According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention an estimated 182,460 new cases of invasive breast cancer are expected to occur among women in the US during 2008; about 1,990 new cases are expected in men.

Aside from skin cancer, breast cancer is the most common cancer in women in the U.S., and is the second most common cause of death among white, black, Asian, and American Indian women. It is the leading cause of death from cancer in Hispanic women.

While most college women don’t need to worry about developing breast cancer at such a young age (we won’t face the invasion of mammograms until our 40s), there’s still plenty we can and should do to protect ourselves. A  major study released in 2006 indicated that the number of new cases of breast cancer dropped significantly in the reporting period of 2002 to 2003. After 20 years of increases, this is incredibly exciting news and most likely directly correlates to new methods of early detection and prevention.

Over the next few days, CollegeCandy will offer tips, background information and resources to spread the message about this vicious disease. Breast cancer is a scary animal. Even if you don’t have the disease (or know anyone who does), it’s normal to have questions about diagnosis, treatment and prognosis. Most college women don’t even know where to begin. CollegeCandy is here to help.

Check back tomorrow for the first blog in our series!

I walked around my apartment, touching things, pulling my blankets tighter around my bed, staring at the window, and then eventually sitting down on my couch. The TV was playing in the background, Olympic synchronized diving, and I tried to concentrate on what was happening on the screen, but besides a few thoughts about how synchronized diving is an odd sport and how did it get into the Olympics? — I couldn’t keep my head clear.

In a little less than a week, I’ll find myself lying on a hospital bed, hooked up to beeping machines, and wheeled by a bunch of masked people I don’t know into an operating room. The surgery is either simple or complicated — nobody can seem to decide — and all that’s clear is that there’s something foreign that needs to stop renting space on my 9th rib. I’ve been thinking about the surgery for a few hand-wrung weeks, and the closer it is to happening, the fuller my brain gets with every. possible. horrible scenario.

To combat my irrational fears, I’ve been watching a lot of TLC, because TLC tends to have shows like “Face Eating Tumor” or, “The Boy Who Had His Skull Broken Off Than Reattached”, and those types of programs make my surgery seem like a paper cut. I feel better about my prognosis after watching a 5-year-old kid get his skull hacked away and then put back together again — and totally recover. If the kid with the broken face was fine, I say to myself as the credits roll, the girl who needs a benign tumor removed from her ribs should also be fine.

Besides TLC and glasses of red wine, there really isn’t anything else I can do to keep myself from freaking the f*ck out, especially at night. Lying in bed, watching the clock tick down, every good piece of advice melts away and I’m stuck with thoughts that include: I will not wake up after surgery, the doctors will make a mistake, the pain will be really bad, I’ll get sick, I’ll wake up during surgery, I won’t be able to move for days...the list goes on for basically a mile (possible 1.4 miles). It’s amazing what a sane person’s head can do to them when they’re alone and it’s 11 PM. I now understand crazy people. Because I go a little insane every night.

I’ve been assured by everyone that the surgery will go fine and recovery won’t be that bad. And while the normal part of me is sure they’re right, the psycho part of me thinks they’re all lying. It’s bizarre to be in your 20’s and feel like a 5-year-old child. All I want to do is scream “No needles!” and yell until someone gives me ice cream and pets my head.

And if they just want to give me ice cream, and skip the head-petting, that’ll work too.

[What about you? Facing surgery? Faced down surgery? And tips and tricks about how to cope?]