SJMO Breast Cancer Support Group to Meet

Pontiac, MI.—St. Joseph Mercy Oakland (SJMO) announces the next meeting of its Breast Cancer Support Group will take place 6-8 p.m. Thursday, April 15, 2010, in the Alice Gustafson Center waiting room, 115 Fulton, Pontiac, on the hospital campus.

Andrea Briefs-Ferris, SJMO’s new breast cancer nurse navigator, leads the breast cancer support group, which is open to all breast cancer patients and survivors.  The support group meets the third Thursday of each month at the same time and location and focuses on addressing the body, mind and spiritual needs of breast cancer patients and supporting each other.

Free parking is available.

Pre-registration is preferred, although drop-ins are welcome.  For more information about the support group or to register, call 248-858-3962.

An Author’s Book on Cancer Hits Close to Home

Over 10 years ago, Veronica Decker, a psychiatric nurse practitioner, had counseled over 1,000 patients who were coping with a cancer diagnosis and treatment. Her experiences led her to write and self-publish a book with co-author Linda Ferris in 1998, then titled; “Pocketful of Miracles.”

Then, in 2007, her daughter’s soccer teammates’ mother was diagnosed with cancer. The girl read “Pocketful of Miracles” to her mother throughout the summer of 2007 until her mother passed away in August of that year.

When Decker heard of the inspiration her book provided this mother and daughter, she decided that there was still a great need to reach more people. Therefore, she began putting the plans together to re-publish her book, and in April 2009, with the support of ONS Publishing Division, “Coping With Cancer: A Patient Pocketbook of Thoughts, Advice and Inspiration for the Ill” was published.

Decker, the wife of Oncologist, David Decker, MD, had spent her career counseling patients and families on how to cope with the disease of cancer. Her conversations would cover a variety of topics such as coping with the diagnosis, what to do during doctor visits, who/what/when to tell family, friends, co-workers about your disease, and how to plan for your future.

Much of what you may think are the “norm” for dealing with cancer, may not be for a particular individual, advises Decker. “I came up with coping patterns that work, but not all patients may agree with it,” she says.

For instance, she points out that many people want to be “friends” with their doctor. “The doctor is not your friend,” she says. “Is he having a beer with you? No. He is there to treat you and he will be there for you, but he is not there to be your friend.”

It is important for patients to maintain that professional relationship with their physician so that they can accurately manage their disease and be honest about their treatment results, options and future care. It is also important because perceived “friendships” may cloud the patient’s ability to ask their doctor difficult decisions, which can inhibit you from proactively managing your treatment.

Decker also recommends that patients do not go blindly into support groups. She says it is important to make sure that a support group is right for you. “Be persnickety about the groups you choose,” she advises. “Be aware of the group and what the similarities or dissimilarities are based on age, race, religion…find one that is the right fit for you.”

Recently, Decker’s years of educating patients came into play as cancer hit closer to home. In January 2009, she was diagnosed with breast cancer. Now, as she continues to work counseling patients at Cancer Care Associates in Royal Oak, she can truly tell patients she has “walked the walk.”

“I never thought that it couldn’t be me,” says Decker, referring to all of her conversations with patients. “I do think anyone can die. I do practice what I preach. I’ve walked into the MRI. I can add depth to my conversations. For most of us, the last place I want to be is strapped in a chair getting chemo.”

As she went through her surgery, chemo and radiation, Decker maintained her work-life balance. She received her chemo on Fridays so that she could be “sick” over the weekend. “I never missed a day of work,” she says.

In her book, she talks about compartmentalizing and prioritizing. “Women have to learn to relax and be sick and not worry about laundry…let it go,” says Decker. But she also advises to continue living your life even when you feel sick – because you WILL feel sick, she states.

“Sometimes you need to prioritize with the energy you do have,” she says. “You want to feel normal. Walking and shopping around Meijer makes you feel normal. Remember that they (the cancer patient) could be shopping one day and die the next, but they were doing what they wanted to do, even if they felt sick.”

Decker also advises to “have some goals in the future” whether it is a cruise, visiting a daughter or family. “Definitely set goals for the future, but make sure you can manage day-to-day.”

Over the last eight months, Veronica Decker has ‘walked the walk’ of her patients. She has felt the disease weaken her body. She has gained the weight; lost her hair; been sick for the weekend. But through it all, she continues to support others in their struggle with disease each day at the office.

