"Cancer is not just one disease but rather a group of diseases. All forms of cancer causes cells in the body to change and grow out of control. Most types of cancer cells form a lump or mass called a tumor. Cells from the tumor can break away and travel to other parts of the body where they can continue to grow," (American Cancer Society, 1). When a woman gets breast cancer, it is a malignant tumor tha

Having breast cancer can have a major emotional effect on a woman. Going through all of the treatment and even the thought of losing their life is frightening. The technological advancements of the world today have helped to save many lives and even prevent many for contracting the disease. Education, along with early detection and newer and greatly improved treatments can help to end this horrible epidemic known as breast cancer.

The first steps to the prevention of breast cancer involve early detection and education. Carol Bonzi said, "I believe that early education is the key. If you start educating at a young age, then we might be able to prevent many deaths from occurring." Educating women about how to do self-breast exams and when to get mammograms is the best start in detecting lumps early. A self-breast exam can allow a woman to become familiar with her own body and enable her to be aware of any suspicious changes and lumps that may form. A mammogram is an x-ray of the breast. They are used to look for breast disease in women who appear to have no breast problems. Tiny mineral deposits that form in the breast appear on the film as white spots. These changes should be monitored or even be examined further by a biopsy to determine whether it is malignant or benign. If a tumor is found to be cancerous, a pathologist will look at it under a microscope to determine how severe it is. A staging system is used which is a standardized way in which the doctors describe the extent to which the cancer has spread. The stages range from 0 to 4 depending on the size of the tumor and where it has spread (American Cancer Society, 4-6).

After all treatment is finished, a woman might consider having breast reconstruction surgery or implant surgery. "These procedures do not treat the cancer. They are done to restore the appearance of the breast after mastectomy," (American Cancer Society, 4). There are many options when considering reconstruction and they should be discussed with a doctor. "Recommendations will be made for immediate reconstruction, delayed reconstruction (a second operation once recovery from the mastectomy is complete), or in some cases no reconstruction at all is recommended," (TransMed, 1). Reconstructive surgery is a very important option for most women. Losing an entire breast can be devastating to some and make them feel as if they aren't even a woman any longer. Going through such a terrible thing can have a terrible effect on a woman's emotions and being able to be

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Approximate Word count = 1698
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page double spaced)