What Breast Cancer Surgery Really Looked Like for Me

What Breast Cancer Surgery Really Looked Like for Me

My personal experience with bilateral mastectomy, targeted axillary dissection with sentinel lymph node biopsy, tissue expanders, a postoperative hematoma, blood transfusion, implant reconstruction, ovary removal, and breast reconstruction after cancer.

When you're diagnosed with breast cancer, surgery often becomes part of the conversation very quickly. But "breast cancer surgery" isn't just one thing.

There are lumpectomies, mastectomies, bilateral mastectomies, nipple-sparing and skin-sparing mastectomies, direct-to-implant reconstruction, tissue expanders, flap procedures such as DIEP reconstruction, implant exchange surgeries, fat grafting, nipple reconstruction, and more.

And reconstruction isn't required.

Some people choose to go flat after mastectomy rather than reconstruct the breast with implants or their own tissue. One surgical option is an aesthetic flat closure, where the surgeon removes excess skin and tissue and contours the chest wall to create a smoother, flatter appearance. Others may choose not to reconstruct and use an external breast prosthesis when they want the appearance of a breast under clothing.

Going flat is just as valid a choice as choosing reconstruction.

The goal is not for every person to rebuild their breasts. The goal is for each patient to understand the options and make the decision that feels right for their body, health, and life.

For some people, surgery may be relatively straightforward. For others, reconstruction happens in stages over months or even years.

I'm in that second group.

I've had multiple surgeries connected to my breast cancer journey so far, with another procedure still planned.

And yes, that's even though I currently have no evidence of disease.

Before I get into my story, I want to make something very clear: there is no one-size-fits-all breast cancer surgery plan.

Your cancer type and stage, tumor location, lymph-node involvement, breast density, genetics, anatomy, other treatments, radiation plans, personal preferences, and your surgeons' recommendations can all affect your care and which procedures are right for you.

This is my personal experience, not medical advice.

My Breast Cancer Surgeries at a Glance

My surgical journey has included chemotherapy port placement → skin-sparing bilateral mastectomy + targeted axillary dissection with sentinel lymph node biopsy + tissue expanders → emergency hematoma evacuation + blood transfusion → tissue-expander-to-implant exchange + bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy → planned fat grafting.

Seeing it written in one line makes it look surprisingly simple.

Living it was anything but.

Why Chemotherapy Came Before My Surgery

I was diagnosed with both invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) and ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS).

IDC is breast cancer that begins in a milk duct and has invaded surrounding breast tissue. DCIS is considered noninvasive because the abnormal cells remain contained within the milk ducts.

My invasive tumor itself was relatively small, but I also had approximately 4 centimeters of DCIS throughout part of my breast.

Cancer had also spread to multiple regional lymph nodes.

I also had dense breasts, which is something I didn't fully understand until breast cancer became part of my life.

Dense breasts contain more fibrous and glandular tissue compared with fatty tissue. Breast density is seen on a mammogram, not something you can determine by how your breasts look or feel. Dense tissue can make cancer harder to see on a mammogram because both dense tissue and many breast abnormalities appear white. Having dense breasts is also considered a breast cancer risk factor.

My cancer was grade 3, meaning the cancer cells looked significantly different from normal cells under the microscope and were considered high grade and more aggressive.

My anatomic staging was T1N2, or stage IIIA.

Because of the extent and aggressiveness of my disease, my oncology team recommended neoadjuvant chemotherapy, which simply means chemotherapy given before surgery.

Before starting chemotherapy, I also had a chemotherapy port placed.

A port is a small device implanted under the skin, usually in the upper chest, with a catheter that connects to a large vein. It gives the oncology team reliable venous access for chemotherapy, medications, fluids, and sometimes blood draws without needing to start a new peripheral IV every time.

Compared with my later surgeries, port placement was a much smaller procedure.

But that little device became a very familiar part of my life.

I completed 16 chemotherapy treatments over approximately 20 weeks: 12 treatments of paclitaxel, better known as Taxol, followed by four treatments of AC, which combines doxorubicin, also known as Adriamycin, with cyclophosphamide.

Some breast cancer patients have surgery first.

Some don't need chemotherapy at all.

For me, the treatment plan was chemotherapy first, followed by surgery.

About six weeks after finishing chemotherapy, it was finally time for my bilateral mastectomy.

