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Surgical Treatment for Breast Cancer Health Talk Transcript:

Thomas Noel, MD, General Surgery
Baptist Health Floyd

Thomas Noel, MD:

The first time a patient comes to see me with a new diagnosis of breast cancer, it's devastating to hear. It's really hard. I think the biggest thing to ease someone's worry is to have a plan — being able to really break down what's going on and clearly define the problem and the steps we're going to take to treat it.

As a breast surgeon, typically there's surgery for the breast. This can be a lumpectomy or removing a small area of the breast to remove cancer, preserving the rest of the breast tissue, or a mastectomy for women who aren't able to have this smaller operation. This removes the entirety of the breast tissue and can be done in conjunction with a plastic surgeon who will do reconstruction to recreate the breast.

I feel so grateful that my patients trust me to provide care for them. I feel so happy seeing a patient after everything's done. She's treated and gets to go off and not need these doctors anymore. I strongly believe that women should be able to get world-class levels of breast care near their own home. You really shouldn't have to travel to a far-flung medical center. You should be able to stay at your local hospital and get this treatment.

We're really building a great program here. We're working to make sure with every advancement that we're evaluating it and bringing new technology to give the highest level of care to the women of southern Indiana here in their own backyard.