Elizabeth Edwards dies of breast cancer

Elizabeth Edwards died today of metastatic breast cancer. Her fight with cancer became national news as a result of her husband's affair and his failed run for President.

According to national news reports, Edwards' breast cancer was initially diagnosed in 2004 after she had felt a half-dollar sized lump in her breast. Her recent condition was treatable but not curable, according to the newspapers. As the case with many failure to diagnose cancer cases, the key is always in determining when the cancer should have been detected and what treatments would have been available had the cancer been recognized at an early stage.

Typical cancer treatments involve surgical excision in addition to radiation therapy and/or chemotherapy. The goal for any physician as to attempt to identify suspicious masses early since the patient will have the best chance of success with early diagnosis and treatment.

Despite the most advanced medical and technological advances in the history of mankind, we still do not have a cure for cancer. Cancer cells grow uncontrollably and fail to 'listen' to their genes which should be telling them to stop growing. Most oncologists and surgeons recognize cancer and using different stages to identify how advanced the cancer is. Those stages range from pre-cancerous cells to Stage I, being an early, localized cancer, all the way to Stage IV which is typically recognized as advanced metastatic cancer.

When someone as famous as Elizabeth Edwards dies as a result of advanced stages of breast cancer, people take notice. It should be clear that breast cancer, as with most diseases, are indiscriminate and pay no attention to a person's social status in life.

If you believe you have a suspicious breast lump that you didn't feel before, you must get it checked immediately. You owe it to yourself and your family.