Dr. Lisa Chapa wholeheartedly encourages women in the Rio Grande Valley to enroll in a groundbreaking national study that measures the risk of women getting breast cancer.
The WISDOM Study (Women Informed to Screen Depending on Measures of risk) can “revolutionize the way breast cancer is detected and risk is reduced,” Chapa said. This multi-institutional trial includes the DHR Health Institute for Research and Development, which serves as the primary site for Texas and Oklahoma.
The WISDOM Study accepts women between the ages of 30 and 74 who have not had breast cancer or ductal carcinoma in situ (in its original place). For more information, go to thewisdomstudy.org.
“It’s important because Latinos do not often join trials,” Chapa said. “We can augment and enhance Latina recruitment to make the study applicable.”
The goal, Chapa said, is to find a more precise, tailored approach for determining when a woman should have mammograms. Is there a better way than the one-size-fits-all recommendations currently followed?
“We are trying to figure it out, collectively,” she said.
Advocating For Women
At the DHR Health Surgery Institute, Chapa treats patients with breast cancer and patients with benign breast conditions that require surgery.
She performs oncoplastic breast-conserving surgeries, (breast cancer surgery in conjunction with plastic surgery), as well as mastectomies. It’s important, Chapa said, for women with breast cancer to know about a federal law addressing reconstructive surgery.
“This is another example of women advocating for women,” she said, referring to the fact that persistent lobbying by women resulted in the law’s passage. “This is not cosmetic surgery. Women did not choose to lose their breasts or part of their breasts.”
This law, Chapa said, requires private insurance companies to cover reconstructive surgery, with the patient covering any policy co-pays and deductibles. The law applies regardless of whether the woman chooses to have reconstruction in conjunction with a lumpectomy or mastectomy or at a later time.
Chapa says the choices women make when faced with breast cancer are extremely personal.
“It’s not for me to decide which treatment is better for a woman,” she said. “It is my job to sit with the patient and really counsel and educate her on what each surgical decision means for her body, means for her recovery, means for other treatments down the road, and then to let her make an informed, educated decision.”
Chapa understands that many patients need to educate themselves through other resources, as well. She supports this, with one caveat.
“The internet is an amazing place for information and for misinformation,” she said. “They need to rely on vetted sources, such as the American Cancer Society, Susan G. Komen, Memorial Sloan Kettering, Mayo Clinic, Cleveland Clinic and MD Anderson.”
A Tool To Save Lives
Educating the community on breast cancer includes prevention and early detection.
“Fear actually is a huge deterrent to women getting their annual mammogram,” Chapa said. “A mammogram is not going to grow the cancer. A mammogram is a tool to save your life from that cancer.”
Knowing pertinent statistics is also important. Many women think they do not need an annual mammogram if they have no family history of breast cancer. However, Chapa said, “one in eight women will get breast cancer and only 10 percent of those are due to a genetic mutation.”
Men can get breast cancer, too. One in 800 men will receive a breast cancer diagnosis, Chapa said. She emphasized that families with the BRCA2 gene tend to have men in their families who are diagnosed with breast cancer.
“Men need to look at their family history on both sides,” she said.
Making Good Choices
Chapa knows a cancer diagnosis often results in a period of immense fear and anxiety for patients and their families.
At DHR Health, this is addressed via patient navigators who connect patients and their families with counselors, support groups and other services. A former DHR patient came up with the idea of a buddy system that has now been implemented. This system provides breast cancer patients with mentor survivors who have also been on the breast cancer journey.
While we cannot change our DNA, we can control our lifestyle choices. Limiting alcohol to one drink per day, exercising at least 150 minutes per week and maintaining a healthy body weight can reduce the risk of breast cancer. Fat cells produce estrogen in men and women, Chapa said.
“Fewer fat cells result in less estrogen production, and estrogen drives cancer risk,” she said.
Chapa expresses excitement about advancements in breast cancer treatment, such as the use of monoclonal antibodies to treat patients with triple-negative breast cancer. She says the goal is to get the same outcomes with less invasive procedures.
When Chapa left the Rio Grande Valley for college, Chapa knew she would come home to serve her community. She is now playing a pivotal role in educating women about their health, advocating for innovative health practices, and empowering women facing a breast cancer diagnosis.
