The Breast Cancer Survival Manual: A Step-by-Step Guide For Women

Breast cancer is cancer that forms in the cells of the breasts.

After skin cancer, breast cancer is the most common cancer diagnosed in women in the United States. Breast cancer can occur in both men and women, but it's far more common in women.
Substantial support for breast cancer awareness and research funding has helped create advances in the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer. Breast cancer survival rates have increased, and the number of deaths associated with this disease is steadily declining, largely due to factors such as earlier detection, a new personalized approach to treatment, and a better understanding of the disease.

This narrative describes, and by extension highlights, off-trail breast cancer topics; diagnosis challenges, why more complication awareness is needed, how complementary approaches can help manage ongoing pain and fatigue, the importance of medical self-involvement, and the potential long-term benefits of a double mastectomy choice. The medical perspective is part of the equation: the built-in barriers of the American health care system; the damaging effects of malpractice lawsuits; why physical therapy can be counterproductive; the reasons why breast cancer screenings are challenging for all parties involved; why different practitioners make different treatment recommendations, and how difficult it is to effectively manage breast cancer complications.