The Center for Breast Cancer at Smilow Cancer Hospital and Yale Cancer Center provides coordinated, state-of-the-art care for patients with benign and malignant diseases of the breast. For patients diagnosed with breast cancer , we offer dedicated care, innovative treatment options, and cutting-edge research. A great deal of progress in the detection and treatment of breast cancer has been made in recent years, and our physicians are on the leading edge of finding even better solutions. Women with a diagnosis of breast cancer are cared for by a multidisciplinary team of physician specialists, including radiologists, breast surgeons, medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, pathologists, and plastic surgeons. From the tranquility of the building, to our complementary therapy services, to the most sophisticated personalized therapies and equipment available, Yale is committed to tailoring treatment to our patients to ensure they have the best experiences possible during their time in our care. Breast Surgery Although many general surgeons perform breast surgery, dedicated breast surgeons have the experience and knowledge to handle difficult or unusual cases, and are generally more likely to understand the complexities of breast diagnosis and treatment. The surgeons at the Center for Breast Cancer at Smilow Cancer Hospital and Yale Cancer Center perform breast surgery exclusively, and are nationally known as leaders in their field. Yale surgeons were among the first to perform a lumpectomy instead of a mastectomy, and were instrumental in the development of noninvasive procedures like sentinel lymph node biopsy, intraoperative guidance by ultrasound, and advanced oncoplastic procedures. Our surgeons are experienced in cutting-edge techniques, such as skin-sparing and nipple-sparing mastectomy, and often work hand-in-hand with our plastic surgeons to offer women a variety of options for breast reconstruction. Medical Oncology Many patients with breast cancer also need medical therapy, such as chemotherapy and/or endocrine therapy. Our team of experts utilizes both standard chemotherapies and novel targeted therapies to attack the cancer precisely while minimizing harm to normal tissues. Our medical oncologists are nationally recognized for their contributions to breast cancer research. For example, investigators at Yale helped to elucidate the biology of a cellular receptor called HER2. As a result, our medical oncologists have been successful in developing treatment strategies for HER2-positive breast cancer, and have extended this expertise to provide effective therapies for triple-negative/basal-like and hormone receptor-positive breast cancer. They continue to study new treatments, and patients at Smilow Cancer Hospital have the opportunity to receive such novel therapies through clinical trials, many of which are not available elsewhere in Connecticut. New and complicated patient cases are discussed weekly by the entire team so that

Each year, nearly 300,000 people in the United States are diagnosed with a type of gastrointestinal cancer. Many of these cancers are too complex or difficult to be treated with just one type of treatment. The Center for Gastrointestinal Cancers at Smilow Cancer Hospital and Yale Cancer Center provides patients with gastrointestinal cancers a comprehensive, multidisciplinary approach to the treatment of complex disease. As experts in the treatment of cancers of the esophagus, stomach, liver, pancreas, colon, bile ducts, rectum, and anus, we collaborate with diagnostic and interventional radiologists, gastroenterologists, and pathologists to provide the most up-to-date and effective treatments available. Our advanced diagnostic imaging services, including Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography (ERCP), MRI/MRCP (ERCP in conjunction with MRI), high-resolution CT scans, Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS), and EUS-guided fine needle aspiration, allow for patients to be comprehensively evaluated at the onset of their diagnosis. Surgical Oncology Surgery is commonly used to effectively manage certain types of gastrointestinal cancers, including malignant and premalignant tumors in the stomach, liver, bile ducts, pancreas, small intestine, and colorectum. Our team of surgeons incorporate a variety of state-of-the-art surgical techniques into procedures when necessary. These include: Laparoscopic and robotic surgery for stomach, small bowel, and colorectal tumors, as well as for primary and metastatic liver tumors and biliary tumors Cytoreduction and heated intraperitoneal chemotherapy Pancreatectomy (Whipple procedure, distal pancreatectomy, total pancreatectomy, central pancreatectomy, pancreas preserving enucleation) Medical Oncology In addition to chemotherapy, our medical oncology experts provide innovative nonsurgical treatment options including: Targeted Therapy, in which a special type of chemotherapy targets the changes in cancer cells that help them grow, divide, and spread Immunotherapy, which uses a patient’s own immune system to find and destroy cancer cells Yale Cancer Center emphasizes the importance of clinical trials for all stages of disease. Many of these drugs are exploring new types of therapy and new combinations of therapies, and many of our studies are available as part of our network of Care Centers. We perform state-of-the-art genomic profiling and laboratory explorations to determine the biologic weaknesses of the tumors and to develop better therapies for patients. Radiation Oncology Patients who need radiation oncology to treat their gastrointestinal cancers can feel confident that they are receiving the highest quality care from the most experienced team of radiation oncologists in Connecticut. We offer innovative therapies including: Three-dimensional Conformal Radiation: This technique may be used to target radiation to tumors by matching their particular shapes. Four-dimensional (4-D) CT simulation makes CT scans f

Unlike a mastectomy, which removes the entire breast, breast-conserving surgery removes only the affected breast tissue, allowing patients to continue to radiation therapy on an intact breast. Yale was one of the first facilities in the country to offer this effective combination of treatments. Our physicians also perform radiation following mastectomy, and radiation for treatment of metastasis, or for cancer that has spread. To deliver radiation for breast cancer , we use a variety of novel treatments, including conventional external beam radiation, intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT), deep inspiration breath hold (DIBH), and partial breast irradiation. We also offer hypo-fractionated breast radiation, a new treatment that reduces the duration of rational therapy, with fewer side effects.