This October, El Camino Health is raising breast cancer awareness and understanding by showcasing the hospital’s breast program.
Around one in eight women will experience breast cancer in their lifetime. But with innovations in surgery and screening, more and more people survive the disease, said El Camino Breast Surgical Oncologist Dr. Preeti Farmah.
“Breast cancer can be a very all-consuming diagnosis. It can be very life-changing, because there’s a lot of treatment involved,” Farmah said. “It’s very emotionally cumbersome for patients.”
Farmah said that breast cancer typically has two main varieties. Cancer either arises in the breasts’ milk glands or ducts.
Additionally, Farmah said, there are several different factors which can contribute to a patient’s likelihood of developing breast cancer. Some of these factors include hormone levels, genetic predisposition, alcohol use and environmental exposure.
“Breast cancer is quite common in the United States,” Farmah said. “It’s very important to be aware of your own personal risk.”
Farmah explained that catching breast cancer early on significantly increases a patient’s chances at survival. Regular screening is important, especially for anyone with a family history of breast or ovarian cancer.
Specifically, Farmah pointed to annual mammograms as an important tool in breast cancer detection.
“I always tell patients mammograms will find breast cancer before you can feel it,” Farmah said. “If you can feel it, then there’s more of a concern that it may have spread or it’s more advanced at that point.”
Mammograms and other screening tests are some of the many services dedicated to maintaining breast health that are offered by El Camino Health’s breast program.
Farmah also highlighted the program’s advanced surgical procedures, including an endoscopic nipple sparing mastectomy, or ENSM.
ENSM surgery operates similarly to a traditional nipple sparing mastectomy, but it involves a much smaller incision. This means less scarring and less pain in recovery, Farmah said.
“This option is just as safe … and a lot of patients are quite happy with the outcomes,” Farmah said.
Farmah added that El Camino’s breast program is ever expanding, including efforts to offer services tailored to breast cancer survivors – specifically, helping patients deal with the emotional pain of breast cancer diagnosis to improve their overall quality of life after recovery.
“For many years, the focus of treatment was survival. Now it’s pretty much the baseline. The question has kind of evolved towards quality of life. How do you want to live after your treatment,” Farmah said. “Quality of life, to me, includes your physical well-being, body image, intimacy, your confidence and emotional health.”
