Understanding Colon and Rectal Conditions

Colon and rectal conditions are a variety of health issues affecting the large intestine (colon) and the rectum. Among these, colon and rectal cancer (collectively referred to as colorectal cancer) are of serious concern due to their high prevalence.

Identifying the Signs and Symptoms 

The physicians of Premier Surgical want you to understand the common signs and symptoms of colon and rectal cancer since that is the first step toward early detection. Symptoms may include:

• Changes in bowel habits: This can mean diarrhea, constipation, or a change in the consistency of your stool, lasting more than a few days.
• Rectal bleeding or blood in your stool: Any instance of this should prompt a visit to your healthcare provider.
• Persistent abdominal discomfort or pain: Cramps, gas, or pain can be symptoms.
• Weakness or fatigue: Unexplained tiredness or sudden weight loss could be a sign.

Keep in mind that these symptoms can occur with many conditions that aren’t cancer. However, if you experience any of these symptoms for an extended period, it is crucial to consult with a healthcare professional.

The Importance of Early Detection and Screening

Colon and rectal cancers are highly treatable if detected early. Regular screening is one of the most powerful weapons in preventing colorectal cancer. Screenings, such as colonoscopies and sigmoidoscopies, can detect precancerous polyps (abnormal growths) in the colon and rectum, which can be removed before they turn into cancer.

Current guidelines recommend that people at average risk should start screening at age 45, but those with a family history or other risk factors may need to start sooner. Your doctor can guide you on when to begin screening based on your risk factors.

Treatment Options

At Premier Surgical Associates in Knoxville, Cleveland, and Johnson City, TN,, we pride ourselves on offering a comprehensive range of treatment options tailored to each patient’s needs. Treatment for colon and rectal cancer may involve surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, targeted therapies, or a combination of these.

For early-stage cancer, surgery alone may be sufficient, often performed laparoscopically or robotically. For advanced stages, a combination of treatments might be necessary. Our dedicated team at Premier Surgical collaborates closely with each patient to design the best treatment plan for them.

Understanding colon and rectal conditions, notably colon and rectal cancer, is crucial for early detection and treatment. At Premier Surgical, we are committed to providing high-quality, personalized care for our patients. 

If you have concerns about these conditions or would like more information, please visit our Colon and Rectal Surgery webpage.

The post Understanding Colon and Rectal Conditions first appeared on Premier Surgical.

Millions of Americans experience acid reflux every day. Most don’t know if it’s severe enough and lasts long enough, in the worst cases acid reflux can increase the risk of esophageal cancer.

When that happens, the symptoms usually become apparent as a slow but distinctive change in one’s usual reflux symptoms, or new difficulties with eating or swallowing.

William enjoys hiking again after esophageal cancer surgery with Dr. Michael Antiporda.

William Emert is one such patient who had years of reflux and found out the hard way. “I thought I was healthy,” Emert says. “I didn’t listen to my body.”

Since his cancer diagnosis in May 2021, cutting-edge treatment including robot-assisted surgery at Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center took Emert from a life-threatening illness to the restored quality of life he enjoys today.

Prolonged gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) can damage the lining of the esophagus, making it easier for abnormal cells to take over and possibly transform into a type of tissue called Barrett’s esophagus, a condition which raises the risk of esophageal cancer

“I was feeling run-down at work, just feeling bad, weak and tired all the time. I kept ignoring it and ignoring it,” Emert says.

Emert’s wife encouraged him to see a doctor, and when he finally did, he was shocked by the news that came from his blood work.

“The doctor said ‘We’ve got to send you to the emergency room immediately. You’ve got internal bleeding, and I think you might have cancer,’” Emert recalls. “It blows you away.”

A very large tumor had engulfed the lower third of Emert’s esophagus, draping down onto his  stomach. After the diagnosis of cancer was confirmed, he underwent preoperative chemotherapy and radiation to shrink the tumor. Surgery was planned to complete the treatment.

William’s tumor was about 12 cm long, involving 1/3 of his esophagus.

Michael A. Antiporda, MD, is a fellowship-trained foregut surgeon (specializing in procedures for the esophagus, stomach and upper small intestine) with Premier Surgical at Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center. He recommended robotic-assisted laparoscopic surgery to remove the tumor and reconstruct Emert’s GI tract in the most minimally invasive way possible.

