Dr. Rache Simmons
A research project headed by Dr. Rache Simmons, the Weiskopf Associate Professor of Surgical Oncology and medical director of clinical research at Weill Cornell Medical College, has been chosen as the primary recipient of this year's fundraising efforts of the Manhasset Women's Coalition Against Breast Cancer.
The project being funded will test 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.
"We are very excited by the opportunity to explore this new technology in the diagnosis of breast cancer," Dr. Simmons says. "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 and Dr. Dikoma Shungu, director of the Laboratory of Advanced Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy Research, are the principal investigators for this project.
The amount of the grant will be determined by the success of the Coalition's fundraising activities throughout 2008. For the past several years, the Coalition has been able to make a grant of $100,000 to its primary recipient.
The Coalition's signature fundraiser is a Ladies' Night Out event that will take place Oct. 15 in Great Neck, Long Island.
Photography by Weill Cornell Art & Photography.