Dr. Helen Mabry, a breast surgeon at Beaumont, Trenton, prides herself on personally connecting with her patients and providing individualized treatment options. A peek at her latest reviews confirms that approach resonates with her patients:
“Dr. Mabry listened to me and was aware of what needed to be done and she answered
all of my questions.”
“She explained everything and made it easy to understand. I trusted everything she was
saying. She knew the best course for me as an individual, which is extremely important.”
“She's very smart. I love the way that she laid it out and explained it to me, especially
as I'm not a doctor I couldn't be happier.”
Dr. Mabry begins her appointments by listening to the story of the patient’s diagnosis and asks what their main concerns and priorities are.
“There’s no easy way to deal with a new diagnosis of breast cancer, but we try to find the most effective plan for each patient while working to minimize side effects,” explains Dr. Mabry.
Those plans work best when the cancer is detected early and, like everything else, the COVID-19 pandemic caused screening delays and cancelations out of fear of COVID exposure.
Dr. Mabry says this led to an increase in women coming in with breast cancers found through a self-exam.
“Usually a tumor has to reach 2 centimeters to be found on a self-exam, whereas a mammogram can often find cancer smaller than that,” details Dr. Mabry. “The size difference changes the stage at diagnosis from Stage I to Stage II.”
Most breast cancers can be treated, and often cured, but the earlier the stage the better the outcomes.
“We’ve seen some unfortunate outcomes because of a delayed diagnosis,” says Dr. Mabry. “We hope the awareness that comes with Breast Cancer Awareness Month reminds women of this important screening."
Dr. Mabry’s message to anyone that may have missed or is overdue for their annual mammogram is to not delay any longer. “There’s no time like the present to take care of yourself.”