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October is Breast Cancer
Awareness Month
Options are Increasing for Women Who Lose Breasts to Cancer
SAN FRANCISCO, CA: Despite advances in breast cancer detection and treatment, many of the women who will be diagnosed
this year—even those who catch the disease early on—will lose one or both breasts.
But most can
emerge from the ordeal with new breasts, if they choose to do so.
“Just a generation ago, disfigurement
was the only post-mastectomy option,” says Kathy Steligo, two-time breast cancer survivor and author of The
Breast Reconstruction Guidebook.
“We’re living in remarkably different times.
A reconstructed breast can restore a woman’s physical symmetry and sense of wholeness. In most cases, new breasts can
be made smaller, larger or more symmetrical than a woman’s own natural breasts.”
In recent years,
breast reconstruction has evolved into a remarkably sophisticated procedure. Breasts can be recreated with saline or silicone
implants, but increasingly, women are choosing more natural alternatives. Using fat and sometimes muscle transplanted from
a woman’s back, hips, thighs, abdomen or buttocks, plastic surgeons can recreate soft, natural-looking new breasts.
Many surgeons are now using an improved procedure that spares the muscle and shortens recovery time. When excess fat from
the abdomen is used to recreate breasts, the women benefits from a tummy tuck as well, and her overall body contoured is often
significantly improved.
These man-made
breasts aren’t perfect—yet. A restored breast may look like the real thing, but usually has only minimal sensation
because nerves are severed during mastectomy. Nor can women breastfeed from a reconstructed breast. But promising discoveries
are on the medical horizon. One of the most exciting ideas is to prompt a woman’s body to regenerate her lost breast.
It’s not as Buck Rogers as it sounds: researchers have successfully nudged stem cells to grow new ears and breasts on
lab animals.
“Someday, we’ll control breast cancer,” says Steligo. “We’ll know
how to prevent it or turn it off, and mastectomy will become obsolete. Until then, for many women, reconstruction is our best
antidote to losing a breast.”
She offers the following tips for women facing mastectomy and considering
reconstruction:
1. Reconstruction can be performed immediately after mastectomy or months/years later.
2. Procedures are tailored to each woman’s preference and anatomy.
3. Weigh the benefits and limitations of each
technique before deciding on one.
4. Consult at least two or three plastic surgeons before selecting one.
5. Do
your own research. Become your own advocate. Make your own decisions.
The Breast
Reconstruction Guidebook
By Kathy Steligo
2nd Edition
$19.95
6"
x 9" paperback
208 pages 78 illustrations and photos
ISBN: 0-9669799-7-4
Published: September
2005
The Breast Reconstruction Guidebook, 2nd Edition is
a comprehensive resource about mastectomy and reconstructive options (800-431-1579, www.breastrecon.com or Amazon.com) for
patients and medical professionals.
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