She shares her experiences in a blog on her website. Although she doesn’t recommend this for everyone, it has helped her continue to share her advice, while also help her cope with her own disease. For more information, visit www.veronicadecker.com.

Breast Cancer Facts

October is the month where attention is focused on breast cancer awareness and fundraising. Nearly everyone has a friend, relative or loved one that has been diagnosed with breast cancer. Although treatments are improving every year, many women still die from this disease. The following are some tips and facts about breast cancer from the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute in Detroit.

BREAST CANCER FACTS

• There are 2.5 million breast cancer survivors in the U.S. today.

• Globally, more than 1.1 million women will be diagnosed with breast cancer and more than 410,000 will die from the disease (projection for the year 2007).

• Globally, a case of breast cancer is diagnosed every 29 seconds. A woman dies from breast cancer every 75 seconds world wide.

• In the United States, a woman is diagnosed with breast cancer every 3 minutes. One dies every 13 minutes.

• One in 8 women in the U. S. will develop breast cancer in her lifetime.

• Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women.

• Breast cancer is the second highest leading cause of cancer death among women (after lung cancer) and the leading cause of cancer death among young women.

• Being a woman and getting older are the most common and most important risk factors for breast cancer.

• Thanks to improvements in early detection and treatment, breast cancer deaths among all women have steadily declined since 1991.

• Currently, there is neither a cure for this disease nor any known way to prevent it, making early detection key to survival. Early detection can be an extremely effective tool: if breast cancer is found and diagnosed while still confined to the breast, the 5-year relative survival rate is more than 98 percent.

• What’s more, timely screening mammograms could prevent 15 to 30 percent of all deaths from breast cancer in women over age 40.

BREAST CANCER DISPARITIES

• Although breast cancer continues to affect people from all backgrounds, there are significant differences within the mortality rates among racial groups.

• The grim news, however, is that low-income women have lower screening rates, are 41 percent more likely to be diagnosed with late-stage breast cancer, and are three times more likely to die from breast cancer, according to studies from the Institute of Medicine.

• Similarly, uninsured women are more likely to receive a late-stage breast cancer diagnosis and are 30 to 50 percent more likely to die from the disease than women with insurance.

• While white women have the highest breast cancer incidence rate (140.8. cases per 100,000 women) in this country, Black women have the highest mortality rate nationally (35.9 deaths per 100,000 women).

• From 2000-2003 African American women had a 36 percent higher death rate than other women, giving them the highest death rate and poorest survival rate of any racial or ethnic group for breast cancer.

• Although breast cancer mortality rates declined 2.6% annually between 1992 and 2000, the decline was twice as great for white women as for black women.

• However, African American women still have a higher breast cancer death rate (than Caucasian women) even though African American women develop breast cancer less often.

• While 90 percent of white women diagnosed with breast cancer survive for at least five years, only 77 percent of black women survive for that long.

• There is also evidence that tumors are more aggressive among black women than they are in white women.

• If you are an African American woman, you are less likely to develop breast cancer, but more likely to die from the disease than women in other groups. African American women have a 35 percent higher death rate than Caucasian women, even though they are less likely to get breast cancer.

• If you are a Hispanic or Latina woman you are morel likely to be diagnosed with breast cancer at a more advanced – and deadlier – stage. Only 38 percent of Hispanic women age 40 and older have regular mammograms.

• If you are an Arab immigrant beliefs and customs may discourage you from being screened. There may also be other practical barriers, such as language or transportation.

• If you are an Asian immigrant, language barriers may make it difficult for you to get screened and treated.

• If you are a Native American or Alaska native, you are less likely than women of any other ethnic group in the U.S. to be alive five years or longer after a breast cancer diagnosis. Only 37 percent of Native American women age 40 and older get mammograms.

• If you live in a rural community, you may have to travel long distances to find a screening facility or a clinic for treatment.

• If you are a lesbian or bisexual woman, negative experiences with the healthcare system may discourage you from seeking routine medical care, reducing your chances of finding breast cancer in its early, more treatable stages.

• If you are under age 40 and are at high risk for breast cancer, you are less likely to benefit from screening technology compared to older women because your breast tissue may be denser, making mammography less effective.

• If you are over age 70, you are less likely to receive the best available treatment.

• If you are a man, you are less likely to think it’s breast cancer if you find a lump in your breast and you may be diagnosed late.