Preparing for My Mastectomy

There was much more preparation involved than simply showing up at the hospital on surgery day.

I had separate preoperative appointments with my surgical oncologist, plastic surgeon, and anesthesiology team.

I also met with a physical therapist and, in my case, had a breast MRI as part of my preoperative evaluation and treatment planning.

My physical therapist talked with me about lymphedema, which can occur when lymph nodes are removed or damaged during breast cancer treatment.

He took baseline measurements at several points along both of my arms so we would have presurgical measurements for comparison if swelling developed later.

My surgical team also gave me instructions about medications and supplements that needed to be stopped or adjusted before surgery.

The night before surgery, I showered and then used 2% chlorhexidine gluconate, or CHG, cleansing wipes.

These are antiseptic disposable cloths used before some surgeries to reduce bacteria on the skin and lower the risk of surgical-site infection.

The instructions were very specific.

One wipe for one part of the body. Another wipe for another area. Then I had to let my skin air-dry.

I repeated the cleansing process the morning of surgery according to my hospital's instructions.

I was also told not to wear jewelry, makeup, deodorant, lotion, or other products the day of surgery and to follow my anesthesia team's instructions about when to stop eating and drinking.

These instructions can vary from hospital to hospital, so patients should always follow the directions given by their own surgical team.

My surgical oncologist also warned me that dye used during lymphatic mapping could temporarily make my urine look blue or green after surgery.

At least I had a warning for that one.

What Kind of Mastectomy Did I Have?

I had a skin-sparing bilateral mastectomy with immediate tissue-expander reconstruction.

There are different approaches to mastectomy. With a skin-sparing mastectomy, most of the breast skin is preserved while the breast tissue is removed so the remaining skin can be used during reconstruction.

Some people may be candidates for a nipple-sparing mastectomy, where the nipple and areola are also preserved. Whether that's an option depends on several factors, including the location of the cancer and whether preserving the nipple-areolar complex can be done safely.

Because of where my cancer was located, I wasn't able to preserve the nipple and areola on my cancer side.

Since the nipple-areolar complex on that side had to be removed, I personally decided to have the nipple and areola removed on my cancer-free side as well so both sides would match.

During the same surgery, my surgical oncologist also performed a targeted axillary dissection with sentinel lymph node biopsy on the cancer side.

Before surgery, a lymph node that was known to have contained cancer had been marked with a SAVI localization device, allowing my surgeon to specifically locate and remove that previously involved node.

My team also used lymphatic mapping to identify sentinel lymph nodes. Sentinel nodes are the first lymph nodes most likely to receive drainage from the breast.

Because I had known lymph-node-positive disease before chemotherapy, examining the targeted and sentinel lymph nodes after treatment helped my medical team evaluate how well the cancer had responded to chemotherapy.

Why I Removed My Cancer-Free Breast Too

I also made the personal decision to remove my cancer-free breast.

There were several reasons behind that decision.

Symmetry was important to me. I already knew I couldn't preserve the nipple and areola on my cancer side, and I wanted the two sides to look and feel as similar as possible.

I also wanted to reduce my chance of developing a new breast cancer in the opposite breast.

Removing the healthy opposite breast is called a contralateral prophylactic mastectomy, or contralateral risk-reducing mastectomy.

It can significantly reduce the risk of developing a new primary breast cancer in that breast.

But there's an important distinction.

Removing the opposite healthy breast does not remove the risk that the breast cancer you were already diagnosed with could recur elsewhere in the body. For most people with cancer in only one breast who are not at particularly high risk of a second breast cancer, current evidence also has not shown that contralateral prophylactic mastectomy improves overall survival.

That doesn't mean the surgery is right or wrong.

It means the decision is personal and should be made with a clear understanding of what the surgery can and cannot do.

For me, after discussing my options with my doctors, removing both breasts was the decision that felt right.

I am happy with my decision.

My Anchor-Shaped Mastectomy Incisions

Something else I didn't realize before breast cancer is that mastectomy scars don't all look the same.

There isn't one standard incision that every patient gets.

The incision pattern can depend on breast anatomy, breast size, tumor location, whether the nipple can safely be preserved, the reconstruction plan, skin quality, and the surgeon's technique.

Mine was an anchor-shaped, or Wise-pattern, incision, similar to the incision commonly used during a breast lift or breast reduction.

My plastic surgeon determined and marked the incision pattern before surgery.

