(From left) Dr. Dikoma Shungu; Dr. Rache Simmons; and Debra Arenare, vice president of research for the Manhasset Women's Coalition Against Breast Cancer.
Dr. Rache Simmons, the Weiskopf Professor of Surgical Oncology at Weill Cornell Medical College, was presented on Friday, Dec. 5, with a grant of $100,000 from the Manhasset Women's Coalition Against Breast Cancer.
The grant will benefit the research of Dr. Simmons and Dr. Dikoma Shungu on the sensitivity and specificity of a novel and highly optimized imaging approach for detection of breast lesion malignancy. The research could possibly validate the powerful, new MRI method that detects cancerous cells with enhanced precision. Results from the research may eventually allow women to avoid unnecessary biopsies of benign breast lesions.
"This will allow us to continue with our goal of finding less and less invasive ways to treat and diagnose breast cancer," Dr. Simmons said. "Current MRI technology is very good at detecting abnormal areas that may be breast cancer. The downside, however, is that MRIs often draw attention to areas that are not actually cancer. We hope this new technology called MRS will provide more specific information regarding which patients do or do not have cancer and spare many women unnecessary benign breast biopsies."
Dr. Simmons; Dr. Shungu, director of the Laboratory of Advanced Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy Research; and Dr. Kemi Babagbemi are the principal investigators for this project. "We are actually going to look at the chemistry of the lesion," Dr. Shungu said. "We can look at it without having to cut it."
In presenting Drs. Simmons and Shungu with the funds, Debra Arenare, vice president of research for the Coalition, said, "We are very appreciative of being able to support your work. It is going to make a tremendous impact on so many women."
This is second grant the Manhasset Women's Coalition Against Breast Cancer has awarded to Dr. Simmons.
Photography by Weill Cornell Art & Photography.