For Dr. Natalie Duncan Scott, breast cancer is more than a disease that she treats as a surgeon.

It is much more personal.

Breast cancer, she said, has affected nearly every female in her family.

Her mother was diagnosed with the disease at age 40 - and is today a breast cancer survivor.

Her maternal grandmother was diagnosed with breast cancer - but later died of ovarian cancer.

"My other grandmother had ovarian cancer as well," Dr. Scott said. "And all of my grandmother's sisters had breast cancer."

On Thursday, Dr. Scott, who is one of Greeneville's newest surgeons, spoke about breast cancer and its impact on her family.

Her talk was part of the Passport 55 lecture series, a health education program held monthly at Roby Fitzgerald Adult Center and sponsored by Laughlin Memorial Hospital.

A native of Oklahoma, Dr. Scott recently completed her surgical residency at East Tennessee State University's James H. Quillen College of Medicine. She is now in practice at Greeneville Surgical Associates.

"Breast cancer is especially important to me," Dr. Scott told the group of mostly women who were gathered for the lecture.

"Our family, unfortunately, is very familiar with this disease. So I have a special place in heart when taking care of patients with breast cancer. It's like taking care of a family member to me."

Because of her family's strong history of breast cancer, Dr. Scott said her mother underwent testing to see if she carried one of the genes that has been identified as a major risk factor for the disease.

To date, most inherited cases of breast cancer have been associated with two genes: BRCA1, which stands for BReast CAncer gene one, and BRCA2, or BReast CAncer gene two, the American Cancer Society (ACS) explains.

The function of these genes is to keep breast cells growing normally and to prevent any cancer cell growth. But when these genes contain abnormalities, or mutations, they are associated with an increased breast cancer risk, the ACS explains on its Web site.

"Abnormal BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes may account for up to 1 percent of all breast cancers," the ACS says.

"Women diagnosed with breast cancer who have an abnormal BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene often have a family history of breast cancer, ovarian cancer, or both. But it's also important to remember that most women with breast cancer have no family history of the disease," the ACS says.

Despite the family history, Dr. Scott's mother tested negative for the "breast cancer" genes.

This is why it is so important for all women, Dr. Scott said, to be aware of breast cancer and what steps they can take to help detect it in the earliest and most treatable stages.

"Any family history of breast cancer gives you an increased risk of developing the disease yourself. This risk is even higher if you have had a mother or sister who has had breast cancer," she said.

"It's something in my family - that you wait for your time. When it comes, you get your surgery and get it taken care of," Dr. Scott said.

"Breast cancer is a very survivable disease, if it is detected early and if it is found before it goes somewhere else in the body," she said.

In her own situation, Dr. Scott said she undergoes mammograms every year and makes sure that she regularly examines her breasts for any changes.

This year, an estimated 182,460 new cases of breast cancer will be diagnosed in the U.S., she said.

"It's a very prevalent disease. Luckily, we're picking it up much earlier now, so it's not as much of a deadly disease anymore," she said.

There are three major steps that women should take to guard themselves against breast cancer, Dr. Scott said.

The first step is to closely examine their breasts at least once a month and check for any changes.

Be especially aware of any breast lump or thickening, bloody discharge from a nipple, changes in the breast shape or contour, dimpling of the skin, retraction of a nipple, or an inflammed breast.

Notify your doctor immediately if you notice any such changes or if you are worried about any change.

Dr. Scott advised women to check their breasts three ways: while lying down, while in the shower and while standing in front of a mirror.

The second step is to have a breast exam by a health care professional each year, if you are age 40 or older, or at least every three years if you are age 20-39.

The third step is to undergo a mammogram (an x-ray of the breasts) each year if you are age 40 or older or if you have a personal or family history of breast cancer.