One of the saddest aspects of breast cancer is that too many people have the notion that even surviving this disease does not mean that a person can have a happy, healthy, quality life afterward.  Perhaps it is primarily based on the way things were in the past, when the aftermath of breast cancer meant long periods of dealing with the effects of chemotherapy and the results of full mastectomies;  but the fact is that most women who survive breast cancer today can indeed look forward to good, qualities lives. 

This does not only mean that today's survivor will likely live much longer than her past counterparts;  it also means that the overall quality of her life need not be diminished by having had and having survived breast cancer.

One aspect of this, which is very important to all women everywhere, is that today's treatment methods do not have the kind of devastating effect on her appearance.  While it must have been difficult, and emotionally painful, for women in the past to consider themselves less than attractive after undergoing mastectomies, most survivors today do not have that issue to deal with.  Instead of being in the position of tolerating prostheses, most survivors will retain their own body composition.  Even in the event that structural alterations have occurred as a result of surgery, in most cases she will still have the body which is her own. 

As the most radical forms of chemotherapy are not needed unless the cancer has had the chance to spread, surviving breast cancer no longer means having to deal with hair loss, or the self-esteem-destroying factor of attempting to regrow it.  In cases where chemotherapy is required, however, today's survivor has many more options for natural hairpieces which will enhance her appearance and give her more self-confidence.

While some people may scoff and think all of this to be nothing more than foolish vanity, they are very real and very sensible concerns.  A person naturally wants to look her best — and today's survivor can!

There are very important aspects to a quality life — perhaps even more so than one's general appearance.  One factor is that today's breast cancer survivor has a far better chance at a healthful life than survivors in the past.  First, as radical mastectomies done under general anesthesia are no longer a common practice but done only as a last resort in the most extreme cases, the risk factors associated with this type of major surgery are eliminated.  The common problem of serious infections occurring during surgery, for example, are no longer much of a concern. 

Second, the poor state of health associated with chemotherapy is not usually an issue to today's survivors. 

As chemotherapy was a process which often took place for many months and sometimes even longer, survivors in the past had to deal with a number of health-related burdens, usually beginning directly after the surgery.  Frequent, ongoing, and sometimes constant nausea was a problem for most who had chemotherapy; and for some, persistent flu-like symptoms often accompanied it. 

As most of today's survivors will not have these difficulties to deal with, they can look forward to getting back to their everyday lives and their everyday routines almost immediately!  If you consider how not long ago women did not have this chance, it is easy to see how much better off today's survivor truly is!

Every person likely has his or her own personal definition of what it means to have a quality life.  Most, however, would probably agree that a quality life is one which affords a person the most opportunities and the most freedom. 

When you think about all of the positive results which have come from modern advances in early detection and early treatment of breast cancer, you are sure to conclude that this definition of a quality life does indeed sum up today's breast cancer survivors! 

These days, with the lesser degree of alterations to a person's body from surgery, the woman has a much less impact to her personal appearance.  This in turn results in less of a negative impact to her emotional well-being, her self-confidence, and her self-esteem. 

These days, with chemotherapy rarely being a necessity, not only will she not have its negative effects to deal with, but will enjoy a better overall feeling of good health much sooner.

These days, with the survival rate being considerably higher than ever before, the breast cancer survivor can be reasonably assured of a much longer lifespan than in the past, and a healthier one as well.

When you take all of these points into consideration, it should be easy to see why today's breast cancer survivor can not only look forward to, but have, a quality life!  In fact, when the cancer is detected and treated early, the odds for it are very much in her favor!