NPR

Cancer Leads Athlete To Tough Choice

Cyclocross racer BrittLee Bowman chose a double mastectomy when she was diagnosed with breast cancer at 34.
BrittLee Bowman competes during a recent cyclecross race. She was diagnosed with breast cancer and faced a decision on how to treat it.

BrittLee Bowman had a huge decision to make as she lined up at an elite cyclocross race. Cyclocross is a sport that throws obstacles at you, from sand pits to staircases to knee high barriers. And this one, alongside the Hudson River in Queens, N.Y. was no different.

Bowman pedaled. People cheered. And if you saw her that day... you probably had no idea what she was wrestling with. That decision she had to make: Do I have both my breasts removed?

It all started with a tiny lump. "Sometime in October I just you know was touching my boob and felt a lump," she says. "It was about the size

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