Dr. Evan Garfein is the chief of the Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at Montefiore Medical Center and professor of surgery at Albert Einstein College of Medicine.

Dr. Evan Garfein 

Three experts in breast surgery, medical oncology and reconstructive surgery share their insights on the importance of Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Experts Break Down Key Insights During Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Three leading experts in breast surgery, medical oncology and reconstructive surgery share their insights on the importance of awareness and advancing care during Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

CURE sat down for interviews with Dr. Sheldon M. Feldman, Dr. Evan Garfein and Dr. Komal Jhaveri.

Feldman is the chief of Breast Surgery and Surgical Oncology, and director of the Breast Cancer Services at Montefiore Einstein Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Garfein is chief of the Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at Montefiore Medical Center, and professor of Surgery at Albert Einstein College of Medicine.

Finally, Jhaveri, a breast medical oncologist, is section head of the Endocrine Therapy Research Program, clinical director of the Early Drug Development Service, and Patricia and James Cayne Chair for Junior Faculty at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.

October marks Breast Cancer Awareness Month, a chance to recognize survivors and support those currently in treatment. In this video, three physicians share their thoughts on progress in care, patient empowerment and what continued awareness can achieve. Let’s hear from them.

: Breast cancer is such an important part of our world, unfortunately. Almost anybody you talk with, friends, colleagues, everyone's been touched by this disease, either in their own family or a friend. It's just, unfortunately, such a huge part of our culture. So I think for patients and people to understand, even as aware as we are, we can be more aware.

Screening and early diagnosis are really the best we can do. We don't have yet, and what we really want, is a way to completely prevent this disease, right? We don't want to be treating it, even early. We don't want to be treating it. We want to be stopping it from happening. But until we get to that point, by finding disease at the earliest possible stage, patients are not going to die. They're going to have minimal treatment. They won't have to go through anything too harsh, and they'll be OK. So, continuing to beat the drum about awareness is extremely important so that if patients are diagnosed with breast cancer, they're diagnosed as early as possible.

: It's super important, obviously. Breast cancer touches everyone. You can't find someone who doesn't have a friend, relative or coworker who hasn't been touched by this disease. Breast Cancer Awareness Month has always been very powerful. It's a great opportunity to turbocharge people to have a conversation with a friend, loved one or relative about breast cancer and treatment.

: I think we all know October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. And ... what is so important about that? It's not just about wearing pink, the way I am, or just to support pink, or buy pink, or show pink ribbons. I think it's really bringing our thoughtfulness and our awareness into action. It's not just making people aware, but it's utilizing ways to put this into action. Because we want to work on promoting early detection. We want to work on promoting innovation and science. We want to work on fueling this research and supporting our patients overall and the survivors with compassion and focus on the survivorship issues.

Last but not least, we also want to promote equitable care. So, I do think that awareness is necessarily where change begins, but action is how we actually save lives. So, we really need to come together as a community, and October is just a way for us to do that and think about that together as a community, so that we can act towards these goals and help our patients.

Transcript has been edited for clarity and conciseness.

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Videos

Dr. Evan Garfein said 3D printing and tissue-engineered implants may make breast reconstruction safer, more personalized and less physically taxing.

3D Printing May Personalize Future of Breast Reconstruction

In an interview with CURE, Dr. Evan Garfein, chief of the Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at Montefiore Medical Center and professor of surgery at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, discussed how 3D printing and tissue-engineered technologies could transform the future of breast reconstruction.

He noted that these innovations are building upon an already advanced field where patients can choose from several reconstructive options, including implants or procedures using their own skin and fat. The goal, he said, remains to create a natural look and feel while minimizing recovery time, risk, and physical toll.

Garfein highlighted that while current silicone implants are safe and reliable, they still present potential complications. Future bioprinted and tissue-engineered implants could reduce those risks and allow for more personalized and less invasive reconstruction.

He also serves as the co-founder of Greenwich Street Aesthetics in Manhattan.

Can you discuss how you see 3D printing and tissue-engineered alternatives shaping the future of breast reconstruction?

3D printing and bioprinting are really exciting adjuncts to what we currently do, which is already quite advanced. Today, we can reconstruct a breast with an implant or with skin and fat from different parts of a patient’s body, depending on factors like breast size and body composition. We have a wide range of options to offer patients, which is important; if you only have one option, it’s not much of a menu to choose from.

Our patients are fortunate that, despite going through such a difficult experience, they have choices when it comes to reconstruction. Currently, there are nearly a dozen different ways to reconstruct a breast after mastectomy, depending on how you define them.

Looking to the future, our goal in breast reconstruction is to create something that looks and feels like a natural breast. There’s no functional need beyond that. In plastic surgery, we often talk about “form and function,” and here, the function is aesthetic.

Ideally, we want to make each reconstructive method better and “cheaper” for the patient. When I say cheap or expensive, I’m not talking about money;  I’m referring to the cost to the patient’s body, time, or risk. Reconstructions that are riskier, require long hospital stays, or involve taking tissue from another part of the body are more “expensive.” But sometimes those options are worth it because they offer the best results. For example, using abdominal skin and fat can produce excellent outcomes in some patients, while implants are better and less invasive in others.

If we extend this concept to bioprinted reconstructive or aesthetic implants, the potential is even greater. Those could make reconstruction “cheaper” in terms of physical toll and possibly yield better results than what we have now. Silicone implants are reliable and safe for most patients, but they’re not perfect, as there are risks of infection, capsular contracture, or implant malposition.

If we could create an implant that’s not silicone, doesn’t carry those risks, and can be customized or taken “off the shelf,” that would be a major step forward. That’s where I see the future heading, and it’s an area we’re already beginning to explore today.

Dr. Evan Garfein

Experts Break Down Key Insights During Breast Cancer Awareness Month

3D Printing May Personalize Future of Breast Reconstruction

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