New Program at Intermountain St. Mary’s Regional Hospital Helps Identify Women at High Risk for Breast Cancer
Intermountain Health is committed to helping patients live the healthiest lives possible, and for women this includes proactive and preventive breast care. Most women talk to their doctors about starting to get annual mammograms around age 40. Unfortunately, some women are at higher risk for breast cancer than the average and would benefit from earlier or more complete screening.
The High-Risk Breast Cancer Program at Intermountain St. Mary’s Regional Hospital is now available to patients in the Grand Valley to help identify those at higher risk for breast cancer, and then provides education and resources to help them minimize their risk.
“We’ve designed and implemented a comprehensive, patient-centered program where our breast health experts identify ways to reduce a woman’s risk of breast cancer from the perspective of multiple healthcare professionals representing different disciplines. We work together to protect each individual woman the best we can, given her genetics, family history, and lifestyle,” said Alicia Swink, MD, medical oncologist with Intermountain St. Mary’s Regional Hospital.
The program helps women and their primary physicians take the guesswork and logistics out of appropriate breast cancer screening and risk-reduction strategies. “We’ve all seen friends, family, and certainly patients struggle to understand their own risk of breast cancer, and how to get help managing that risk,” said Lucas Gilbride MD, breast radiation oncologist with Intermountain Health.
“The threat of breast cancer for every woman is hard enough to think about and manage; we want to simplify the process to help patients understand and manage their risk,” he added.
"Early detection of breast cancer is crucial, said Joyce Sekharan, MD, breast surgeon and medical director for the Breast Program of Cancer Centers of Colorado at Intermountain St. Mary’s Hospital, “Stage 1 breast cancer is associated with a 99% survival rate. One in 8 women get breast cancer; however, early detection strategies are proven to be extremely helpful.”
“Many breast cancers may be completely preventable, and we’re helping women identify and change the risk-factors they can. For those breast cancers that cannot be prevented, catching the disease early is key to curing the cancer. We’re making sure women at higher risk of breast cancer are closely monitored by breast cancer experts, so any disease is caught early, at a curable stage,” she added.
Many women may think they’re at normal or low risk for breast cancer if they are young or have no significant family history of breast cancer; unfortunately, statistics show this may not be the case.
“We strongly encourage every woman to discuss what her individual risk might be, with her primary care provider starting in their 20s to see what she can do to minimize that risk. We’re here to help make recommendations that protect the patient and support her provider in watching over her throughout her life,” said Dr. Swink.
Katie Lemas, the hospital’s certified genetic counselor, is a key leader of the High-Risk Breast Cancer Program.
“Were learning more and more about how our genetics predispose us to breast and other cancers. If we know a woman has a genetic predisposition to breast cancer, we can better protect her through enhanced screening, medication, and a personalized care plan. Knowledge is power – what we know about, we can influence or even change altogether. Every woman should have the opportunity to know what factors she can control,” said Lemas.
The High-Risk Breast Cancer Program is available to all women of any age with a concern of developing breast cancer. Patients can self-refer or be referred to the program by their gynecologist, family physician, internal medicine physician, or other primary care provider.
“Once in the program, we perform breast cancer risk assessments, genetic counseling and testing (if indicated), surveillance screening, risk-reduction education and lifestyle interventions,” said Page Kanopsic, nurse practitioner with Intermountain Health.
“We partner with women to find the best way to stay healthy; we help them change the things they can for better health, and do our best to protect them from factors that cannot be changed. We’re with them through every step,” she continued.
The High-Risk Breast Cancer Program provides a community where women can go to discuss their health and concerns and provides support for women as they face any anxiety about healthcare.
“This program is about giving women the power to take control of their own health and their own risk. There is nothing inevitable about breast cancer; we can change the trends and decrease the number of women who are affected by the disease. We can do this together and are proud to offer this program as a comprehensive hub for women at risk,” said Dr. Sekharan.
Patients can access the program virtually or in person at Intermountain Health St. Mary’s Regional Hospital in Grand Junction, Colorado. Interpretation services are available. For more information, call 970-298-7500.
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