• If you are disabled, you are less likely to be offered breast-conserving surgery instead of a mastectomy. You may also have mammograms less often than you should because screening facilities may not be able to accommodate your disability.

IN MICHIGAN

• American Cancer Society 2007 estimates: 5,900 Michigan women will be diagnosed with breast cancer and 1,320 women in the state will die from the disease.

• Thirteen percent or 410,808 non-elderly Michigan women are uninsured and do not have access to preventative health care services.

• African American women in Michigan are dying of breast cancer at a higher rate (34 per 100,000) than White women (23 per 100,000).

• Wayne County was identified in a Susan G. Komen for the Cure-commissioned report as one of eight U.S. communities with alarmingly high breast cancer mortality rates. In fact, because of gaps in access to quality care, African American women in Detroit die from the disease far more often than White women.

• The Michigan Breast and Cervical Cancer Control Program (MI BCCCP) pays for life-saving cancer screening services and follow-up care for including cancer treatment if that should be needed to under- and uninsured Michigan women. If current funding is maintained, it is estimated the program will still be able to reach only 20 percent of women who qualify.

Based in Detroit, Michigan, the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute is committed to a future free of cancer. The Institute is one of 41 National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer centers in the United States. Caring for more than 6,000 new patients annually and conducting more than 700 cancer-specific scientific investigations programs and clinical trials, the Karmanos Cancer Institute is among the nation’s best cancer centers. Through the commitment of 1,000 staff, including nearly 300 faculty members, and supported by thousands of volunteers and financial donors, the Institute strives to prevent, detect and eradicate all forms of cancer. The Karmanos Cancer Institute was originally established in 1943 as the Detroit Institute for Cancer Research, which then became the Michigan Cancer Foundation. The Institute was renamed the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute in 1995 in memory of the late wife of Peter Karmanos, Jr., chairman and CEO of Compuware Corporation. Barbara Ann died at the age of 46 after an eight-year battle with breast cancer. To learn more about the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute, its services, or how you can get involved, visit www.karmanos.org or call (800) KARMANOS.

Contributed by: Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute

Ask the Doctor: July 2008

Question: I am 23 years old and my pap smear came back positive for HPV and had some abnormal cells. I am very worried about this. Can I still get the vaccine for HPV?

Answer: The vaccine for HPV (human papilloma virus) is marketed under the name Gardasil. When they studied the effectiveness of Gardasil before it was approved by the FDA, they studied women who were already infected with one strain of HPV. Gardasil contains the 4 strains of HPV most likely to cause cervical cancer and genital warts. The women who had previously been diagnosed with one strain of HPV were still protected from the other three strains, and the FDA has approved Gardasil for women who have already been infected with one strain. Make sure you talk to your gynecologist about getting the vaccine series. Also, make sure you are getting treated for the abnormal cells on your pap and you follow through with your repeat pap smears, as they will have to be more frequent than once a year of a while.

Question: Last month when you talked about screening for breast and ovarian cancer, you mentioned the CA-125 test. I have read about this in my women’s magazines, which say I should have it done, but my gynecologist has never ordered that test for me. Do I need this test done?

Answer: This is a great question and my patients ask about this test all the time. Ovarian cancer is a rare cancer, with most women only carrying a 1.7% lifetime risk (compared to 13.2% lifetime risk for breast cancer). Unfortunately, due to the location of the ovaries deep within the pelvis, it is difficult to screen for ovarian cancer, thus ovarian cancer is not usually found until it is at a later stage and is harder to cure. Many studies have been done, and no effective screening test has been found for ovarian cancer. The CA-125 blood test is supposed to be used after a woman is diagnosed with ovarian cancer, to follow to see if the cancer has come back. Not all women with ovarian cancer have a positive CA-125 before surgery, so this does not help all patients. In addition, not all patients with a high CA-125 have ovarian cancer, so the false positive rate is quite high; too high for a screening test. As an example, a patient of mine had severe pelvic pain, an ultrasound was done showing an ovarian mass and the CA-125 was very high, around 1700 (normal is less than 25). However, when she went into surgery the results showed that she did NOT have ovarian cancer, and she had endometriosis instead. She is a very lucky woman, but this just illustrates why we don’t use the CA-125 as a screening test for all women. All of that being said, for the women who are at very high risk for ovarian cancer, we have to screen somehow. For my patients with a first degree relative (mother, sister, or daughter) with ovarian cancer, I recommend a pelvic ultrasound every year to look at the ovaries and the CA-125 blood test. This however is not standard of care and generally not covered by insurance for screening purposes. With women that are such high risk, usually the expense is worth the possibly of early diagnosis and a chance at a cure. I would discuss your personal risk with your gynecologist and determine if the CA-125 is right for you.

