North Texas

Prosthetic Breasts Help Cancer Survivors Reclaim Their Confidence

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and a boutique in Denton is helping women with mastectomies reclaim their confidence.

Patricia Pearse, a breast cancer survivor, was diagnosed in 1990.

"I found the lump," Pearse said.

Six days later, she had her left breast removed.

"I wanted to go out into the public looking as normal as I could," she said.

Prosthetic breasts helped her regain her figure. She's been wearing one for the past 27 years.

James Garner, owner of Rose's Women's Care Boutique, says more survivors are doing the same.

"Back in the old days when they just started, there were just two or three choices. They weren't much more than just a lump of silicone," Garner said.

He says shapes, sizes and silicon used to make prosthetic breasts have advanced in the past five years.

They now slip into specially-made bras, tank tops and even bathing suits, allowing women to simulate breasts after mastectomies.

The cost for a prosthetic breast ranges from about $300 to $500, and most insurance plans cover them.

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