Recently, Spa & Beauty Today had the honor of attending Women to Women: The Crossroads of Innovation, Inspiration, and Breast Cancer Care, which featured a panel of female doctors and professors from the University of Southern California (USC) Keck School of Medicine sharing their perspectives and the latest developments in breast cancer care and research.

USC is one of the world’s leading private research universities, and Keck School of Medicine, which is one of the nation’s leading medical institutions, trains students to become citizens and leaders in healthcare. The event was hosted at The Langham Huntington Hotel in Pasadena, California, and started with a lovely afternoon tea before the panel.

The panel was moderated by Vaughn A. Starnes, MD, Distinguished Professor and Chair, USC Department of Surgery and the H. Russell Smith Foundation Chair for Stem Cell and Cardiovascular Thoracic Research. Under his leadership, USC surgeons have conducted more than 15,000 open-heart surgeries to repair and replace valves or create coronary artery bypasses, and he also pioneered the living related double lobar lung transplant in 1993.

The panel included:

• Regina Baker, MD, Assistant Professor of Clinical Surgery

• Julie Lang, MD, Associate Professor of Clinical Surgery and Director, Breast Cancer Research Program

• Linda Hovanessian Larsen, MD, Associate Professor of Clinical Radiology and Director, Women’s Imaging

• Janice Lu, MD, PhD, Clinical Professor of Medicine and Medical Director, Comprehensive Breast Program

• Maria Nelson, MD, Assistant Professor of Clinical Surgery

• Alicia M. Terando, MD, Associate Professor of Clinical Surgery and Surgical Director, Comprehensive Breast Program

Ketan M. Patel, MD, Assistant Professor of Clinical Surgery, also provided input for the panel. His clinical focus and expertise are in implant breast surgery, autologous flap reconstruction, lymphedema surgery, and other reconstructive procedures.

Some of the key points discussed included the important of early detection, how genetics play a role in the development of breast cancer, treatment of lymphedema and advanced surgical options.

They also announced the opening of the Keck Medicine of USC multidisciplinary breast clinic, which is located on the third floor of the state-of-the-art Norris Healthcare Center. Their multidisciplinary clinic offers a team of breast cancer experts from different fields who work together to help patients create individualized care plans. The same-day integrated care team includes breast radiology, surgical oncology, plastic surgery, and more.

Also coming soon is another location in Arcadia, California, whose services will include breast surgery, plastic surgery, radiation oncology, and more. There are more plans to open other locations in the near future, which will make it easier to get expert primary and speciality care throughout the Los Angeles area.

The afternoon ended with Gayane Tayoulian coming on stage to say a few words. She is breast cancer survivor who, thanks to the medical team at USC, was able to detect her cancer in time. All in all it was an inspiring and heartwarming afternoon, and it served as a reminder that all women, regardless of their age or genetics, should be proactive in getting screened at an annual breast exam—because early detection will save your life and the ones you love.

For more information, visit cancer.keckmedicine.org/breast or to make an appointment, call (800) USC-CARE.