Published: 11/3/2020 3:21:01 PM
Modified: 11/3/2020 3:20:48 PM
Baystate Health and its hospitals, including Baystate Franklin Medical Center in Greenfield, have been recognized by Stryker’s Intelligent Photonics as a Hidden Scar Center for Excellence in breast cancer surgery.
Dr. Jesse Casaubon, breast surgical oncologist, performs the technique that surgeons use to remove cancerous tissue through a single incision made in a hidden area, preserving the natural shape of the breast while reducing visible scarring. He and several other doctors perform the Hidden Scar technique at Baystate Medical Center in Springfield.
As the hospital system expands options for women in Western Massachusetts, it is doing so by offering the procedure that “effectively treats the cancer while optimizing cosmetic results,” Casaubon and other doctors said.
According to Baystate Health, each year approximately 253,000 women across the nation are diagnosed with breast cancer that requires surgery, and statistics show that one in every eight women will be impacted, with many being unaware of all the surgical options available.
Five-year survival rates for breast cancer are high, but the scars left behind from surgery are more than a physical reminder — they impact confidence, intimacy and mental well-being for many women.
“Patients who undergo (the Hidden Scar) approach experience optimal clinical and cosmetic outcomes, and are at no higher risk of recurrence than patients who undergo any other surgical technique,” said Dr. Holly Mason, section chief of breast surgery at Baystate Health. “A breast cancer diagnosis is difficult enough. Baystate Health is committed to enabling our surgeons to perform complex, in-demand surgeries with greater confidence and give more women access to transformative options.”
Casaubon said breast cancer is the most common cancer for women, and the things they can do to find it early, when it’s very treatable and easy to cure, help substantially, as well.
Besides offering the new technique, he said the entire hospital system does its best to educate the community, offer mammograms and more. Last year, Baystate Franklin conducted more than 4,000 mammograms.
A breast cancer patient has a team that includes a breast surgeon, nurse practitioner, medical oncologist and radiation oncologist working closely to evaluate the individual’s situation and develop a treatment plan.
“Also, some really important factors in determining whether you get breast cancer or the outcome,” Casaubon said, “is living a healthy, active lifestyle, getting an annual mammogram and doing self-exams.”
Reach Anita Fritz at 413-772-9591 or afritz@recorder.com.
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