Tissue Expanders: The First Stage of Reconstruction

After the breast tissue was removed, my plastic surgeon placed tissue expanders as the first stage of my implant-based reconstruction.

Tissue expanders are temporary devices used to gradually stretch the remaining skin and create space for future permanent implants.

Mine were 300 cc expanders because I have a smaller frame.

I didn't wake up from surgery with them completely filled.

At the time of my mastectomy, my expanders started with 50 cc of saline.

At my first fill appointment, another 50 cc was added, bringing me to 100 cc.

Then, at each of my next two fill appointments, my surgeon’s nurse added 100 cc, eventually bringing the expanders to their full 300 cc capacity.

So my fill progression was:

50 cc at surgery → 100 cc after my first fill → 200 cc → 300 cc fully expanded.

My expanders had internal ports that could be located through the skin.

During the fill appointments, the provider located the port and used a needle and syringe to add sterile saline.

The gradual filling slowly stretches the remaining skin and helps create the space needed for the permanent implant.

Usually your plastic surgeon will talk with you about your desired breast size and reconstruction goals, but anatomy, skin quality, previous treatments, radiation, and the amount of tissue available can all affect what can safely be done.

Because I'm small-framed and didn't have a huge amount of skin available, I didn't have endless options.

My very technical request to my plastic surgeon was:

"Make them as big as you can."

One thing I learned quickly is that reconstruction often involves more than one surgery.

The Morning of My Mastectomy

Surgery day started really, really early.

There was check-in, paperwork, changing into a hospital gown, hospital socks, and a surgical cap.

The cap felt a little funny considering chemotherapy had already taken care of my hair.

Then came the IVs, nurses, medications, and meetings with the medical team.

My surgical oncologist came in to review the procedure and answer any last-minute questions.

Then my plastic surgeon came in with a surgical marker.

She took measurements and carefully marked my chest so she knew exactly where she planned to make the incisions and perform the reconstruction.

Once everything started moving, it felt like there were doctors, residents, nurses, medications, and equipment everywhere.

Then I was wheeled into the operating room.

I remember it being a large, bright room with what felt like a dozen people inside.

By that point, whatever medication anesthesia had given me had taken away most of my anxiety.

They placed a mask over my nose and mouth and told me to take deep breaths.

While I took those breaths, I prayed.

Then nothing.

The next thing I knew, approximately four hours had passed and I was waking up in recovery.

Apparently, I was also pretty funny coming out of anesthesia.

I have video evidence.

My throat was extremely sore, which can happen after general anesthesia because a breathing tube is often used while you're asleep.

They gave me something soothing to suck on, which helped.

At that point, I thought the hardest part was over.

It wasn't.

The Complication I Never Expected

Later that evening and into the night, something started going wrong.

One of my breasts began getting larger and more swollen, and my surgical drain kept filling with blood.

Then it filled again.

And again.

Blood was accumulating inside the surgical area.

I had developed a postoperative hematoma, which is a collection of blood that can form after surgery.

My doctors told me this complication was uncommon, and I don't share this part of my story to scare anyone.

But it happened to me.

And it became serious very quickly.

My medical team checked my bloodwork, and my hemoglobin had dropped significantly.

I was ghostly white.

I felt completely out of it.

I was slurring my words, and my body was clearly struggling from the blood loss.

Less than 24 hours after my bilateral mastectomy, my team made the decision to take me urgently back to the operating room.

I was placed back under anesthesia.

While I was in the operating room, my surgical team treated the bleeding and evacuated the hematoma, and I also received the blood transfusion I needed.

In less than 24 hours, I had undergone two surgeries.

That definitely wasn't how I expected my mastectomy recovery to begin.

Why I'm So Grateful I Stayed Overnight

Depending on the hospital, type of surgery, reconstruction, medical history, and surgeon, some mastectomy patients go home the same day while others stay overnight or longer.

I had been given the option of going home.

Because this was my first major surgery, I felt more comfortable staying overnight.

I am incredibly thankful I did.

When the bleeding became serious, I was already exactly where I needed to be.

After the emergency surgery and transfusion, I recovered well, stayed a second night in the hospital, and was discharged once my medical team felt I was stable and ready.

Again, I don't tell this part of my story because I think people should be terrified of having a mastectomy.

Hematoma and bleeding are known possible complications of surgery, but this was simply part of my experience.

