The road to breast reconstruction starts following the diagnosis of breast cancer. About 1 in 8 women in America will develop breast cancer in their life. Coping with body image is an age-old tradition for women. The loss of a woman's breasts to cancer can affect her self-esteem, her sex drive, and just how she feels about herself as a woman.

Cancer, or more often cancer treatments, can conflict with some parts of the reproductive process and affect cancer patients’ ability to have children. For some men, infertility can be one of the most challenging and aggravating long-term effects of cancer therapy. Studies have implied that women with cancer are less likely to be presented with information about protecting their fertility than men.