Roswell Park Cancer Institute’s Comprehensive Breast Program provides care for all aspects of breast disease and breast cancer. Treatment is provided in a multidisciplinary breast center that includes specialists in all related breast disciplines. This includes breast surgery, medical oncology, radiation oncology, breast imaging and mammography, genetics services, nursing, plastic surgery, pathology, social support and education services, physical therapy and others. Key strengths of the breast program include patient education and social support services including a breast resource center to assist people about learning about breast cancer. The program also guides women within Roswell Park and community support services with a patient navigation service for those patients who have difficulty “navigating” their way through the health care system. In addition, RPCI maintains an active research program in all aspects of breast care.

Roswell Park’s Breast Program treats about 350 newly diagnosed breast cancer patients annually. This is about 35% of all breast cancers treated in WNY. There are over 750 new patients overall, as well as 14,000 outpatient visits and over 700 breast cancer operations annually in the breast program.

The breast program is committed to maintaining information about the outcomes for patients treated in its program. Roswell Park is one of the founding members of nations leading cancer outcomes data analysis program through the National Comprehensive Cancer Network. This program maintains data on over 30,000 cancer patients at the top cancer centers in the nation and is used for analysis of the patterns and quality of cancer care as well as research into many areas of breast cancer treatment. In addition, Roswell Park maintains an institute wide cancer registry which collects information on general aspects of treatment of all cancer patients. The data from these quality assessment programs are used regularly to assess the quality of care, and to assist Roswell doctors in continuous improvement in the way that services are delivered, and assuring that all patients receive the best possible treatment.

Roswell Park’s breast program is also actively engaged in breast cancer research. Many of its physicians and other staff are leaders in national research programs. A variety of studies including studies of new drugs and other treatments, and pilot clinical research studies are ongoing to aggressively seek answers for the most challenging questions to improve breast care. Of course, participation in any research program is purely voluntary and patients may receive care at Roswell Park regardless of their decision to participate in clinical research. Further, no research is conducted without the express permission of the individual patient. However, most of the women treated at Roswell Park for breast cancer are eager to participate in work that helps future women with this disease.

The links below (or to the left) provide general information regarding the women who were treated at Roswell Park for breast cancer, the characteristics of their cancers, and their treatment. We have also provided information on the performance of the Roswell Park Breast Program against nationally accepted quality benchmarks and have provided survival statistics on women treated at Roswell Park.

In assessing these data, it is important that the user of these data recognize the characteristics of women who come to a cancer center may differ somewhat from those of women who do not. For example, as you will see in the graphs, Roswell Park tends to see women who are somewhat younger than the national average of women with breast cancer and more women with advanced stage of cancer come to Roswell Park. It is not surprising that a large cancer center attracts younger women and those with more advanced cancer. They may specifically choose to come to the cancer center to get more specialized care or to participate in clinical studies addressing new ways to treat aggressive cancers.

Age and Race of Breast Cancer Patients Treated at Roswell Park

Stage of Cancer at Time of Diagnosis and Treatment Patterns

National Quality Care Measures for Breast Cancer

• Type of Surgery
• Adjuvant Systemic Therapy (Chemotherapy and Hormone Therapy)
• Roswell Park's Performance on National Quality Benchmarks

Overall Five-Year Survival for Breast Cancer