Unfortunately, I happened to be one of the patients it happened to.

Then Came the Phone Call I Will Never Forget

A few days after surgery, I received my final surgical pathology results.

This was the moment when we would finally find out how much cancer, if any, remained after chemotherapy.

I had a pathologic complete response, commonly shortened to pCR.

A pathologic complete response means that after treatment given before surgery, the tissue removed during surgery showed no remaining invasive cancer meeting the criteria for pCR.

In simple terms, chemotherapy had done exactly what we desperately hoped it would do.

This is different from having clear surgical margins.

Clear margins mean cancer cells aren't found at the outer edge of tissue that was surgically removed.

A pathologic complete response tells us about how the cancer responded to the treatment given before surgery.

There was no way to know for certain that I had achieved that response until surgery and the final pathology examination.

My surgeon was so excited that she personally called me with the results.

I'll never forget that phone call.

After everything my body had been through during chemotherapy, hearing that news felt enormous.

Recovering From My Mastectomy

The first few weeks were rough.

I needed help.

A lot of help.

I needed help getting dressed, showering, reaching things, and doing normal daily activities I'd never thought twice about before.

I couldn't drive for a period of time, and I had lifting and activity restrictions while I healed.

My surgical team gave me roughly a six-week general recovery period, although recovery can be very different from one patient to another.

I was also in significant pain for much of that first month.

Before surgery, my surgeon tried to explain what it might feel like afterward.

She told me it could feel like I'd done 100 push-ups.

She was wrong.

It felt like I'd done 1,000 push-ups.

Even riding in a car took some adjusting.

I used a seatbelt pillow during recovery to keep the seatbelt from pressing directly against my chest and breasts. It's similar to a port pillow, but a little larger, so it gave me more protection across the surgical area while I was riding in the car and later when I started driving again.

It was one of those small recovery items that made everyday life a little more comfortable.

Living With Surgical Drains

I had two Jackson-Pratt, or JP, surgical drains, one on each side.

Some mastectomy patients have more, sometimes two per side, depending on the operation and surgeon.

The drains remove fluid from the surgical area while the body heals.

Mine stayed in for 16 days.

I emptied them regularly and recorded the amount of fluid coming from each side.

For example, I might record 15 mL from the left side and 18 mL from the right.

I also paid attention to the color and appearance of the fluid.

I kept a notebook throughout recovery documenting drain output, medications, symptoms, and anything else I thought might matter.

I'd actually done the same thing during chemotherapy, tracking my side effects and medications.

Cancer apparently turned me into a very organized medical secretary for my own body.

What I Actually Wore After Mastectomy

Clothing mattered much more than I expected.

Button-down shirts and zip-front clothing were lifesavers because reaching overhead was difficult and restricted early in recovery.

I also wore postoperative surgical bras that fastened in the front.

My hospital provided some, and I asked for additional ones at a postoperative appointment.

My personal favorite was the Resilience Bra from Three Strands Recovery Wear.

Drain management was another adventure.

There are robes and shirts designed with pockets specifically for surgical drains.

Some people use a lanyard in the shower and clip the drains to it.

My mastectomy pillow came with a mesh drain pouch that hung around my neck, and it worked really well for me during showers.

One thing I'd recommend asking before surgery is what your hospital will provide.

Different surgical programs give their patients different supplies.

And always follow your own surgeon's instructions about surgical bras, compression, showering, drain care, lifting, and arm movement.

What worked for me may not be what your surgical team wants you to do.

Sleeping Was One of the Hardest Parts

For me, one of the hardest parts of recovery was simply sleeping.

My surgical team instructed me to sleep on my back and elevated for a period of time.

A lot of people sleep in a recliner after mastectomy.

I tried.

The recliner and I lasted a few nights before mutually deciding we weren't going to work out.

So I moved back to my bed and created what can only be described as a pillow fortress.

I used a wedge pillow to keep myself elevated, my regular pillow, my mastectomy pillow, a pillow under my knees for support, and smaller pillows on each side of me.

Six pillows.

I was basically surrounded by bedding.

But it worked.

Stage Two: My Permanent Implants

Several months later, it was finally time for the next stage of reconstruction.

My tissue expanders had done their job, so my plastic surgeon removed them and replaced them with permanent implants during what's called a tissue-expander-to-implant exchange, or simply an implant exchange surgery.

