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Just Diagnosed? Start here.

If you are reading this, you may have just been diagnosed with breast cancer and are probably feeling overwhelmed. Breastcancer.org is here for you with both easy-to-understand medical information and a wonderful community of people impacted by breast cancer.

As a member of our community, the Discussion Forum is the area of Breastcancer.org for you to share and discuss information about your breast cancer situation, as well as give and receive support from other members.

Here are a few helpful resources to get you started:

I just received my pathology report, how do I get started? 

Read here for help to Understanding Your Pathology Report. This section describes what each piece of your pathology report means for you, including the characteristics of the cancer that might affect your treatment plan. There’s extensive information about Stages of Breast Cancer, Lymph Node Status, HER2 Status and Hormone Receptor Status. You can also learn about Genomic Testing, Genetic Testing, and lots more.

On the Breastcancer.org discussion forum, there are dozens of forums discussing a very wide array of topics - for some, it may be overwhelming to know where to start. One forum to try is Just Diagnosed. This forum is for people with all different stages of breast cancer who are dealing with a new diagnosis. We encourage you to comment on an existing discussion, or start a new discussion introducing yourself and sharing your experience to get your questions answered and get the support you need. For more information, read our Tips for How to Best Use Our Community Forums.

Don't forget to select any topic that you would like to follow as a Bookmark, so you can get notifications when someone comments. This way, you can follow up with members who have responded to you, or further the conversation. Learn more about Bookmarks.

How can I find out about different treatment options?

Breastcancer.org provides a lot of information on Treatment Options. A good place to start within this section is Planning Your Treatment, which describes what types of treatment are available, the most likely sequence of treatments, and treatment options by cancer stage.

On the discussion forum, you may want to explore the following forums: Surgery - Before, During, and After, Chemotherapy - Before, During and After, Radiation Therapy - Before, During and After, and Hormonal Therapy - Before, During and After.

Where can I find definitions for all the medical terms and abbreviations?

The terms associated with a breast cancer diagnosis may seem like a whole new language. To find out what all the different abbreviations and acronyms mean on the discussion boards, consult the Discussion Forum Abbreviation Key.

I know I should be focused on my diagnosis and treatment, but I am worried about paying for my care.

On Breastcancer.org, the Covering the Cost of Your Breast Cancer Care section includes good suggestions on lowering the cost of your medication, navigating your health insurance, and what to do if you don’t have health insurance. And if you are concerned about how your treatments will affect your job, see Workplace and Job Issues.

On the discussion forum, visit Employment, Insurance and Other Financial Issues, where members discuss their experiences negotiating insurance and other financial issues.

Remember, we are here to help. Any questions that you have, you can always send a Private Message (or PM) to the Moderators or email us at community@breastcancer.org.

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