When he arranged to undergo top surgery, Cass Smith-Collins of Las Vegas selected a surgeon touted as an early developer of the procedure who does not contract with insurance. "I had one shot to get the chest that I should have been born with, and I wasn't going to chance it to someone who was not an expert at his craft," he says. Bridget Bennett for KFF Health News/Bridget Bennett for KFF Health News hide caption
Nicole O'Hara was diagnosed with breast cancer at 29 years old. She decided to have her mastectomy scars covered up with a tattoo. Meredith Rizzo/NPR hide caption
A change in guidelines for breast cancer surgery has resulted in fewer women having to undergo repeat surgeries. Martin J Cook/Getty Images hide caption
A textured breast implant, left, and a smooth breast implant. Southern Illinois University/Science Source hide caption
More and more surgeries are being performed in outpatient centers, and mastectomy is among them. iStockphoto hide caption
Fear of cancer's return may be driving women with an early diagnosis of breast cancer to have one or both breasts removed, though research shows milder treatment is just as effective. Jose Luis Pelaez/Getty Images hide caption
Ductal carcinoma in situ sometimes can turn into invasive breast cancer, but there's currently no test that can tell when it's dangerous and when it's not. Steve Gschmeissner/Science Photo Library/Corbis hide caption
Lateral mammogram showing a tumor iStockphoto hide caption
Double mastectomy has become increasingly popular as a breast cancer treatment, but it may not reduce cancer risk. Sladjana Lukic/iStockphoto hide caption
More women are choosing double mastectomy even if they don't have a high cancer risk. iStockphoto hide caption
TV host Samantha Harris says she will have a double mastectomy after being diagnosed with breast cancer. But the surgery doesn't eliminate cancer risk. Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP hide caption
A celebrity's efforts to educate the public about health risk may have very limited effects. Evan Agostini/AP hide caption
Toborcia Bedgood performs a mammogram to screen for breast cancer at the Elizabeth Center for Cancer Detection in Los Angeles in 2010. Damian Dovarganes/AP hide caption
In sharing her decision to have a double mastectomy, Angelina Jolie has given voice to a dilemma more women are facing. Carlo Allegri/AP hide caption