>not if
>you're one of the 99 who ends up with cancer that she >wouldn't have had if
>she hadn't had the lumpectomy

To be fair of these 99 the stats would suggest that they have a *slightly* higher risk - and that consequently the chances are *very high* that NONE will go on to develop cancer. It is, to be pedantic, also impossible to prove that any woman who had previous surgery would not [on an individual basis] have developed cancer anyway....

>X-rays are known to cause cancer
True - but again the risks are low. In the 1950s shoe shops [at least in the UK] used to x-ray feet to show what a great fitting shoe you had on.......all those x-rayed have not died of cancer [although some may have done].

>some babies will have breathing difficulties after
>C-sections (because they weren't squeezed through the >birth canal
The greatest risk factor for respiratory distress syndrome remains prematurity and many babies born by section are prems who had foetal distress - this tends to 'distort' stats. Authors such as Roberton are now placing less emphasis on the marvels of contractions as a factor in preventing lung disease......Fluid will be shifted regardless of contractions.

I agree fully that clients should be given ALL information pertinent to their situation.....but I also feel that the people best able to provide a decent context remain the medical fraternity. It is possible that if one sees the stats above a woman might be frightened away from therapy which could save her life.
I also know that not every physician gives total info - even in the litigation conscious US, and certainly not over here in the UK. Here part of the reason is of course that if EVERY risk of EVERY procedure were to be given then no work would be possible as all time would be used giving info!! For this reason many only give risks which are likely to occur. You should ask your physician if there are serious albeit rare side effects / risks and also what is his cutoff for likely [1 in 100 , 1 in 1000  etc]. The best info obviously is that with the highest denominator.
One also needs to consider factors such as exposure to other carcinogens and genetic predisposition. Where oncology is concerned it is easy to read and construe what one wishes - and perhaps to reach false conclusions.

Tony

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