Should You Get a Lumpectomy or Mastectomy?

February 6, 2014 by Zadeh Surgical, Inc.
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So your recent diagnosis of breast cancer has left you confused. And, for good reason. No one expects to be diagnosed with breast cancer. After your diagnosis, it will seem like there are so many decisions to be made, with so little time. Most of them may not even make sense to you. As physicians, its our job to help provide some clarity when it comes to breast cancer treatment. Depending on how advanced your breast cancer is (what we in the medical field call Continue reading →

Repeat Surgery After Lumpectomy For Breast Cancer May Not Be Needed

February 1, 2012 by Zadeh Surgical, Inc.
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There was an article recently published in the Journal of the American Medical Association which showed that almost 25% of lumpectomies for breast cancer are followed by re-excision surgery, although this varies widely across surgeons and centers. What’s more alarming is that half of these re-excisions were in patients with negative margins, or in plain terms, patient’s whose cancers were already fully removed during the first surgery! There has always been debate about an acceptable width of tumor free margins. Recent literature suggests that as long Continue reading →

What Are the Treatment Options for Lobular Carcinoma In Situ (LCIS)?

September 6, 2011 by Zadeh Surgical, Inc.
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Lobular Carcinoma in Situ (LCIS) is somewhat of a misnomer in that it is not a cancer, but a “pre-malignant” condition in which there are abnormal cells present in the glands (lobules) of the breast. Patients who have been diagnosed with LCIS do not have cancer, but are at a higher risk of developing breast cancer than the general population. For this reason they require closer observation and shorter intervals between screening mammograms. In patients with a strong family history of breast cancer, or those at very high risk, Continue reading →

How to Know if You are at Risk for Breast Cancer

August 5, 2011 by Zadeh Surgical, Inc.
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Anything that affects your chances of getting a disease is called a risk factor. Certain risk factors are linked to certain conditions, such as cancer. Different cancers have different risk factors. For example, of the approximately 200,000 women in the United States that are diagnosed with breast cancer each year, not all will have the same risk of developing breast cancer during their lifetimes. Some women will have certain risk factors which will increase the likelihood that they will develop breast cancer over others. However, Continue reading →

FDA recommends removal of Avastin for treatment of Breast Cancer

December 17, 2010 by Zadeh Surgical, Inc.
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The FDA notified healthcare professionals and patients that it is recommending removing the breast cancer indication for Avastin (bevacizumab) because the drug has not been shown to be safe and effective for that use. The drug itself is not being removed from the market and this action will not have any immediate impact on its use in treating breast cancer. Today’s action will not affect the approvals for colon, kidney, brain, and lung cancers. The FDA is making this recommendation after reviewing the results of Continue reading →

Choosing Between Lumpectomy and Mastectomy

November 7, 2010 by Zadeh Surgical, Inc.
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Many women with early-stage breast cancers have the option of choosing between a breast-conserving surgery such as a lumpectomy or a mastectomy which removes the entire breast tissue. The main advantage of a lumpectomy is that it allows a woman to keep most of her breast. A disadvantage is the usual need for radiation therapy — most often for 5 to 6 weeks — after surgery. A (very) small number of women having breast-conserving surgery may not need radiation, while a small percentage of women who undergo mastectomy will still Continue reading →

What is an Adequate Margin for Breast-Conserving Surgery? Surgeon Attitudes and Correlates

November 3, 2010 by Zadeh Surgical, Inc.
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Michelle Azu, MD, Paul Abrahamse, MA, Steven J. Katz, MD, MPH, Reshma Jagsi, MD, DPhil, and Monica Morrow, MD Breast Service, Department of Surgery, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York; Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI; Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI ABSTRACT Background. Re-excision is common in breast-conserving surgery (BCS), partly due to lack of consensus on margin definitions. A population-based surgeon sample was used to determine current attitudes toward margin width and identify characteristics associated Continue reading →