October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month
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The Cancer Institute of New Jersey (CINJ) is making experts available to discuss the risks, treatment and prevention options surrounding breast cancer. According to the American Cancer Society more than nearly 183,000 patients nationwide will be diagnosed with the disease this year, with a little more than 6,300 new cases expected in New Jersey. And while the disease affects mostly women, men also can be diagnosed with breast cancer. CINJ is a Center of Excellence of UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School.
CINJ experts available for comment include:
Deborah Toppmeyer, M.D., director, New Jersey Comprehensive Breast Care Center and director of the LIFE (Ladies Professional Golf Association In the Fight to Eradicate breast cancer) Center at CINJ; and associate professor of medicine at UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. Dr. Toppmeyer can discuss the molecular characteristics of breast cancer and how targeted therapies are helping breast cancer patients improve their quality of life. She currently is working on a clinical trial focusing on a new drug combination for women with triple-negative breast cancer. In advanced breast cancer, such as triple-negative, combinations of chemotherapy drugs to kill cancer cells result in response rates between 40 and 70 percent; complete response rates or clinical remissions are rare. Although there has been progress in prolonging survival in breast cancer that spreads to other parts of the body, the majority of women die from their disease. Dr. Toppmeyer also specializes in young women with breast cancer, a growing population.
Bruce G. Haffty, M.D., chair, radiation oncology at CINJ and Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital; and professor and chair, Department of Radiation Oncology at UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and Sharad Goyal, M.D., instructor of radiation oncology at UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, are the lead investigators on a recently-opened clinical trial which looks at whether partial breast radiation following a lumpectomy will hold a better benefit than radiation of the whole breast. The study aims to use a treatment known as Accelerated Partial Breast Irradiation, in which patients receive radiation to only a portion of their breast, over a three-week period versus the traditional six or seven.
Thomas Kearney, M.D., FACS, director, breast care services and chief, section of breast surgery at CINJ; and associate professor of surgery at UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. Dr. Kearney is a surgical oncologist, who can discuss the multidisciplinary approach taken at CINJ of removing breast cancer through surgery and the options for breast conservation.
Atif Khan, M.D., M.S., radiation oncologist at CINJ; and assistant professor of radiation oncology at UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. Dr. Khan leads the Department’s brachytherapy unit, in which he has a special interest in breast brachytherapy. Brachytherapy involves the placement of radioactive “seeds” or sources directly into or around tumors, allowing for a high dose of radiation where it is needed while sparing other normal tissues.
Dorothy Pierce, APN, advanced practice nurse at CINJ. Ms. Pierce educates her patients on the importance of and how to do breast self-examinations. In women who currently have breast cancer, this practice is considered to be a proactive approach to identifying reoccurrence at an earlier stage. She also can discuss how breast self exams play a vital role in a female’s overall health and how it should be incorporated into a woman’s regular routine.
Val Skinner, is a retired Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) pro, who was a driving force behind the creation of the LIFE (LPGA In the Fight to Eradicate breast cancer) Center at CINJ following the death of a close friend to breast cancer. The LIFE Center features a multidisciplinary team of medical oncologists, surgeons, genetic counselors, nurse practitioners, social workers, psychologists, and other health care professionals to help address the needs of young breast cancer patients. Ms. Skinner can address the benefits of having such a comprehensive team available to both patient and family. She advocates for increased awareness of breast cancer, its symptoms and early detection and prevention methods with an emphasis on young women.
Source: Cancer Institute of New Jersey
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