Advancements In Breast Cancer Care Understanding All The Options Can Be Empowering For Patients
GenesisCare’s Dr. Alicia Gittleman completed her internship at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, her residency at NYU Medical Center and her fellowship at Weill Cornell Medical College. Practicing in Wellington and Palm Beach County for the past 27 years, Dr. Kishore Dass was chief resident at Cleveland Clinic in Ohio and furthered his training at the University of Pennsylvania, NIH.
If you are one of the nearly 287,850 women diagnosed with invasive breast cancer this year, or one of the additional 51,400 diagnosed with non-invasive breast cancer, understanding your options can be empowering. Here, local experts Dr. Kishore Dass and Dr. Alicia Gittleman, board-certified radiation oncologists with GenesisCare, answer common questions about this important topic.
What is the general outlook on breast cancer today?
Being diagnosed with breast cancer today is not what it once was. Thanks to advancements in treatment, patients are living longer, healthier lives than ever before. According to the American Cancer Society, breast cancer death rates have decreased between 2013 to 2018, likely due to treatment advancements and diseases caught earlier.
What are today’s treatment options?
In general, today’s breast cancer treatment typically includes a combination of therapies, such as breast surgery, medical oncology (chemotherapy or hormonal therapy) and radiation oncology. If the tumor is related to one of the known gene mutations that cause breast cancer, such as BRCA, doctors may recommend full removal of the breast (mastectomy) and possibly other surgeries to decrease the risk of developing future cancers.
Why does technology matter?
Innovation in treatment techniques and technology advancements may not only provide better care outcomes with improvements in accuracy and efficiency, but also enhance the way patients experience that treatment, for example with reduced side effects, a shorter recovery period or increased comfort.
Are clinical trials only for advanced breast cancer?
Clinical trials help to develop new treatments, interventions and tests at any point in the treatment journey. Patients who participate in clinical trials play an important role in advancing care for future patients and may be among the first to benefit from some of the latest treatments. GenesisCare offers 150-plus clinical trials worldwide. Ask your physician what clinical trials are available for your specific cancer type.
What about genomic testing and precision medicine?
Advancements in precision medicine allow clinicians to understand what makes a person’s individual cancer behave the way it does at a genomic level. This allows patients to feel fully informed in treatment options that may work best for their unique diagnosis. Understanding a patient’s genomic makeup utilizing technologies, such as DCISionRT (or DCIS) for patients with early-stage breast cancer, helps physicians deliver precise treatment plans that balance benefits with risk of side effects.
The GenesisCare Approach
Physicians and care teams at GenesisCare work together to offer personalized breast cancer treatment and improve patient outcomes through evidence-based care plans. Key features of the program include:
• Quick access: Immediate appointments, with a 24-hour turnaround goal from referral to plan of care.
• A personalized, team approach: GenesisCare providers, including radiation oncologists, medical oncologists, surgeons, psychologists and nutritionists, collaborate on a personalized care plan that focuses on each patient’s personal needs and goals.
• Advanced treatment options: GenesisCare invests in modern techniques and clinical trials to help patients achieve the best possible outcomes.
• Exceptional care, close to home: Clinicians and centers with high patient satisfaction ratings and are conveniently located throughout Palm Beach County.
GenesisCare is located at 3343 State Road 7 in Wellington. To learn more about GenesisCare, call (833) FOR-MYGC or visit www.genesiscare.com/us.
