Despite her recent breast cancer diagnosis, Good Morning America co-anchor Robin Roberts is already speaking out about the cancer cause. In fact, she just recently spoke to a group of cancer survivors and activists at a fundraiser in Biloxi, Mississippi.

Roberts is also speaking about the relief she feels now that her diagnosis has been made public -- "It was like the weight of the world was lifted," she said.

Talking about cancer invites support. Roberts, 46, got some comforting words of support from Elizabeth Edwards just after her announcement. Edwards, wife of Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards, is also fighting breast cancer.

It seems Elizabeth Edwards has a good amount of energy, despite her diagnosis of incurable cancer in March, following a previous battle with breast cancer. Perhaps her energy stems from the fact that she is asymptomatic and feeling quite well.

About her health and her husband's campaign, Edwards says, "I feel good and honestly, the campaign is more helpful. I don't sit at home and worry about what's going to happen to me a year from now, two years from now, 10 years from now. I take a pill in the morning and that's when I think about cancer. No other time of the day do I think about my cancer."

While she does admit she doesn't want to push herself too hard, she doesn't worry about the accompanying her husband, Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards, on his busy campaign trail. And she doesn't worry about what others might think of her decision to press forward.

It was all about the bike for Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards this past Wednesday. Decked out in spandex bike shorts, he pedaled with champion cyclist and cancer survivor Lance Armstrong on the Register's Annual Great Bike Race Across Iowa (RAGBRAI). Riding at an easy pace of 10 to 12 mph from Hampton to Cedar Falls, Edwards chatted with riders about their pressing issues, including their concern for his wife Elizabeth who was diagnosed with a recurrence of breast cancer this year.

About his bike trek, Edwards commented, "This is an accident waiting to happen."

Why did he take on the challenge? "Lance has become a friend," Edwards said. " Proud of what he's doing, particularly on the cancer issue. It's obviously very important to us personally. And I've heard about this race -- err, race -- this ride, ever since I'd been coming to Iowa so I wanted to see what it looked like."

Staff Sgt. Elizabeth Cowie's dream almost ended when she was diagnosed with breast cancer in May. She was told earlier in the year that she would deploy to Iraq this summer.

The forty-two year old mother is ready for duty after her aggressive treatment plan. She had two surgeries and a five day targeted radiation treatment called MammoSite. Elizabeth will leave later this month with the 1113th Transportation Company of San Jose, California, for at least a year transporting supplies in Iraq.

Elizabeth's mother Pearl said she "isn't surprised that her daughter still wants to deploy. I knew this would not deter her. She was just determined to go. That is the kind of person she is."

In the news there has been a lot of questioning whether or not it is wise for someone diagnosed with cancer, and needs therapy or treatments to control their cancer, should still work or carry on with their life the way it was before cancer entered into their lives.

Its a good question -- but all cancer survivors or patients must make this decision themselves and should not be judged either way. Treatments can be physically mild or debilitating and everywhere in between.

I know women who are walking in Elizabeth Edward's shoes and have metastatic breast cancer. These women that I know might not be blazing the campaign trail but they are still keepin-on- keepin-on with life like it was before their breast cancer returned. They still get up and go to work, do the laundry, feed their children, all the normal things that you and I do everyday. Not to say that days can't be really tough, emotionally and physically. But I see women who are living with the disease -- really living and not giving up any of their dreams.

I can't really speak for women with metastatic disease, I can only talk about what I see, because I am not walking in their shoes and don't completely understand what it is like living with recurrent breast cancer.

Recurrent breast cancer can mean being on some kind of cancer treatment for the rest of your life, it can mean long times of remission or no evidence of disease.

Can it mean Elizabeth Edwards being first lady with metastatic breast disease? I think so.

These days, politics and cancer seem to go hand in hand. In February, United States Representative Charles Norwood, from Augusta, Georgia, died of lung cancer. In March, Virginia Congresswoman Jo Ann Davis revealed the breast cancer she fought in 2005 had recurred. A few days ago Elizabeth Edwards, wife of presidential candidate John Edwards, shared that her own breast cancer, originally diagnosed in 2004, has relocated to her bones.

United States Press secretary Tony Snow is a colon cancer survivor. Presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani is a prostate cancer survivor. Candidate John McCain has had three bouts with melanoma, the most aggressive form of skin cancer. Bob Dole, now 83, was a cancer survivor at age 73 when he ran for the White House as the 1996 Republican presidential nominee against President Clinton. And the 2004 Democratic nominee, John Kerry, had prostate cancer surgery in 2003.

