Treating the Whole Person: Fallon Clinic Helps Patients Cope with Breast Cancer; October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

WORCESTER, Mass. -- Breast cancer, the most frequently diagnosed cancer in women in the United States, touches the lives of thousands of Massachusetts residents. Health care organizations such as Fallon Clinic are using the latest technologies and treatments to diagnose and treat breast cancer at an increasingly successful rate, and the need for support programs to help the patients and their families has never been more critical. Fallon Clinic is a leading provider of programs designed to treat the whole patient, not just the cancer. For more information on any of the programs detailed below, please call 1-800-AT-FALLON.

The Fallon Clinic Breast Care Center uses a multi-disciplinary team approach for newly diagnosed breast cancer patients. Upon receipt of a positive mammogram and biopsy, patients are scheduled to meet with a surgeon, medical oncologist and radiation oncologist - all in the same visit. Prior to the patient's appointment, a central team of specialists meets to discuss the patient's case in detail, so that ultimately each patient receives the benefit of the expertise of as many as fifteen specialists, without having to attend fifteen consults. At the appointment, the oncologist shares the team's treatment recommendations, and in partnership with the patient, develops an agreed upon plan.

"We try to be sensitive to the entire person and their individual needs, and not take a 'one size fits all' approach to treatment. While it's true that there are some standard approaches to breast cancer treatment, each patient has individual needs and treatment plans can be modified such that the experience is easier on the patient," said Dr. James Rooney, director of the division of hematology and oncology of Fallon Clinic. "Our approach in treating breast cancer is a team approach, wherein all the disciplines - surgery, medical oncology, nutrition, etc. - have input. We work with one another and the patient to ensure the most effective plan of care for each individual."

"Once the patient begins a course of treatment, there's more to be done to support their total well-being," said Debi Waugh, oncology nurse at the Fallon Clinic Breast Care Center. "Although current treatments for breast cancer - including chemotherapy and radiation - are effective, they can take a toll on the patient physically and emotionally. Fallon Clinic patients have access to programs that help them cope with their diagnosis and treatment."

Fallon Clinic's division of behavioral medicine works in conjunction with the Breast Care Center, the Lifetime Center, and the oncology department to assist patients with the emotional challenges they face. These services are not limited to patients with a positive diagnosis; Dr. Leslie Bourne, the director of the division, recommends that patients who have had a questionable mammogram and need to make a return appointment for clarification, or those going in for a breast biopsy, also make an appointment with her team of mental health professionals. These conditions can provoke substantial anxiety, particularly in patients who have a family history of breast cancer or know someone with the disease.

"I encourage both the patient and family to make use of our services," said Dr. Bourne. "Breast cancer is a diagnosis that hits families particularly hard. It is not only the patient who needs assistance in coping with the fears and anxieties that this diagnosis provokes. We help children, siblings, and partners of breast cancer patients, as well as helping patients cope with the physical changes that can occur."

A valuable resource for breast cancer patients, the Fallon Foundation Lifetime Center (located at Worcester Medical Center) is staffed by health care educators, and provides free public access to health resources, including an extensive health research and lending library, specialized health databases, and computer terminals with Internet access.

Lifetime Center resources include monthly meetings of the "Look Good...Feel Better" program, a free, non-medical, product-neutral program offered in partnership with the American Cancer Society, the National Cosmetology Association, and The Cosmetic, Toiletry, and Fragrance Association (CTFA) Foundation, a charitable organization supported by the cosmetic industry. The program is available to both breast cancer patients currently undergoing treatment and to former patients who have experienced the side effects of chemotherapy and radiation, including hair loss and changes in skin and nail care needs.

In these sessions, volunteer licensed cosmetologists, many of whom have been through chemotherapy and radiation treatments themselves, teach women how to cope with skin changes and hair loss using cosmetics and skin care products donated by the cosmetic industry. Free cosmetic kits are provided in a range of shades designed to enhance all complexion types, and women also learn ways to disguise hair loss with wigs, scarves and other accessories. For more information about this and other Lifetime Center programs, please call 1-800-891-2300.

About Fallon Clinic

Founded in 1929 by Dr. John Fallon and a team of local physicians, Fallon Clinic was central Massachusetts' first group practice, marking a fundamental shift in the delivery of patient care. As one of the most dynamic and progressive healthcare organizations in the country today, Fallon Clinic continues to challenge convention and transform patient care paradigms, and has set out to establish a new "gold standard" in patient care.

With 240 physicians practicing in 26 locations staffed by over 1,700 employees, Fallon Clinic provides comprehensive care for more than one million patient visits a year, and is the largest private, multi-specialty group in central Massachusetts. Nationally recognized as a leader in healthcare quality, the Clinic is currently implementing key initiatives and technologies that ensure patients receive both the finest medical care and the highest levels of access and service.