HARTFORD -- Connecticut has the second highest breast cancer rate in the nation. In this Healthier Connections report, brought to you by Hartford HealthCare, Sarah Cody introduces us to an expert who is new to the area determined to make a difference.
Dr. Edward Sauter is the new director of the Breast Surgery Program at the Hartford HealthCare Cancer Institute and will lead the breast surgery programs at the institutes five cancer centers.
Coming to Connecticut from the University of Texas Health Science Center, Dr. Sauter has been practicing in the field for more than 25 years. He has referred more than 4,000 women to active clinical trials while conducting more than 70 clinical research trials himself. He is excited to expand Hartford HealthCare's relationship with Memorial Sloan Kettering.
Hartford HealthCare's programs include mobile mammography and education. Huge progress in treatment of breast cancer has been made over the last decade.
"Incidents, the number of cases, is going up both in the US and worldwide, the number of deaths from breast cancer is not," Dr. Sauter said. "It's preventing the disease, earlier detection and better treatment."
He aims to create resources that answer questions for patients.
"If they have breast cancer or a sister, mother, daughter with breast cancer, what does that mean to them, is there genetic testing that needs to be done? Who needs to be tested, these sorts of things." he said.
Dr. Sauter, who is married and has an 11-year-old daughter can't wait to make a real difference in the community with Hartford HealthCare.