Sitting in a florescent-lit doctor’s office, staring your mortality straight in the face can be a daunting experience. At first time stands still. Then, the emotional chaos triggered by crippling fear calls into question all that you have taken for granted until that decisive moment. Finally, no matter how much you try to focus on the specifics, the mind does a quick evaluation of a life’s worth, tallying up the good and the bad on an imaginary chalkboard.

When my doctor declared he had detected a 5 mm. lump in my right breast, during a routine physical my mind raced through a long list of all the things I would never get to do. I felt cut down, defeated, and stopped in the tracks of life. “This could just be a cyst, which is a very common occurrence in women,” I heard him say, but words hung in the air, shredded, unable to communicate meaning. “I am only 25, I cannot have cancer,” I kept repeating.

I was told to go home and await the end of my menstrual cycle. If the lump decreased in size after my hormonal balance normalized, I would be in the clear. If not, then the mammogram, biopsy, and perhaps mastectomy would follow. At first, I took refuge in sleeping pills because unconsciousness made it possible to escape the daunting reality. But eventually I had to wake up and wake up I did. After the self-pity wore off, leaving in its stead strength and determination, I began reading and researching. The literature on the illness, its possible causes, and potential cures was life changing.

Even after I got a clean bill of health, things have not been the same, as my re-education has permanently changed my perspective.

Here is an account of what I found out and would like to share about breast cancer…

UNDERSTANDING BREAST CANCER RISK

It is crucial to understand what increases your possibility of getting breast cancer. The following a list of the various factors that can make your risk go up.

• Personal or family history of breast cancer
• Smoking
• Excessive weight
• Prolonged estrogen exposure
• Abnormal breast cell growth
• First full-term pregnancy after age 30
• Never having a full-term pregnancy
• Heavy alcohol use
• Early start of menstruation
• Late menopause

PREVENTION

Though it is not possible to eliminate all possibility of getting breast cancer, living a healthy life style can make a significant difference.  Remember, one out of every 8 women will be inflicted with breast cancer in the course of a 90-year life span. In order to reduce your risk:

• Eat a healthy diet
• Lose extra weight
• Exercise regularly
• Reduce alcohol use
• Quit smoking
• Minimize/eliminate extra estrogen

DIAGNOSIS

The best way to fight and defeat breast cancer is early detection. In order to detect breast lumps that may be cancerous:

• Have regular mammograms.
• Have your doctor examine your breasts.
• Check your breasts for lumps every month, preferably 2 weeks after your period.

Taking these steps gives you the best chance to catch cancer near the beginning. Finding breast cancer before it has a chance to metastasize (spread) makes treatment much easier and more effective. More than 90% of all women whose breast cancer is found early will be cured.

TREATMENT

In recent years, there's been a surge in the number of life-saving treatments against breast cancer. Instead of limited options, today there's an overwhelming array of treatment possibilities geared to fight the complex mix of cells in each individual cancer. The options only some of which are surgery, radiation therapy, Herception, hormonal therapy, Tamoxifen, and chemotherapy, need to be discussed thoroughly with a trusted and experienced physician. It is imperative to devise a comprehensive treatment program for the specifics of each patient’s condition.  

CURE

There is no cure for breast cancer. But there is hope. In April Nicole Kidman agreed to become the first model for Key to the Cure, a new women's cancer initiative founded in partnership with Saks Fifth Avenue, the Entertainment Industry Foundation and its Women's Cancer Research Fund.

This is one of the many ways you can help. But the possibilities are endless. Volunteering is another effective way to make a difference. Start by getting informed.