As a doctor, you should develop the best treatment plan while maximizing the appearance and function of the upper extremities for your patients. With a 10-year survival rate of 70 percent after treatment, breast cancer is now one of the most effective tumors among solid tumors, and a significant number of early-stage patients can opt for breast-conserving treatment without having to remove the entire breast. “Results of large-scale clinical trials have shown no difference in long-term survival between breast-conserving treatment and traditional radical surgery, and patients treated with breast-conserving treatment have a greater advantage in terms of shape and function preservation.” Thus, one study showed that the breast-conserving group outperformed the radical group in terms of psychological functioning, social functioning, body image and total quality of life scores. Currently, over 80% of breast cancer patients in North America receive breast-conserving treatment, yet the rate of breast-conserving surgery in China is still less than 20%. The reasons for this may be several: First, some physicians are not yet aware of this new concept and technology, and they are accustomed to traditional radical surgery and do not pay enough attention to patients’ postoperative quality of life; second, patients’ knowledge about breast-conserving treatment is low, and most of them prefer to undergo radical surgery or extended radical surgery at the expense of quality of life for fear of disease recurrence; third, the existing medical equipment and technical level of hospitals cannot meet the requirements of patients for breast-conserving surgery; fourth, the existing medical equipment and technical level of hospitals cannot meet the requirements of patients for breast-conserving surgery. Third, the existing medical equipment and technical level of hospitals cannot meet the requirements of patients for breast-conserving surgery; fourth, the efforts of screening are not enough to detect more patients with early breast cancer. Medical staff should patiently communicate with patients to make them understand as much as possible about the treatment knowledge and latest progress of breast cancer, eliminate misconceptions about the disease and help them build up confidence to overcome the disease. A responsible doctor should not only be satisfied with a beautiful surgery, but also do a good job in preoperative education and postoperative functional exercise guidance for patients. Patients should actively cooperate with rehabilitation exercises and make good psychological adjustment The decline of upper limb function after surgery is one of the important factors affecting patients’ emotions. “Many patients, especially those who have undergone radical surgery, will have difficulty lifting their hands, redness and pain in their arms after surgery, which can seriously affect their sleep quality and cause a decrease in physical strength, which then increases their psychological burden.” Therefore, active cooperation after surgery and receiving standardized functional rehabilitation exercises for the upper limbs can enable many patients to maximize the recovery of preoperative function of the upper limbs. Grasping the timing of exercise is very important for the recovery of upper limb function. Generally speaking, the first two days of postoperative exercise should be started, at this time mainly to restore the mobility of the fingers and wrist joints. On the second to fifth day, it is the exercise of the elbow joint, on the seventh to tenth day, it is mainly the exercise of the shoulder joint, and after the tenth day, the patient should actively do the “wall climbing” exercise by himself, that is, use his fingers to make the action of “climbing upward” on the wall, and try to make the arm “climb” higher and higher day by day. After the 10th day, the patient should actively perform “wall climbing” exercise by making “upward climbing” movement with fingers on the wall, and try to make the arm “climb” higher and higher day by day, so as to restore the upper limb function. As long as you can insist on serious exercise under the guidance of the nurse, you can generally recover the function very well. Several of my patients who are teachers can pick up chalk and write on the blackboard again after surgery. At the same time, breast cancer patients are encouraged to rejoin society, preferably six months after surgery, by returning to their jobs or re-entering their old family roles. “Doing so allows patients to forget as much as possible that they are ‘patients’ and facilitates recovery.” Proper care from family members helps patients’ psychological recovery After recovering from surgery, it is best for family members to treat patients as ordinary people Research has found that about 2/3 of cancer patients can fully adapt 2 to 6 months after diagnosis. Generally, such people have positive emotional support, such as loving family members, a wide range of social relationships, and personal coping skills to handle crisis events. Inevitably, breast cancer can cause a great deal of psychological stress, including loss of self-confidence and self-approval, fear of rejection or neglect by a partner, and possibly prolonged anxiety and depression, and the understanding, tolerance, and love of family members, especially partners, will undoubtedly help patients overcome this psychological hurdle. On the other hand, family members and friends should also take care of breast cancer patients. After recovery, it is better to stop treating them as patients, because excessive care can sometimes make patients feel inferior.