At the time of your biopsy or surgery, your doctor looked closely for “receptors” on the breast cancer tissue that was removed. Receptors are a protein that is present on the surface or in the inside of the breast cancer cell. These receptors interacted with something else in your body (most often some type of hormone) and caused the cell to change or grow and make the cancer.

230,000 women develop breast cancer each year, and 5-10% of these cases are hereditary in nature. Hereditary breast cancer occurs when there is a single hereditary cause for breast cancer in an individual or family.

43, 680 hours, in other words, 5 years, that’s how long I have been a breast cancer survivor, this month, January 2016! I couldn’t wait to send out an email to family and friends to ask them to help me celebrate!

According to the Alabama Department of Public Health, the incidence of cervical cancer in Alabama is 8.7 women out of every 100,000 (which is higher than the national average of 8.1). This means that more than 200 women each year are diagnosed with cervical cancer in Alabama each year. Here are some quick facts about cervical cancer prevention and early detection.

Predictability is my friend. My husband frequently calls me a "rule follower." Spur of the moment is not my idea of fun. I have never welcomed change ... until I was diagnosed with breast cancer.

Did you know that November is Lung Cancer Awareness Month? While our focus has always been on breast cancer, there are breast cancer survivors who continue to smoke or who have friends and loved ones who also smoke. For these reasons, we thought we’d mention a few things about tobacco, smoking, and second-hand smoke.

Being able to get pregnant is a major concern for young survivors who desire to start or grow their families. While it’s always easier to start your treatment plan with future fertility in mind, it’s not always possible. Thankfully today, there are many options available to you whether you haven’t started treatment yet, are in treatment, or even if you’ve already had your treatment.

With the launch of the Gulf States Young Breast Cancer Survivor Network, we at SurviveAL, we are excited to bring resources and support to our young breast cancer survivors.