Many people faced with the prospect of fighting breast cancer have a thousand questions, but only a hundred answers. What are my treatment options? How will I feel if I have to go through chemotherapy? Will I make it? Why me? Will my cancer return? Will I need reconstructive surgery later? The list of questions is almost endless.
To help everyone who is struggling to find the answers – including those with breast cancer as well as their family members and friends – Houston Northwest Medical Center is hosting two free open forums where people can feel comfortable asking questions and talking with physicians on the hospital medical staff.
On Tuesday, April 12, Tamara Mitchell, M.D., radiologist; J.B. Askew, M.D., pathologist; and Phillip Sutton, M.D., general surgeon, will host informal roundtable discussions focusing on general breast cancer issues, how the disease develops, and how breast cancer is diagnosed.
On Tuesday, April 19, Mary Crow, M.D., medical oncologist; Thinh Phan, M.D., radiation oncologist; and Paul Gill, M.D., plastic surgeon, will hold an open forum in the same relaxed, casual atmosphere to discuss coping with chemotherapy, radiation therapy treatment, and reconstructive surgery options.
Both events will be held from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. in Atrium boardroom at the hospital. The open forums are free, but space is limited and reservations are required. To make a reservation, call 281-440-2862.
“These informal discussions are a way to help people get one-on-one answers to their questions in a supportive environment,” says Tosha Morton, Breast Center manager at Houston Northwest Medical Center. “They are facing many new and difficult challenges. Having more questions than answers is not good. That is why we want to help turn things around so their feelings of fear or panic about a breast cancer diagnosis can change to hope and courage.”
The Breast Center at Houston Northwest Medical Center is the only breast center in Texas recognized as a Certified Quality Breast Center of Excellence by the National Quality Measures for Breast Centers (NQMBC) Program™. The NQMBC Program is a quality initiative designed to measure performance of interdisciplinary breast care nationwide. The designation is the highest certification level of the program.
The Breast Center is also designated as a Breast Imaging Center of Excellence by the American College of Radiology (ACR) and offers a comprehensive program that focuses on early detection of breast cancer using advanced imaging equipment and ongoing support if breast cancer is detected.
The Breast Center is staffed by experienced nurses, technologists and ultrasonographers who are trained in breast imaging. They are all dedicated to helping detect breast cancer early, providing in-depth patient education, and offering the care and support needed if breast cancer is diagnosed.