Positive Steps To Protect Yourself Against Breast Cancer

Last week, the food media celebrity Sandra Lee shared that at the age of 48 she had been diagnosed with breast cancer. She joins my rank and the rank of other celebrities, such as Martina Navratilova and Wanda Sykes, afflicted by this diagnosis. Hearing of Lee's diagnosis really hit home for me because I received the same diagnosis when I was 48. Coincidentally, we were both diagnosed with the same form of breast cancer, DCIS (Ductal Carcinoma in Situ),which is a relatively common form of the disease, and considered an early form of noninvasive breast cancer. This type of cancer begins in the mammary ducts; however, if it breaks outside of the ducts, then it is considered invasive. DCIS is most commonly treated with a lumpectomy, followed by radiation. After the lumpectomy, if the margins of the tumor are unclear or undefined, then further treatment is necessary because the cancer can become invasive, or spread. This was the scenario for both Ms. Lee and myself. After consulting with her breast surgeon, Ms. Lee decided, like many others, to undergo a double mastectomy, even though only one of her breasts was affected. She used the rationale of others who did not want to face the chance of additional breast cancer in the future. Her doctors told her she was a "ticking time bomb." My path was a little different. My diagnosis was in 2001. While some women opted for the double mastectomy, it was not as common as it is today, so I opted to keep one breast. I was also warned ...
Source: Healthy Living - The Huffington Post - Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news