How Has Breast Cancer Affected You?

Friday, October 30, 2009 12:35 PM

As breast cancer awareness month comes to a close, it's a time to look back on how breast cancer has affected our lives; as patients, friends, families, and doctors.

As we honor breast cancer awareness month, it is a time to be aware of the struggles that many women face when diagnosed with breast cancer. We must remember that research still must be done to fight this disease, and recognize those women, oncologists, and research scientists who are all working together in the fight against breast cancer.

October is also a time for those who treat breast cancer patients to reflect on all the women they've encountered and how what they have done for the lives of their patients. Plastic surgeons are one such group of people. Although plastic surgeons don’t cure cancer, they do serve an important role in a woman’s struggle to feel whole again after mastectomy.

For many women, the loss of their breast is almost as devastating as the diagnosis of cancer. The breasts have become a symbol for femininity and beauty, and the loss of a breast is a hard loss for many women.

Plastic surgeons can help women to regain their appearance, and their confidence, by providing breast reconstruction. Reconstructed breasts can both look and feel natural when the operation is performed by a qualified surgeon, and this restoration of her figure can help a woman truly begin to believe she has beat the cancer and that it is behind her.

Dr. David Stoker is one plastic surgeon that provides such support to patients. Dr. Stoker performs breast reconstructions for women diagnosed with breast cancer in Long Beach, Santa Monica and Beverly Hills. Dr. Stoker performs surgeries either while women undergo mastectomies, or after their cancer treatment is over. He customizes the operation to the needs of the patient, and aims for both beauty and functionality.

Dr. Stoker reports that many of the breast cancer survivors he has worked with “have an incredible amount of inner strength” and describe themselves as “more vibrant than they ever were before their diagnosis.” He develops close relationships with many of the women he provides reconstructive surgery form, and describes post-breast cancer reconstructions as “one of the most rewarding procedures that I perform.”

Related Topics: Dr. David Stoker | Breast Cancer Awareness | Breast Reconstruction

Related Articles:

Consumers also researched:

• Latest Headlines
• Top Procedures
• Most Read