Detection and treatment can be complex. Life after breast cancer doesn’t have to be. As you take your next steps, we are here to guide you along the way.
Will insurance cover the costs of my garments?
Medicare and most other insurance providers cover post-operative bras, camisoles and partial breast prosthetics. Other garments needed after lumpectomy or during radiation therapy may also be covered. The Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS) covers some of these expenses.
Ask your doctor or nurse navigator for more information. We are here to help you navigate life after breast cancer.
Integrative and holistic therapies
Holistic and integrative therapies work in concert with state-of-the-art, evidence-based western medical treatment for breast cancer. An integrative approach to your breast cancer care can help alleviate the side effects of some of your treatments and decrease recurrence of disease via lifestyle modification, selective supplementation, Reiki, acupuncture, massage, meditation, yoga, mindfulness-based stress reduction and more. You can find a wealth of information and resources about these therapies at the Society for Integrative Oncology and the American Cancer Society.
Reiki and massage are available at no cost to patients undergoing treatment at Flagstaff and Sedona.
Lymphedema
During surgery for breast cancer, your surgeon removes at least one lymph node from the underarm area to see if the cancer has spread. The average number of nodes removed with a sentinel node biopsy is three to five. Lymph node removal can disrupt the lymphatic channels carrying lymph fluid from the arm to the rest of the body.
If the remaining lymph vessels cannot handle the fluid from these areas, the excess fluid builds up and causes swelling, or lymphedema. Radiation treatment to the lymph nodes in the underarm can have the same effect. Patients who have many lymph nodes removed and patients who have had radiation therapy to the breast and/or underarm area may have a higher risk of lymphedema. Your physician will give you detailed information about preventing and managing this side effect of cancer treatment.
Lymphedema is not curable, but very manageable. A treatment called Complete Decongestive Therapy, or CDT, can help. Our EntireCare Rehab and Sports Medicine Department offers this service, which is considered to be the gold standard treatment for individuals with lymphatic dysfunction. For detailed information about CDT and other helpful therapies, please visit the EntireCare microsite.
You may also visit cancer.org.
Questions?
We are here to help answer your questions or assist you with scheduling an appointment. Call us today.