In The News

The abundance of pink at breast cancer awareness activities provides a visible, unified front in the fight against a terrible disease. But the color pink could mislead many men into thinking that breast cancer only affects women. For Breast Cancer Awareness Month, James Wilder, M.D., radiation oncologist at Texas Oncology–Palestine Cancer Center, explains the risk factors and symptoms to help men monitor their breast health.

Read the full article at Palestine Herald-Press. 

A marked reduction in hospitalizations and emergency department (ED) visits are key metrics for value-based care programs. Quality improvement processes and electronic patient management systems may give practices a way to fully embrace these programs and remain mindful of cost while ensuring that patients receive high-quality care. Investigators at Texas Oncology and Navigating Cancer share insights into a recent quality initiative to evaluate health care resource use.

In the midst of tackling a new job and moving back to her hometown of Austin, 27-year-old Hattie Sherman found a suspicious lump in her breast. On her first day at her new job, she received a call that she had a three-centimeter triple negative tumor. While both her mother and grandmother had experienced breast cancer, Hattie never expected to be dealing with it at 27. Hattie, her family, and her physician, Debra Patt, M.D., PH.D., MBA, medical oncologist at Texas Oncology–Austin Central and St. David’s Medical Center, advocate for women to be aware of their risk factors and take preventative steps, such as regular screenings and consulting your physician about genetic testing if you have family history.

Cancer treatment during the COVID-19 pandemic can be a lonely place, but patients and physicians find new ways to bring in friends and family, connect with virtual support groups and more. Caroline Coombs-Skiles, M.D., FACS of Texas Breast Specialists–Austin Downtown shares how telemedicine revolutionized the way she interacts with patients and their family members during the pandemic, how it will continue to be beneficial after and advocates for cancer screenings.

Amanda Shoultz said she spent most of the past year trying to lose weight after noticing that her stomach kept getting bigger, and eventually found out she had a 33-centimeter, cancerous tumor in her abdomen. Robert Mennel, M.D. of Texas Oncology—Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas, who is treating Shoultz, says there is a whole group of sarcomas that tend to occur in younger people and they can have nondescript symptoms. He says it’s not possible to do scans on everybody, but if you feel something is wrong, just be persistent and get it evaluated.

COVID and cancer are a menacing mix — for everyone, but especially for people of color from low-income communities. Debra Patt, M.D., Ph.D., MBA, medical oncologist and breast cancer specialist at Texas Oncology–Austin Central and an executive vice president of Texas Oncology explains that many of those most acutely affected are women, whose family responsibilities and financial stress can make it difficult to focus on their own health.

One in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in her lifetime, according to the National Breast Cancer Foundation. Charles Kurkul, medical oncologist at Texas Oncology–Denton discusses the role genetic testing can play in the early detection of breast cancer.

Karen Sams received the breast cancer call while on the “trip of a lifetime” with her husband in Yellowstone National Park. In shock, they returned to Texas and sought a treatment plan with Heather King, M.D., FACS, and Julie M. Sprunt, M.D., FACS, Texas Breast Specialists–Austin. Today, Karen looks forward to “redoing” her Yellowstone trip and continuing to have faith in her doctors who were the stronghold that helped her navigate the unknown.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and one family is hoping their talents will inspire patients. Recently, two-time breast cancer survivor, Lisha Mack and her daughter Alex Mack presented “Sisterhood of Hope,” a piece of art work that Alex created for Texas Oncology–Longview Cancer Center. 

In the U.S. in 2021, 281,550 women and 2,650 men are expected to be diagnosed with invasive breast cancer. For Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Praveen Reddy, M.D., medical oncologist and hematologist at Texas Oncology-Bowie and Wichita Falls Cancer Center shares insight into male breast cancer and provides the signs and symptoms of breast cancer that everyone should know.