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ReduceBreastCancerRisk.com Contact Us
About This Site
Carol Bolotin is a science writer with a Master's degree in Microbiology. She has done
laboratory research in immunology and has worked as a technical writer and editor.
Her most important qualification for developing this web site, though, is that she is at
high risk for breast cancer.
laboratory research in immunology and has worked as a technical writer and editor.
Her most important qualification for developing this web site, though, is that she is at
high risk for breast cancer.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Wake-up Call
I used to take my health for granted. I was in my forties, felt great, and expected to stay healthy until I was a
very old woman. I ate whaever I wanted and exercised when I felt like it . I knew I should be doing more, but
who had time? Then I got the bad news.
A routine mammogram showed a suspicious spot. I would need a breast biopsy, the first of three that year
to investigate abnormalities on mammograms. Two were negative, but one showed I had a precancerous
condition that put me at high risk for getting breast cancer.
I thought my days were numbered.
Adding to my concern was confusion about what this condition was and how it should be treated. Lobular
carcinoma in situ (LCIS) is a cancer "in place" that has no potential for spreading outside the breast unless
it undergoes transformation. It is classified as a "Stage 0" breast cancer, but is not a true cancer because it
lacks the potential to metastasize, or spread.
Now there is much more certainty about what women with LCIS should do, but when I was diagnosed with
it almost years ago, the medical community was evenly divided on what treatment to recommend. Around
half the doctors surveyed for a study at the time said they would carefully monitor women with LCIS with
regular check-ups and mammograms. The other half said they would advise LCIS patients to have both
breasts removed.
A double mastectomy for a precancerous condition? That seemed pretty extreme when many women with
invasive cancer could choose to have a lumpectomy instead of, at worst, a single mastectomy. LCIS
indicates a potential for developing breast cancer in either breast, so to fully reduce the likelihood of breast
cancer, both have to go. But even with a double mastectomy, there is no guarantee you won't get breast
cancer. All of the breast tissue can not be removed, so it is still possible to get breast cancer after this
surgery.
I considered the bilateral mastectomy, but decided against it. I could not go through such drastic surgery if
it left me with the possibility of getting breast cancer. I was fortunate to have a wise and progressive breast
surgeon whose recommendation was that I have check-ups every three months at first, and twice a year
later on. These days, most doctors favor this approach.
I did find it difficult to face the threat of a serious disease without taking action, though. I thought there must
be something I could do to lower my risk for breast cancer. And a trip to the medical library showed me
there was.
Scientists were investigating the link between lifestyle and breast cancer. They didn't have the final answer
on what women might do to reduce breast cancer risk, but they did have promising research that showed
some women could avoid this disease.
And I hoped to be among them. I vowed to change my ways. I would eat nutritious foods, lose some
weight, and get more exercise. That was all.
I was clueless about nutrition, loved all the wrong foods, had trouble keeping my weight under control, and
exercised sporadically. But I began to adopt healthier habits one at a time and was pleasantly surprised at
how much more energy I began to have.
My lifestyle is not perfect. I struggle to keep my weight at a barely acceptable level and sometimes give in to
a weakness for ice cream or gooey chocolate desserts, to name a few. But I make these occasional treats
and balance them with an otherwise nutritious diet.
I continually work to adopt healthier habits, not only to reduce breast cancer risk and have more energy, but
also because a healthy lifestyle protects us from a whole host of diseases like diabetes, heart disease,
stroke, osteoporosis, and Alzheimer's disease. The good news is that you can get the benefits of healthy
living without being rigid and overly restrictive about your lifestyle. Whatever you do is likely to help.
Scientists continue to learn about cancer prevention, and I'm determined to get whatever benefit I can from
their research. I may someday get breast cancer, but if I do, I will at least have the satisfaction of knowing I
did whatever I could to prevent it.
___________________________________________________________________________________
very old woman. I ate whaever I wanted and exercised when I felt like it . I knew I should be doing more, but
who had time? Then I got the bad news.
A routine mammogram showed a suspicious spot. I would need a breast biopsy, the first of three that year
to investigate abnormalities on mammograms. Two were negative, but one showed I had a precancerous
condition that put me at high risk for getting breast cancer.
I thought my days were numbered.
Adding to my concern was confusion about what this condition was and how it should be treated. Lobular
carcinoma in situ (LCIS) is a cancer "in place" that has no potential for spreading outside the breast unless
it undergoes transformation. It is classified as a "Stage 0" breast cancer, but is not a true cancer because it
lacks the potential to metastasize, or spread.
Now there is much more certainty about what women with LCIS should do, but when I was diagnosed with
it almost years ago, the medical community was evenly divided on what treatment to recommend. Around
half the doctors surveyed for a study at the time said they would carefully monitor women with LCIS with
regular check-ups and mammograms. The other half said they would advise LCIS patients to have both
breasts removed.
A double mastectomy for a precancerous condition? That seemed pretty extreme when many women with
invasive cancer could choose to have a lumpectomy instead of, at worst, a single mastectomy. LCIS
indicates a potential for developing breast cancer in either breast, so to fully reduce the likelihood of breast
cancer, both have to go. But even with a double mastectomy, there is no guarantee you won't get breast
cancer. All of the breast tissue can not be removed, so it is still possible to get breast cancer after this
surgery.
I considered the bilateral mastectomy, but decided against it. I could not go through such drastic surgery if
it left me with the possibility of getting breast cancer. I was fortunate to have a wise and progressive breast
surgeon whose recommendation was that I have check-ups every three months at first, and twice a year
later on. These days, most doctors favor this approach.
I did find it difficult to face the threat of a serious disease without taking action, though. I thought there must
be something I could do to lower my risk for breast cancer. And a trip to the medical library showed me
there was.
Scientists were investigating the link between lifestyle and breast cancer. They didn't have the final answer
on what women might do to reduce breast cancer risk, but they did have promising research that showed
some women could avoid this disease.
And I hoped to be among them. I vowed to change my ways. I would eat nutritious foods, lose some
weight, and get more exercise. That was all.
I was clueless about nutrition, loved all the wrong foods, had trouble keeping my weight under control, and
exercised sporadically. But I began to adopt healthier habits one at a time and was pleasantly surprised at
how much more energy I began to have.
My lifestyle is not perfect. I struggle to keep my weight at a barely acceptable level and sometimes give in to
a weakness for ice cream or gooey chocolate desserts, to name a few. But I make these occasional treats
and balance them with an otherwise nutritious diet.
I continually work to adopt healthier habits, not only to reduce breast cancer risk and have more energy, but
also because a healthy lifestyle protects us from a whole host of diseases like diabetes, heart disease,
stroke, osteoporosis, and Alzheimer's disease. The good news is that you can get the benefits of healthy
living without being rigid and overly restrictive about your lifestyle. Whatever you do is likely to help.
Scientists continue to learn about cancer prevention, and I'm determined to get whatever benefit I can from
their research. I may someday get breast cancer, but if I do, I will at least have the satisfaction of knowing I
did whatever I could to prevent it.
___________________________________________________________________________________
Have you changed your lifestyle in an attempt to reduce breast cancer risk or recurrence?
Please share your story on this web site or on the Reducing Breast Cancer Risk blog.
Please share your story on this web site or on the Reducing Breast Cancer Risk blog.
