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Breast Center Implements New Initiative to Prevent Lymphedema after
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Lymphedema in the left arm of patients at stage 0 (figure 1), stage 1 (figure 2), stage 2 (figure 3) and stage 3 (figure 4). Images courtesy of Dr. Charles McGarvey of CLM Consulting, and Guenter Klose of Klose Training and Consulting, LLC. |
Breast Center Welcomes Healers into the Operating Room
To address the full scope of patients' needs, the Breast Surgery Section is spearheading a program to welcome healers into the operating room (OR) before and during breast surgery.
In this program, healers such as energy workers or reiki masters may be present while a patient undergoes mastectomy or other surgical procedures.
The initiative strives not only to make healers in the OR accessible to patients, but also to study the effect of healers in the OR in order to objectively measure their effect.
Kris Smith & Eileen Fuentes Launch Woman's Wellness Series
 Kris Smith |
 Eileen Fuentes |
From providing educational information to offering sympathy, support groups patterned after models of the past, may marginally limit those diagnosed with breast cancer.
While there is nothing wrong with sharing information about one's breast cancer diagnosis or receiving a shoulder to cry on….what about considering an unconventional support group that focuses on healing the whole person? Partnering with patients, their families and friends, Kris Smith and Eileen Z. Fuentes engage members of the Woman's Wellness Series to uplifting experiences like salsa dancing. Enlivening the spirit is just the type of symbiotic engagement that promotes healthier, happier lifestyles. Salsa dancing was taught to members of the Women's Wellness Series during the most recent group meeting by sisters, Kristal and Katherine Jimenez of Combinacion Perfecta. The sisters were successful in encouraging even shy members who claimed to have "two left feet" in participating in the lesson during Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Future meetings include art therapy, yoga, and even Zumba.
The current Wellness Series is in session until the end of February and meets every Thursday from 4:00 PM to 5:30 PM at the Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, located at 1130 Saint Nicholas Avenue in Washington Heights. Attendees from outside of the NYP/Columbia audience are more than welcome to join. So, get your notebooks and workout clothes ready and contact Kris Smith at 212.342.3911 or ks2666@columbia.edu for more information. There is no charge for this series.
New Research on Breast Cancer Treatment Compliance
New research by Dr. Dawn Hershman reports that half of breast cancer patients discontinue their hormone therapy too early. Her study is published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology. The news was covered by USA Today, KCBS-TV (CBS Los Angeles) and several other network affiliate television stations, and online by United Press International, the Los Angeles Times, BioscienceTechnology.com, PhysOrg.com, HemOncToday.com, MedicalNewsToday.com and TechJackal.net.
Taking Charge of Breast Cancer: A Guide for African American Women
Access an educational DVD and brochure on breast cancer targeted for African-American women.
The project was sponsored by Novartis, the American Cancer Society, the National Medical Association, and the African Methodist Episcopal Church.
The materials will be distributed free of charge through the sponsors.
The video from the DVD, titled "Taking Charge of Breast Cancer: A Guide for African American Women," is scheduled to air on 5 TV stations across the country during the month of April, 2009.
Accelerated Partial Breast Irradiation
Investigational procedure may make radiation therapy accessible to more women.
After undergoing a lumpectomy to remove the part of the breast affected by breast cancer, most women must undergo radiation therapy treatments.
The standard course consists of six to seven weeks of therapy, five days a week.
For women who live far from their radiation facilities, the burden associated with daily trips for almost two months can be too much to bear.
As a result, some women have curtailed therapy, or even foregone radiation therapy altogether, despite the increased risk of their cancers recurring.
A new kind of radiation therapy, Accelerated partial breast irradiation, or APBI, may now alleviate this travel burden and allow more women to complete this highly important therapy.
Imaging Breast Cancer: Role of PET and PET/CT in diagnosis and treatment
Although mammogram is the most commonly performed method of screening the breast, other imaging modalities such as ultrasound, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computed tomography (CT), and positron emission tomography (PET) may be used to provide additional information to better locate and define abnormal findings.
Among these, PET, and more recently PET/CT, fills certain imaging needs that the other modes cannot meet.
Breast Reconstruction
Patients have a new cosmetic option
When a woman is diagnosed with breast cancer, her first concern is to get rid of the tumor and be free of the disease. But as she discusses her treatment with her physician, she will also want to know what type of surgery is likely to give her the best cosmetic results.
A new discipline called oncoplastic surgery addresses both of these concerns, combining the goals of oncology (treatment of cancer) with plastic surgery (reconstruction of the breast).
Breast Self-Examination
Women Urged to Continue Breast Self-Examination
In fall 2002, a decade-long study 260,000 women in Shanghai concluded that teaching women how to do breast self-examination (BSE) is not cost-effective in developing countries, where women may not have access to mammograms, because BSE cannot detect breast cancer early enough to reduce risk of death.
In spite of these findings and media attention surrounding them, Columbia University's Department of Surgery urges all American women over the age of 20 to continue to perform BSE and to become familiar with the appearance and quality of their own breasts.
This increases the chances of detecting abnormalities that may arise before the next physical or mammogram.
Learn how to perform a Breast Self Exam here and if you find a lump seek immediate medical attention.
Columbia University Breast Center at Palisades Offers Comprehensive Care at a Convenient Location
Columbia University Medical Center has affiliated with Palisades Medical Center of North Bergen, NJ to create a new center offering comprehensive care for women with breast cancer.
The Columbia University Breast Center at Palisades combines sophisticated technology with a multidisciplinary team approach to detect and treat breast cancer. It will serve women in Hudson and Southern Bergen counties.
The center will offer innovative therapies and treatments, including:
- Stereotactic and ultrasound-directed core needle biopsies
- Ductal lavage for women at high risk for breast cancer
- "Second Opinion" program for women diagnosed with breast cancer
- Genetic counseling and access to genetic testing
The center's comprehensive team includes surgeons, medical oncologists, pathologists, radiation oncologists, plastic surgeons, and a genetic counselor.
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| ©1999-2011. Columbia University Medical Center, Department of Surgery, New York, NY. |
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