Dr. Valerie Gorman of the Texas Breast Center released an article this week on the importance of breast cancer screening. In the article, she discussed different screening methods as well as when and how often different patients should be screened.
Dr. Gorman discussed on the difference between mammograms, breast MRIs, ultrasounds, and clinical exams, explaining the pros and cons of each. For example, “Mammography is the easiest screening test to access and has been found to find DCIS and other breast cancer tumors reliably, and is best for average-risk women. However, 5-15% of mammograms need a follow-up by another test for clarification.” These follow-ups usually take the form of one of the other tests mentioned to get a more detailed look at any abnormalities within the breast or see past dense breast tissue.
While it is recommended that breast self-checks begin as breasts start development, professional screening starts later. Depending on personal history, family history, and other risk factors, clinical breast screening begins around the age of 25.
Dr. Gorman advises speaking with a doctor or medical professional to decide on the best rate and method of breast cancer screening. Dr. Gorman is a breast surgeon with a specialty in surgical oncology and surgical diseases in the breast. She is the Chief of Surgery and Medical Director of Surgical Services at Baylor Scott & White Medical Center in Waxahachie and is board certified by the American Board of Surgery. She is committed to keeping her patients fully informed and offering personalized and targeted breast cancer treatment plans.
Dr. Valerie Gorman released an article, Breast Cancer Recurrence: What and Why?, discussing breast cancer recurrence, or the return of breast cancer after being cancer free. She discusses causes, risks, and treatment of recurrent cancer so that her patients, or any patients, can know what to look for pre-emptively, and what to expect should their cancer come back.
Recurrence traditionally happens within the first few years after initial treatment, and happens in a minority of patients. It can come back in three forms: local, regional, or distant. Local recurrence indicates that cancer has grown back in the same place it grew in the first place. Regional recurrence means the cancer is still near the breasts, but has infected the lymph nodes. Distance recurrence has spread to other organs around the body. Each of these types can require a unique treatment plan.
However, before treatment is necessary, cancer-free patients must keep an eye out for any signs of cancer coming back. Dr. Gorman advises that, “Regular self-breast checks are just as necessary after breast cancer treatments as they are before,” and encourages keeping an eye out for the signs or symptoms of the three types of recurrences.
Dr. Gorman and her team will work with you from your first diagnosis through creating your personalize treatment plan and long after treatment is finished to ensure that you are informed and healthy. They know that you may always want a support team with you should questions arise or your cancer return, and they are there to be that for you.
The Texas Breast Center is ready to help new and old patients with breast related diseases. Dr. Gorman specializes in surgical breast diseases and surgical oncology. She is the Chief of Surgery and Medical Director of Surgical Services at Baylor Scott and White Medical Center.
Dr. Valerie Gorman knows that there are many concerns when breast cancer is on the table. Seroma, a possible side effect of breast cancer surgeries, is just one thing on a patient’s mind. Dr. Gorman took the time to update her article on seromas, “Fluid Collection After Breast Surgery – Seroma”to educate her patients and answer the most frequently asked questions on the subject.
She discusses who is more likely to get a seroma and how these fluid collections come to be. Some risk factors for a seroma forming after surgery are a patient’s age, the amount of tissue being removed in the surgery, and any history of seromas. Dr. Gorman states that “If a woman has previously suffered from seromas following surgery, then there is an increased likelihood that she will get them again.”
Seromas themselves are the body’s attempt to fill a newly empty space where tissue has been removed by a surgical procedure, forming a sort of internal blister. The body is trying to solve a perceived problem. However, this can lead to infection or other complications. Some of these are:
“infection, which could cause the seroma to develop an abscess. An abscess will not heal itself and is only likely to increase in size and become more painful.”
Fortunately, these complications are rare, as in most cases seromas will “disappear as the fluids will slowly be reabsorbed back into the body.” Dr. Gorman discusses other treatment options in her article and will discuss them with her patients should the need for them to arrive, helping them to find the best option for them.
Dr. Valerie J. Gorman values keeping her patients informed and helping them find their best options and care plans. She specializes in surgical oncology of the breastSeroma and other surgical diseases and is certified by the American Board of Surgery. She is the Chief of Surgery and Medical Director of Surgical Services Baylor Scott and White Medical Center in Waxahachie.
Dr. Gorman, MD, FACS,of the Texas Breast Center in Waxahachie just completed her 100th SBRT surgery using Hologic’s BioZorb marker device. This new milestone puts her aheadof any other breast surgeon in this particular factor by over thirty percent.
Dr. Gorman is a breast surgeon whose primary focus is surgical oncology. She serves as the Chief of Surgery at Baylor Scott & White Medical Center in Waxahachie, Texas, as well as their Medical Director of Surgical Services. She has been using Hologic’s BioZorb surgical implants in her surgeries now for 100 operations and has seen how they can improve post-operation.
The BioZorb implant is a small coil structure that will, in time, be absorbed into the body. Until that time, it helps to support the breast tissue as it heals and fills in where some were removed. This prevents potential concave divots that can happen as healing tissue tries to fill in the empty space first.
The titanium clips remain even as the rest of the implant is absorbed, which helps for later radiation treatments or clinical imaging. They act as a pointer leading the radiation oncologist directly to the cancer site and minimizing potential radiation damage to the surrounding tissue. The clips also point out the exact site to any imaging that needs to be done so there is no guesswork.
Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy, or SBRT, is another practice that Dr. Gorman has made intrinsic to her practice. She and Dr. Rufus Mark have worked together to co-author research on the5-day radiation treatment that can be performed 3-4 weeks after surgery. This varies from a traditional radiation treatment that lasts 30 days. With a higher dose of radiation in a more targeted beam, aimed through the BioZorb marker Dr. Gorman placed, Dr. Mark is able to more precisely and effectively hit any remaining cancer cells.
Dr. Valerie Gorman will continue with the BioZorb and SBRT surgeries in order to help more women heal and recover. If you would like to know more about Dr. Gorman’s history with BioZorb, SBRT, or either of these surgical processes, Dr. Gorman has published information online on these subjects. If you have questions about breast cancer care or are in need of treatment, you can contact the Texas Breast Center in Waxahachie to learn about your next steps. You can find all of their contact information and more information about Dr. Gorman on their website.
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