Celebrity breast cancer

Monday morning I met with the first of several plastic surgeons I want to interview about having reconstruction done.

Tuesday morning I was on the treadmill watching Good Morning America and listening to Robin Roberts and Christina Applegate talk about Ms. Applegate's decision to have a double mastectomy and the reconstruction she'll soon begin.

Wednesday morning I was listening to the radio and trying not to alternately laugh and scream as the DJs tried to figure out what a mastectomy involved and how reconstruction worked. The only thing worse than the DJs were the callers! Men calling in to offer their discomfort at the idea of a woman having her breasts cut off is just pathetic!

Each time a celebrity is diagnosed with breast cancer, we hear about how brave she is and what a role model she is. We also hear all about her treatmnet choices and people feel free to comment on them. "Why didn't she have chemo?" "Why would she choose mastectomy?" "Can she work while undergoing treatment?" No where in the media hype is the one discussion I think we need to have about breast cancer - IT IS NOT ONE DISEASE! (on a side note, the working thing is just hilarious. Millions of women and men work through cancer treatment every single day, how are celebrities any different?)

Breast cancer diagnosis includes a wide range of cancers, stages and hormonal involvement factors. Every woman has to deal with the type of cancer cells found, the stage at which they are found, the hormone receptor status, and then her own family history before she can work with her doctors to develop the best plan for her. And that's the thing. Every treatment is going to be different. Sometimes it is lumpectomy and radiation, other times chemo is necessary, and other times the mastectomy offers the best option. The only ones who can make the final decision are the patient along with her doctors and family.

Ms. Applegate has been nothing but forthright about her diagnosis and treatment decision. Those of us who have been in her shoes get it. As for those DJs and callers, they found another topic pretty quickly.