Making Strides Against Breast Cancer

Nearly everyone has been affected by breast cancer in some way. Either a family member or a friend has had to deal with this diagnosis. When someone close to you goes through the process of breast cancer treatment, it can motivate you to become involved in volunteer or charitable organizations. There are a lot of organizations out there raising money for breast cancer research and education…and it can be tough to decide which one you want to join.

After a lot of careful thought, I’ve partnered with the American Cancer Society’s Making Strides Against Breast Cancer. The American Cancer Society has changed legislation in Florida to get smoking out of our restaurants (Thank goodness!!). They were instrumental in the creation of tamoxifen – a medicine used in breast cancer patients. I see my patients benefit from the American Cancer Society’s work on a daily basis. My patients have received wigs during chemotherapy, transportation to and from appointments, prosthetic bras after surgery, and tons of educational materials – all provided free from the funds raised by the American Cancer Society’s Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Program.

This year, I have chosen to volunteer as the Event Chairman for the Making Strides Event. For those of you who do not know, the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk will be held October 9th, 2010 at Huizenga Park at 7:30 am. I am encouraging everyone who has been touched by this disease to form a team, raise money, and then join us at Huizenga Park on October 9th. You really can make a difference!!

If you’re interested, please click here to visit the ACS Making Strides website.

Tags: american cancer society, making strides against breast cancer
Posted in Breast Cancer Surgery, Cancer Support |

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Cancer Center’s Exciting Updates

Happy Summer! Dr. Gutierrez and I have been on a sabbatical from writing our blog but we are committed to getting back to it. We have had a productive and busy first half of this year and we’ll be writing about each of these topics in future blogs.

First and of great interest was the initiation of our collaboration with Massachusetts General Hospital in January of this year. This was their first arrangement with a hospital based cancer center outside of the Northeast. The finalization of this contract will allow us to work together formally in a number of ways including assisting patients who spend time both here in South Florida and in the New England area to have seamless easy to obtain care with professionals at both places familiar with their care. There are numerous other exciting opportunities that we will now have with Mass General Hospital.

Second Dr. Gutierrez has successfully opened several Phase 1 and 2 studies here at the Bienes Cancer Center. This is truly a unique feat. Very few hospitals outside an academic structure are able to do this. We now have the ability to offer patients extremely dynamic new treatment options. Those trials are listed on our website.

We also continue to grow. With the addition of a breast cancer nurse navigator we are set to launch our collaborative multidisciplinary breast clinic next month. We have a number of other great developments in our breast center that will be discussed in future blogs – not the least of which is the soon to be opening Dorothy Mangurian Comprehensive Women’s Center in September 2010.

And finally for this blog entry please note that since we last wrote we have hired three cardiovascular and thoracic surgeons and a urologic oncologist to join the Holy Cross Medical Group and Bienes Cancer Center physician team.

Stay tuned….it’s exciting!

Cancer Center Executive Director Maureen Mann & Cancer Center Medical Director Dr. Gutierrez

Posted in Breast Cancer Surgery, General Medical, Research and Genetics |

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Cancer Research & Treatment FREE Education Program

Cancer patients and survivors, their families, cancer support groups and the public are invited to attend UPDATE 2010: Breast, Lung and Colorectal Cancer Research and Treatment featuring presentations, in non-technical language, by a panel of distinguished cancer experts from Holy Cross Hospital and the Michael and Dianne Bienes Comprehensive Cancer Center. The event will begin with a complimentary light continental breakfast followed by presentations by the speakers, and a question-answer session with the panelists.

Breast Cancer –Screening and Diagnosis: What Is New and What Is Right?
Joseph Casey, M.D., Breast Surgical Oncologist

New Developments in Breast Cancer Surgery and Breast Reconstruction
Marnie Kaplan, M.D., Holy Cross Hospital, Breast Surgical Oncologist

What Role Does Chemotherapy Play in Breast Cancer Treatment?
Ena Segota, M.D., Holy Cross Hospital, Medical Oncologist/Hematologist

Colorectal Cancer Screening – How Important Is It?
Donald Brust, M.D., Holy Cross Hospital, Gastroenterologist

Surgical Intervention For Colon Cancer: Open Surgery Vs Laparoscopic Surgery
Elie Schochet, M.D., Holy Cross Hospital, Colorectal Surgeon

