Lester and Sue Smith Breast Center at Baylor College of Medicine
The Lester and Sue Smith Breast Center at Baylor College of Medicine brings together a multidisciplinary team of breast care specialists in one location, integrated with an internationally recognized research program. The patient care clinic is located on the 13th floor of Baylor Clinic, research facilities are in the Alkek Building and administrative offices in the Cullen Building on the main BCM campus.
Our mission is to improve the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer and breast disease. Visit our Patient Services section to learn more about our breast care specialists and our comprehensive range of breast care services.
Smith Breast Center Cornerstone of
NCI-Designated Cancer Center
The Lester and Sue Smith Breast Center is a major component of the Dan L. Duncan Cancer Center at Baylor College of Medicine, which brings together research, patient care, education and outreach activities from the College and its affiliated hospitals. The Duncan Cancer Center has been named a designated cancer center by the National Cancer Institute, a significant milestone that opens the doors for additional funding to combat cancer. Read more about the Duncan Cancer Center NCI designation.
News & Highlights
Faculty Recruitment: McNair Scholar
Seminars
Pink Ribbon House
The Pink Ribbon House project brings together talented and dedicated professionals to create a house that will showcase the latest trends in home building and design, while increasing awareness of breast cancer and raising funds for breast cancer research. Read more about this unique fundraiser.
BREAST CANCER RESEARCH NEWS
Egg whites offer 3-D tool to study cell growth
Dr. Steffi Oesterreich, associate professor in the Lester and Sue Smith Breast Center at Baylor College of Medicine, and Dr. Benny A. Kaipparettu, a postdoctoral associate in her laboratory, have achieved a breakthrough in using chicken egg whites to grow both normal and tumour cells in three-dimensions.
Their process has garnered attention in other laboratories around the world. A report on their technique appeared in a recent issue of the journal BioTechniques, which featured their article on its cover. More information
BREAST CANCER TREATMENT NEWS
Erasing the Roots of Breast Cancer
In a recent study Dr. Michael Lewis, Dr. Jenny Chang and colleagues showed that while anti-cancer drugs kill the bulk of breast cancer tumors, they leave behind many of the breast cancer stem cells setting the stage for the tumor to come back. However, treatment with the drug lapatinib and anti-cancer drugs appears to kill both the tumor and the stem cells, reducing the threat of relapse in patients whose tumors carry a protein marker called HER2. The article is available at the The Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
Dr. C. Kent Osborne appears on ABC NewsOnCall+Breast Cancer Cente
Pink 4 Life
Pink 4 Life is a collaborative program committed to increasing awareness of the issues and raising funds to provide medically under served women in Harris County with increased access to breast cancer screening, diagnosis and treatment, was created by representatives from Baylor College of Medicine, the HCHD, The Rose, The Pink Ribbons Project, the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, the Avon Foundation and the Lance Armstrong Foundation. More information.
Breast Cancer "I Promise," Card
Cindy Gaspard, a patient at the Breast Care Center at Baylor College of Medicine, created the "I Promise," card to urge women to think about their health on a daily basis. She says that her own positive attitude, in addition to the positive reinforcement she receives from physicians and staff at the Breast Care Center, has helped her since her diagnosis and that being diagnosed with breast cancer isn't really about her, it is about trying to find the best way to educate as many women as possible about the importance of taking care of themselves.
Proceeds from the sale of the card, which is available for $1 at the Breast Center, will fund breast cancer education and research initiatives. For more information or to get a card, call 713-798-1911. More info, Video Interview (Real Media Player required)
Leading the Way to Personalized Medicine
Our vision for the future is personalized medicine – using patients’ own genetic makeup to identify their potential for breast cancer, prevent its onset, more effectively diagnose and treat the disease when it does occur, and one day, provide a cure. See how personalized medicine is poised to improve human health in our Best Minds, Best Medicine Personalized Health Video.
We’re bringing our vision to life through the continued pursuit of genomic research, the rapid translation of new discoveries into improved patient care, and a new Baylor Clinic and Hospital.