Overview

Building of the Institute
Breast Cancer Clinic
Research Highlights
Clinical Research
Social Sciences
Molecular Sciences
Calendar of Events

Building of the Institute
A generous gift from the Norman and Irma Braman Family Foundation made the Braman Family Breast Cancer Institute a reality in 2002. The Braman's initiative has garnered considerable and continued support from the community, helping to fuel our progress.

Recruited to lead the initiative and state-of-the-art institute is renowned breast cancer physician-scientist Joyce M. Slingerland, M.D., Ph.D., director of the Braman Family Breast Cancer Institute. Much of the success of the Institute can be attributed to the work and leadership of director, Dr. Slingerland, clinical director, Stefan Glück, M.D, Ph.D., research associate director, Zafar Nawaz, Ph.D., associate clinical director, Eli Avisar, M.D., and Mark Pegram, M.D. (Associate Director in Translational Clinical Research).

Recognizing the power and promise of the Institute’s effort and commitment, in 2005 the State of Florida awarded a generous allocation to fund breast cancer research at UM/Sylvester, and provided additional funding to expand its community outreach and patient education activities. The Braman Family Breast Cancer Institute and the Women’s Health Institute at the University of Miami are driving the activities of the Breast Cancer Education Program, aimed at reaching out to the underprivileged population.

What’s more, as a result of the ongoing multidisciplinary basic science that our researchers are conducting, Institute members have been awarded a number of highly competitive grants from the National Cancer Institute. Our researchers receive more than $2.5 million per year in new, external peer-reviewed grant funding for breast cancer research.

Our continued expansion of clinical and research excellence, ongoing recruitment efforts, and the enduring commitment of philanthropists will lead us to better medical treatment for patients and a potential breast cancer cure.

Breast Cancer Clinic
The Braman Family Breast Cancer Institute at UM/Sylvester has evolved greatly.  Our breast cancer care team has a comprehensive experience with a variety of breast problems, including breast cancer of all stages. The Institute’s impact on the health of our community is significant: last year, the Breast Cancer Clinic had more than 9,000 follow-up visits and more than 1,100 new patients.

Under the direction of Stefan Glück, M.D, the clinic setting has been reorganized to better meet the needs of our significantly expanding patient population. Today, expert nurses and a multidisciplinary team of breast cancer specialists provide patient consultations at one location. Specially trained patient care coordinators work to navigate and facilitate everything from referrals to clinical trials; so that our patients and their families can focus their energies on getting well.

The clinic is located on the second floor of the UM/Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center.

For an appointment with a medical oncologist, please call:

• Breast Cancer Nurse Coordinator at 305 243-6645
  
• Patient Care Coordinator at 305 243-9569

For an appointment with a surgical oncologist, please call
305 243-5757. For an appointment with a radiation oncologist, please call 305 243-4200.

For further assistance with appointments, please call our Information Center at 305-243-1000 or 1-800-545-2292. For directions to UM/Sylvester and the Breast Cancer Clinic, please click here.

Breast Cancer Clinic Goals

• To expeditiously and considerately offer comprehensive diagnosis and treatment services to breast cancer patients.
• To improve patient treatment outcomes and conduct clinical research in order to create new knowledge leading to better and safer therapies, as well as vital new options for breast cancer patients.To provide an educational venue for medical students, house staff, and fellows.

The Breast Cancer Clinic Offers

• Outstanding clinical diagnosis and treatment services for patients with a variety of breast problems and diagnosed breast cancer.

• Access to expertise, the most advanced technology, newest cancer drugs, and a wide range of promising new therapies offered in the most advanced clinical trials.
• A wide range of technologies, including mammography, ultrasound, fine needle aspiration, ultrasound-guided biopsy, and MRI imaging and biopsies.
• Access to breast MRI for diagnostic evaluation and screening for high-risk patients, as appropriate.
• Counseling, guidance and education about inherited cancer risk and appropriate risk management, including genetic testing, through the Center for Cancer Prevention and Genetics (Talia Donenberg, M.S., CGC, Genetic Counselor at 305-243-3627).

Today, the Braman clinical faculty includes surgical oncologists, medical oncologists (including M.D. scientists in our research labs), and breast radiation oncologists who are specialized in breast cancer care. In addition, breast radiologists and dedicated breast pathologists assist in diagnosing new breast cancer patients and in the care of follow-up cases. For more information about our clinical specialists, including their clinical interests click here.

Support personnel are vital to our team. These professionals include: a breast cancer clinic manager, advanced practice registered nurses (nurse practitioners), breast cancer nurses, nurses assistants, and clerical staff.

Clinical Trials Personnel
Clinical trials personnel specifically attend to the needs of study patients and can be a good resource for patients participating in clinical trials. These professionals also are charged with presenting clinical trials to potential patients and obtaining informed consents and required study procedures. If you need more information about these trials, please click here.

Plans for Expansion
As we continue to expand and serve more patients each year, UM/Sylvester is working with a team of architects to design and build a new breast cancer clinic. The new four-story addition to the existing building will triple the size of our current facility. The new breast cancer clinic facility will house a state-of-the-art stereotactic radiosurgery system, called CyberKnife, which is an alternative to surgery that uses targeted beams of radiation to destroy tumors, and an integrated breast clinic designed with modern concepts for efficient patient care. The second and third floors will feature three fully functioning operating rooms for breast surgery, a conference room, as well as administrative and oncologists’ offices.

Research Highlights
Clinical Research
Clinical research scientists are spearheading clinical trials in areas such as: breast cancer genetics, prevention, imaging, preoperative therapy, new surgical techniques, postsurgical chemotherapy, and radiation. In addition, new research is underway to improve mammography screening. To learn more about research at the Braman Family Breast Cancer Institute, click here.

Social Sciences
The Institute’s team of social scientists study patient risks and behaviors to optimize breast cancer care. One such study is focused on breast cancer patients in different ethnic communities to better understand how to educate our culturally diverse population regarding breast cancer screening, access to care, and to improve early diagnosis. To learn more about research at the Braman Family Breast Cancer Institute, click here.

Molecular Sciences
Molecular scientists at the Institute work to understand the molecular pathways that cause breast cancer growth and treatment resistance. Research areas include cell cycle/signaling, signaling/structure, transcriptional regulation, breast development models, tumor immunology/pathology and experimental therapeutics. To learn more about research at the Braman Family Breast Cancer Institute, click here.

Calendar of Events