Ridley-Tree Cancer Center is illuminated in pink for Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
Ridley-Tree Cancer Center is going pink for Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Pink lights will illuminate the building at 540 W. Pueblo St. in Santa Barbara during October to commemorate those lost to breast cancer. The illumination is also in honor of breast cancer patients and their families, as well as medical professionals and researchers who are working to find a cure.
The pink glow was 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 Cancer Society.
“We encourage individuals to be proactive, and to schedule their annual breast screenings,” Matt Baumann, the cancer center’s vice president of oncology, said in a news release. “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 noted it provides the most comprehensive breast cancer care on the Central Coast. Its multidisciplinary team offers advanced breast imaging and the latest surgical, medical and radiation oncology treatments.
Meanwhile, Sansum Clinic’s Imaging Department has been designated a Breast Imaging Center of Excellence by the American College of Radiology. Fellowship-trained breast radiologist Winifred Leung, who works at Sansum Clinic, specializes in breast imaging including 3D mammograms, automated breast ultrasound, breast MRI, image-guided biopsy and breast needle localization. Dr. Leung closely coordinates with oncologists and surgeons at Ridley-Tree Cancer Center.
“An annual breast screening is so important to catching cancer early, when it is more treatable,” said Dr. Leung, who leads the Santa Barbara Breast Care Alliance. “Millions of women skipped important breast screenings during the pandemic. This is critical because we know this imaging saves lives.”
Ridley-Tree Cancer Center noted that breast surgery, together with medical and/or radiation oncology, are the mainstays of breast cancer care. Specialists collaborate to create a personalized treatment breast cancer plan for each patient.
“Our multidisciplinary approach to fighting breast cancer gives women the best chance for a good outcome,” Eric Bank, a medical oncologist, said.
Katrina Mitchell, a fellowship-trained breast surgical oncologist and board-certified lactation consultant, explained the approach is to treat the person, not just the cancer, by supporting patients in many ways.
When radiation therapy is part of the treatment for breast cancer, the level of technology and the team delivering it impacts effectiveness and safety, Ridley-Tree Cancer Center noted. “Our center’s state-of-the-art linear accelerators deliver sophisticated, image-guided radiation therapy.”
Radiation therapy decreases the risk of cancer returning in the breast, said Shane Cotter, a radiation oncologist. “The radiation removes any residual amounts that might be left behind. The better the technology, the better we can target the area we want to treat, and avoid areas we do not want to treat.”
Clinical research has fueled the greatest advancements in breast cancer care in recent years, according to Ridley-Tree Cancer Center. Overall breast cancer mortality rates have slowly gone down since 1999, and many working in oncology link this to advancements in research. Ridley-Tree’s Clinical Research Department gives patients access to clinical trials at leading cancer and academic centers around the world.
And the department recently opened a radiation oncology clinical trial for breast cancer patients.
“It’s exciting to have a trial that is on the leading edge of how we make important decisions about radiation treatment, and to be working alongside many trial sites and large academic centers,” Dr. Cotter said. “We always look forward to opening studies that we think ask the best questions, and best serve the patients in our community.”
The cancer center stresses the importance of patients knowing about their family history of breast cancer. Some gene mutations can increase risk for breast cancer, such as BRCA1 and BRCA2, mutations that account for as many as half of all hereditary breast cancers, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Ridley-Tree’s genetic counselors help patients understand complex genetic information and coordinate with patients’ oncologists and surgeons on how best to incorporate the results into their care.
“Genetic counseling is 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 do to help prevent cancer or catch it early,” said Danielle Sharaga, the genetic counseling program manager.
email: kzehnder@newspress.com
FYI
For more information on the Ridley-Tree Cancer Center’s breast cancer program, visit patientcare.ridleytreecc.org/cancer-center/patient-care/medical-services/medical-service/details/breast-cancer-program.
To schedule a mammogram, go to mammography.sansumclinic.org/medical-services/radiologyGR/mammography.