Dr. Karen Lockwood is a graduate of University of Oklahoma College of Medicine.  She completed her residency in Internal Medicine at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit.  She is board-certified in Internal Medicine and is currently in private practice in Troy, MI.

If you would like to submit a medical question to Dr. Lockwood, Please email your question to askthedoc@healthandleisureonline.com.

*Advice found within this article is for informational purposes only and should not replace the advice or recommendations of your physician.

Ask the Doctor: May 2008

Question: I am 45 and I see my gynecologist and get my mammogram every year. I have been hearing recently about other ways to screen for breast cancer, like ultrasound and MRI? Should I be getting these tests as well as my mammogram?

Answer: The gold standard for breast cancer screening is still a yearly mammogram after age 40, so I am glad that you are getting yours each year. The ultrasound and MRI are used to improve the sensitivity of the mammogram for women with higher risks and lumps that we can feel on exam. If you, or your doctor, find a lump on the breast exam, you should have an ultrasound to determine if the lump is a cyst or a solid mass.

Rarely, a breast cancer is not seen on mammogram, but can be picked up on ultrasound, especially if your breasts are dense. Breast MRI is currently recommended for a specific group of high risk women. The evidence has not yet proven that it gives any advantage over mammogram in a normal risk woman.

The American Cancer Society guidelines for breast MRI are for women who test positive for the genes BRCA1 and BRCA2. They also recommend breast MRI for women who have a first degree relative (mother, sister, or daughter) who tested positive for BRCA1 or BRCA2, even if the patient has not been tested themselves. Women who carry a lifetime risk of breast cancer of 20-25% based on family history and other factors are candidates for breast MRI. Women who had radiation to the chest between ages 10 and 30 are at higher risk of breast cancer and should also be screened with breast MRI. These women should also continue to have routine mammograms.

Question: My mom and her sister both had breast cancer in their 50s. I am 36. Should I be tested for the breast cancer gene?

Answer: This is a difficult question to answer, because everyone’s risk is different, and only 10% of patients with breast cancer also have a family history of breast cancer, and not all patients with a family history carry the breast cancer gene.

There are two known genes that increase the risk of breast and ovarian cancer, BRCA1 and BRCA2. Testing involves a blood test that can be very expensive and not all insurance companies will cover the cost of testing.

The other issue with the breast cancer genes is that they only increase the risk of getting breast or ovarian cancer; they do not guarantee that a patient who tests positive will get those diseases. Testing positive for either gene will increase the risk of developing breast cancer to a 36-85% lifetime risk, and the risk of developing ovarian cancer to a 16-60% lifetime risk. The large range of risk is due to the information we get from the different studies of women with positive genetic tests, and accounts for the other factors in developing breast cancer including environmental factors.

It is generally recommended that the family member with breast cancer be tested for the genes first, in your case it would be your mom. If she tests positive, you can decide if you want to be tested. If she is negative, then you do not need to be tested.

I recommend genetic counseling by a gene specialist or oncologist before deciding whether or not to be tested. I also recommend careful consideration of your early detection and prevention options if you are positive. Early detection is the most important for the survival rates of breast cancer. As I discussed in the previous reader’s question, you should get a breast MRI and possibly more frequent mammograms and clinical breast exams. You must also consider the increased risk for ovarian cancer and you may chose to screen more aggressively with a yearly pelvic ultrasound and the CA-125 blood test.

The other option is to surgically remove as much of the breast or ovarian tissue as possible with a mastectomy and/or oophorectomy to prevent the cancers. This would be done before you ever show signs of cancer. This is the most effective way of preventing breast or ovarian cancer if you are very high risk. However, it is not a guarantee you won’t develop cancer and it is a very difficult, life changing decision and should not be made without the appropriate counseling.

You may also choose to take tamoxifen to prevent developing breast cancer. Tamoxifen is a drug previously only used for patients who have survived breast cancer to help prevent recurrence, but is now used to prevent breast cancer in high risk women. Tamoxifen is not without side effects and needs to be discussed as one of your options in your pre-testing counseling.

