Solving for Breast Cancer Disparities with Scott Siegel, PhD, and Dr. Dawn Leonard

12/28/23 • 16 min

Breast cancer is the second most common cancer among women in America - accounting for 1 in 3 new cancer diagnoses each year. And while there isn’t a big difference across races in terms of rates of getting breast cancer - there are huge gaps in what happens after diagnosis.

In this episode we sit down with Scott Siegel, Ph.D., director of cancer control and population sciences at ChristianaCare, and Dr. Dawn Leonard, chief of ChristianaCare's division of breast surgery, to discuss that alarming disparity.

They shed light on the urgent issues at play, including higher rates of advanced breast cancer and the aggressive triple negative breast cancer prevalent in Delaware. They explain how a victory in eliminating a racial disparity for a completely different form of cancer is spurring the call to action to address breast cancer. And we discuss how success in Delaware could apply nationwide.
Scott Siegel, Ph.D., is a psychologist and director of Population Health Research at ChristianaCare. In this role Siegel works collaboratively with multidisciplinary teams in the health system and with governments, universities, and community-based organizations to improve population health.

Dawn Leonard, MD, FACS, specializes in breast surgery at ChristianaCare. Dr. Leonard joined ChristianaCare with more than 17 years of practice and leadership experience, most recently at Georgetown University Hospital and as the site director at a community hospital with a Regional Breast Health Program. Dr. Leonard has earned multiple recognitions as a "Top Doc" in Breast Surgery and awards for excellence in healthcare, service and scholarship.
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Previous Episode

Patient-Centered Gene Editing with Eric Kmiec, Ph.D.

This past week the FDA for the first time approved use of a gene editing-based therapy. The new treatment is for people with Sickle Cell Disease. Gene editing has the potential to transform so many areas of medicine. ChristianaCare's Gene Editing Institute is the only institute of its kind in the nation at a community-based health system, which has led GEI to take a unique approach to gene editing research.
On this week's episode, we talk with Eric Kmiec, Ph.D., Executive Director and Chief Scientific Officer at ChristianaCare's Gene Editing Institute, about the patient-centered approach his researchers take. We find out what factors the team considers first when determining what to study and learn what that means for the development of new medicines to treat cancer and inherited diseases.
Join us for a great conversation on the past, present and future of gene editing - what is working, what is not, what opportunities there are beyond medicine and so much more.
Eric Kmiec, Ph.D., is executive director and chief scientific officer at ChristianaCare's Gene Editing Institute. He is also co-founder and chief scientific officer of CorriXR Therapeutics. Widely recognized for his pioneering work in the fields of molecular medicine and gene editing, Dr. Kmiec has developed CRISPR based genetic therapies for Sickle Cell Disease and Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer. He is also Editor-in-Chief of the journal, Gene and Genome Editing.
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Next Episode

The Toughest Questions in Health Care: "What Is the Future of Health Care?" with Dr. Janice Nevin

Health care in the US is nothing if not complex - for patients, providers and health system leaders. Over the course of 2024 For the Love of Health is going to have a series of monthly conversations with some of the top minds in health care about a variety of difficult questions and challenges facing the industry.
In the first episode of "The Toughest Questions in Health Care," we tackle the question - What is the future of health care? - with Dr. Janice Nevin, president and CEO of ChristianaCare.
Dr. Nevin shares her wisdom, optimism and profound insights on the metamorphosis of health care in recent years and in years to come. In the wake of a years-long, global pandemic, she talks about some of the industry's most pressing issues, including workforce shortages, deep-seated inequities and financial struggles. Dr. Nevin explores the bold strides being made towards more accessible, affordable health care and a more technologically supported workforce.
Join us for an episode about more than forecasting; it's about action.
Dr. Janice Nevin is a visionary, collaborative leader and one of Modern Healthcare's Most Influential People in Healthcare, Janice E. Nevin, M.D., MPH, has served as president and CEO of ChristianaCare since 2014, leading a transformation from a health care system to a system that truly impacts health. She is nationally recognized as a pioneer and thought leader in value-based care and population health, and for her assertion that truly great health care is built on the values of love and excellence.
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