Patients should also be offered supportive therapies, such as counselling. From the growth of the first abnormal cell to the end of treatment, breast cancer is a long hard road. Roll your mouse over the pictures to see how long each stage takes. It's difficult to pronounce breast cancer cured because secondary breast cancer can appear years later after tiny cells lying dormant in the liver, bones or elsewhere, become active. However, it is usually said that women who have had no problems for five years can consider themselves cured.
Links There are some excellent sites on the net for information about breast cancer.
A good place to start within the BBC site is our Cancer Guide , which offers in-depth take on lots of different types of cancers, as well as discussing mainstream and complementary therapies. The BBC is not liable for the contents of any external internet sites listed, nor does it endorse any commercial product or service mentioned or advised on any of the sites. Always consult your own GP if you're in any way concerned about your health.