Description
Breast cancer care often involves more than one doctor. At the Lee Health Cancer Institute, specialists work together to help patients understand their diagnosis, explore treatment options and access support throughout recovery.
Breast cancer remains one of the most common cancers among women. Dr. Stephanie Byrum, a breast surgical oncologist, says about 1 in 8 women will develop breast cancer.
Screening technology has advanced in recent years, giving providers more tools to find breast cancers earlier.
“We have access with AI now, 3D mammography, total synthesis,” Dr. Byrum said. “We have a lot more tools in our toolbox to really find these breast cancers early.”
Once a patient is diagnosed, Dr. Byrum says the care team meets weekly to discuss the best path forward. That team can include medical oncology, radiation oncology, therapy, genetic counselors, social services and patient navigators.
Dr. Byrum says breast cancer treatment is not only about surgery, medication or radiation. Support services can play an important role in helping patients manage the emotional and physical challenges that come with a diagnosis.
“The psychological piece is a real piece,” Dr. Byrum said. “Getting that support as you need it is really, really important because it will help overall you moving forward.”
For patients, that team-based approach is designed to provide guidance, support and personalized care throughout treatment and recovery.
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Lee Health in Fort Myers, FL is the largest network of health care facilities in Southwest Florida and is highly respected for its expertise, innovation and quality of care. For more than 100 years, we’ve been providing our community with personalized preventative health services and primary care to highly specialized care services and robotic assisted surgeries.
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