It has become increasingly important that women be proactive in their own breast health and seek specialty care for cancer, which has excellent outcomes when detected early. Breast cancer, with the exception of skin cancer, is the most common cancer in women and second only to lung cancer in the number of deaths each year. Tennessee alone saw 3690 new breast cancer cases with 890 deaths in 2007.

It is a little known fact that there is specialty training for surgeons in breast cancer and breast diseases.  Nationally, there are a select few surgeons who, with a particular interest in breast health, have completed additional training through a breast-fellowship program. These programs typically focus not only on the discipline of breast surgery but also expose surgeons to the other very important aspects of breast cancer care like medical and radiation oncology, plastic surgery, pathology, radiology and psychology.

In addition, breast-fellowship programs provide surgeons with specialized training in minimally invasive surgical techniques. From perfecting approaches of breast conservation surgery, to needle biopsy procedures for cancer diagnosis, surgeons completing breast fellowships are equipped to manage multiple aspects of care in the most progressive manner available.

Typically, surgeons completing a fellowship have a unique and particular interest in the patient with breast disease and focus their practices exclusively on breast health. This daily devotion to the breast patient is increasingly important, especially as the knowledge of breast cancer is rapidly evolving. A patient often can receive many aspects of their care in a breast specialist’s office.  Breast-fellowship trained surgeons can perform in-office ultrasound for evaluation of breast lesions, perform breast needle biopsies for diagnosis of breast masses (instead of operative intervention), and are able to place radiation catheters in the breast in select patients.

Additionally, evaluation of high risk patients with genetic counseling and long term follow up of this patient population is a significant aspect of a breast surgeon’s practice.

With the prevalence of breast cancer, it is important that women empower themselves to seek specialized, breast-fellowship trained surgeons. This is a practical step to minimize risk and to diagnose and treat breast disease in its earliest phases with the latest techniques and approaches.

Michael P. Berry, M.D., F.A.C.S. - Michael P. Berry, M.D., F.A.C.S., is a breast surgical oncologist, board certified by the American Board of Surgery. His fellowship training was in breast surgical oncology through the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation Fellowship of Breast Oncology at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas. He has been in practice since 1995.