The Sam and Grace Carvajal Comprehensive Breast Center at Adventist Health Glendale will serve as a world-class treatment and resource hub for Southern California patients.
Breast cancer is the most common cancer diagnosed among women in the US and is the second leading cause of death from cancer among women. One in eight women will develop breast cancer.
For many women, accessing breast care – from screening and diagnosis to treatment – can be complex. Later-stage diagnosis and delays to care can lead to life-threatening complications.
The team of experts at Adventist Health Glendale’s new breast health center aim to change the national narrative by bridging care gaps and centralizing services at a single location.
On June 1, 2023, Adventist Health Glendale officially opened The Sam and Grace Carvajal Comprehensive Breast Center, a state of-the-art treatment center offering more than 15 specialized breast health services.
Led by internationally renowned breast surgeon Dr. Dennis Holmes, the Center’s expert surgeons, oncologists, radiologists and nurses tailor care to each patient’s needs.
The Sam and Grace Carvajal Comprehensive Breast Center arose to fill the Southland’s void for elevated, expedited, cutting-edge care. Too often, Dr. Holmes has seen or heard of cases where delayed or complicated access to care resulted in dire consequences for patients. Recent studies indicate that every month of delayed treatment can raise mortality risk by an average of 10%.
“Our goal is to change how breast cancer care is managed today. Not just by practicing the standard of care, but by raising the standard of care locally, nationally and even globally,” stated Dr. Holmes, the Center’s medical director.
Locally, the Center is the first in the Los Angeles metro area with dedicated medical staff for patients with benign care needs, including – a breast wellness clinic, survivorship clinic and a high-risk clinic for patients with elevated risk for breast cancer.
“From a national standpoint, we intend to raise the benchmark for expedited care. Whether someone is diagnosed here or elsewhere, our policy is to see all newly diagnosed breast cancer patients within one-to-two days. That is practice change that can help save lives. We believe this should be the new national standard,” shared Dr. Holmes.
The Sam and Grace Carvajal Comprehensive Breast Center patients will benefit from cutting-edge treatments, including targeted intraoperative partial breast radiotherapy and cryoablation.
Targeted Intraoperative radiotherapy (IORT) is a form of breast radiation administered as a single treatment during a lumpectomy to reduce the risk of cancer recurrence.
As a type of partial breast irradiation, IORT directs the radiation treatment to the tumor site, focusing on where the risk of recurrence is highest. This minimally invasive treatment spares the rest of the breast and surrounding tissues (e.g., lungs and heart) from radiation side effects.
‘Our goal is to change how breast cancer care is managed today. Not just by practicing the standard of care, but by raising the standard of care locally, nationally
and even globally.’
“Intraoperative radiotherapy typically takes just 30 minutes to deliver,” explained Dr. Holmes. “By comparison, traditional whole breast radiotherapy administers varying degrees of radiation to the entire breast, chest wall and nearby organs. Where traditional radiation
treatments can take several weeks to complete, intraoperative radiotherapy is showing to be equally as effective with a single dose.”
The Sam and Grace Carvajal Comprehensive Breast Center is also pioneering clinical trials affecting cancer treatment globally. At the forefront, the Center is conducting a clinical trial utilizing cryoablation instead of surgery to treat stage 0 breast cancer. The groundbreaking cryoablation treatment, also referred to as tumor freezing, has been used for many years on skin and cervical cancers. Dr. Holmes has also been selected to lead a national clinical trial of cryoablation to treat stage I breast cancer. The trial is slated to open later this year and many patients are expected to be enrolled at the Center.
The procedure is comparable to an ultrasound-guided needle biopsy of the breast and typically takes about one hour from start to finish. Cryoablation is performed with the patient awake and comfortable, using a minimally invasive cryoprobe to freeze the tumor and a surrounding rim at a cancer-killing temperature of -185° Celsius.
Additional specialty services offered at the Center include lymphedema screening using the SOZO device, the world’s most advanced bioimpedance spectroscopy (BIS) device, to diagnose and assess lymphedema (arm swelling) in less than 30 seconds, both before and after treatment.
The Center’s genetic counselors can evaluate patients’ personal or familial risks of carrying breast cancer mutations. Genetic counseling can help patients make informed decisions with their care team. By understanding a patient’s hereditary risks, steps can be taken to lessen one’s chances of developing cancer or allow for early detection.
Offering comprehensive services includes taking care of patients well after they leave the exam or operating room. The Center also provides vital programs like survivorship planning, support groups, mental health counseling, and cosmetic and prosthesis services.
“Access to expert-level care should not be limited to certain communities. Through The Sam and Grace Carvajal Comprehensive Breast Center, patients all across Southern California will benefit from our transformative, life-saving care,” shared Alice Issai, president of Adventist Health Glendale. “We know that breast care can be a challenging experience. Whether you need routine screening, are concerned about pain or changes in your breasts or need options for a complicated cancer diagnosis, we are here for you.”
The Sam and Grace Carvajal Comprehensive Breast Center at Adventist Health Glendale is now open. To learn more or to make an appointment, call (818) 630-8680.
