One of the hallmarks of cancer care at Broward Health is a willingness to embrace leading technologies that can make treatment less burdensome and more effective.
Broward Health has long been a provider of comprehensive cancer care. Their expert multidisciplinary team, consisting of top oncology physicians and nurses certified in cancer care, is dedicated to delivering excellent patient outcomes. The range of advanced treatments at Broward Health, supported by evidence-based research, includes radiation oncology, medical oncology, surgical oncology, patient navigation, nutritional counseling, survivorship programs, support groups, genetic evaluation, counseling and testing for genetic mutations to assess cancer risk.
For Mehmet Hepgur, M.D., a hematologist-oncologist and graduate medical education director of the hematology/oncology fellowship program at Broward Health, harnessing recent treatment protocols is the cornerstone of cancer services at the health system.
To consistently bring innovation to cancer treatment, he and his team leverage the latest treatment options to enhance care, including:
- Liquid biopsies to detect cancer
- Minimal residual disease monitoring to gauge patients’ responses to chemotherapy or immunotherapy using certain blood tests
- Next-generation sequencing techniques
In addition, personalized care is increasingly defining how physicians approach cancer treatment.
“We can treat lung and breast cancers with certain mutations differently from patient to patient based on mutational analysis,” Dr. Hepgur said. “We assess patients from a molecular perspective to determine whether we can offer tailored care.”
NEXT-LEVEL MAMMOGRAPHY
Combined technology improves the breast cancer screening experience for women at high risk or who need a second look. Broward Health offers contrast-enhanced mammography, which combines X-ray images and contrast dye to help reveal new blood vessels that may point to the presence of breast cancer. In certain patients, contrast-enhanced mammograms can eliminate the need to conduct breast MRIs, which are more cumbersome for patients by comparison, according to Alia Abdulla, D.O., FACS, surgical oncologist at Broward Health.
“We may perform contrast-enhanced mammograms in patients at high risk for breast cancer,” Dr. Abdulla said. “In addition, candidates include patients who previously had abnormal breast biopsy results. We may use contrast-enhanced mammography as an additional monitoring tool to ensure they’re cancer-free or haven’t developed a new lesion.”
NEW TOOLS TO GUIDE TREATMENT
Dr. Abdulla uses technologies to enhance the precision of treatment in patients undergoing breast-conserving surgery. One of these solutions, a magnetic localization seed called Magseed®, takes the place of wire localization as a method for marking tissue for surgical removal.
“Magseed allows us to remove a smaller volume of tissue by targeting the tissue more precisely,” Dr. Abdulla said. “As a result, we can better preserve the breast’s aesthetic appearance.”
In patients able to receive partial breast radiation, Dr. Abdulla can place radiopaque tissue markers called VeraForm® to guide the way.
“We can use VeraForm markers to outline the tumor bed extremely precisely so the radiation can be delivered more accurately,” Dr. Abdulla said. “For patients who may need whole-breast radiation, the markers allow us to offer a boost to the tumor bed in a more precise fashion.”
SHAPING THE FUTURE OF PEDIA TRIC ONCOLOGY
The hematology oncology program at Broward Health Medical Center’s Salah Foundation Children’s Hospital pairs compassionate, family-centered care with leading-edge therapies available through membership in the Children’s Oncology Group (COG), a renowned clinical trials network dedicated to refining existing pediatric cancer treatments and testing new ones.
“As a COG member, we contribute to the development of and adherence to standardized treatment protocols, ensuring our patients receive the most effective and up-to-date care based on current research and evidence,” said Angelica Garzon, M.D., pediatric hematologist oncologist at Broward Health Medical Center. “This helps ensure consistent and high-quality care across institutions, which is crucial for large-scale trials and collaborative research.”
Dr. Garzon points to COG trials available at Salah Foundation Children’s Hospital involving pediatric leukemia as some of the most impactful investigations for patients.
“Previously, we reserved immunotherapy for patients with relapsed leukemia, but now we’re offering this therapy as part of initial treatment,” Dr. Garzon said. “The goal is to one day replace toxic chemotherapy with more directed precision medicine.”
The physicians and patients of the hematology oncology program at Salah Foundation Children’s Hospital are helping to bring that future into focus.
For more Information, visit BrowardHealth.org/BeatCancer.
