This press release contains dated information and should be used for background only.
KANSAS CITY, Kan. – Breast cancer survivors often ask themselves, “How do I get back to normal?” Those survivors now need look no further with the grand opening of The University of Kansas Cancer Center’s Breast Cancer Survivorship Center.
The center, located on the first floor of The University of Kansas Hospital Cancer Center and Medical Pavilion, located in Westwood, will hold opening ceremonies tomorrow (Nov.16, 2007.)
To meet the needs of this growing population, the center incorporates clinical, research and psychosocial programs that will serve the needs of breast cancer survivors and provide a model that can be expanded to other specific cancer types.
“With survival rates for early stage breast cancer exceeding ninety percent, the need to incorporate survivorship into the continuum of care is imperative in today’s practice,” said Carol Fabian, M.D., medical director of the Breast Cancer Prevention Center and the Breast Cancer Survivorship Center. “Our focus will be on assessing and treating the physical and psychosocial effects of treatment to improve the quality of life for breast cancer survivors.”
As the only comprehensive medical model for survivorship in Kansas and Missouri, the Breast Cancer Survivorship Center offers individualized service for breast cancer survivors including: genetic counseling and testing; fertility preservation; endocrine imbalance; menopausal symptom management; diet and exercise strategies; and long-term cardiac monitoring.
Side effects of a prolonged course of treatment for cancer can exact a heavy physical toll on the body, leaving a survivor with health needs that require lifelong surveillance and evaluation. To further understanding of these effects, the clinic will develop a robust research program to study these and related issues.
“Our goal is to help breast cancer survivors find a new normal after treatment,” said Jennifer Klemp, Ph.D., manager of the Survivorship Center.
“By applying a patient-centered care model through research, we can create a new standard of care by creating novel programs and services to improve the lives of breast cancer survivors.”
The National Cancer Institute estimates that there are more than 10.5 million cancer survivors in the United States in 2007. This number is projected to grow as research advances lead to a better understanding of cancer and more effective treatments are developed.
“The opening of the Breast Cancer Survivorship Center plays an important role in our efforts to obtain the National Cancer Institute’s (NCI) designation as a Comprehensive Cancer Center,” said Roy Jensen, M.D., director of the University of Kansas Cancer Center. “The NCI views survivorship as an integral component in the continuum of care for a cancer patient, and this program allows us to build an outstanding survivorship model by taking knowledge gained from efficiently managing the long-term effects of cancer and translate it into better care for cancer patients from here on out.”