“Breast Cancer: One Woman’s Story” is a five part series about a breast cancer patient’s journey from diagnosis through surgery. The series was designed to provide women in the VOA audience with the knowledge that breast cancer is treatable and that it is a disease and should not be stigmatized. Many women in other parts of the world wait until their cancer is very far advanced until they seek treatment because of stigma or lack of knowledge. The breast cancer patient featured in the series is a former VOA reporter who was diagnosed after she retired at a young age – 55. The patient was remarkably open about her emotions, reaction to treatment, her decisions about treatment and her efforts to combat the disease. The series treats the medical and emotional aspects of having breast cancer. Part one focuses on the diagnosis and why the patient suspected something was wrong beforehand. Part two is a personal look at chemotherapy. Part three focuses on the patient’s attitude and her efforts to manage stress. Part four is about the patient’s decision to have a double mastectomy, although the cancer was only in her left breast. Part five explores survivability.
