Prevent, Survive, Thrive

"Are your breasts healthy? If this question gives you pause, you're not alone. Confusing media and conflicting advice surrounding breast health can make it challenging to know what's best. In the United States this year, more than 200,000 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer. Dr. John West wants to help you avoid becoming part of that statistic. For nearly 20 years, Dr. West has focused on giving his patients the best care possible when they show up for diagnosis or treatment. The question he gets most often from his patients is: "What would you tell me to do if I were your wife or daughter?" Prevent, Survive, Thrive: A Breast Surgeon's Lifesaving Advice for Living Healthy and Cancer-Free is Dr. West's answer. Drawing from the latest scientific findings in the field of breast care, he goes into detail about the things most women don't know about their annual exams, like when you should insist on an ultrasound instead of trusting the mammogram, or even how to do a thorough self-examination in the months between your visits to the physician. He lets you know exactly what kind of pain is normal and what should be investigated further. He even offers lifestyle advice to help you lower your risk factors; things as small as how often you exercise or where you carry your cell phone can have an impact on your future health. Prevent, Survive, Thrive provides clear, accurate guidelines for prevention and early detection, letting you to take control of your health"--

John G. West

Introduction: Why this Book Was Written 1: The Controversies that Drive this Book SECTION I: GENERAL BREAST CARE GUIDELINES BY AGE AND SEX 2: For Children, Teens, and Women Under Forty 3: For Women Over Forty 4: For Women of Childbearing Age: Birth Control, Pregnancy, and Lactation 5: For Men SECTION II: COMMON BREAST PROBLEMS 6: Breast Pain 7: Abnormal Mammograms: Calcifications and Densities 8: Breast Lumps 9: Nipple Discharge SECTION III: UNCOMMON BUT PERILOUS BREAST PROBLEMS 10: The Devil's Cancer 11: Inflammatory Breast Cancer: The Silent Killer 12: Paget's Disease of the Nipple SECTION IV: CONTROVERSIES IN BREAST CARE 13: The Breast Self-Exam Controversy 14: "My Mammogram Was Normal, and Now I'm On Chemo” 15: Shame on You, Dr. Krauthammer: Why He's Wrong About Mammograms 16: Mammograms: The Spin Stops Here 17: Your Bra: A No-Phone Zone 18: Genetic Testing SECTION V: PREVENTION 19: Beating the Genetic Odds: Exercise, Diet, and Weight Control 20: Alcohol, Vitamins, and Hormones: What Helps and What Hurts 21: "Why Me?” Think DDT: The Connection Between Environmental Toxins and Cancer SECTION VI: AFTER DIAGNOSIS 22: Just Diagnosed: With Reasons for Optimism 23: Who Needs a Second Opinion-and Why? 24: Mastectomy Versus Lumpectomy 25: Breast Reconstruction After Mastectomy 26: Breast Reconstruction After Lumpectomy SECTION VII: HOPE 27: Better Breast Care for All 28: The Importance of Hope CONCLUSION Appendix I: Breast Cancer: Risk Assessment Appendix II: Support Services Appendix III: Finding a Breast Surgeon Bibliography Glossary of Terms About the Authors