Approximately 4,600 women are diagnosed with breast cancer in Indiana each year. At St.Vincent Cancer Care, we are on the front lines of early diagnosis as the only Breast Center of Excellence in the Midwest — and one of just 11 in the nation.
We defend against breast cancer with a brave team of cancer specialists, state-of-the-art technology and a dedicated genetic counseling team. And we support each patient with a patient navigator, who walks with women throughout their breast cancer journey, every step of the way.
To learn more about how we’re fighting breast cancer with a combination of the latest technology, groundbreaking treatments, and great compassion, please read our stories of hope and recovery below.
A WOMAN OF HOPE: TRACI RUNGE
A mother of three, Traci Runge was diagnosed with triple-positive invasive breast cancer last April. She was treated at St.Vincent Cancer Care, finished chemotherapy last month, and is now participating in the survivorship programs Women of Hope helps fund. What makes Traci’s story so remarkable, though, is her unique strength. Not satisfied to fight merely for her own survival, Traci has fully embraced the role of breast cancer advocate, contributing to the fight against breast cancer in a way that, quite literally, no one ever had before her. Click here to watch a video about her story.
A SAVI APPROACH TO BREAST CARE
Advances in breast cancer care have made it easier for doctors to target the tumor area with partial irradiation, eliminating cancer from the tumor area while preserving the rest of the breast. In this brief podcast, St.Vincent Cancer Care breast surgeon Thomas Schmidt, MD, explains how the SAVI catheter works, and why it’s fast becoming the preferred way to treat qualified patients. Click here to listen.
CALLED TO SERVE: DANIELLE THOMPSON
At just 28, Danielle Thompson was diagnosed with breast cancer. Thompson was lucky: It was caught early and treated successfully by the breast specialists at St.Vincent Cancer Care. But she couldn’t put the experience behind her. Moreover, she didn’t want to. Instead, she decided to pay it forward with a new career as a mammographer at the St.Vincent Breast Center. Click here to read her story.
AFTER A MAMMOGRAM: WHEN YOU HAVE TO GO BACK
After a mammogram, many women receive notice that the radiologist wants to get another look at an area of breast tissue. That news can sound ominous, but it isn’t an indication that something’s wrong and it certainly doesn’t mean that you have cancer. Find out what it does often mean in this article by St.Vincent Nurse Practitioner Julie Schnieders: Click here.
GET MORE INFORMATION
To learn about breast cancer, its signs and symptoms, and to download the St.Vincent Cancer Care Breast Services flyer, click here.
For more information about St.Vincent’s breast screening and diagnostic locations — and to meet the St.Vincent breast care team members — click here.