SEATTLE — Sept. 30, 2026
According to the American Cancer Society, breast cancer is the most common cancer diagnosed among women in the United States and the second leading cause of cancer death among women. Each year, approximately 270,000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer and about 42,000 women die from the disease.
This Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Fred Hutch Cancer Center’s clinicians and researchers are available to provide insights around screening recommendations, the importance of early detection, unique supportive care needs and the latest research advancing the treatment landscape.
Prevention and Screening
Screening and early detection of breast cancer are the most important strategies to prevent breast cancer-related deaths. Janie Lee, MD, director of Breast Imaging, and Jennifer Kohr, MD, clinical director of Breast Imaging are available to discuss screening and breast health services designed to support early diagnosis.
A unique program at Fred Hutch, the Mobile Mammography van, expands access to screening by bringing mammography services directly to communities throughout the Puget Sound region. The mobile program helps reduce barriers to preventive care and increases participation in regular screening.
Supportive Care
Breast cancer can have far-reaching effects on both physical and mental health. For many patients, treatment can introduce challenges with sexual health and intimacy, in large part caused by the suppression of estrogen. The Breast Sexual Health Clinic supports patients by treating things like low libido, pain with intercourse, vaginal dryness and body image concerns, among other symptoms. Kelly Nelson, DNP, ARNP, leads the clinic and is available to discuss the care and resources available to patients and offer helpful guidance around breast cancer patients’ sexual health needs.
Leading-Edge Research
Lynn Symonds, MD, clinical director of the Breast Oncology Program, and Jen Specht, MD, clinical research director, are helping lead an effort using HRDefine, a new clinical assay developed at Fred Hutch, to better predict treatment options for triple-negative breast cancer. If approved for use in the clinic, HRDefine would differentiate which patients benefit the most from these targeted treatments.
Earlier this year, Sara Hurvitz, MD, senior vice president and director of Fred Hutch Cancer Center’s Clinical Research Division, Smith Family Endowed Chair in Women’s Health, presented data from the Phase III multicenter VIKTORIA-1 trial which led to the approval of a new therapy for ER+/HER2- locally advanced or metastatic breast cancer. The multi-targeted kinase inhibitor, gedatosalib, is capable of squelching numerous parts of a key signaling pathway often co-opted by cancer to drive tumor growth and treatment resistance in patients. Dr. Hurvitz describes this advancement: “For patients with ER+/HER2- locally advanced or metastatic breast cancer, there is an urgent need for new treatment options that can meaningfully increase the likelihood of survival without disease progression or death. With the approval … oncologists now have an effective new treatment option for these patients.”
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Fred Hutch Cancer Center
Fred Hutch Cancer Center is globally recognized for trailblazing discoveries that have helped save more than a million lives worldwide. Based in Seattle, Fred Hutch is the only NCI-designated cancer center in Washington state and is home to Nobel Prize–winning scientists and cancer care experts who have made major breakthroughs in preventing and eliminating cancer and infectious disease — including bone marrow transplantation, immunotherapy and the HPV vaccine. Fred Hutch’s role as a hub for national research initiatives and clinical trial networks helps scale discoveries for greater impact. An independent cancer center, Fred Hutch also serves as UW Medicine’s cancer program. Learn more at Fredhutch.org