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Clinical Updates
UCLA program offers comprehensive and convenient evaluation of breast cancer patients
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The Multidisciplinary Program - a major program of the Revlon/UCLA Breast Center - enables breast cancer patients to consult a variety of specialists in one day and to receive a carefully considered treatment recommendation. The Multidisciplinary Program provides treatment recommendations for women or men who have been diagnosed with breast cancer or who have had a recurrence or disease progression. The program can also provide a second opinion regarding cancer management.
Participants meet one-on-one with a panel of breast specialists from UCLA, all in one afternoon. The specialists evaluate each patient by taking a clinical history, performing an examination, and reviewing relevant records and past medical reports. At the end of the consultation, the team presents each patient with a customized treatment recommendation that will also be sent to the patient and her or his referring physician.
Patients can receive their treatments at UCLA, or they can bring the recommendations back to their doctors elsewhere.
The multidisciplinary team
The Revlon/UCLA Breast Center Multidisciplinary Program includes surgeons, medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, psychologists/social workers, pathologists, radiologists and plastic surgeons. It offers a thorough evaluation and comprehensive recommendations to individuals with breast cancer. Depending on the patient's history, she or he may see all or some of the experts. The multidisciplinary panel carefully considers the most up-to-date treatments for each patient.
The program's integrated multidisciplinary approach simplifies the process for patients, improves patient cancer care and facilitates communication between UCLA and outside physicians who will participate in the patient's follow-up care.
How the program works
Patients submit their medical information at least a week in advance of their scheduled appointments. Program physicians review the cases and determine which specialists should meet with each patient. A UCLA pathologist reviews all outside pathology slides and a UCLA radiologist reviews all imaging studies.
On the day of the clinic, patients are seen by all the relevant specialists. The panel of physicians then meets to discuss each case. In addition to the pathologist and radiologist, a psychologist takes part in the panel's discussions. The psychologist prepares a psychosocial evaluation including patients' home situations, needs of assistance and suggestions for psychological intervention/support groups and other resources.
After the panel meets, physicians confer with the patient, presenting the panel's recommendations and answering questions. In a single visit, women and men who come to the Revlon/UCLA Breast Center Multidisciplinary Program are thoroughly and carefully evaluated, their case is discussed by an experienced panel of experts and they leave with a clear and comprehensive treatment plan.
A letter detailing the proposed course of treatments is mailed to the patient and referring physician. The panel's dictated notes are made part of the patient's UCLA medical record.
Coordinated consultations help patients make care decisions
"Providing care for breast cancer patients is, by its nature, a multidisciplinary endeavor," states Raquel Prati, M.D. The Revlon/UCLA Breast Center Multidisciplinary Program offers the expertise of UCLA physicians in all relevant specialties in a convenient, coordinated program. "Patients get recommendations that reflect the expert opinions of all the specialists, synthesized into a comprehensive plan of treatment," explains Dr. Prati. "After this single, coordinated visit, they leave the Breast Center knowing what to expect for the remainder of their treatment."
The program's coordinated and multidisciplinary panel approach can help make breast cancer treatment decisions easier for women. Rather than getting partial recommendations at different appointments, patients have the advantage of receiving a consensus treatment recommendation in one visit. All the relevant experts are available to interact with patients and to answer their questions immediately.
Participating Physicians
Surgery
Helena Chang, M.D.
Director of Revlon/UCLA Breast Center
Robert Bennion, M.D.
Raquel Prati, M.D.
Paul Schmit, M.D.
Medical Oncology
Rena Callahan, M.D.
David Chan, M.D.
Olga Olevsky, M.D.
Radiation Oncology
Tania Kaprealian, M.D.
Mitchell Kamrava, M.D.
Susan McCloskey, M.D.
Pathology
Sophia Apple, M.D.
David Lu, M.D.
Neda Moatamed, M.D.
Peggy Sullivan, M.D.
Radiology
Lawrence Bassett, M.D.
Nanette Debruhl, M.D.
Laura Doepke, M.D.
Anne Hoyt, M.D.
Cheryce Poon, M.D.
Colin Wells, M.D.
Plastic Surgery
Christopher Crisera, M.D.
Andrew Da Lio, M.D.
Jaco Festekjian, M.D.
Psychosocial Support
Kauser Ahmed, Ph.D.
Suzanne Bragg Levanas, LCSW
David Wellisch, Ph.D.
Genetics
Erin O'Leary, M.S., CGC
Contact Information
Revlon/UCLA Breast Center
200 UCLA Medical Plaza
Suite B265 (B2 Level)
Los Angeles, California 90095
(310) 825-2144 Appointments
www.breastcenter.ucla.edu/Westwood
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