Debbie Leifert

Just a Lump in the Road ...: Reflections of Young Breast Cancer Survivors Debbie Leifert

Today, approximately one in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer-and many will be under the age of fifty. There are currently more than 250,000 breast cancer survivors in the United States who are just forty-five years old or younger. They are daughters, wives, mothers, sisters, and friends, whose illness and subsequent treatment affect entire families and communities. And they face issues wholly unique to their age group. A collaborative effort by six young breast cancer survivors, Just a Lump in the Road shares the kind of candid information, insight, and inspiration that only girlfriends who have "been there" can deliver. Each story is as diverse as the women themselves, and modesty is hurled aside as they discuss dating and mastectomies, children and mortality, and treatment and hair loss. Together with the doctors and healthcare professionals who continue to care for them, the women also provide an overview of the many types of breast cancer treatments now available. Giving a much-needed voice to the young survivor, Just a Lump in the Road offers validation, comfort, and encouragement for not only the thousands of young women battling breast cancer, but also their spouses, bosses, children, babysitters, friends, boyfriends, and significant others yet to come.