Suzy and Nancy Goodman were more than sisters. They were best friends, confidantes, and partners in the grand adventure of life. For three decades, nothing could separate them. Not college, not marriage, not miles. Then Suzy got sick. She was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1977; three agonizing years later, at thirty-six, she died. It wasn’t supposed to be this way. The Goodman girls were raised in postwar Peoria, Illinois, by parents who believed that small acts of charity could change the world. Suzy was the big sister—the homecoming queen with an infectious enthusiasm and a generous heart. Nancy was the little sister—the tomboy with an outsized sense of justice who wanted to right all wrongs. The sisters shared makeup tips, dating secrets, plans for glamorous fantasy careers. They spent one memorable summer in Europe discovering a big world far from Peoria. They imagined a long life together—one in which they’d grow old together surrounded by children and grandchildren. Suzy’s diagnosis shattered that dream. In 1977, breast cancer was still shrouded in stigma and shame. Nobody talked about early detection and mammograms. Nobody could even say the words “breast” and “cancer” together in polite company, let alone on television news broadcasts. With Nancy at her side, Suzy endured the many indignities of cancer treatment, from the grim, soul-killing waiting rooms to the mistakes of well-meaning but misinformed doctors. That’s when Suzy began to ask Nancy to promise. To promise to end the silence. To promise to raise money for scientific research. To promise to one day cure breast cancer for good. Big, shoot-for-the-moon promises that Nancy never dreamed she could fulfill. But she promised because this was her beloved sister. I promise, Suzy. . . . Even if it takes the rest of my life. Suzy’s death—both shocking and senseless—created a deep pain in Nancy that never fully went away. But she soon found a useful outlet for her grief and outrage. Armed only with a shoebox filled with the names of potential donors, Nancy put her formidable fund-raising talents to work and quickly discovered a groundswell of grassroots support. She was aided in her mission by the loving tutelage of her husband, restaurant magnate Norman Brinker, whose dynamic approach to entrepreneurship became Nancy’s model for running her foundation. Her account of how she and Norman met, fell in love, and managed to achieve the elusive “true marriage of equals” is one of the great grown-up love stories among recent memoirs. Nancy’s mission to change the way the world talked about and treated breast cancer took on added urgency when she was herself diagnosed with the disease in 1984, a terrifying chapter in her life that she had long feared. Unlike her sister, Nancy survived and went on to make Susan G. Komen for the Cure into the most influential health charity in the country and arguably the world. A pioneering force in cause-related marketing, SGK turned the pink ribbon into a symbol of hope everywhere. Each year, millions of people worldwide take part in SGK Race for the Cure events. And thanks to the more than $1.5 billion spent by SGK for cutting-edge research and community programs, a breast cancer diagnosis today is no longer a death sentence. In fact, in the time since Suzy’s death, the five-year survival rate for breast cancer has risen from 74 percent to 98 percent. Promise Me is a deeply moving story of family and sisterhood, the dramatic “30,000-foot view” of the democratization of a disease, and a soaring affirmative to the question: Can one person truly make a difference?

Ten professional women share how they continued to live busy, productive, meaningful lives while they confronted breast cancer.

A definitive and approachable guide to life during, and after, breast cancer The biggest risk factor for breast cancer is simply being a woman. Madhulika Sikka's A Breast Cancer Alphabet offers a new way to live with and plan past the hardest diagnosis that most women will ever receive: a personal, practical, and deeply informative look at the road from diagnosis to treatment and beyond. What Madhulika Sikka didn't foresee when initially diagnosed, and what this book brings to life so vividly, are the unexpected and minute challenges that make navigating the world of breast cancer all the trickier. A Breast Cancer Alphabet is an inspired reaction to what started as a personal predicament. This A-Z guide to living with breast cancer goes where so many fear to tread: sex (S is for Sex - really?), sentimentality (J is for Journey - it's a cliché we need to dispense with), hair (H is for Hair - yes, you can make a federal case of it) and work (Q is for Quitting - there'll be days when you feel like it). She draws an easy-to-follow, and quite memorable, map of her travels from breast cancer neophyte to seasoned veteran. As a prominent news executive, Madhulika had access to the most cutting edge data on the disease's reach and impact. At the same time, she craved the community of frank talk and personal insight that we rely on in life's toughest moments. This wonderfully inventive book navigates the world of science and story, bringing readers into Madhulika's mind and experience in a way that demystifies breast cancer and offers new hope for those living with it.

After her diagnosis of hormone-negative breast cancer, health journalist Patricia Prijatel did what any reporter would do: start investigating the disease, how it occurs, how it's treated, and how to keep it from recurring. While she learned that important research on triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) was emerging, she found a noticeable lack of resources on the disease, which differs from hormone-positive breast cancer in important ways, including prognosis and treatment options. Triple-negative breast cancer disproportionately affects younger women and African-American women-and some forms of it can be more dangerous than other types of breast cancer. But there are many reasons to be hopeful, as Prijatel shows in this book. Surviving Triple-Negative Breast Cancer delivers research-based information on the biology of TNBC; the role of genetics, family history, and race; how to navigate treatment options; understanding a pathology report; and a plethora of strategies to reduce the risk of recurrence, including diet and lifestyle changes. In clear, approachable language, Prijatel provides a fact-filled guide based on a vast array of scientific studies. Woven throughout the book are stories of women who have faced TNBC. These are mothers, wives, daughters, and sisters who went through a variety of medical treatments and then got on with life--one competes in triathlons, two had babies after being treated with chemo, one got remarried in her 50s, and one just celebrated the 30th birthday of the son she was nursing when she was diagnosed. Writing with honesty and humor, Prijatel delivers an inspiring message--that TNBC is a disease to take seriously, with proper and occasionally aggressive treatment, but it is not automatically a killer. Most women diagnosed with the disease survive and go on to live full lives. Surviving Triple-Negative Breast Cancer is a roadmap for women who want to be empowered through their treatment and recovery.

A guide for men whose wives contract breast cancer offers emotional support and advice every husband needs, including guidance from breast cancer doctors and the shared experiences of those who have gone through the same ordeal. Original. 30,000 first printing.

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.

"Providing comprehensive, current, and reliable information on breast cancer, this book, written by an experienced oncologist, a surgeon, and a breast cancer survivor, informs and inspires readers, wherever they are in the breast cancer experience. Patient stories, essays from medical specialists, and illustrations add clarity and insight"--