If I did more research, I bet I'd turn up a whole slew of other politicians who have received a direct hit from cancer. But that's not necessary. I think what I'm trying to demonstrate is already clear.

Take any sector of society and cancer will somehow be woven into the lives of those who define the population. Athletes and cancer. Celebrities and cancer. Musicians and cancer. Kids and cancer. Young moms and cancer. Men and cancer. Politicians and cancer.

This brings me to my next point -- cancer is widespread, so widespread it surfaces over and over again within any given group of people. This makes me sad. But this infiltration of the disease also means none of us is alone. And as a woman with cancer; a young mom with cancer; a wife, a daughter, a sister with cancer; and a writer with cancer, this makes me feel comforted, supported, and utterly strong.

Ever since revealing her breast cancer had recurred, there has been speculation about a spread from Elizabeth Edwards' rib -- the initial metastasis -- to other spots in her body.

Last night, on the CBS news program 60 Minutes, Edwards told Katie Couric that a hot spot has been detected in her right hip. But doctors believe it is too small to pose a new health risk, she reports.

"There are a couple of hot spots, on the bone scan, in my right hip, for example," she said. "And one of the questions is whether or not to do radiation to reduce the size of that -- of the cancer in that location -- and for fear that it might weaken my bone and that I might break my hip. But their consensus was that it was too small an area for that to be a risk."

In addition to discussion about the cancer itself, Edwards and her husband John defended their decision to stick with the presidential race. Edwards said she just cannot deny her husband the chance to be president.

"That would be my legacy, wouldn't it, Katie?" Edwards said to Couric. "That I'd taken out this fine man from -- from the possibility of -- of giving a great service. I mean, I don't want that to be my legacy."

Presidential candidate John Edwards and his wife Elizabeth will appear tonight on 60 Minutes where they will publicly discuss with Katie Couric Elizabeth's newest cancer diagnosis and their decision to continue on in the presidential race.

Elizabeth, 57 and first diagnosed with breast cancer in November 2004, shared Thursday that her cancer has returned, this time in her bones. Considered stage four and treatable -- but not curable -- her cancer has generated much discussion and awareness about the workings of this life-threatening disease.

To view a clip from tonight's news program, airing at 7:00 PM ET/PT, click here.

Elizabeth Edwards' breast cancer recurrence has the disease once again dominating newspapers, magazines, television programs, and conversations.

Just two days ago, I heard a run-down of facts about breast cancer. They were shared to raise awareness, and while I was already aware of most of them, it's still quite sobering to hear some of the statistics that surround a disease that lands in the laps of more than 200,000 American women every year.

Think about these -- three powerful truths that happen to stick in my mind at this very moment:

The highest risk of breast cancer belongs to those older than 60.

Nearly 85 percent of women diagnosed with breast cancer have no family history of the disease.

And tragically, every three minutes, a woman is diagnosed with breast cancer.

Elizabeth Edwards has been told the metastatic cancer found in her bones is considered stage four. And it's treatable. But not curable.

Tricky stuff -- all this cancer terminology -- and a little hard to fully comprehend.

I saw Sheryl Crow talking with Maria Shriver and Dr. Susan Love on Larry's King's CNN program the other night. Crow says her breast cancer was curable -- it was teeny tiny and had not spread and required a lumpectomy and radiation, but not chemotherapy. "I'm the walking poster child for early detection," she said. Her cancer was caught and treated swiftly. She is cured. Theoretically.

Can Crow's cancer still return? Yep.

We just aren't sure at the time of one cancer discovery if these deadly cells have drifted away from the main site and will later show up elsewhere, explained Dr. Love. All predictions would have Crow living a long life free of cancer. But they may have had Edwards in the same boat just two years ago when she was first diagnosed with breast cancer.

So now Edwards' cancer is not curable. It is treatable. And this is a bit easier to understand. Her cancer will never go away. But doctors can keep it at bay. And Love says they can even make it better. But there is no cure for what Edwards has. So she will live with cancer for the rest of her life.

I guess curable means: the cancer is gone and we hope it never comes back. And treatable means: the cancer is not gone and will never be gone but we will treat it for as long as we can.

I think I get it.

Elizabeth Edwards, wife of Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards, has had many routine medical follow-ups since her 2004 breast cancer diagnosis. And all of them -- until just a few days ago -- resulted in what is generally termed a clean bill of health.

The term doesn't always come with a sense of relief for those of us surviving breast cancer -- or any cancer for that matter -- because it only really defines what our bodies are telling us at one specific moment. There are no magic blood tests, no special body scans, no conclusive ways of determining whether or not cancerous cells have gone astray and will one day surface again.

