Dr. Kelly Foster, medical oncologist at TGH Cancer Institute in Palm Beach County, wants to encourage primary care physicians to identify and refer women with a high risk for breast cancer for comprehensive assessment.
“If a patient has a history of breast cancer in their family, they may be up to twice as likely to get the disease,” says Dr. Foster, a medical oncologist specializing in breast and gastrointestinal cancers at TGH Cancer Institute in partnership with the Cancer Center of South Florida.
“It is important to encourage these patients to visit a high-risk clinic for individualized risk assessment. Identifying these women and performing risk assessment is a key step in cancer prevention and early detection. For someone with risk factors, a routine annual mammogram is not enough,” explained Dr. Foster.
At TGH Cancer Institute, a high-risk breast clinic, Dr. Kelly Foster will work closely with patients to determine their true risk percentage and design an individualized imaging surveillance plan that includes risk reduction strategies, state-of-the-art breast imaging and referral for ancillary services such as genetic counseling.
TGH Cancer Institute recommends referral for a formal risk assessment for patients concerned about their lifetime risk of breast cancer and who have any of these risk factors:
- Any family history of breast or ovarian cancer
- A male relative with breast cancer
- Ashkenazi Jewish descent
- Personal history of an atypical biopsy
- Personal history of chest radiation
- Known or suspected genetic mutation carrier (BRCA1 or BRCA2)
According to the American Cancer Society, breast cancer is the most common female cancer with approximately 194,000 new cases diagnosed each year in the U.S. More than 70 percent of breast cancers occur in women who are 50 years of age and older. The incidence of breast cancer increases with age, beginning slowly between the ages of 45 and 50, and steadily rises each year. In addition, breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths for women between the ages of 20 and 59.
“Breast cancer is common and will affect one in eight women” says Dr. Foster. “The good thing is that the oncology field is constantly evolving and advancing. As an oncologist, I look for ways to improve screenings for early detection and discuss risk reduction strategies for prevention.”
Early detection is also personal for Dr. Foster. Her mother has battled breast cancer for 20 years. As a result, she is passionate about the science, as well as prevention, patient communication and advocacy. “My mom’s cancer journey has taught me a lot about the patient experience and motivates me to provide the best care for my patients.”
Dr. Foster completed her internal medicine residency, and her medical oncology and palliative medicine fellowship training at Northwestern University. She received her undergraduate degree at UCLA and completed medical school at Loyola University Chicago.
TGH Cancer Institute is nationally recognized by U.S. News & World Report and the Commission on Cancer (CoC), and is home to the country’s top cancer specialists, surgeons and research scientists. TGH Cancer Institute specialists collaborate with experienced oncologists and surgeons across the state to deliver personalized medicine and game-changing treatments fueled by academic medicine.
For referrals and questions about detecting and assessing high risk for breast cancer, contact the TGH Cancer Institute at (561) 739-4TGH (4844).