Breast Care Program

Accreditation

The Mary Washington Regional Cancer Center and Mary Washington General Surgery are both fully accredited by the National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers through the American College of Surgeons. NAPBC-accredited centers provide access to comprehensive care by a multidisciplinary team, information about ongoing clinical trials, and new treatment options.

The Breast Care Program at the MWHC Regional Cancer Center (RCC) ensures that patients receive a lifetime continuum of care, providing everything from routine exams for ongoing breast health to specialized services if diagnosed or considered at high risk for breast cancer.

Our Services

• Counseling & guidance for high-risk patients
• Breast exams and screenings
• Surgical procedures
• Cancer management
• Follow-up care

High Risk Breast Screening Program

Women with certain health factors can be at a higher risk for breast diseases. Simply being high risk does not mean a woman will develop the disease, but it does mean she should be screened regularly.

The RCC has developed a screening program especially for women at high risk for developing breast cancer. Led by the Imaging Center for Women, fellowship-trained breast imaging specialists and nurses provide an in-depth medical and family history review, hereditary risk assessment and discuss no-cost genetic testing. Women who are considered high risk receive individualized screening recommendations, which may include MRI and genetic counseling.

Any patient who receives a mammogram at a Mary Washington imaging facility has their overall lifetime risk of breast cancer determined using the National Cancer Institute (NCI) Gail Model and individual risk factors.

Leaders in Breast-Conserving Cancer Treatment

Mary Washington Healthcare, where breast-conserving treatment methods for breast cancer have been common since 1990, exceeds national averages for success. Approximately 80% of our breast cancer patients choose breast-conserving treatment, considerably more than the 62% average recorded in the American College of Surgeons National Cancer Data Base of 1,500 cancer programs in the U.S. accredited by the Commission on Cancer.

Because our patients can make informed decisions after being furnished comprehensive information on the range on breast cancer treatments, fewer than 2% who choose a breast-conserving method experience a local recurrence of cancer. Women whose breasts remain intact tend to feel greater satisfaction with their treatment overall, and national studies have shown survival rates to be essentially the same after lumpectomy or total mastectomy. In addition, women in the MWHC Breast Care Program receive continuous follow-up to maintain their good health.

Expedient, Comprehensive Cancer Care

Our relationships with local imaging centers and the breast cancer navigator model allow us to quickly begin treatment planning for women diagnosed with breast cancer. If a woman does receive a diagnosis of breast cancer, we take a multidisciplinary, highly personalized team approach to eradicating cancerous and noncancerous tumors.

Through weekly cancer conferences, the region’s leaders in cancer care come together to consult on breast and other cancer cases to determine an agreed upon course of treatment that’s most suitable for the patient.

PAXMAN Scalp Cooling for Hair Loss

One of the unique services we offer to our breast cancer patients at Mary Washington Medical Oncology is PAXMAN scalp cooling, which helps prevent hair loss from chemotherapy. We understand that hair loss can be a significant concern for many women undergoing chemotherapy, and we are proud to offer this innovative technology as part of our comprehensive care plan. Mary Washington Medical Oncology also offers laser therapy for hair growth at no additional cost.

Breast Cancer Navigator

Our Breast Cancer Navigator always stands ready to provide information, guidance and support throughout a cancer journey, coordinating care to expedite physician visits, testing and treatment plans and helping to maintain peace of mind. Patients are encouraged to call on the Navigator at any point during their care at no cost for help or access to:

• Physical therapy
• Cancer rehabilitation
• Genetic counseling
• Support groups
• Nutrition consults
• Integrative Medicine & Complementary Therapies
• Transportation and financial assistance
• Spiritual and emotional support
• Education and access to clinical trials
• Resources for family members
• Survivorship support

Survivorship Support

From the moment you are diagnosed you are a survivor. Every patient who is diagnosed with cancer has lifetime access to our survivorship program and benefits including:

• Mastectomy & Bra Fitting services
• Free Radiation Bras
• Wig Room services
• Support groups with frequent guest speakers

In addition to these services all RCC offerings will continue to be available to you.

Breast Clinical Research Trials

Clinical research trials are essential for advancing the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of breast conditions, including breast cancer. There are different types of breast clinical trials such as prevention, screening and diagnostic, treatment, observational and survivorship. Patient eligibility varies depending on each cancer trial.

Mary Washington Healthcare Research, along with the multidisciplinary team of oncologists and healthcare professionals, are dedicated to your care and the advancement of breast health research. By participating in clinical trials, you contribute to medical innovation while potentially gaining early access to cutting-edge therapies and possibly shaping the future of breast health care.

Rod Flynn, MD, FACS

Dr. Flynn is board certified by the American Board of Surgery, and has been a surgical oncologist since 2004. He has experience in treating patients with various abdominal cancers, as well as breast cancer and cancers of the skin and soft tissues.

Christa Jillard Ilić, MD, FACS

Dr. Ilić is a board-certified surgeon specialized in breast and endocrine surgery. She is dedicated to the surgical care of breast diseases and conditions and is hidden scar certified. She earned her medical degree at the Temple University School of Medicine, followed by a general surgery residency at the Medical University of South Carolina. She went on to complete a fellowship in endocrine surgery at Duke University.

Maithreyi Sarma, MD

Dr. Sarma is a dedicated hematologist and medical oncologist, with training from MedStar Georgetown’s WHC and the University of Buffalo’s Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center. As an oncologist, Dr. Sarma’s role extends to ensuring patients have access to the latest scientific advancements in therapy while tailoring treatments to enhance their quality of life.

Meredith Whittaker, MD

Dr. Whittaker is a board-certified and fellowship-trained breast surgeon specializing in benign and malignant diseases of the breast. Her clinical interests include oncoplastic and minimally invasive techniques to treat breast cancer, nipple sparing mastectomy, hidden scar surgery, and aesthetic flat closure.

Rachel Coggins, DO

Rachel Coggins, DO, focuses on noninterventional rehabilitation medicine for patients with cancer, strokes, brain injuries, and deconditioning in need of rehabilitation including mobility and orthotics. She treats post-mastectomy musculoskeletal conditions, lymphedema management (evaluation and management, including DME management), prehabilitation and optimization of function prior, during, and after cancer therapies, cancer-related fatigue, and cancer-related neuropathic and musculoskeletal conditions.

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