I asked my oncologist after my first six-month follow-up how he would know if my cancer returns. He told me it's really up to me to determine whether it comes back. It's up to me to get mammograms and ultrasounds and MRIs. It's up to me to report any symptoms and suspicions. It's up to me to track my general well-being so that it will be clear when something feels not-so-right. If I have a persistent cough or headaches that won't subside, my doctor will take action with X-rays and scans and tests. But as long as I feel fine and nothing troubling presents itself, then I remain in the clean-bill-of-health club.

Edwards no longer has a clean bill of health. But she is determined to use her newest diagnosis -- stage four metastatic cancer of the bones, considered treatable but not curable -- to work toward the best health she can acquire for as long as she can hold onto it. And that is about as good as any of us can do.

I just finished watching the press conference held by John Edwards and Elizabeth Edwards. Elizabeth stated that she had some tests earlier in the week that confirmed her breast cancer has metastasized to the bone.

John and Elizabeth said they will continue on with their campaign -- they seemed to have a very positive attitude. They are happy that the cancer is confined to the bone and has not spread to other organs in her body.

Being a breast cancer survivor, I know women who have been diagnosed with advanced disease. Many are living fulfilling lives even though they must always be on some form of treatment. At this day and age advanced breast cancer cannot be cured but can be successfully treated. There are many therapies available for Elizabeth.

I applaud her courage -- Elizabeth said "she wants to live next week the same way she lived last week." Its easy to crawl up in a ball, getting a Stage IV diagnosis is hard to take. Her husband said that no matter where he is or what he is doing he will be there for Elizabeth whenever she needs him.

Democratic presidential candidate and former North Carolina senator John Edwards missed an Iowa campaign event on Tuesday so he could be with his wife as she prepared for a medical appointment the following morning.

Elizabeth Edwards, diagnosed with breast cancer just before the 2004 election, when her husband ran for vice president, has survived chemotherapy, surgery, and radiation and has written a book -- Saving Graces -- about her entire journey.

Edwards' campaign crew has insisted Wednesday's appointment was a routine follow-up to a medical visit his wife had the day before and that Elizabeth Edwards, 57, has been living cancer-free.

Today at noon, Edwards will hold a press conference about his wife's health and how it may -- or may not -- affect his candidacy.

How many of us value the worth of a penny?

Twenty years ago, Peter and Bette Pickstock, from a village in Sturdivant near Cheltenham, England, thought pennies might one day add up to make a difference and thus began the collection of pennies.

Two decades later, and 32 million pennies total (nearly $700,000 dollars), the couple recently donated the money to the Cobalt Appeal Fund in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, a cancer care center.

The Queen of England was impressed, as Peter and Bette Pickstock were invited to Buckingham Palace to meet Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip. Although the couple could not have known this twenty years ago when they decided to do something good for others in the simple act of collecting pennies, two years ago Mrs. Pickstock was diagnosed with breast cancer and learned firsthand how much a cancer care center can help cancer patients. They said they plan to continue collecting pennies.

Celebrities catch our attention. They cause us to pay attention too -- which is likely why the media uses celebrities and prominent people to send messages about all sorts of issues, like breast cancer.

It's not just the real-life survivor celebrity stories -- about Melissa Etheridge and Elizabeth Edwards and Sheryl Crow -- that make headlines and attract ratings. It's also the portrayal of cancer survivors on television that raises awareness about this disease. It's not a new trend -- it started long ago when All in the Family's Edith Bunker (Jean Stapleton) experienced a breast cancer scare, marking one of the first times the issue of breast cancer was discussed openly on TV.

Tough cop Mary Beth Lacey (Tyne Daly) of the TV show Cagney & Lacey traveled a breast cancer journey. Sisters eldest sister Alex (Swoosie Kurtz) was diagnosed with breast cancer and survived chemotherapy with family by her side. Beverly Hills, 90210 character Brenda Walsh (Shannen Doherty) found a lump in her breast and shed light on the fact that young women are not immune to breast cancer. Sex and the City's Samantha Jones (Kim Cattrall) developed breast cancer and proudly pulled off her wig on television. The L Word's Dana Fairbanks (Erin Daniels) lost her battle with breast cancer. And on Angela's Eyes, FBI agent Angela Henson recently learned her mother once had breast cancer -- and that it has come back.

There are many others television story lines woven with the thread of breast cancer. They draw viewers and boost ratings. They also raise awareness -- because people pay attention to celebrities.