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October 6, 2022 (Santa Barbara, CA) Ridley-Tree Cancer Center is going PINK for Cancer of the breast Awareness 30 days . Pink lights will illuminate the building at 540 West Pueblo Street in Santa Barbara during Oct to commemorate those lost to breast cancer, and to honor breast cancer patients and their families, as well as medical professionals plus researchers working to find a cure. The pink glow was generously funded by Sansum Clinic’s Women’s Health Initiative . Breast cancer is the most common form of cancer, likely to affect one in eight women, according to the American Malignancy Society.
“We encourage individuals to be proactive, and to schedule their annual breast screenings, ” commented Matt Baumann , DBA, MBA, Vice President of Oncology. “We want people in our community to know that if they receive a breast cancer diagnosis, our multidisciplinary team is best-equipped to walk them through every stage of their journey. ” Ridley-Tree Cancer Center provides the most comprehensive breast cancer care upon the central coast. Our multidisciplinary team associated with experts offer advanced breasts imaging and the latest surgical, medical plus radiation oncology treatments for cancer of the breast. A wide range of supportive care and wellness programs provide patients with each opportunity for successful treatment plus recovery. Below are some points individuals should consider when deciding where to receive their breast healthcare.
Where you get your mammogram and breasts screenings, the level of technology, and who is reading the results, matters . Sansum Clinic’s Imaging Department has been designated a Breast Image resolution Center associated with Excellence simply by the American College of Radiology (ACR, ) recognizing our top-of-the-line technology plus high level of accuracy when detecting breast abnormalities before symptoms begin. The department provides the full spectrum associated with state-of-the-art breast imaging services to our community at the highest standards of the imaging profession. Fellowship-trained breasts radiologist Winifred Leung, MD specializes in breast imaging including 3D mammograms, automated breasts ultrasound, breast MRI, image-guided biopsy and breast needle localization. Dr. Leung focuses her entire practice solely on breast image resolution, allowing the girl to gain a deep level of knowledge and expertise, while staying current on research in her field. She closely coordinates with oncologists and surgeons at Ridley-Tree Cancer Middle. She leads the Santa Barbara Breast Care Alliance , which offers patients with the collective knowledge of Santa Barbara County’s diverse team associated with breast cancer experts.
“An yearly breast screening is so important to catching cancer early, when it is more treatable, ” says Dr . Leung. “Millions of women skipped essential breast tests during the pandemic. This is critical because we know this imaging saves lives. ”
A multidisciplinary approach to treating cancer of the breast care leads to the best outcomes. Experience and training is important when selecting the particular team which will guide your breast cancer experience. Breast surgery, together with medical and/or radiation oncology, are usually the mainstays of cancer of the breast care. These specialists collaborate to create a personalized treatment breast cancer plan with regard to each patient, and they can have face-to-face discussions since they work within the same location.
“Our multidisciplinary method of fighting cancer of the breast gives women the best chance for the good outcome, ” commented Eric Bank, MD, Medical Oncologist .
“ It is important for breasts cancer sufferers to have hope, because breast cancer is curable and treatable. We can take good care of them no matter their individual circumstance . We treat the person, not just the particular cancer, by supporting patients in so many ways , ” said Katrina Mitchell, MD, IBCLC, PMH-C , fellowship-trained breast medical oncologist and board-certified lactation consultant.
When rays therapy will be part of treatment for breast cancer, the level of technology as well as the team delivering it impacts effectiveness plus safety. Our center’s state-of-the-art linear accelerators deliver sophisticated, image-guided radiation therapy. Ridley-Tree’s Radiation Oncology Department, which includes radiation oncologists, physicists, dosimetrists, radiation therapists and nurses, is accredited by the world’s premier radiation oncology society regarding its exceptionally safe, high-quality care in order to patients.
“Radiation treatment decreases the risk that the cancer ever returns in the breasts. The the radiation removes any residual amounts that might be left behind. The better the technology, the better we can target the area all of us want to treat, and avoid areas we do not want to treat, ” explained Shane Cotter, PhD, MD, Radiation Oncologist .
Breast malignancy patients and their families have got an easier time when there is extra support. Ridley-Tree’s patient navigators help patients plus their loved ones understand diagnosis and treatment information, and act as a bridge to the particular various physicians and healthcare team members. Social workers, oncology dietitian nutritionists and wellness instructors assist patients in order to better manage their therapy and signs and symptoms, as well as the financial plus social complications of cancer, so they can move more quickly toward physical and emotional healing and recovery. Added services like Paxman scalp-cooling technology, a wig boutique and acupuncture help patients to handle the toll of treatment, preserve their self-image plus feel a lot more like themselves.
Clinical research has fueled the particular greatest advancements in breast cancer care in recent years. Overall cancer of the breast mortality rates have slowly gone down since 1999, and many working in oncology link this particular to developments in research. Ridley-Tree’s Medical Research Division gives individuals access to clinical trials at leading cancer and academic centers around the world, plus recently opened a radiation oncology clinical trial intended for breast cancer sufferers.
“It’s exciting to have a trial that is upon the leading edge of how we make important decisions about light treatment, and to be working alongside many trial sites plus large academic centers, ” remarks Shane Cotter , MD, PhD, Rays Oncologist. “We always look forward to opening studies that we think ask the ideal questions, and best serve the patients within our community. ”

Knowing your family history of cancer of the breast is essential. Patients along with a family history associated with cancer of the breast may benefit from genetic counseling in order to determine their own risk. Some gene mutations can increase risk to get breast malignancy, like the BRCA1 plus BRCA2 variations which account for as many as half of all hereditary breast cancers, based on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC. ) Ridley-Tree’s genetic counselors help individuals understand complex genetic info and coordinate with a patient’s oncologists plus surgeons on how best to incorporate the outcomes into their particular care and treatment.
“Genetic counseling is usually not only important for someone with a cancer diagnosis, but it can also be incredibly helpful for their family members when making decisions about what screening options they have, and what they can perform to help prevent cancer or catch it early, ” shared Danielle Sharaga , MS, LCGC, Genetic Counseling Program Manager
Many of the applications which assistance breast cancer individuals at Ridley-Tree Cancer Middle would not end up being possible without support from the Malignancy Foundation associated with Santa Barbara (CFSB. ) From the Walk/Run to the Rancheros Vistadores Tough Enough to Wear Pink ride, the foundation has a rich history of hosting community fundraisers which provide critical funding for the cancer center. CFSB is definitely the financial fuel pertaining to Ridley-Tree’s state-of-the-art technology, medical research, supportive care and wellbeing departments.
“These services are available to all cancer of the breast sufferers who reside in Santa claus Barbara County regardless of where these people receive therapy or their ability in order to pay, ” explained Lori Willis , Executive Director, Cancer Foundation associated with Santa Barbara.
For more information upon RTCC’s breast cancer program, visit breastcancer. ridleytreecc. org
For more information on scheduling the mammogram, visit breastimaging. sansumclinic. org