As a Breast Surgeon, I Felt Invincible Until I was Diagnosed with Breast Cancer

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. As told to Marnie GoodfriendAll I ever wanted to do was become a doctor. My dad was a surgeon, and my mom was a nurse. I received a PhD in the genetics of cancers and spent my 30s training to become a breast surgeon. I loved the human body, and I loved operating. It was my life. But I never checked my own breasts. I thought, “I’m a doctor. I'm not going to get breast cancer." I was healthy, had no history of breast cancer in my family and felt invincible. I had recently gotten engaged and had just signed up for my first triathlon when I saw a lump. It