Yale Expert: Counseling Patients at High-Risk for Breast Cancer on Preventive Mastectomy

Erin Wysong Hofstatter, MD, Associate Professor; Co-Director, Cancer Genetics and Prevention Program

Available anytime at [email protected] or at 203.200.2328

Dr. Erin Hofstatter is Co-Director of the Cancer Genetics and Prevention Program and specializes in breast cancer. She counsels women who are considered to be high risk for the disease.

Dr. Hofstatter commented that whena patient comes to her with a diagnosisof breast cancer and a mutation isfound, it feels like a missed opportunityfor prevention. Even if a woman isfound not to have a mutation butis still considered high-risk, thereare preventative steps that can betaken. Dr. Hofstatter explained that a new term, 'previvor' is being used more often to describe individuals who are living with apredisposition to cancer but who haven’tyet had the disease.