“This is major surgery in potentially treacherous territory involving the chest, abdomen and neck,” Dr. Antiporda says. “It’s a highly complex operation that’s not done in high volume in many places, but at Fort Sanders Regional we’re able to do many complicated cancer surgeries like these with good outcomes.”

The Right Hospital

Fort Sanders Regional was the first hospital in East Tennessee with robotic-assisted surgery. The medical center has continually updated and added to its robotic program since then. This technology allows surgeons to offer the most advanced and minimally invasive procedures for a wide array of
indications.

“Mr. Emert underwent robotic transhiatal esophagectomy, which I performed using multiple very small abdominal incisions and one small left-neck incision. The robot is clutch for doing an operation like this because it permits a surgeon to use tiny incisions to operate comfortably and safely in what would otherwise be a very tight and limited space,” Dr. Antiporda says.

Dr. Michael Antiporda, Foregut Surgeon

“The alternative to this type of surgery would have been to make large painful incisions in the upper abdomen or between the ribs, which take significantly longer to recover from.”

The tumor was removed in August 2021. Although it was major surgery, Emert was able to go home in less than a week, fully realizing the advantage of faster recovery that is often seen with robotic surgery. He was pronounced “cancer-free” on August 14.

Lessons to Learn

Today Emert has a smaller stomach space that limits the amount of food he can eat in one sitting, but there are no restrictions on his diet. His quality of life has returned and he and his wife go on adventures from fishing to foraging mushrooms.

“I feel great. I had forgotten what it was to be healthy because I just got so used to feeling bad,” he says.

Through it all, Emert has learned some important life lessons. Among them are the importance of taking time to enjoy and appreciate life, along with the importance of self-awareness when it comes to good health.

“Listen to your body, because your body knows when something’s wrong. I learned the hard way,” Emert says. “I’m just glad to be here, and it wouldn’t have been possible without the doctors that I had. I don’t think I’ve met a better doctor – or person – in my whole life than Dr. Antiporda.”

Dr. Antiporda says uncontrolled GERD is the most common underlying cause of esophageal type of cancer and it’s important to see a doctor for ongoing reflux that causes pain or trouble swallowing. In the event that a cancer diagnosis does come as a result of GERD,

Dr. Michael Antiporda is a General Surgeon with Premier Surgical Associates at Fort Sanders Regional in Knoxville. To schedule a consultation with Dr. Antiporda, call (865) 524-3695.

The post Robot-assisted Esophageal Surgery Helps Doctors Restore Lives first appeared on Premier Surgical.

March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness month.

Dr. Sung Lee, Colon and Rectal Surgeon at Premier Surgical Associates at Fort Sanders Regional in Knoxville TN, emphasizes the importance of early screening to prevention of colorectal cancer.

“Early detection is key! If you can catch colorectal cancer early on, it can get resected, and sometimes the patient won’t need chemotherapy or radiation therapy when it is caught early on. Now, it is recommended to get a colorectal cancer screening at age 45.”

What is a colorectal cancer screening?
Colorectal cancer screening is a test that detects unusual growths in the colon or rectum that may be cancerous.

There are five different types of tests that are used to screen for colorectal cancer:

• Fecal occult blood test (FOBT)
In this test, the stool (fecal matter) is tested for the presence of blood that can only be seen through a microscope.

There are two types of FOBT. There’s the guaiac FOBT and the immunochemical FOBT.

In a guaiac FOBT, the stool is tested on a special card with a chemical. If there’s blood in the stool, the card changes color.

In an immunochemical FOBT, a special liquid is added to the stool. This mixture is then placed in a machine that contains antibodies. If there’s blood in the stool, a line appears on the window of the machine.

• Sigmoidoscopy
This is a procedure that looks into the inside of your rectum and colon.

A special tool called a sigmoidoscope is inserted through the rectum into your sigmoid colon (lower colon). This device is also used to remove tissue samples or polyps for analysis.

• Colonoscopy
In this procedure, a special device called a colonoscopy is inserted through the rectum into your colon. It is used to inspect the inside of your rectum and colon to check for polyps, abnormal growths, and cancer.