New Radiation Oncology Advances For Treating Cancer
Lav Goyal, M.D., Holy Cross Hospital, Radiation Oncologist

Lung Cancer – What is State of the Art Care?
Martin Gutierrez, M.D., Holy Cross Hospital, Medical Oncologist/Hematologist

Developing New Cancer Drugs and Clinical Trials for Lung Cancer
Martin Gutierrez, M.D., Holy Cross Hospital, Medical Oncologist/Hematologist
Carol Brudenell, RN, AOCN, Holy Cross Hospital, Research Manager

Q&A Panel

Saturday, March 27, 2010 • 8:30 am – 12:30 pm                     
Holy Cross Hospital                                                                        
4725 North Federal Highway                                                         
Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33308                                               
Sister Innocent Conference Center

This program is jointly sponsored by Holy Cross Hospital’s Michael and Dianne Bienes Comprehensive Cancer Center and the Syncure Cancer Research Foundation as a public service for cancer patients and their families.

Admission to the program is FREE with advanced registration. Please register early; seating is limited!

To register or for additional information, please contact Holy Cross Hospital:

Toll-Free: 800-903-9702 / Web Address: www.holy-cross.com

Posted in Breast Cancer Surgery, Cancer Support, General Medical, Lung Cancer, Radiation, Research and Genetics, Spirituality |

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Breast Screening Recommendations

This past November I was watching the morning news when I heard about new breast screening recommendations by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. I was horrified! The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommendations on screening mammography and self breast exams are not supported by evidence-based studies. The American Society of Breast Disease (a well respected group of breast specialists to which I belong) responded to the government’s new guidelines with the following:

The new U.S. Preventive Services Task Force’s recommendations on screening mammography, clinical breast exam, and self-examination conflict with the facts. There has been no new evidence to justify this questionable change in breast cancer screening guidelines.

The American Society of Breast Disease continues to recommend annual mammography for all women beginning at age 40. This position is based on long-standing, evidence-based studies which document that mammography saves lives through early detection.

The fact that only 50% of American women over age 40 have had a mammogram in the past year indicates that women need to be further encouraged rather than discouraged from obtaining this simple, non-invasive test. At a time of limited healthcare resources, prevention and early detection continue to be the most cost-effective means to control the economic and human burden of breast cancer. Although it is not perfect, mammography is the best screening tool we have, in terms of overall accuracy, cost, and practicality.

Forty years of research have yielded progressively convincing evidence of the benefits of screening mammography. Long-term follow-up of randomized controlled population-based screening trials – the gold standard in medical research – prove that mammography can reduce breast cancer mortality as much as 32% among women ages 40 to 70 years at entry into screening. Some recent studies from Sweden have found that mammography can lower breast cancer deaths by nearly 50%.

As dedicated breast specialists, we agree with the multiple studies that document a reduction in breast cancer deaths due to early detection of breast cancer through regular screening. In contrast to the USPSTF recommendation, the American Society of Breast Disease continues to encourage monthly breast self-examination as an integral part of every woman’s health routine, along with an annual clinical breast examination by a trained healthcare professional.

For most women, predicting breast cancer risk on the basis of possible risk factors can be unreliable. Fully 70% of all women diagnosed with breast cancer had no known risk before the time of diagnosis.

The current flurry of media-hyped recommendations will only serve to confuse the public. To advise women age 40 and older to skip annual screening because they have no family history of the disease is imprudent, irresponsible, and places their lives at unnecessary jeopardy.

Executive Committee:  Gail Lebovic, MD is a Dallas-based oncoplastic breast surgeon and Society president; Stephen A Feig, MD is a breast imager at University of California, Irvince, and president-elect; Julio A Ibarra, MD is a pathologist at MemorialCare Hospital, Fountain Valley, California, and Society past president; Robert W. Carlson, MD is a medical oncologist at Stanford University and Society secretary/treasurer.

I hope this statement from a respected group of breast specialists helps to clear up any confusion about screening breast imaging and examinations.

If you’re 40 – start getting your mammograms!!

Tags: american society of breast disease, breast cancer, breast cancer risks, breast screenings, mammogram
Posted in Breast Cancer Surgery, General Medical |

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