My Cautionary Breast Cancer Tale

A narrative of my first months as a breast cancer patient offers insight into how a feminist meets a biomedical crisis. Instead of consulting other women and feminist texts, I initially immersed myself in scientific information-gathering, only realizing later that decision-making is best done with feminist resources as well as medical experts. The new cancer centers are staffed with enthusiastic young women professionals who practice an autonomy-celebrating feminism that resulted in consumeristic pressure towards body normalcy through unnecessary (cosmetic) surgeries. I resisted this pressure, but learned that sexist assumptions and prescriptions flourish in the cancer-industrial complex-be prepared!