Like the sigmoidoscope, a colonoscope can also remove tissue samples or polyps for analysis.

• Virtual colonoscopy
Virtual colonoscopy is a procedure that uses computed tomography (a series of x-rays).

A computer uses a series of pictures from the colon to create a more detailed image. Through this, doctors can identify polyps and other unusualities in the colon.

• DNA stool test
In this stool test, the DNA in the stool sample is checked for any unusual changes.

When should you get screened for colon and rectal cancer?
The American Cancer Society now recommends people with average risk of colorectal cancer start regular screening at the age of 45.

Average risk means those without a family history of colorectal cancer and no personal history of polyps or inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

If you do have a family history of colorectal cancer or personal history of polyps or IBD, you are considered a high risk for getting colorectal cancer. The expert physicians of Premier Surgical Associates of Knoxville and Cleveland, TN recommend scheduling a screening immediately. This will allow your physician to determine the best treatment option for you, and as always, early detection is key to preventing the spread of cancer.

If you have questions about colorectal cancer screening and/or surgery, we are here to help. To request an appointment with a Premier Surgical physician, visit this link.

The post Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month first appeared on Premier Surgical.

Chandler recalls feeling nauseated one day last May and knowing that something wasn’t right. “I couldn’t keep anything down, and my head was pounding.”

Brenda and her husband Ted are counting their blessings after Dr. David Roife successfully removed a cancerous tumor at Fort Sanders Regional.

As her husband Ted began hurriedly driving her down Chapman Highway, Chandler says she suddenly felt strongly that she should
go to Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center. “I don’t know if it was intuition or what, but I felt that’s where I needed to be. Now, I’m sure it was divine guidance that took us there.

Headed for Cancer Surgery

Chandler arrived at Fort Sanders Regional’s emergency department where she underwent several diagnostic tests. A CT scan revealed a blockage in her duodenum, the part of the small intestine that connects to the stomach. An upper endoscopy by the gastroenterology team confirmed a cancerous tumor in her duodenum was causing the blockage.

Chandler was scheduled for surgery. Her physician was David Roife, MD, a Surgical Oncologist with Premier Surgical at Fort Sanders Regional. Dr. Roife specializes in gastrointestinal cancer surgery, specifically in the liver and pancreas.

Dr. David Roife, Surgical Oncologist

“Surgical oncologists go through extra training to provide the highest quality oncological surgery available including high level, complex procedures,” Dr. Roife says.  ”More importantly, we are trained in the knowledge of multidisciplinary care of our cancer patients, so we can coordinate other types of care besides surgery that a patient may need.”

A Life-Saving Procedure

Dr. Roife performed a procedure called a “Whipple” or pancreaticoduodenectomy. In this surgery, the end of the stomach, end of the common bile duct, gallbladder, head of the pancreas and adjacent duodenum are removed, and the remaining small intestine is reconnected to all of the cut ends. It’s a complex surgery that typically only specialists perform.

Dr. Roife says, “We are a high-volume pancreatic surgery center and perform pancreas surgeries on a regular basis. Research has shown that patients have better outcomes when their surgery is done at a high volume center.”

“I won’t tell you I wasn’t afraid,” Chandler recalls. “But I was at peace. Whatever would happen was in God’s hands.”

Chandler says her doctor and surgical team could not have been better. “Dr. Roife was very attentive and gentle,” she says. “At one point, he drew a picture on the board of what would be done with my stomach. He was compassionate, and I couldn’t ask for a better blessing of man.”

In the Nick of Time

The final pathology results showed a completely resected (surgically removed) duodenal cancer that did not spread to any
lymph nodes, so Chandler was able to forego chemotherapy.

Dr. Roife says, “The procedure saved her life. Having an outcome like Mrs. Chandler’s has made the past decade of training worth it.”

According to Dr. Roife, this type of cancer can metastasize in the liver, lungs or lymph nodes. If it had spread, physicians could treat her symptoms but not cure the cancer. “It was in the nick of time that we saw her,” Dr. Roife says. “Mrs. Chandler was fortunate in that her symptoms led her to seek medical care at a point when it was still able to be resected.

Often times cancer that develops in the region of the pancreas or duodenum is ‘silent.’ Typically by the time symptoms arise, it has already spread elsewhere or has already grown too big to remove surgically.”

