TV REVIEW : Straightforward Advice From ‘Breast Cancer’

Did you know that some types of breast cancer can’t spread? That there are alternatives to mastectomy? That early detection can save your life--and your breast?

“Breast Cancer: What You Don’t Know Can Hurt You,” premieres at 9 tonight (and repeats this month) on the Lifetime cable channel, is a must for any woman who wants to arm herself with an informed opinion in her doctor’s office.

Straightforward and empathetic, the program can also help break through the fear that keeps many women from regular breast exams and early cancer detection.

Veronica Hamel hosts the documentary, which follows several women exploring options in the treatment of their breast cancers at the Children’s Hospital Breast Health Center in San Francisco.

Doctors, surgeons, radiation oncologists and pathologists discuss lumpectomies, radiation therapy, chemotherapy and follow-up programs as alternatives to mastectomies. They stress that not all breast cancers are the same and should not be treated the same.

Viewers are left with a list of essential questions to ask, and basic procedures to follow if breast cancer is detected.