, CA) to discuss egg freezing as a viable option for her breast cancer patients.   If you would like a consultation, prior to your breast cancer treatment, please call Dr. Curcio. 

Also visit: www.eggfreezing.com .

 
Complimentary Alternative Medicine (CAM)
More information coming soon!

Recent Articles, Scientific Studies and Commentary by Dr. Curcio

Contact Dr. Lisa Curcio to discuss your risk for breast cancer . Dr. Curcio is a breast cancer heredity risk specialist and she can advise you on your breast cancer risk.

Visit "Advanced Breast Care Specialists of Orange County"  in Mission Viejo, California.