Elizabeth Edwards Battles Cancer Again

It was announced Thursday morning that John Edwards will be taking time to hold a conference to discuss the health of his wife Elizabeth (who learned that her breast cancer may not be in remission any longer) and any implications on his campaign.

Edwards cut short his campaign schedule in Iowa on Tuesday in order to be with his wife, and to be with her on Wednesday's appointment with her physician. This swift action came about after a routine check-up Elizabeth attended Monday.

This must feel like déjà vu for the couple, as Elizabeth battled breast cancer during her husband's 2004 campaign. Elizabeth was treated for the most common type of diagnosed breast cancer, invasive ductal cancer. According to the American Cancer Society, "This is the most common breast cancer. It starts in a milk passage, or duct, of the breast, has broken through the wall of the duct, and invaded the fatty tissue of the breast. At this point, it can metastasize, or spread to other parts of the body through the lymphatic system and bloodstream. About 80% of invasive breast cancers are infiltrating ductal carcinomas." Also according to the American Cancer Society, "The chance of developing invasive breast cancer at some time in a woman's life is about 1 in 8 (13% of women). It is estimated that in 2007 about 178,480 new cases of invasive breast cancer will be diagnosed among women in the United States. At this time there are slightly over 2 million breast cancer survivors in the United States. Women living in North America have the highest rate of breast cancer in the world."