“My procedure went great and I’m still here,” Chandler shares. “Everyone was so cordial and kind, and they cared – that’s
what makes dealing with a sickness bearable.”

In her follow-up CT scan and blood work six months later, she showed no signs of disease.

Chandler reflects on the friends, family, neighbors and church members who brought meals, sent cards and lifted her up in
prayer. “I have been blessed tremendously,” she says. “There comes a time when you don’t realize how blessed you have been
until something drastic happens. God is just so good.”

For more more information about the Surgical Oncologists of Premier Surgical Associates, please visit our Surgical Oncology page at https://www.premiersurgical.com/premier-surgical-services/surgical-oncology/.

The post Sevier Woman Cancer-Free after Treatment at Fort Sanders Regional first appeared on Premier Surgical.

Unexpected Diagnosis

Barbara Kimmett, 72, of Farragut Kimmett came to the emergency department at Parkwest Medical Center one morning in February 2018 with a bowel obstruction. She wasn’t too concerned because it was something her mother had experienced as well.

“When they told me I had a bowel obstruction I thought, OK, well, I’m much younger than she was, so I’ll have surgery and everything
will be hunky-dory,” Kimmett says.

Barbara is back on her feet after Dr. Edwards discovered and removed her cancer.

Instead, Kimmett was stunned by a further diagnosis that would change everything. Parkwest surgeon Norma Edwards, MD, of Premier Surgical had some good news and some bad news.

“I don’t even remember what the good news was,” Kimmett says. “All I heard was, ‘You have a bowel obstruction. More than likely, it’s cancer and it is not curable.’”

Dr. Edwards, board certified general surgeon, was calm and reassuring. “It’s not a death sentence,” she told her patient.

“She had done her routine colonoscopy. She did everything she was supposed to do. She just happened to have the bad luck of having a tumor that grew quickly between her colonoscopies,” said Dr. Edwards.

Kimmett was old enough to fully understand that life isn’t always fair. Still, it was devastating to hear. “I just about died right there on the spot,” Kimmett says, “but everything worked out OK.”

Dr. Norma Edwards, General Surgeon

Solving the Problem
Dr. Edwards performed a bowel resection, removing the area where the cancer had developed and reattaching the open ends of the colon.

Several weeks later, Kimmett returned to Parkwest so Dr. Edwards could insert a port for cancer medication. The first medication was chemotherapy.

“Chemotherapy worked for a month or two,” Kimmett says. Then continued testing began to show that her carcinoembryonic antiantigen (CEA) numbers, a type of tumor marker indicating cancer cell growth, were going up and the chemo wasn’t working the way it should.

After further tests, an oncologist prescribed a cancer medicine that worked with Kimmett’s immune system to interfere with the growth and spread of cancer cells in the body.

“It’s been like a miracle drug,” Kimmett says. “My CEA had been up at about 2,400, and normal is considered zero to five. Now I’ve been steady for about six months at 3.4.”

Like Family
Since then, Dr. Edwards has also repaired a hernia for Kimmett, and sent her to the Parkwest emergency department in time to be
successfully treated for an embolism. Kimmett has relied on her surgeon for both medical treatment and medical advice.

“She’s kind of like family to me. I just love her to death,” Kimmett says. “And I love Parkwest. I don’t think I’d go anywhere else.”

Dr. Edwards accepts the compliment, but says Kimmett deserves some praise, too. “She’s a very motivated patient and she did everything we asked her to do,” Dr. Edwards says. “It makes a huge difference in post-op care and recovery when patients participate and do the things that we ask them to do. She’s done remarkably well.”

Aside from the professional doctor-patient relationship, Dr. Edwards has connected with Kimmett on a personal level. “She’s a remarkable lady with a beautiful spirit and I just adore her,” Dr. Edwards says. “I’m really glad that our paths crossed, even though I wish it was in a different way. I think we’re both really happy that we’ve gotten a chance to know each other.”

For more information about General Surgeon Dr. Norma Edwards, visit her physician webpage at https://www.premiersurgical.com/physicians/norma-m-edwards/.

The post Prompt Surgery to Remove Cancer Gives Woman Continued Quality of Life first appeared on Premier Surgical.

Velvet is at high risk of breast cancer and underwent a preventative mastectomy.

