With Breast Cancer Early Detection is Key

Today 1 in 8 American women and 1 in 150 men will face the diagnosis of breast cancer in their life.  After lung cancer, breast cancer is the second most common cause of death due to cancer in women.  Over the last 20 years there has been a decreasing mortality from this disease.  If detected early, small breast cancers that have not yet spread to the lymph nodes are associated with a 10 year survival rate of over 90%.
      
When it comes to breast cancer, early detection is invaluable.  If detected early, patients with breast cancer have more treatment options, such as breast conservation surgery and minimally invasive diagnostic procedures.  At Holzer Clinic outpatients can undergo a mammotome or stereotactic breast biopsy, using a needle guided by a mammogram under local anesthesia resulting in no significant change in the appearance of the breast.  For early tumors breast conservation surgery or lumpectomy in conjunction with radiation therapy offers survival rates equal to mastectomy or removal of the entire breast.  Sentinal lymph node biopsy offers patients a less invasive way of assessing for the presence of cancer cells in the lymph nodes of a breast cancer patient and reduces the chance of developing arm swelling or lymphedema.
 
An exciting new edition to Holzer Clinic's Digital Diagnostic Imaging and Clinical Testing Center is the 8 channel Breast MRI coil that allows simultaneous imaging of both breasts.  The coil enables high sensitivity and homogeneity in high temporal resolution imaging of both breasts with complete coverage through to the adjacent thoracic regions.  The breast coil is utilized with the 3-Tesla MRI, the highest level of MRI imaging quality currently available.  The difference that 3-Tesla provides in image quality expands clinical capabilities and increases the quality of health care throughout the region.
    
At Holzer Clinic we manage patients with breast problems as a team, consisting of family doctor, gynecologists, internists, general surgeons, medical oncologists, radiation oncologist, radiologists, plastic surgeons, lymphedema specialists and pathologist. Each case is individualized.
    
Since breast cancer is such a common health hazard and is very treatable if diagnosed early, we cannot emphasize enough the simple steps women can take to protect themselves.
o All women over age 20 should perform monthly self-breast exams. 
o All women over age 40 should have yearly screening mammograms.
o Clinical beast exams by a health care professional are recommended every 3 years for women age 20 to 39 and yearly thereafter.
o Women with strong family history of breast cancer or other genetic risks should be screened earlier and discuss options for breast cancer reduction strategies with their doctor.
 
Holzer Clinic's Dr. Alice Dachowski has served as its Cancer Liaison Physician for the past 15 years.  In that role, she has worked diligently on the local, state and national level to improve the quality of cancer care at Holzer Clinic and Holzer Medical Center.  She is a member of the American Society of Breast Surgeons and serves as an advocate for the Ohio Breast and Cervical Cancer Project.  Dr. Dachowski also provides free breast and skin cancer screenings as well as health and cancer related presentations to organizations and groups throughout Southern Ohio and West Virginia.  Dr. Dachowski is a two time recipient of the Commission on Cancer's Liaison Physician Outstanding Performance Award.