Life After Breast Cancer Can Be Difficult: Dr. Pearman

Chicago - More women than ever before are surviving breast cancer, but some still struggle to feel normal and healthy after beating their disease. Dr. Timothy Pearman, a clinical psychologist and director of the supportive oncology program at Northwestern Medicine and the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, joined us.

Pearman said after battling breast cancer, woman may struggle with fatigue, cognitive problems (sometimes known as chemobrain), nutrition, depression and side effects that may present themselves years after treatment. Quality of life for breast cancer survivors, in particular, is often affected by lymphedema, premature menopause and concerns about their risk of recurrence and libido.

A lot of these issues, which may be either disease related or treatment related, tend to revolve around emotional support. Anywhere from 30 to 50 percent of patients will be clinically depressed or experience clinical anxiety at some point during their treatment, Pearman said.

To make the transition to life after breast cancer easier, woman can take care of their mental and physical health, Pearman said. Specialists like social workers, cancer rehabilitation therapists, nutritionists and health educators can be a big help in helping women striving to live healthy lives after cancer.

The free Lynn Sage Breast Cancer Town Hall Meeting on Sunday, Oct. 2 is open to the public from 1 p.m. until 4 p.m. in the Arthur Rubloff Building’s Thorne Auditorium, 375 East Chicago Avenue, on Northwestern University’s Chicago Campus. Exhibits and registration start at noon.