“It’s a double-edged sword when you become the patient but you’re also a nurse. Your perspective quickly changes,” Giddens says.

Caring for Others First
Giddens is a registered nurse who manages behavioral health care coordination services for Peninsula Outpatient, a division of  Parkwest Medical Center. Previously, Giddens worked for 20 years in critical care and oncology, caring for many breast cancer patients.

Family History
When her mother received a breast cancer diagnosis, Giddens and
her sisters were presented with the option of genetic testing.  Knowing that her grandmother had passed away as a result of breast
cancer, she jumped at the opportunity. The test revealed she was BRCA positive, indicating a significant risk of breast cancer.

A positive test result means there is a mutation in one of the breast cancer genes, BRCA1 or BRCA2. Although the BRCA genes are the most common cause of gene-related breast and ovarian cancers, a positive result doesn’t mean a person is certain to develop cancer. The mutated gene can come from either parent.

A history of breast cancer diagnosis and treatment is shared by all the women in Velvet’s family.

About Genetic Testing
Genetic testing can identify mutations in genes that substantially increase the risk of breast or other cancers. The test itself can be saliva or blood, which is sent to a highly reputable genetic testing lab that provides a detailed report. The results take about two weeks.

William C. Gibson, MD, FACS, is a general surgeon specializing in breast surgery with Premier Surgical at Parkwest Medical Center. He has noticed the practice of genetic testing has gained momentum over the past few years.

Dr. William Gibson specializes in Breast Cancer Surgery.

“A lot of times, the genetic mutation is not discovered until after someone receives a cancer diagnosis. This is why we suggest family members of someone diagnosed with a genetic abnormality also seek genetic counseling and testing,” he says.

Good candidates for any type of genetic testing (not just breast cancer) are typically young people with a family history of the disease or those with an aggressive cancer diagnosis.

Genetic counseling was a positive experience for Giddens, who says it provoked in-depth conversations with her doctors. “It was a lot of material to understand and process, but helped me make an informed decision about my health care.”

At Parkwest
In 2019 Giddens was admitted to Parkwest and underwent a  bilateral, nipple-sparing, prophylactic mastectomy with immediate single-stage reconstruction. Dr. Gibson performed the mastectomy, in which he removed all visible evidence of breast tissue while leaving the healthy skin remaining.

Giddens received implants in the same surgery by Timothy Wilson, MD. The procedure took a total of about five hours, and she went home the same day.

Giddens says, “I wanted to get it done as soon as possible so I could assist my mother and sisters with their decisions.” The other two women followed Giddens with similar procedures.

A Burden Lifted
“I knew I had an increased risk of developing cancer. I knew this was right for me, and emotionally, it took a lot off my mind,” Giddens reflects. “Some people may think it’s a radical decision but I didn’t think twice about it. We had an extensive family history of breast cancer, so the decision for me was easy.”

We Are Blessed
“We are so blessed to have Parkwest right here in Knoxville,” Giddens expresses. “Everyone treated us with such respect, from registration, to pre- and postop, and the surgery team in between. My mother, sisters, and I could not be more pleased with the care we received from the wonderful staff at Parkwest.”

Giddens encourages others to be their own healthcare advocate and ask questions of their physicians to better understand treatment options.

The post Family Matters: Double Mastectomy Puts Patient at Ease first appeared on Premier Surgical.

But what is involved in screening?
Parkwest Comprehensive Breast Center offers high quality services, an outstanding staff and the latest in screening technology. If an abnormality is detected, the Breast Center follows a woman through all her testing and in some cases, treatment.

How Does Breast Cancer Screening Work?
A mammogram is a specialized medical imaging tool that uses a low-dose X-ray system to see inside the breast. It’s a quick and easy test that can save your life.

In addition to imaging, Parkwest Breast Center provides a Lifetime Breast Cancer Risk Assessment at the time of a mammogram. From that assessment, practitioners may recommend that certain patients who may be at a high risk of developing cancer seek genetic counseling and testing, especially if they have a family history of cancer. Patients can begin the genetic counseling process that day while at the Breast Center if they choose.

What is Genetic Counseling?
William C. Gibson, MD, FACS, general surgeon at Premier Surgical at Parkwest Medical Center, says, “I spend time counseling and discussing the risk of developing breast cancer with those who may have a high risk due to a genetic mutation.”

