[Martin Savidge, Cnn Anchor:] Today marks the end of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. But that does not mean that women should just brush aside the issue. More than 200,000 new cases are diagnosed each year in the United States. CNN medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta spoke with one woman who took drastic measures to lessen her chances of becoming one of those new cases.
[Denise Barickman, Patient:] If it hadn't been for her, my oldest sister, I probably wouldn't have gone through the surgery. She may have saved my life. So I appreciate that.
[Dr. Sanjay Gupta, Cnn Correspondent:] Some may think 49-year-old Denise Barickman is crazy. Some may say brave. She had both her breasts and her ovaries removed earlier this year.
[Jackie Barickman, Denise's Daughter:] I had never heard about like what she had done before until she told me. So, I was pretty surprised.
[Gupta:] More than 200,000 American women are diagnosed with breast cancer each year. But Denise was never diagnosed with cancer. After having two benign lumps removed, she had her procedures done just to play it safe.
[Barickman:] I walked in the door and shook his hand and I said I'm not here because I'm sick, I want to stay well. This is a wellness visit.
[Gupta:] Denise had watched family members battle cancer throughout her life. Her mother was diagnosed with breast cancer 30 years ago and had a radical mastectomy. Two of her sisters are also breast cancer survivors and another had colorectal cancer.
[Dr. Neil Finkler, Florida Hospital Cancer Institute:] She was an emotional wreck just thinking about what her risks were and how she kept on seeing herself as her mother or her sisters with breast cancer down the road. And that was something that she could not face.
[Gupta:] According to Denise's doctors, her risk of developing breast cancer was almost four times greater than the average American woman. Her risk of getting ovarian cancer, 15 times greater. Even with clear elevated risk, surgery was a difficult decision.
[Dr. Louis Barr, Florida Hospital Cancer Institute:] It's a significant thing to undertake. It's irrevocable. There's no way to hide it. There's no way to go back.
[Gupta:] Denise talked to her sisters and researched her options on the Internet and then chose a plan of action.
[Barickman:] By the time I had made this decision, you know, in my mind my breasts were not very pretty looking because I felt like there was something lurking inside that was going to kill me.
[Gupta:] After deciding on the surgery, Denise had to discuss it with her family.
[Mike Barickman, Denise's Husband:] It took a while to come to realization that, you know, even though, you know, we have a partnership, that is a decision that, you know, you have to make yourself. You know, when it comes down to it, it was her decision and it's her life.
[Pauline Kennedy, Denise's Mother:] But I just knew that she would do it and she wouldn't say much about the pain. But I was all for it. If that's what she wanted, that was it. Of course, I kind of dreaded it, but I knew what she was going to have to go through.
[Gupta:] After the operations, Denise's risk for breast cancer and ovarian cancer dropped to near zero. Her doctors recognized that more women are becoming proactive with their cancer risk.
[Finkler:] There are women out there who truly understand that they're at increased risk, whether it's based on family history or genetic testing, and who have opted, I think very appropriately, to take the steps necessary to reduce their risk of dying from disease.
[Barickman:] I'm at peace now and I can go on living now. I have, I can live now period.
[Gupta:] Denise is now scheduled for breast reconstruction and reminds women that when it comes to their health, they do have choices.
[Savidge:] And CNN's Dr. Sanjay Gupta joins us now live. Good to see you, doctor.
[Gupta:] Good to see you.
[Savidge:] How is Denise doing? Let me ask you that first of all.
[Gupta:] She's doing very well. As the piece pointed out, obviously her risk of both breast cancer and ovarian cancer dropped to near zero. Big decision for her, no question about it, being so sort of dramatic in terms of trying to prevent this cancer. But as the preventive screening tests start to improve and people really get a good sense of how likely they are to develop cancer, you may start to see more and more dramatic cases like this Martin.
[Savidge:] Well, certainly it took a lot of courage on her part and a lot of support from her family. Dr. Gupta, thank you very much for joining us.
[Gupta:] Good seeing you, Martin. Take care. TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com