FOCR Participates in Deloitte and Touche's Women's Initiative Seminar on Breast Cancer

As part of FOCR’s efforts to educate about the importance of research this past breast cancer awareness month, FOCR coordinated a web seminar with Deloitte and Touche in New York that brought in renowned doctor and researcher Dr. Larry Norton, Medical Director of the Evelyn H. Lauder Breast Center at Memorial Sloan-Kettering in NYC.  The event, which was part of a larger series put together by Deloitte’s Women’s Initiative (WIN), reached thousands of Deloitte and Touche employees nation-wide through ‘web-nar’ enabled technology.  The session included a powerpoint presentation by Dr. Norton, an introduction to cancer advocacy from Friends of Cancer Research chair and founder, Dr. Ellen Sigal, and a live question and answer session in which Deloitte and Touche employees from across the nation participated by sending in questions over the internet.

Beginning with a brief history of breast cancer, Dr. Norton highlighted the contributions of Dr. William Stewart-Halstead, who is often heralded as the father of breast cancer surgery.  Pre-Halstead, a breast cancer diagnosis was essentially a death sentence, Norton explained.  He also noted the stigma originally associated with women who had breast cancer; “They were like lepers,” Norton said of the embarrassment the disease caused for the family and community.  Halstead revolutionized the treatment of breast cancer by suggesting that the entire breast be removed, including the lymph nodes near the breast and the muscles on the chest wall.  While a dramatic and large operation, the procedure did cut down on deaths caused by breast cancer, however, it still was not the cure-all.  “Cancer cells actually spread to all different parts of the body depending on the information in each cell, which is why adjunct therapy is necessary because other cancer cells exist outside of the breast area.”

Dr. Norton went on to explain the increases in curing patients with breast cancer over time, pointing to the 1980’s as the ‘half-way’ mark.   With the use of better drugs in the mid-eighties close to 60% were being cured, and by the 1990’s the statistic had reached the 80-90% range or higher for many categories for patients.  These successes hinge on advances in cancer research that enabled doctors to understand the science behind the cancer cells and cancer treatments.  “What we call breast cancer is actually at least six different diseases, possibly up to 9.”  There are different cells responsible for the cancer;  Norton discussed five: Luminal A, Luminal B, Normal, HER2, and Basal Type.  “The biology of cancer is complex but decipherable,” Norton said of the progress being made in understanding and treating breast cancer today.   He went on to discuss new findings such as a low fat diet has been proven to decrease the risk of cancer returning to current patients and the introduction of the digital mammography procedure.  Norton said he is also encouraged by breast MRI’s in the MRI’s ability to show blood vessels.  However, Norton cautioned against this being a replacement to mammograms, saying they should be used together and they are not necessarily for everyone.  Dr. Norton outlined his top five major suggestions to the women in preventing breast cancer: 

1. Know your family history
2. Get expert counseling
3. Screening- mammography, self breast exam
4. Eat mostly vegetarian diet and exercise
5. Avoiding extra estrogen – especially hormone replacement for post menopausal women.  There are alternatives to treating post-menopausal symptoms that do not include taking extra estrogen, Norton said.

Dr. Norton also emphasized the importance of being an educated patient; ask questions, obtain a second opinion.  “A good doctor should not balk at a patient wanting a second opinion; how they respond is like an acid test.”  Look for a doctor who is involved with research, cancer centers, clinical trials – some form of peer review, Dr. Norton suggested.

Additionally, if not most importantly, Dr. Norton stressed the multi-level benefits of clinical trials – for current patients, future patients, researchers, and doctors.   “Every reason to be in a clinical trial; the worst is you would be the very best standard treatment… we would not know what we know today if it weren’t for clinical trials.”