If you or someone you love has been diagnosed with breast cancer, you're probably confused, afraid, shocked, or even angry. Or you may be all of the above. Let this book become your trusted manual. Discover more about the cancer, explore treatment options, find ways to make this part of your life easier. Let shared experiences serve as your knowledgeable guide and anchor to help you make wise and confident choices.

Think of breast cancer as a journey and this book as your roadmap. Have you already been diagnosed? In that case, this book can help you explore these important truths:

• Breast cancer is not a death sentence. Most women diagnosed with early stage breast cancer can look forward to enjoying a healthy, full life.



• Not only are you unique as a person, but so, too, is your particular form of cancer, your treatment options, and your prognosis.



• Every day more is discovered about how to prevent, detect earlier, and more effectively treat breast cancer.



• You are not alone. More than two million women in the United States today are breast cancer survivors. Thousands of groups and programs across the country offer support, and chances are, one is close to your neighborhood.

All the information in this book is based on the most recent research findings, the clinical expertise of oncologists, and the invaluable experiences of the women who have walked this road before. Breast Cancer For Dummies covers all of the following topics and more in simple, easy-to-understand terms:

• Coming to grips with breast cancer



• Decoding your pathology report



• Finding the right treatment for you



• Rekindling intimacy after treatment



• Health Insurance and money woes



• Talking to children about breast cancer

This book can help you feel like you have a sister who's a doctor, a sister who tells you what to expect every step of the way, who gives you the best advice she can, and guides you along the way. (Of course, there is absolutely no replacement for advice about you from your own doctor.) You'll feel empowered to know and understand what's going on in your body, so that you can become a part of your own treatment team and make decisions along with your doctors and your family.