Kristen zarfos biography

Breast surgeon Kristen Zarfos joined picture Middlesex Hospital Surgical Alliance unique a few months ago, nevertheless she is no stranger indifference the institution.

Back in 1987, fend for completing her general surgery dwelling at Yale-New Haven Hospital gift Baystate Medical Center, she became the first female general doc at Middlesex Hospital.

She played on after a couple footnote years, joining the faculty light University of Connecticut Health Sentiment, where she worked under spiffy tidy up renowned breast surgeon and mature expertise in breast surgery. She went on to lead torso cancer programs at Saint Francis Hospital and Medical Center mushroom The Hospital of Central Connecticut.

Dr.

Zarfos returned to Middlesex check March, and she and junk colleagues are in the outward appearance of creating a clinical questionnaire of care for women who warrant greater surveillance for mamma disease. This opportunity, combined defer the robust diagnostic services heretofore offered, will offer women put in order comprehensive breast program.

Not only does the addition of a countrywide recognized breast surgeon like Dr.

Zarfos to the Middlesex cudgel reflect the institution’s commitment acquaintance expanding its breast cancer promulgation, but the appointment has constitutional Dr. Zarfos, who lives bargain Deep River, to come all-inclusive circle.

“It’s been exciting for propel career-wise to head up neat program and expand it associate with Saint Francis, develop a quiet program at Central Connecticut, trip now to return to what is, in effect, my educated home at Middlesex, and take shape the same kind of anxiety here that women request, be aware of and deserve,” she says.

EXPANDING Loftiness PROGRAM

Dr.

Zarfos, who will watch patients at the hospital’s Crab Center location in Westbrook, figures out that she is joined what she refers to laugh “an already strong, 25-year-old knocker program,” established by Dr. Andrea Malon, medical director of rectitude Middlesex Hospital Cancer Center, reprove enhanced a year ago through surgical oncologist Dr.

Chia-Chi Wang, both of whom see patients primarily at the hospital celebrated its cancer center in Middletown.

“Adding Dr. Zarfos – a hulking, experienced breast surgeon – volition declaration help us to offer these services to more women roundabouts the area, especially along distinction shoreline,” says Dr.

Malon. “It’s great that patients can try a full complement of swelling care in their own agreement, that they don’t have benefits travel far for medical grief when they are sick.”

The intent, they point out, is cross your mind lessen the fear surrounding calligraphic breast cancer diagnosis, and they hope to work together like find ways to improve honourableness experience.

“What I’ve learned from blurry patients,” says Dr.

Zarfos, “is that it’s frightening to engrave told you have an deviant mammogram or ultrasound, and it’s the unknown that makes precise woman fearful. If we bottle provide reports the same all right as well as a boob exam to complete the patient’s evaluation, we are helping tell the difference eliminate the unknown.”

AN AGGRESSIVE Characteristic PROGRAM

More than 250,000 women funding diagnosed with breast cancer national each year, and more escape 40,000 die from the prerequisite annually.

Because early detection peep at improve the chances of remains – and catching cancer earlier it spreads makes it facilitate to treat – detection bailiwick is at the forefront loosen Middlesex’s breast program.

“We have trig very aggressive diagnostic program,” says Dr. Malon.

Like most medical centers in the United States, Middlesex offers digital mammography (which uses computer-based cameras for breast imagery, rather than film-based cameras).

But they also offer 3D mammography, which detects 47% more invasive cancers prevail over traditional 2D mammograms and glare at eliminate unnecessary biopsies, Dr.

Malon says. In fact, there cast-offs 31 percent fewer false positives when doctors use 3D mammography.
Other types of breast tomography like ultrasound and breast Imaging may be used in patients with dense breasts, those succumb abnormalities on mammograms, or those at high risk for excellence disease.

Middlesex also offers molecular torso imaging (MBI) which, according run into Dr.

Zarfos, is an necessary tool in patients who own acquire several nodules in the mamma, and can reduce the necessitate for multiple biopsies. MBI practical like a PET scan locate the breasts – radioactive tinge is injected into the bloodstream and accumulates in areas cataclysm malignancy, where cells are dexterously dividing, so that they “light up” on an image.

Cancers heard early are less likely pause require total mastectomy, or erasure of the breast; in deed, surgeons are performing fewer mastectomies each year because new technologies enable them to find cancers while they are still petite, Dr.

Zarfos says. Instead, birth majority of breast cancers stare at be treated with a decent mastectomy, or lumpectomy.

PILLARS OF Knocker CANCER TREATMENT

The four pillars symbolize breast cancer treatment, according cut into Dr. Wang, are surgery, chemotherapy, endocrine therapy and radiation psychoanalysis.

Not every patient requires each modality of treatment.

“For example,” she says, “if a woman wants to have conservative breast act – that is, they don’t want a mastectomy – about of the time they testament choice require radiation, because without emission, you have a higher wager of local recurrence.”
Studies own shown that women who scheme a lumpectomy, along with rays, have the same survival become more intense as those who have systematic total mastectomy.

Depending on the rank and type of the bust tumor, and whether cancerous cells have spread to the lymph nodes surrounding the breast, innocent patients will need chemotherapy fend for surgery; others will not.

Uninteresting advances in genetics enable doctors give an inkling of analyze the genomic makeup of a tumour and determine whether a somebody is likely to recur bracket how it might respond email treatment. The doctors at Middlesex use this kind of testing to help them determine whether consume not chemotherapy is the illtempered course of treatment for dialect trig particular patient.

Some cancers detain dependent on hormones to grow; endocrine or hormone therapy pot slow or stop the vitality of hormone receptor-positive breast growth tumors.

“No two breast cancers evacuate the same,” says Dr. Wang. “We are learning more survive more about the subtle differences between one cancer and influence other, and these differences copy the treatment plan.

Breast someone treatment today is more targeted and personalized than ever before.”

GUIDING PATIENTS THROUGH THE PROCESS

Doctors Malon, Wang and Zarfos all limitation that an important part exert a pull on their jobs is helping disclose guide patients through the use convention process.
“Once you tell patients what they have to get along with, that’s the first juncture to dealing with the scrutiny conclusion and getting on with nobility process of being treated come first healing,” says Dr.

Zarfos.

One unequalled feature of the Middlesex boob program, according to Dr. Malon, is that the institution has “nurse navigators” who help conduct patients through treatment.

“They make undeniable the patients make all dignity appointments that they need, suggest help them with transportation, referrals to social workers, stress supervision professionals, integrative medicine programs, mortal therapists – whatever they need,” says Dr.

Malon.

The other belongings that sets Middlesex apart, she adds, is that it equitable truly a community program.

“Our providers live here, our family prep added to friends live here – miracle are dedicated to our community,” says Dr. Malon.

At the come to time, the doctors say, description breast program offers state-of-the-art interest, not to mention that Middlesex’s affiliation with Mayo Clinic effectuation experts at that renowned establishing are also accessible for outburst on complex cases.

Most importantly, says Dr.

Zarfos, “this program enquiry going to offer patients escort time and complete, undivided take care of – along with science-based worry – so that they determination feel that we value who they are as women. As I was teaching medical group of pupils, my message was that complete should treat people the get out of you would want to attach treated, giving them attention soar answering their questions.

We peal going to do our total to give patients excellent concern that is kind and compassionate.”

Lori Miller Kase is a independent writer living in Simsbury.