Who Should Seek Genetic Testing?
Dr. Gibson advises, “A lot of times, the genetic mutation is not discovered until after someone receives a cancer diagnosis. This is why we recommend that family members of someone diagnosed with a breast cancer abnormality also seek genetic testing and counseling.”

When is Surgery Recommended?
A prophylactic (preventive) mastectomy, or removal of one or both breasts, is a surgery women may undergo when they test positive for the BRCA gene.

Dr. Gibson says, “For some, the decision to pursue preventive surgery is right for them. My role as a counselor is to explain the risk and statistics of malignancy. We also follow young women whose mothers have been diagnosed with breast cancer and present genetic testing as an option.”

Dr. Gibson says, “Whether or not you have family history and genetic mutation, be diligent with annual mammograms. These screenings detect cancer early, and early detection leads to good outcomes and excellent long term survival.”

The post Is Genetic Testing Right for Me? first appeared on Premier Surgical.

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and Tennova Healthcare is using the occasion to call attention to the role of genetic testing in the fight against the disease.

Genetic testing has quickly become a more mainstream practice—both for human interest about one’s ancestry, and for the purpose of understanding how that ancestry might increase your risk for certain diseases, such as breast cancer.

Dr. Jessica Vinsant

“Genetic testing may be recommended for a person already diagnosed with cancer, especially if there are other factors to suggest the cancer might have been caused by an inherited mutation,” says Jessica Vinsant, M.D., a general surgeon and medical director of the Tennova Breast Center at North Knoxville Medical Center and Physician’s Regional Medical Center. “Genetic testing might also be advised for people with a family history of certain types of cancer, to see if they carry a gene mutation that increases their risk.”

An example is testing for changes in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes (which are known to increase the risk of breast cancer and some other cancers) in a woman whose mother and sister had breast cancer, especially if it was diagnosed before age 50. According the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), women with a BRCA gene mutation are seven times more likely to be diagnosed with breast cancer, and 30 times more likely to get ovarian cancer, when compared with women without the gene mutations.

Should all women be tested for the BRCA gene mutation? The experts say, absolutely not.

“It’s important to keep in mind that gene mutations are only a small part of the breast cancer story,” Dr. Vinsant says. “While it is true that having an immediate family member with breast cancer can increase your risk of being diagnosed, it is also true that about 80 percent of women who get breast cancer have no family history of the disease. There are many other factors—some inside and some outside of your control.”

Because BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene mutations are relatively rare in the general population, most experts agree that genetic testing of individuals should be performed only when the person’s individual or family history suggests the possible presence of a harmful mutation in BRCA1 or BRCA2.

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends that women with the following risk factors should seek genetic counseling to determine if genetic testing is indicated:

• A family history of someone having a positive BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation
• Breast cancer diagnosed before age 50 years
• Cancer in both breasts in the same woman
• Ovarian, tubal or peritoneal cancer at any age in a family member
• Two or more family members with breast cancer
• Both breast and ovarian cancers in a single family member
• Cases of male breast cancer in a family member
• People of Ashkenazi Jewish ancestry

“Beyond BRCA genes, there are more than 30 gene mutations associated with various types of hereditary cancer,” Dr. Vinsant explains. “Tremendous information can be gained through genetic testing, but it is important to work with your physician to ensure you pursue the right options for you.

“Genetic testing has a role in breast cancer prevention, but in no way does it reduce the need for vigilance,” she adds. “Recommended screenings like mammograms, a healthy diet, regular exercise and a no-smoking policy are still the most critical tools for cancer prevention. Genetic testing is another tool for early intervention and managing increased risk, and should be used judiciously.”

If you meet the criteria set by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, talk with your doctor about the best prevention and testing for you. For more information call 1-855-TENNOVA (836-6682) or visit Tennova.com.

The post Is Breast Cancer Genetic Testing Right for You? first appeared on Premier Surgical.

On any given day, you’ll find cancer patients and survivors who have found hope and help at Thompson Comprehensive Breast Center. One such woman is there every day the doors are open. “There’s so much good here, so much healing and loving,” Sue Miller says, “and I found that out, firsthand.”