For more information about genetic testing and breast MRI you can visit the American Cancer Society’s website at www.cancer.org or call the National Cancer Institute’s information line 1-800-4- CANCER (1-800-422-6237).

Dr. Karen Lockwood is a graduate of University of Oklahoma College of Medicine.  She completed her residency in Internal Medicine at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit.  She is board-certified in Internal Medicine and is currently in private practice in Troy, MI.

If you would like to submit a medical question to Dr. Lockwood, Please email your question to askthedoc@healthandleisureonline.com.

*Advice found within this article is for informational purposes only and should not replace the advice or recommendations of your physician.

Diagnosis: Breast Cancer – But What About My Breasts?

The odds are that one in nine women will get breast cancer in their lifetime. Those are staggering numbers.

Once a diagnosis of breast cancer is made a whole team of specialists get involved to guide the patient through the treatment choices. What essentially determines your prognosis and treatment is your staging of the disease – the worse (of higher) the staging, the more aggressive the treatment.

There are essentially a combination of treatments ranging from chemotherapy (including hormone blockers), radiation and surgery that can be used. The best determination will depend on age, stage, certain hormone receptors of the disease and family history.

A majority of women will probably not need plastic surgery because the disease, if caught at an early stage, can be treated with lumpectomy and possible radiation and/or chemotherapy. If these treatments are done then a woman preserves her own breasts and the cosmetic result is excellent.

For those whose treatment regimen may include a total mastectomy the question is, “What about my breasts???”

For women who have more advanced disease, the best treatment may be a mastectomy with or without lymph node sampling. At this stage a thorough consultation with a plastic surgeon is required prior to the mastectomy so that reconstruction can be done simultaneously while in the operating room.

The first meeting should include a thorough history and physical exam. A plastic surgeon will consult with his or her colleagues regarding the type of mastectomy, the staging of the disease and whether post operative radiation or chemotherapy may be used. Most importantly, the patient is examined for the risk of surgery and reconstruction. Is she healthy, does she smoke, are there comorbidities? During the interview, the plastic surgeon will ask whether the patient wants to do reconstruction at all or does she want reconstruction with her own tissue or using implants and other materials.

Some patients that get mastectomies at an older age or have severe comorbidities may not be candidates for aggressive reconstruction. If a patient has aggressive disease and requires radiation, then reconstruction may be delayed for a while until her disease is better controlled.

So what are the options?

OPTION 1: Bypass reconstruction and possibly be fitted for an external prosthesis.

OPTION 2: Reconstruction using your own tissue.

This may require we use the muscle and skin from your back, tummy or buttocks. It may be done as a flap with an artery supply that is intact and simply moved or the blood supply is interrupted and reanastomosed under a microscope (free flap). Sometimes an implant may be needed to get proper size.

Reconstruction using your own tissue (autologous) gives the most natural feel and look to the breast but the trade off is another site of surgery including a scar, longer surgery, more prolonged recovery and possible revisions in both the donor site and the mastectomy site. The transferred tissue may need to be trimmed and revised. Once the proper look is achieved a nipple will have to be reconstructed and tattooed. Also the other breast may have to be augmented and/or lifted or reduced to achieve symmetry. If radiation is used post-operatively then autologous reconstruction is delayed for a while.

OPTION 3: Reconstruct with implants.

Usually a tissue expander is placed at the same time as the mastectomy and expanded post operatively to a desired result. Then the patient is brought back in after a couple of months or after chemotherapy and/or radiation and a permanent implant is inserted. The implant may be saline or silicone. The risks and benefits of both implants can be discussed with your doctor. As with any reconstruction the other breast may be augmented and/or lifted or reduced. Finally, a nipple on the reconstructed breast will have to be made and tattooed. In some instances a muscle may be harvested to add to the reconstruction. Lately to reduce the morbidities, Alloderm (cadever dermis) can be used to substitute for the muscle.

Every patient, regardless of staging, age or comorbidities has to make wise and educated decisions both for their treatment as well as their reconstruction. Whether the reconstruction is done during the initial mastectomy or delayed for a time can be dependent on the disease and subsequent treatment. It may be wiser to treat the disease and then reconstruct once the patient has had chemotherapy and/or radiation. The resultant reconstruction will not be affected by these modalities as much.

All surgeries carry risk and a qualified board certified plastic surgeon can discuss the risks, treatments and possible choices in a simple yet thorough matter.

