By Melissa Pheterson

Now more than ever, women are bonding over our breasts — confronting the vicissitudes of nature upon our proud emblems of nurture. "The five-year survival rate for women with early-stage breast cancer is about 88 percent — greater than ever before," says NYU's College of Nursing's Dr. Judith Haber, PhD, who has conducted extensive research in the physical and psychosocial adjustment among women with breast cancer.

Together, we've tapped into a powerful support network that empowers us to become advocates, educators and often proud survivors. And researchers continue to examine how we can protect our breasts. Studies point to excess estrogen production as an underlying risk factor in many breast cancer cases. Estrogen works best with its sidekick, progesterone — the "cooler head" of the duo — to regulate our bodies in precision balance; unchecked, it can over-stimulate breast-tissue growth and hasten disease.

Maximize your mammary health by knowing these five... >>