Before Breast Cancer Surgery

In the past, choosing a breast surgeon and having the tumor removed were the very first steps in the treatment of breast cancer. Today, however, there are many steps that should occur prior to having a breast cancer removed-steps that . decrease the chance that the tumor comes back, . improve the chance that the right treatment is given, . decrease the complications from surgery, . more accurately determines if chemotherapy is needed. In addition, finding the right breast surgeon can improve one's chance of survival by as much as 35 percent, a benefit frequently larger than either radiation therapy or chemotherapy. Before Breast Cancer Surgery is a focused easy-to-read book written in a question/answer format to rapidly arm the reader with all the information she needs to ensure that she receives the best possible care.

Lee B. Riley, MD, PhD, FACS, is the Medical Director of Oncology and the section chief of Surgical Oncology at St. Luke's Hospital and Health Network in Bethlehem, PA. Trained at the University of Texas in Houston, he completed a post-doctoral fellowship at the MD Anderson Cancer Center and a fellowship in surgical oncology at Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia. He served on the faculty at Fox Chase until his at St. Luke's Hospital in 1997. Co-author Carol Kachmarsky, RN, OCN, CBCN, completed her nursing education at St. Luke's Hospital School of Nursing and obtained certification in both oncology and breast care. For the last several years, she has worked with Dr. Riley at Cancer Care Associates, focusing on breast cancer.