Sandhya Pruthi, M.D., Mayo Clinic breast cancer specialist

My advice includes close surveillance, staying informed with the latest in clinical trials, involving themselves with support groups, and seeking consultation with a psychologist who can offer sometimes more in terms of how to handle the disease.

To go into more detail about the close surveillance, we encourage follow-up every six months for five years. It's this time that we do breast exams and get the mammograms and additional blood work or tests that are needed to continue to manage and follow the disease.

With regards to clinical trials, the breakthrough in research is ongoing and this can be shared to women through the Internet, through the papers, through the journals that come to your home. Women need to be informed so that they know what is now available to them in the course of their treatment.

With regards to support groups, they play a large part in women who are looking for someone who has gone through something similar to them — a breast cancer support group, or speaking with their primary physician or family members.

For women who are more anxious or have had a harder time with their diagnosis, the role of a behavioral psychologist is so important, and is a great way to help a woman get through some of the issues of self-esteem and body image — and even the concern about depression that can set in with the diagnosis of breast cancer — and help the woman to work through her diagnosis, and in the long run is always beneficial.

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