I received 415 cc Natrelle cohesive silicone gel implants, sometimes casually referred to as "gummy" or "gummy bear" implants because of the cohesive consistency of the silicone gel.

My implants were placed prepectorally, meaning they sit above the pectoralis major chest muscle rather than underneath it.

Before surgery, I had another preoperative appointment with my plastic surgeon.

I looked at implant options, asked questions, and talked through what we hoped the final reconstruction would look like.

My surgeon was able to use part of my existing mastectomy incision rather than creating an entirely new scar.

The surgery itself was considerably shorter than my mastectomy, and my recovery was dramatically easier.

Maybe part of that was because much of my chest already had reduced sensation after mastectomy.

Maybe it was simply because the operation wasn't nearly as extensive.

Whatever the reason, I was grateful.

I Had Another Surgery at the Same Time

While my plastic surgeon performed my implant exchange, my gynecologic surgeon performed another procedure: a bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy, or BSO.

That means both ovaries and both fallopian tubes were removed.

You may hear about BSO in discussions about hereditary cancer syndromes because people with certain inherited cancer-risk mutations, including BRCA1 and BRCA2, may be advised to consider risk-reducing removal of the ovaries and fallopian tubes because those mutations can substantially increase ovarian and fallopian-tube cancer risk.

My reason for having the surgery was different.

My breast cancer was hormone receptor-positive, meaning estrogen could help stimulate the growth of my cancer cells.

Before natural menopause, the ovaries are the body's primary source of estrogen.

Because of that, ovarian suppression can be one part of endocrine treatment for some premenopausal people with hormone receptor-positive breast cancer.

Ovarian function can be suppressed temporarily with medication.

Surgically removing the ovaries is a permanent form of ovarian ablation.

I personally requested the permanent surgical option.

After discussing it with my doctors, I chose to have my ovaries and fallopian tubes removed rather than continue relying on monthly medication to suppress ovarian function.

For me, the breast-cancer-related purpose of removing my ovaries was permanent ovarian suppression as part of my endocrine treatment strategy.

I don't want someone reading my story to assume that removing the ovaries and tubes automatically prevents breast cancer recurrence or that everyone with hormone-positive breast cancer should have this surgery.

It was the option my doctors and I discussed, and it was the option I chose for myself.

The procedure was performed laparoscopically through three small abdominal incisions.

Being able to coordinate the BSO with my implant exchange meant I could undergo anesthesia and recover from both procedures at the same time rather than scheduling two separate surgeries.

Overall, my recovery from these procedures was significantly easier than my mastectomy recovery.

Reconstruction Still Isn't Finished

One of the biggest things I didn't understand before breast cancer was that reconstruction isn't necessarily one surgery.

It can be a process.

Sometimes a long process.

And mine still isn't finished.

My next planned procedure is fat grafting, also called autologous fat transfer.

During fat grafting, fat is removed from another area of the body using liposuction, processed, and carefully injected into areas of the reconstructed breast.

Why would someone need that after getting implants?

Here's my very non-medical way of explaining it.

Before cancer, natural breast tissue helped create a softer transition between my chest wall and the breast.

After a mastectomy, that breast tissue is gone.

Because my implants sit above my chest muscle and I don't have natural breast tissue covering them the way I did before cancer, there are areas where the transition from my chest wall to the implant can be more obvious.

Basically:

Chest wall...and then boom, implant.

Fat grafting can place a layer of my own fat into specific areas around the reconstruction to soften contour irregularities, improve coverage, and make that transition look more natural.

That's the goal for my next surgery.

And Yes, There Are Options for Nipples Too

Because my nipples and areolas weren't preserved, there are several options if I ever decide I want to recreate their appearance.

One option is surgical nipple reconstruction.

I jokingly call them "origami nipples."

A plastic surgeon can rearrange small flaps of skin on the reconstructed breast to create the projection of a nipple.

Later, medical tattooing can be added to recreate the appearance of the areola.

Another option is 3D nipple-areola tattooing without surgical nipple reconstruction.

Skilled medical tattoo artists use color and shading to create an incredibly realistic three-dimensional appearance on a flat surface.

Some hospital systems have tattoo artists who specialize in this.

Other people choose temporary options, such as realistic silicone prosthetic nipples or temporary nipple and areola tattoos.

And some people decide they don't want to do anything at all.

That's okay too.

