“I’ve had so many people close to me die of breast cancer. To know that I’m at risk . . . it can be traumatizing. Just to have that personal touch -- especially from a doctor of Dr. Seewaldt’s caliber -- makes all the difference in the world. She is very aggressive in monitoring me, and when I e-mail she gets back to me immediately, sometimes within the hour, even late at night.”

Monique McIver, 41, Wilson, NC
Registered nurse, mother of five, High-Risk Breast Clinic patient
Shown with photo of her mother, who died of breast cancer at 57
Plans to have a bilateral prophylactic mastectomy within the next two years

“My mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and two aunts had all been diagnosed with an aggressive form of breast cancer. Multiple factors such as personal shame and a lack of education on their behalf contributed to my vague knowledge of my familial medical history. So after the birth of my daughter, I reached out to Duke in hopes of getting answers and figuring out if my daughter could avoid that same fate.”

Kesha Dozier, 37, Raleigh, NC
Wife, mother of three, pharmaceutical rep
High-Risk Breast Clinic patient since 2008

“I have participated in several clinical trials. I enrolled in these trials because I liked the idea of my treatment being scrutinized on such a detailed basis. It also gave me a sense of control over the uncontrollable diagnosis of cancer. Participating in research was a way of hitting the disease head-on -- my way of contributing to its potential demise.”

Claire Weinberg, 46, Oxford, NC
Practice manager, wife, mother of a five-year-old son
Diagnosed with invasive breast cancer in August 2008