The Mohawk Valley Health System (MVHS) Breast Care Center has developed a new Multidisciplinary Breast Care Clinic to help patients understand their diagnosis, plan their treatment and receive guidance from the entire care team, all in one appointment.

 

The clinic is offered to breast cancer patients upon receiving their initial diagnosis, allowing patients to meet individually with the entire care team, without making multiple appointments.

 

Launched in September, the clinic is the first of its kind in the Mohawk Valley, according to Nancy Butcher, executive director of the MVHS Cancer Program.

 

“For many women, receiving a breast cancer diagnosis can be devastating, overwhelming and confusing,” Butcher explained. “The clinic truly places the patient at the center of the care plan and streamlines the process by pulling everyone together so that treatment can begin as soon as possible.”

 

According to Butcher, the entire care team, including the radiologist, pathologist, radiation oncologist, medical oncologist, surgeon and social worker, meet to discuss the diagnosis and agree on the most appropriate evidence based treatment options for each patient.

 

When the patient arrives, they meet each specialist individually, allowing them the opportunity to ask questions, understand their treatment options and are told what to expect through each step of the process.

 

“One of the worst parts of a breast cancer diagnosis for a patient is the time between getting a diagnosis and the anxiety of not knowing what the next step is before treatment begins,” Butcher continued. “This clinic is special because it helps women understand their diagnosis and know their treatment plan by the end of their first visit.”

 

In addition to the clinic, the MVHS Breast Care Center offers a full array of services ranging from routine imaging at the MVHS Imaging Center to support and guidance through the nurse navigator for patients with breast disease.

 

To learn more about the Multidisciplinary Breast Care Clinic, please call 315-624-5764 or visit https://www.mvhealthsystem.org/breast-care-center.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

From left, Alicia DeTraglia, MD, medical oncologist at the Mohawk Valley Health System (MVHS) Hematology/Oncology Group; Brittany Simone, DO, radiation oncologist at the MVHS Radiation Oncology Department and John Sperling, MD, general surgeon at the MVHS Breast Care Center in front of the MVHS Cancer Center. The doctors are part of the newly developed Multidisciplinary Breast Care Clinic designed to help patients understand their diagnosis, plan their treatment and receive guidance from the entire care team, all in one appointment.

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