SARASOTA- Faces of Breast Cancer in our community go beyond patients and survivors; they include the doctors who treat them. Medical Director of Cancer Center of Sarasota- Manatee Dr. Steven Mamus says Breast Cancer is a relatively common diagnosis on the Suncoast, and one where they see a lot of success.
“In terms of being able to treat breast cancer,” Dr. Mamus said. “The patients that will do best are patients who are found with very early breast cancer. The cure rates for breast cancer found very very early could be greater than 90% potentially.”
Dr. Mamus says one of the biggest advancement isn’t medical, “The best improvement we’ve had in my opinion is not chemotherapy or surgery,” Dr. Mamus said. “But is just really the awareness and the willingness to diagnose something early on and specifically to be screened for breast cancer.”
Part of the willingness to be screened comes from less fear of facing the disease. Dr. Mamus says in years past patients were unsure if medical treatment of Breast Cancer would improve their quality of life.
“I think in year’s past there may have been a feeling that well if I am diagnosed with Breast Cancer what are we really going to do about it that’s helpful, I think it’s becoming much more accepted at this point that early screening that patients who have intervention early can do well, live normal lives.”
Doctors now have more medical and surgical options to treat those who are diagnosed; including chemotherapy and hormonal therapy developments. There are now surgical techniques that promote breast conservation instead of full Mastectomies. Along with advancements in diagnostic technology helping doctors find breast cancer earlier.
“We have mammography that’s becoming more sophisticated,” Dr. Mamus said. “We have also additional studies that can be done for screening including breast ultrasound, which is sound wave examination of the breast, and that sometimes shows us information that’s not available on the mammogram.”
