Breast Cancer

In this episode, titled Breast Cancer, Eve Tidwell interviews Louverne Britt, a survivor of Breast cancer, and Dr. Mark Taylor, a surgeon with the Columbus Clinic, who discusses new methods for Breast Cancer Screening. Columbus Cooks, Dennis Nuehring shows us how to make a Black Bean Soup. Alee Morrison from Toni’s Dancing School teaches us the Butterfly Stretch, and Matt Phillips from Bliss Salon, gives us a helpful tip about eyelashes.

Women with breast cancer are given the opportunity to choose between total removal of a breast (mastectomy) and breast-conserving surgery (lumpectomy) followed by radiation.

The main advantage of lumpectomy is that it can preserve much of the appearance and sensation of your breast. It is a less invasive surgery, so your recovery time is shorter and easier.

Lumpectomy followed by radiation has several drawbacks:

• After surgery, you are likely to have five to seven weeks of radiation therapy, five days per week, to make sure the cancer is gone.
• You are at a somewhat higher risk of developing a local recurrence of the cancer than are women who undergo mastectomy. However, recurrence can be treated successfully with mastectomy.
• Your breast cannot safely tolerate additional radiation if cancer occurs in the same breast after lumpectomy. This is true for either a recurrence of the same cancer, or for a new cancer. If you have a second cancer in the same breast, your doctor will usually recommend that your breast be removed.

Removing the entire breast is called a Mastectomy. Radiation therapy may still be needed, depending on the results of the pathology.

Mastectomy has three main drawbacks:

1. The surgery is longer and more extensive, with more post-surgery side effects and a longer recuperation time.
2. The surgery means a permanent loss of your breast.
3. If, like most women, you pursue reconstruction after mastectomy, you are likely to face additional surgeries in a multi-step cosmetic procedure.