Peachey Breast Cancer Prevention Program new addition to IU Cancer Center

By Mary Hardin

A new addition to the IU Cancer Center’s arsenal to fight breast cancer is the Catherine Peachey Breast Cancer Prevention Program. The multi-disciplinary program is made possible by the Catherine Peachey Fund and is named in honor of a well-known Hoosier and cancer patient advocate who lost her battle with breast cancer in 1994 at the age of 43.

“Cathy would be proud that the fund she and her husband established in 1993 to finance breast cancer research is now funding a prevention program,” said Connie Rufenbarger, a trustee of the Catherine Peachey Fund.

The program is the state’s first comprehensive clinical program to assess breast cancer risk in women and will augment existing programs at the IU Cancer Center. Contemporary diagnostic tools and therapeutics will allow the program’s team to tackle prevention of breast cancer and risk reduction rather than simply treating the disease once it is diagnosed. The new program will serve as a resource for women who already have had breast cancer, their first-generation female relatives and others who may be at risk.

“The wonderful thing about this program is that it can ease the fears of women who think they may get breast cancer,” said Dr. Anna Maria Storniolo, clinical professor of medicine at the IU School of Medicine and director of the Catherine Peachey Breast Cancer Prevention Program. “Not only will we be able to identify and follow those at risk, but we also will be able to identify those who are not at risk but fear they may be. Encouraging information can be just as life-altering for women as the news that a woman is at risk for breast cancer.”

The multidisciplinary approach created by the Catherine Peachey Breast Cancer Prevention Program provides one place for women to ask and resolve all of their questions about breast cancer risk and its management. They will have access to surgeons, radiologists, medical oncologists and genetic counselors.

The various factors affecting a woman’s risk for breast cancer include: family history, age of menarche, age of first birth, age of menopause, benign breast disease, radiation, obesity, birth control pills, hormone replacement therapy and alcohol consumption.

Genetic assessment and testing is one of the tools of the program. After thorough counseling, patients found to be at-risk can be tested to determine if they carry the genes that pose an increased risk for developing breast cancer.

Researchers at the Peachey Program will continue to explore other avenues for risk assessment, hereditary risk, early detection and better outcomes from clinical treatments. IU researchers will continue to seek answers to the cause of breast cancer utilizing emerging methodologies in gene research and molecular biology. One of those tools is called ductal lavage, which provides a painless, outpatient way to access the milk ducts of the breast where most breast cancer starts. The fluid and cells that are removed by “flushing” these ducts can provide insight into the early steps of breast cancer formation, explained Storniolo. Dr. Robert Goulet Jr., associate professor of surgery and medical director of the Ductal Lavage Program, performs the procedure, recently approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, at the IU Cancer Center. IU is the only health-care facility in the state approved to perform the procedure.

Since 1994, the Catherine Peachey Fund has contributed nearly $850,000 to stimulate breast cancer research at the IU School of Medicine. “The Catherine Peachey Fund primarily has been a grassroots effort by women and men touched by breast cancer,” said Rufenbarger. “The establishment of the Catherine Peachey Breast Cancer Prevention Program moves that effort to a new level, which would not have happened nearly as quickly without a generous donation of matching funds from Eli Lilly and Company.” “Maintaining breast health is of utmost importance,” said Cathy Sampier, manager of patient advocacy for Lilly Oncology’s U.S. affiliate.

We are pleased that our contribution to the Catherine Peachey Fund will ensure that Cathy’s efforts on behalf of breast cancer will continue to be honored and make a difference in people’s lives.” For additional information or to make an appointment at the Catherine Peachey Breast Cancer Prevention Program, call 317-278-7576.