Cooper Cancer Institute was recently named a “Center of Excellence” in accelerated partial breast irradiation (APBI) for its use of the SAVI^® applicator, an advanced therapy for breast cancer as part of breast conservation therapy. Read the full story

On Sunday, Generosa Grana, MD, FACP, Head, Division of Hematology/Oncology at Cooper and Director of Cooper Cancer Institute, was a guest panelist on Caucus New Jersey with Emmy-Award winning anchor, Steve Adubato, PhD. This week’s program featured on the PBS television network, focused on the latest in breast cancer diagnosis, treatment and prevention.

Watch the full episode. See more Caucus: New Jersey.

Renewed Funding Provided by Avon Foundation

Hundreds more women from throughout Camden County will have access to breast health education and screening thanks to the Avon Foundation Breast Health Outreach Program’s renewed support of the New Jersey Cancer Education and Early Detection Program at Cooper (Cooper CEED).

The Avon Foundation for Women announced that it would again grant Cooper’s CEED program $35,000 for outreach to underserved women who live in Camden and the surrounding area. This is the fourth year this grant was funded, and to date 2,130 women have taken part in breast health education programs, 1,465 have received breast exams and 1,287 have had free mammograms.

Read the full story

The Courier-Post published an article focusing on three South Jersey doctors on the front lines in the battle again breast cancer. Generosa Grana, MD, Director of the Cooper Cancer Institute, was featured in the article that described the progress that has been made in breast cancer treatments and what the future holds.

“We no longer think of it as one disease, but a series of diseases that has different biological features and should be treated differently,” she explained. “We are really making great strides with drugs that are specifically targeted toward defeating certain cancers. ”

She also discussed advances in prevention, which starts with identifying patients who are at an increased risk and goes from there. A family history is often determined and genetic testing is performed when appropriate.

Read the full story

Over the past decade, testing for mutations to the genes known as BRCA1 and BRCA2 has become a highly-regarded tool in the fight against breast cancer and ovarian cancer. And it’s given people with the genes – both those with cancer and those who don’t have it – information they can use to detect cancer early, prevent a recurrence or keep from getting it at all.

Dana Farengo Clark, a genetic counselor at the Cooper Cancer Institute, was interviewed for an article published in the Burlington County Times saying she encourages parents who want their young children tested to wait until they’re 18. Otherwise, she said, daughters may find out something they wouldn’t have wanted to know when they were old enough to decide for themselves. Because recommended screening doesn’t begin until age 25, knowing earlier isn’t likely to do much but give the family reason to worry, she said.

Read the full story