When the results of her routine mammogram came back with a diagnosis of stage 0 DCIS breast cancer in multiple areas of her right breast, Athaliah McPherson, a hairstylist and mom of one, said she wasn't surprised.
"I knew something was off," McPherson told ABC News.
McPherson's diagnosis was not life-threatening in and of itself, but left unchecked, it might have developed into something more serious. Typically, doctors treat DCIS with partial or full breast removal surgery, sometimes followed by radiation or hormone therapy to lower future risk.
McPherson was referred to the Montefiore Einstein Comprehensive Cancer Center.
There, her team -- led by Dr. Pedro Piccinini, a plastic and reconstructive surgeon, and Dr. Maureen McEvoy, a breast surgical oncologist -- recommende