07/28/2026
They called it “the healthy breast.” 🩷
I was diagnosed with breast cancer in my right breast.
In every appointment after that, that’s the language I heard — “the diseased breast” vs. “the healthy breast.”
Both of my breasts were extremely dense. The kind of dense that makes it hard to see cancer hiding inside on a scan.
I wanted a double mastectomy. My original doctors — highly recommended — thought I was being too aggressive. They wanted a lumpectomy and radiation and years of Tomoxifen instead.
I didn’t agree. It was agonizing. But I built a new team who supported the decision I knew was right for me.
Not one scan preparing for surgery ever showed cancer in my “healthy” breast.
Then came the double mastectomy.
In the pathology lab, they found it. Multi-quadrant. Multifocal, bi-lateral. My “healthy” breast had been loaded with cancer the entire time — cancer every scan had missed. 💔
If I hadn’t pushed for more, it would have continued growing. I don’t think I’d be here today.
I got the outcome I needed — but only because I had the persistence and resources to override doctors who came highly recommended.
So many women don’t get that same chance. They’re told they’re healthy, and they believe it. Why wouldn’t they?
This is why we named it The Healthy Breast Report.
Not because “healthy” is a label I trust — because it’s a hope I want to be true. Earned through real screening. Not assumed because nothing showed up yet.
We’re revealing it this October at The Breast Density Summit 🎗️ — where we’re also launching the Bay Area Clear Pathways Program, closing the gap women with dense breast tissue face after an unclear mammogram.
Every woman deserves to actually know what’s happening in her body.
That’s the work. That’s the name. 🩷 Join us.
👉 Link in For The Love of Cups bio to register, donate, or partner with us.
Massage Lisa Malia | Feminine Leadership Coach + NGO CEO for more info.
With love,
lm