Kubtec Partners with Surgeons to Address Breast Cancer Patients' Concerns During COVID-19

Podcast: Impact of COVID-19 on Breast Cancer Treatment with Dr. Andrea Madrigrano

Kubtec hosts a Podcast: Impact of COVID-19 on Breast Cancer Treatment with Andrea Madrigrano, M.D., as part of its public service campaign.

May 6, 2020 — The COVID-19 pandemic is an unprecedented global health crisis, impacting all aspects of life and society. This includes breast cancer where patients' fears are now exacerbated by the need to make critical treatment decisions against the backdrop of a healthcare system nearing its breaking point.

To allay patient concerns, Kubtec Medical Imaging is partnering with breast cancer surgeons to lead a public service campaign to ensure that breast cancer patients are kept informed during the COVID-19 pandemic. These surgeons are addressing several key topics, including what patients should do if they believe they need treatment, interim measures that are being employed when surgical procedures are delayed, and technologies being utilized when breast surgeries are performed to help dramatically reduce patients' risk of needing to return for a second surgery.

"These are extraordinary times for the U.S. healthcare system, with hospitals and doctors having to balance the needs of patients with serious medical conditions with the need to ensure resources are available to treat COVID-19 patients," said Vikram Butani, founder and chief executive officer of Kubtec. "It is important that the public, and especially breast cancer patients, know that treatments are being administered, including lumpectomies when necessary, to ensure the best possible outcomes. Kubtec is proud to be working with leading breast cancer surgeons on this valuable public service initiative."

Hospitals and healthcare centers throughout the country are triaging breast cancer surgeries during the COVID-19 pandemic on a case-by-case basis in accordance with guidelines from the American Society of Breast Surgeons (ASBrS) to protect breast cancer patients from infection and to ensure that healthcare providers have the resources they need to treat people who become seriously ill from COVID-19.

In an interview with FOX 32 Chicago, Andrea Madrigrano, M.D., breast cancer surgeon and associate professor at Rush University Medical Center, provided assurance that breast cancer patients will continue to get the care they need: "Anybody with a new mass can get a diagnostic mammogram, get a biopsy, get a breast MRI. For women with certain types of breast cancer, surgery is still being performed, but oftentimes we're altering the course of how we're managing breast cancer."

In an interview with NBC's Bloom/News Channel 8 (WFLA) in Tampa, Charles Cox, M.D., endowed chair and professor at Morsani College of Medicine Surgery, USF Health, spoke to the importance of reducing breast cancer re-excisions during the COVID-19 outbreak and technologies available in the operating room that enable surgeons to better visualize tumors during lumpectomy procedures: "Limiting the need to take patients back for second procedures is one of the key reasons we use certain technologies. The Kubtec Mozart tomosynthesis machine creates a 3D image of the specimen, and we can actually take slices through it and see if we're close on any margin rather than having to bring patients back to the operating room."

For more information on Kubtec's COVID-19 public service campaign: https://kubtec.com/news/