It is important to acknowledge the patient's desire for urgency to be evaluated once a breast abnormality has been discovered. The level of anxiety for the patient is very high from the initial discovery until the definite diagnosis has been made. Dealing with the patient's fear is a balancing act. The information given to the patient at this time stimulates new worries and upsets the balance of trying to calm the patient by providing her with information to alleviate their fears. The patient feels as if this is the beginning of the end.
Most patients equate the word cancer with death.
But the more information a patient is given, the more control she feels she has over what is happening to her. As the disease becomes more real, it also becomes more manageable. Knowledge is the antidote to fear. Lack of knowledge regarding breast cancer and its treatment can render the patient powerless. In most cases, once the patient knows what they are dealing with, they find the strength to deal with it.