There isn't one "correct" way to rebuild your body after cancer.

In fact, there isn't any requirement to rebuild it at all.

Breast Reconstruction Isn't the Only Option

I chose implant reconstruction.

Someone else may make a completely different choice.

Some people choose autologous reconstruction, which uses their own tissue, such as DIEP flap reconstruction.

Some choose implants.

Some choose a combination of procedures.

Some choose an aesthetic flat closure.

Some choose no reconstruction and use an external prosthesis when they want one.

Some decide they are finished after their mastectomy.

And some people start down one reconstruction path and later change their minds.

None of those choices makes someone more or less of a woman.

None of those choices determines how strong she was.

And none of us owe anyone a certain-looking body after cancer.

Breast Cancer Surgery Is Not One Size Fits All

That's probably one of the biggest lessons I've learned through all of this.

There isn't one breast cancer surgery.

There isn't one reconstruction.

There isn't one scar.

There isn't one recovery timeline.

There isn't even one definition of what being "finished" looks like.

Your surgery may depend on your cancer type and stage, tumor location, lymph-node involvement, genetics, previous treatments, radiation plans, anatomy, health history, personal priorities, and the recommendations of your surgical team.

My surgical path included chemotherapy port placement, a skin-sparing bilateral mastectomy with a targeted axillary dissection and sentinel lymph node biopsy on the cancer side, tissue expanders, an unexpected emergency surgery for a postoperative hematoma and blood loss, a blood transfusion, months of expansion, prepectoral implant reconstruction, removal of my ovaries and fallopian tubes, and planned fat grafting.

And even after the surgeries, my breast cancer treatment continued.

Because my cancer was hormone receptor-positive, hormone-blocking endocrine therapy became another part of my long-term treatment plan.

That's my breast cancer surgery and treatment story.

Someone else's may look completely different.

And that's something I wish more people understood.

Surgery Doesn't End When the Incisions Heal

There is another side of breast cancer surgery that doesn't fit neatly into an operating-room report.

The emotional part.

Even after the incisions heal, surgery can leave behind things people don't always talk about.

Changes in body image.

Loss of sensation.

Intimacy.

Confidence.

Grief.

Getting dressed in a body that suddenly feels unfamiliar.

Looking in the mirror and trying to understand what you're seeing.

Feeling grateful to be alive while also grieving something you lost.

Learning which parts of this new body feel like "you."

Learning to live in it.

And learning that surviving something doesn't mean you aren't allowed to have complicated feelings about what survival required from you.

Those things deserve their own conversation.

Actually...

that's a whole other blog.

And that one is coming next.

Medical Disclaimer

This article describes my personal breast cancer treatment and surgical experience. Breast cancer treatment and reconstruction are highly individualized. Recommendations vary based on diagnosis, pathology, genetics, anatomy, previous and future treatments, overall health, personal preferences, and other individual factors.

Nothing in this article is intended to tell another patient which surgery or treatment they should choose. This article is intended for education and personal storytelling and should not replace medical advice from your oncology, breast surgery, plastic surgery, gynecology, or other healthcare teams.

Always discuss your individual treatment, surgical options, risks, benefits, screening needs, and recovery instructions with your own medical team.

Medical Sources and Further Reading

The educational information in this article was reviewed alongside patient information from the American Cancer Society, National Cancer Institute, and U.S. Food and Drug Administration, including resources on breast cancer surgery, sentinel lymph node biopsy, breast density, mastectomy, breast reconstruction, risk-reducing breast surgery, and pathologic complete response.

• American Cancer Society: Surgery and Other Procedures for Breast Cancer
• American Cancer Society: Lymph Node Surgery for Breast Cancer
• American Cancer Society: Mastectomy
• American Cancer Society: Breast Reconstruction Surgery
• National Cancer Institute: Dense Breasts: Answers to Commonly Asked Questions
• National Cancer Institute: Surgery to Reduce the Risk of Breast Cancer
• National Cancer Institute: Pathologic Complete Response, NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms
• U.S. Food and Drug Administration: Understanding Breast Density

About the Author

Melody Swart is a breast cancer survivor, wife, mother of four, and patient advocate who shares honest conversations about cancer, survivorship, and life after treatment. Through her writing and social media platform, @yourneighbormom, she spreads awareness, education, encouragement, and hope while helping patients and survivors feel seen, supported, and less alone.