Jennifer Matthews: Elizabeth Fletcher knows fear is not an option on the court. But when doctors found a lump in her breast last year, fear became her toughest opponent.
Elizabeth Fletcher: It is scary. It's probably the scariest thing because you hear breast cancer or lump; you automatically think it is cancer.
Jennifer Matthews: Luckily, Elizabeth's tumor was not cancerous, but like many women, she still wanted to get rid of it.
Dr. Gauri Bedi: It is quite amazing how many women, even though they know that the lump that they have is benign, want it out.
Jennifer Matthews: Doctor Gauri Bedi says, in most cases, Benign Breast Tumors can be left alone.
Gauri Bedi: We can be 99% sure that it is completely Benign, but there is still that one to two percent and people don't want that uncertainty.
Jennifer Matthews: In the past, doctors had to perform invasive surgery to remove the lump. But now, they can freeze it with a procedure called Cryoablation. Doctors insert a probe into the tumor. Argon gas is passed through the probe to form an ice ball, which destroys the tumor. The body eventually absorbs it.
Dr. Gauri Bedi: It's an office-based procedure. They don't have a surgical scar. They don't have to go to the operating room. It's tolerated very well.
Jennifer Matthews: Elizabeth can vouch for that.
Elizabeth Fletcher: I recovered within a day. I was back at work. It is a much better option than surgery.
Jennifer Matthews: An option she considers a slam dunk This is Jennifer Matthews reporting.
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