- By Souzan El-Eid, MD, FACS
- Posted October 17, 2017
A Breast Cancer Surgeon Offers Perspective on Patient Care
An estimated 252,710 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in 2017.1 Early detection of breast cancer is critical for successful treatment of this disease - women who are diagnosed with early stage/localized breast cancer have a 5-year survival rate of 98.9% 1 We hope that this Breast Cancer Awareness Month will inspire more people to discuss…
- By Dr. Robina Smith
- Posted February 11, 2016
What to Expect from Surgery and Recovery
Whether a woman is facing the decision to have breast surgery as a treatment option for cancer or she is being proactive and having a preventive procedure done to reduce the risk of ever having cancer, the decision is not an easy one. Surgery can be a frightening experience for some people, and rightfully so. Although surgery is designed to physically…
- By Dr. Robina Smith
- Posted January 28, 2016
Preventive Oncology
To this date, we cannot totally prevent cancer from forming; however, for certain cancers we can reduce the risk of it developing. Approximately one half of cancer cases can be prevented by modifying risk factors or by early detection of precancerous lesions. For breast and ovarian cancers, approximately 10% will develop due to hereditary predisposition.…
- By Dr. Robina Smith
- Posted January 13, 2016
Understanding Screening Guidelines
Cancer is smarter than man. It develops whenever it wants to without asking for permission from us. That is a fact. However, medicine has evolved over centuries to the point that we can predict which population is at risk for certain cancers. We have also developed processes that allow for us to check for the presence of cancer. This is the process…
- By Theresa Smith
- Posted December 16, 2015
I tested positive for a gene mutation?
"You have tested positive for a BRCA2 gene mutation. .." Really? Are you sure? "Yes," the geneticist says, "...here are your results." You have a mutation in your DNA, "6503delTT." Although I knew I may be positive for the BRCA genetic mutation, I convinced myself over the eight weeks I had to wait for the results, that I probably wasn't…
- By Dr. Robina Smith
- Posted December 11, 2015
Knowing your hereditary cancer risks may save your life.
As a breast cancer surgeon, it is obvious to see where my commitment and compassion lie. Serving and saving the lives of women (and men) affected by breast cancer is why I pursued a breast surgery fellowship and specialized solely in Breast Surgical Oncology. Besides treating patients diagnosed with breast cancer, I also managed and treated women…