Breast Cancer

It’s here! October—National Breast Cancer Awareness Month—although honestly, this type of cancer is very much in the public eye throughout the year. Breast cancer survivors, those at risk, and families who have lost a loved one to this disease have made it their charge to keep a pink theme year round.

If your newly diagnosed patient meets the criteria for warranting a genetics consultation and testing, do the necessary paperwork to have it happen BEFORE surgery!

Despite research being conducted and confirmed on the significance of breast density, most women don’t know that having dense breasts increases their risk for breast cancer and reduces a mammogram’s ability to detect cancer, according to a University of Virginia (UVA) School of Medicine study.

Along with the diagnosis of breast cancer comes many decisions regarding treatment options. Oncotype DX, a genomic/gene expression assay, provides quantitative assessment of chemotherapy benefit and risk of distant recurrence in early-stage estrogen receptor–positive (ER+), HER2/neu-negative breast cancer to assist in developing individualized treatment plans.

Seventy percent of patients completing her acute treatment (surgery, chemo, and radiation) will be candidates for taking hormonal therapy. All too often, patients are not well informed, however, about the purpose of this pill to be taken once a day for 5 years or more, nor do they realize its level of importance.

This article continues our discussion of issues that can result in a medical malpractice case regarding breast cancer. Though not an exhaustive list, it summarizes (when combined with part 1) the most common reasons why a breast cancer patient or family member on behalf of the patient would pursue legal action against a provider.

In case you are not aware, the most common medical malpractice issue medical providers deal with today relates to breast cancer care—specifically, misdiagnosis, delay in diagnosis, and/or failure to follow standard of care. So it is probably not a surprise that the nation has a shortage of breast imaging radiologists and soon will be facing a shortage of breast oncologic specialists as well.

If all breast centers had Dr Ruth as a faculty member, there would be no need to write this article. But they do not. It is important to bring up this sensitive topic early in your interactions with your breast cancer patients. Usually the first thing a woman worries about, however, is her mortality.

Though most women diagnosed with breast cancer are good candidates for breast conservation therapy, there remains a portion of women diagnosed who need to undergo mastectomy.