Roper St. Francis Physicians To Lead Panel at FREE Breast Health Symposium on October 27
October 18, 2005

In recognition of Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October, four Roper St. Francis Healthcare specialist physicians will lead a discussion on breast health at a free Symposium on Thursday, October 27 at 6 p.m. at the Lowcountry Senior Center on James Island.

The Breast Health Symposium, which includes dinner, will provide the latest information on every facet of breast cancer – including prevention, screening, detection and treatment. Participating in the panel are:

• Paul Baron, M.D., Surgical Oncologist
• Amy Bethea, M.D., Diagnostic Radiologist
• Elizabeth Christian, M.D., Medical Oncologist
• Mary Decker, M.D., Radiation Oncologist

“Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths among American women,” said Elaine Kloos, Roper St. Francis Healthcare’s Service Line Director of Oncology Services. “Breast cancer is likely to touch either you or someone you know. That is why it is extremely important to be informed.”

To register for the Breast Health Symposium, call 843-402-CARE (2273).

Roper St. Francis Cancer Center’s state-of-the-art facilities include the Southeast’s newest Bone Marrow Transplant Program affiliated with the National Marrow Donor Program; National Cancer Institute accreditation for Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT) protocols in Radiation Oncology; the most advanced Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scanner; and the only fixed-site Positron Emission Tomography (PET) scanner in Charleston. With these advances, an active clinical trials program and emphasis on prevention and screening, Roper St. Francis Cancer Center is accredited as a comprehensive community cancer center by the American College of Surgeons.

Included among the special programs and resources offered through the Roper St. Francis Cancer Center are:

• The Breast Health Navigator program is offered to patients diagnosed with breast cancer. An advanced practice nurse who has an in-depth understanding of the disease process follows a patient before, during and after surgery and during other necessary cancer treatments for one year. Available in person and by telephone, the Navigator nurse offers support and a familiar face while answering some of the more commonly asked questions.
• The website, www.ropersaintfrancis.com, offers a wealth of information and resources related specifically to breast cancer.