Breast Patient Outcomes

The Breast Program
Each year, the Breast Program treats 500+ women newly-diagnosed with breast cancer (about 40% of the breast cancer patients in Western New York); and provides second opinions/treatments for advanced disease to many more, with 14,000+ outpatient visits and 900+ surgeries. The patient-focused program is committed to best practices and ongoing continuous quality evaluation/improvement. RPCI is a founding member of the nation’s leading breast cancer quality evaluation program – the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) Breast Cancer Outcomes Program. Since 1997, this group has evaluated quality of care at America’s top cancer centers, and used this information to redefine care standards and evaluate new treatment outcomes.

New Breast Cancer Cases

 

This section provides data on women who were treated for breast cancer at RPCI in 2009. As with most comprehensive cancer centers, RPCI affords patients greater treatment options and access to clinical studies. As a result, patients at comprehensive cancer centers such as RPCI are usually younger than the national average.

Age at Diagnosis

 

The average age of American women with breast cancer is in the early 60s with over half of the women being over this age. RPCI sees on average younger women.

Distribution by Race

 

The race and ethnicity of women treated reflect the general population of Western New York.

Family History of Cancer

Stage at Diagnosis

 

Though a greater fraction of women treated at RPCI have higher-stage cancer than the national average, most have early-stage cancer. Mirroring the national trend, about 20% of women treated at RPCI have ductal carcinoma in situ (Stage 0).