Hi Gillianr,

There are different types, grades and stages of breast cancer. How long you need to take off work will depend on these factors. Your results will indicate what surgery you need and whether or not you need any follow up treatment.

Radiotherapy requires attendance for 5 consecutive days a week over a number of weeks. It doesn't usually start until a few weeks after surgery, when you have healed up. Chemotherapy is mostly given after surgery and before radiotherapy, but it can also be given before surgery, to reduce the size of a large tumour. Not all chemo drugs are the same. Different chemo drugs are used to treat breast cancers and can be given in different combinations and different ways, over different time frames. Another common treatment is hormone therapy. Again, there are different types of hormone therapy.

All of the aforementioned treatments can cause side-effects for some people and none for others. There is no telling whether or not you will fall prey to these, but if you do, you may have difficulty working. It is worth having a frank discussion with your consultant tomorrow to see what surgery and treatment is advised for you. I have had 2 bouts of stage 1, breast cancer, and these were followed by a lumpectomy and a double mastectomy. Ironically, I had less bother with the double mastectomy post-operatively, than I did with the lumpectomy. That was all 13 years ago now and I still lead a busy and fulfilling life.

All people react differently. I personaly am self-employed and had to get back to work quickly.  I had no problem after surgery, other than being a little tender. My difficulties became apparrent when I started on hormone therapy. I tried taking a rest at lunch time and coped with this for a while. However, I eventually had to stop working for a time and got back to work a few months later. This might not be so easy to do in a new job.

Your consultant will be able to tell you if you have breast cancer tomorrow. If you do, you will also discover whether it is an agressive type or not and how advanced it is. These results will have been discussed with the MDT (multidisciplinary team) before they are given to you. This team consists of all the medical team who will be involved in your care. They will have already decided on the bst form of treatment for you, so your consultant should be able to tell you what conclusions they have reached. If you do get a cancer diagnosis, you will possibly also be given some leaflets outlining various surgical and treatment alternatives.

Write down any questions you have for your consultant tomorrow. You may feel overwhelmed by the medical terminology s/he uses, but don't be daunted. Ask about anything that you don't understand.  Are you taking someone with you to get your result? This is always a good idea.

You seem to be assuming that this is breast cancer, but many people who have a biopsy get good news. It is natural for us to think the worst at this stage, but I sincerely hope that this won't be the case. Please keep in touch and let us know how you get on. We are always here for you.

Kind regards,

Jolamine xx