Miller works in patient registration at the Knoxville center, and her breast cancer was discovered after a screening mammogram and biopsy. It came as a surprise.

“I was just in shock. It was the furthest thing from my mind,” Miller says. “They caught it early, and it was very, very small.”

Thompson’s certified technologists perform more than 13,000 mammograms each year using the latest in digital technology, including digital 3D mammography (tomosynthesis), which allows the radiologist to better detect smaller cancers – even within dense breast tissue.

“It’s a newer technology and not necessary for all women. It is especially helpful for women with dense breasts,” says surgical oncologist and Thompson Cancer Network Medical Director Troy Kimsey, MD, of Premier Surgical. “It allows a more detailed look at the breast tissue.”

For Miller, cancer meant a change in perspective. She used to feel especially sympathetic toward cancer patients who were younger mothers, and now she’s able to extend empathy to a broader circle of women who need that support. “Breast cancer affects everyone pretty much the same,” Miller says. “The women who come in here, they all need that warmth, they need the friendliness, they need to know they’re cared for, and I like doing that.”

While whole breast radiation usually takes four to six weeks, partial breast radiation takes only five days. Dr. Kimsey stresses that Miller wouldn’t have been a candidate for this type of treatment had her cancer not been detected in such early stages.“It can’t be emphasized enough that screening mammograms are what allows us to detect clinically undetectable disease, and that puts us in a better position in terms of treatment and outcomes.”

For more information click here to visit Premier Surgical’s Breast Cancer Surgery webpage.

The post A New Perspective first appeared on Premier Surgical.

Adult women of all ages are encouraged to perform breast self-exams at least once a month. While mammograms can help you to detect cancer before you can feel a lump, breast self-exams help you to be familiar with how your breasts look and feel so you can alert your doctor if there are any changes.

Dr. Jessica L. Vinsant, MD, a General Surgeon with Premier Surgical Associates’ Tennova North Knoxville office, says, “Women know their breasts better than a doctor who sees them once or twice a year. It’s important that they take a proactive role with self exams and call their doctor if they notice something that has changed.”

How To Do A Self Exam
Using the pads of your fingers, move around your entire breast in a circular pattern moving from the outside to the center, checking the entire breast and armpit area. Check both breasts each month feeling for any lumps, thickening, or a hardened knot. Notice any changes and have any new or enlarged lumps evaluated by your healthcare provider.

You should also visually inspect your breasts in front of a mirror. Stand first with your arms at your sides, and next raise your arms high overhead. In both positions, look for any changes in the contour of the breasts, any swelling or dimpling of the skin, or changes in the nipples.

Come up with a plan that works for you to remember to do self exams at least once a month. Put it on your calendar, or have a buddy system so that you and a friend remind one another to do self exams on a certain day each month. The important aspect is that you do it monthly, not sporadically, so that you’re familiar with what’s normal for you and what’s not. If you have naturally lumpy tissue, consider doing self exam every week for a month to know what’s normal for you. And if you ever detect a new or changing lump, call your doctor to have it evaluated.

Annual Mammograms
Dr. Vinsant also stresses the importance of annual mammograms. Opinions vary on what age women should begin having mammograms, so talk with your doctor about your health history and risk for breast cancer.

“If you have any family history of breast cancer, you should start getting mammograms five years before the youngest person in your family got it,” says Dr. Vinsant. “For example, if your mom was diagnosed with breast cancer at 40 but your sister was also diagnosed when she was 30, you’d want to start getting mammograms at 25.”

Most importantly, don’t put it off if you notice a change or sense that something’s wrong. “We’ve had some women present with breast cancer that was so advanced surgery wasn’t an option,” says Dr. Vinsant. “They knew something was wrong but kept putting it off. If you detect a change or suspicious lump, call your doctor. It never hurts to get ultrasound imaging just to rule it out.”

Premier Surgical Associates in Knoxville is dedicated to the timely diagnosis and comprehensive treatment for all breast cancer patients. Our women’s health team empowers patients and their families to take an active role in the decisions regarding cancer treatment and management. To learn more about your options for breast cancer surgery, visit our Breast Cancer Surgery webpage.

The post Early Detection Crucial For Breast Cancer Survival first appeared on Premier Surgical.