Gesele Booker, 32, of Columbus, says that a personal breast cancer diagnosis always felt inevitable. She had watched several women in her family navigate diagnosis and treatment choices, ultimately losing her mother to the disease in 2018. Because of this strong family history and open discussion among her family members, Gesele knew she was at higher risk than the average person for breast cancer. She was committed to monthly self-breast exams and to women’s health exams, and she understood the importance of starting screening mammography earlier. About a year prior to her diagnosis, she noticed a slight change in her right breast. She was concerned it was growing, so she called her doctor and asked to get a mammogram the next day. A subsequent biopsy confirmed very early-stage breast cancer, which would require surgery. Gesele says her decision to have a bilateral mastectomy was easy because it came down to one core feeling: “This felt like the most effective way to ensure my survivorship and ability to be here for my daughter and my family. The idea of body image was inconsequential to me, but that is different for every person.” Because Gesele was diagnosed with stage 1 localized disease, she qualified for a new microsurgical procedure known as a robot-assisted, nipple-sparing mastectomy. When a woman undergoes a traditional mastectomy, her nipple and the area around it (areola) are typically removed. This can result in a loss of certain sensations in the chest wall and in less optimal cosmetic outcomes. The goal of the new surgical technique is to preserve the blood supply to skin flaps and the nipple areolar complex to give women better cosmetic outcomes without compromising cancer control. The procedure is performed through a small incision with a robotic camera and small instruments attached to a robotic arm, which is controlled by the surgeon at the console. This approach is available only through a clinical trial led by Ko Un (Clara) Park, MD, who specializes in breast cancer surgery and oncoplastic surgery at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute (OSUCCC – James). Gesele had her procedure on April 16, 2021. She’s grateful for the opportunity to choose a minimally invasive surgery that could remove her cancer but also provide more natural cosmetic outcomes. “That is why I opted to participate in Dr. Park’s clinical trial. This work will help women feel like they don’t have to choose between cancer control and physical outcomes after breast cancer. The data will help guide those choices,” says Gesele. She is eager to get back to her work as a furniture and lifestyle merchandise buyer, and to spending time with her 4-year-old daughter. To learn more about breast cancer treatment and clinical trials at the OSUCCC – James, visit cancer.osu.edu/breastcancer or call 614-293-5066.