Breast Cancer

Breast cancer affects one in eight women during their lives. Breast cancer kills more women in the United States than any cancer except lung cancer. No one knows why some women get breast cancer, but there are a number of risk factors. Risks that you cannot change include:

• Age - the chance of getting breast cancer rises as a woman gets older
• Genes - there are two genes, BRCA1 and BRCA2, that greatly increase the risk. Women who have family members with breast or ovarian cancer may wish to be tested.
• Personal factors - beginning periods before age 12 or going through menopause after age 55

Other risks include being overweight, using hormone replacement therapy, taking birth control pills, drinking alcohol, not having children or having your first child after age 35 or having dense breasts.

Symptoms of breast cancer may include a lump in the breast, a change in size or shape of the breast or discharge from a nipple. Breast self-exam and mammography can help find breast cancer early when it is most treatable. Treatment may consist of radiation, lumpectomy, mastectomy, chemotherapy and hormone therapy.

Men can have breast cancer, too, but the number of cases is small.

Please visit the following websites for more information. 

MEDLINEplus - Breast Cancer
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/breastcancer.html

American Cancer Society
http://www.cancer.org/

National Cancer Institute
http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/types/breast

The National Breast Cancer Coalition
http://www.natlbcc.org

Breast Care Center at Fletcher Allen
http://www.fahc.org/BreastCare/index.html

Breast Imaging at Fletcher Allen
http://www.fahc.org/Womens_Hub/Mammography/index.html

Vermont Cancer Center
http://www.vermontcancer.org

11th Annual Breast Cancer Conference
Vermont Cancer Center presents the 11th Annual Breast Cancer Conference on October 31st  at the Sheraton Burlington Hotel & Conference Center.  The conference will be from 8AM – 4PM.  Join the health care community, breast cancer patients, survivors and their families for 80+ sessions during a day of education, inspiration, and celebration. Free and open to the public. Please visit www.vtbreastcancerconference.org or call (802)-656-2292 for more information. 

Breast Imaging at Fletcher Allen Named Center of Excellence
Following a rigorous review process, the American College of Radiology (ACR) has recognized the Breast Imaging Center at Fletcher Allen as a Breast Imaging Center of Excellence. This designation places the program among an elite group -- one of only three percent in the nation that can call themselves an ACR Center of Excellence.

As one of only 261 breast centers across the United States to achieve this designation, Fletcher Allen meets or exceeds national standards of care for the diagnosis of breast cancer and other breast disease. The breast imaging services at Fletcher Allen are all fully accredited -- mammography, stereotactic breast biopsy, breast ultrasound and ultrasound-guided breast biopsy -- and this means the staff taking and interpreting medical images and performing procedures are all highly skilled, the appropriate equipment is available and the Center meets or exceeds quality assurance and safety guidelines. The ACR recommends women look for the accreditation seal when selecting a provider. As a Center of Excellence, Fletcher Allen is leading the way in breast care by advancing the science and technology of breast diagnostics and demonstrating its commitment to achieving quality outcomes. To schedule an appointment, please call 1-800-981-7095.

Fletcher Allen’s Breast Care Center
Fletcher Allen's Breast Care Center offers patients a coordinated team approach, where specialists located in various areas of the medical center come to the patient in one location.  This care may include surgeons, radiologists, radiation oncologists, medical oncologists and psychologists.  Our dedicated nurses and specialized staff help to coordinate this complex care.  The Breast Care Center has been used as a model for what to strive for in the delivery of breast care.

Located in the Ambulatory Care Center on Fletcher Allen Health Care's Medical Center Campus in Burlington, the Breast Care Center is part of the Vermont Cancer Center clinics located in the Main Pavilion on Level 2.  Please call (802)-847-2262 for more information or to set up an appointment.

Cancer Patient Support Program
The Cancer Patient Support Program offers supportive and rehabilitative services to cancer patients and their families in the Burlington, Vermont area. The Cancer Patient Support Program was created by a group of cancer survivors and others who have been touched by cancer. Their collective experience and first-hand knowledge led to our Program.

Facing a diagnosis of cancer is a time of fear, anxiety and questioning. Patients and families often do not know where to turn for help. Trying to understand and cope with the challenges that arise following a diagnosis can be difficult. CPSP is here to help you and your family address concerns, answer your questions and assist you through diagnosis, treatment and recovery.

CPSP provides a range of no-charge support services for cancer patients and their families. These include:

• Counseling - Supportive professional counseling by licensed clinical psychologists knowledgeable of the issues cancer patients and their families face, both during and after treatment.
• Nutritional Support - Providing a nutritional education program is critical to enhancing the quality of life for patients at all stages of their illness and recovery. A dietician skilled in the unique nutritional issues facing cancer patients is available in the clinic two days per week and by phone or e-mail for consultation, visitation and advice.
• Emergency Fund - A fund created to provide emergency relief to patients who find themselves in financial crisis due to their illness, administered by a statewide network of social workers in partnership with the CPSP.

Please call (802) 847-4848 or visit http://www.cpspvt.org/ for more information.