Dr. Ayoub Sayeg is a Board Certified Diplomate, American Board of Plastic Surgery, Cosmetic and Breast Fellowship Trained. He received his medical degree from the University of Toronto and served his general surgery residency at Washington Hospital Center, Washington, D. C. Dr. Sayeg served his plastic surgery residency at Wayne State University in Detroit from 1998 to 2000.

A Better Way to Beat Breast Cancer

With Dr. Frank Vicini, MD

A diagnosis of breast cancer can be devastating to any woman; unfortunately the treatment and its aftermath can be just as devastating. That story could all be changing with research that is being done around the country and being led by a team right here in the Detroit area. Dr. Frank Vicini and the oncologists and surgeons at Beaumont Hospital have been leading a study into Accelerated Partial Breast Irradiation (APBI) therapy. While this procedure has been utilized around the world since 1992, it was only in 2005, that a randomized, multi-center study was launched under the auspices of the National Cancer Institute and National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project. The study is looking at women with early-stage breast cancer who have a lumpectomy followed by radiation therapy. Originally envisioned to be a study involving 3000 women, it has recently been expanded to 4300. The women are randomized to have either the standard regimen of six and a half weeks of full breast irradiation therapy or partial-breast irradiation therapy twice a day for five days. The study is expected to be completed by 2009.

What does this mean for women with early-stage breast cancer? In the past, women often had to struggle to fit their radiation therapy into their lives since it is every day, Monday through Friday for almost two months. Women who live far away from their treatment centers or who are older and have trouble transporting themselves to their treatment center have often had to choose to have mastectomy rather than the breast-saving lumpectomy procedure. They may also choose to have a lumpectomy without the following radiation therapy which could allow the cancer to return. By being able to shorten the course of radiation therapy to five days, more women may be able to have the lumpectomy with radiation therapy and therefore have the best chance of staying cancer-free. Hopefully the study will also show that the shorter duration therapy is associated with fewer side effects. Preliminary research has shown that partial breast radiation over five days works as well as whole breast radiation for cancer control but these studies involved a smaller number of women. This new study will help to make the five day regimen the standard of care for early-stage breast cancer.

“The medical community has known for some time that radiation administered to the entire breast has its primary effect at or near where the tumor was,” says Dr. Vicini, a radiation oncologist at William Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak and the principal investigator for the study. “That is what leads us to believe that it may not be necessary to treat the whole breast in certain patients.” Radiation damages the cancer cells and since they are unable to repair the damage, they die and are removed by the body. Healthy tissue that is irradiated is able to repair itself.

Current standard of care for early-stage breast cancer involves either a mastectomy to remove the entire breast which has the cancer, or a lumpectomy with whole breast irradiation plus possible chemotherapy. Whole breast irradiation can have some serious side effects for the healthy breast tissue as well as adjacent organs and tissues. Under this new regimen, patients would undergo a lumpectomy followed by partial breast irradiation plus possible chemotherapy. The partial irradiation is administered one of two ways. The most common form of partial breast irradiation is called breast brachytherapy and involves using a catheter to insert a small balloon into the cavity where the cancer was located. For each session, the balloon is connected to a brachytherapy machine which directs a small radioactive seed into the balloon and is left in place for ten minutes. This irradiates only the tissue surrounding where the cancer was removed and has the greatest likelihood of still containing any remaining cancer cells. Another form of partial breast irradiation is called 3-Dimensional Conformal Partial Breast Radiotherapy and delivers very precise doses of radiation to specific areas of the breast, sparing surrounding normal tissue. The shorter course of treatment is made possible not only by specifically targeting the lumpectomy site, but by also increasing the radiation levels for each treatment. While each treatment involves more radiation, the partial breast procedures involve less overall radiation exposure.

While there still is no cure for breast cancer, advances are being made in its treatment right here in your backyard. With early detection and treatment over 80 percent of breast cancer patients are cancer free ten years after their diagnosis. If you are interested in participating in this study, contact Beaumont Hospital at 248-551-7695.

Dr. Frank Vicini is the Corporate Chief, Oncology, at Beaumont Hospitals and is board certified by the American Board of Radiation –Radiation Oncology. He is a graduate of Wayne State University and completed his residency in Radiation Oncology at Beaumont hospital followed by a fellowship at Harvard University Medical School. He has been in practice 22 years.