Features
Download the Summer 2007 Health Connection (PDF).
Advanced Care for Breast Cancer
Early diagnosis and treatment are of the utmost importance in the fi ght against breast cancer, which is why Bay medical offers state-of-theart detection equipment and therapy services to women in Northwest Florida.
According to the American Cancer Society, roughly 193,000 American women were diagnosed with breast cancer in 2006, and more than 40,000 died. Unfortunately, only 40 percent of women over 40 get yearly mammograms. If more women would heed this recommendation, however, future breast cancer deaths could be avoided. "Cancers found at the earliest stages are most curable, yet many women neglect to get essential screenings for breast cancer," says Glenn E. Summers, M.D., board-certifi ed general surgeon on staff at Bay Medical. "We're proud to offer comprehensive diagnostic screening, treatment, and follow-up options at one facility, giving patients access to individualized care for better health outcomes."
State-of-the-Art Care
In the past, radical mastectomy- the removal of all breast tissue, the chest muscle wall, and lymph nodes-was the only option for treatment following a breast cancer diagnosis. During the last 30 years, however, research has shown equivalent outcomes for women treated with radical mastectomy and breast-conserving therapy-a combination of conservative surgery and radiotherapy-giving women diagnosed with breast cancer new hope in treatment.
"A combined approach of chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery optimizes a woman's chance of being cured while preserving her breast," says Dr. Summers. "Other innovations include breast ultrasound and stereotactic biopsy-an advanced method of determining if tissue is cancerous. This procedure causes minimal discomfort and leads to faster results."
Unlike other biopsy methods, stereotactic breast biopsy utilizes X-ray technology to pinpoint the location of a suspected tumor to minimize pain and scarring for each patient.
"Bay Medical's care for breast cancer patients does not end with diagnosis," says Hasan Murshed, M.D., board-certifi ed radiation oncologist on staff at Bay Medical.
"We also provide the full spectrum of treatment options-from surgery to state-of-the-art intensity modulated radiation therapy [IMRT]-to help patients fi ght the disease."
IMRT uses a linear accelerator combined with a computer system to focus radiation doses directly to cancerous tissue. Whereas other radiation modalities caused damage to healthy cells during a procedure, IMRT allows the radiation oncologist to destroy the cancerous tissue while minimizing damage to healthy surrounding tissue.
"IMRT is the most advanced form of radiation therapy available because it targets only the cancerous tissue, leaving the healthy tissue and organs undisturbed and preserving more of the breast," says Dr. Murshed. "The benefit is so obvious. At Bay Medical, with the availability of breast IMRT, we not only have the equipment, but also the expertise to treat breast cancer patients with optimal results."
For more information on breast cancer services offered at Bay Medical, call (850) 747-6542.