I accompanied one of my dearest friends to her biopsy today**.  This occasion has caused me to think about breast cancer and the impact it can have on my life and the lives of people I love.

Today’s biopsy is the first (of many, I’m sure) amongst my friends.

As I was thinking about this trip to the hospital, I remembered a conversation that happened seven years ago with some women I worked with at Nortel about breast cancer and how many of their lives it had affected.  At that point, these women were mostly between 35 and 45, and I was struck by the fact that every one of them had either had a biopsy or their mother, sister or best friend had.

Several years after that, my own mom was diagnosed with breast cancer, and underwent a lumpectomy and radiation therapy.  She has been in remission for more than five years now, thankfully.

The risk of breast cancer increases with age.  And I and my friends are getting to be “that age”.  And this worries me.

For more info on breast cancer risks, see this quiz.  According to the numbers I’m looking at a 29% chance.  I know numbers are just numbers and probability doesn’t determine anything, but it’s still scary.

**NOTE:  the results are not in yet, obviously, but my friend’s radiologist was very positive and everything went well.  Positive thoughts are still appreciated, though**

UPDATED TO ADD: The biospy came back negative!!! YAH!!!!!