Dr. Valerie Gorman of Texas Breast Center Is Now Clinical Assistant Professor of Medical Education at Texas A&M University

Waxahachie, Texas -

Texas Breast Center in Waxahachie, TX, is pleased to announce that Dr. Valerie Gorman, MD, FACS, who specializes in surgical oncology and surgical diseases of the breast, has been appointed as Clinical Assistant Professor of Medical Education at the Texas A&M University College of Medicine. Dr. Gorman is board certified by the American Board of Surgery and also serves as the Chief of Surgery and Medical Director of Surgical Services at Baylor Scott & White Medical Center in Waxahachie. She obtained her medical degree from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School at Dallas, Texas.

Dr. Gorman says, “I am dedicated to offering my patients an advanced, personalized and targeted approach to breast surgery and the treatment of breast cancer. And I’m also committed to sharing my knowledge to the upcoming doctors, which is why I have recently accepted the position of Clinical Assistant Professor of Medical Education at the Texas A&M University College of Medicine. Rest assured that I will continue to provide the best possible treatment for my patients.”

She wants to remind patients that breast cancer is actually an uncontrolled growth of breast cells. That is why women are often advised to check their breasts regularly for any signs of bumps or lumps. A tumor is a swelling group of cells with or without inflammation and may either be benign of malignant. Benign tumors are slow growing cells but don’t invade neighboring tissues, nor do they spread to other locations within the body. However, they still need to be taken care of by a breast surgeon. Malignant tumors are cancerous and can be very aggressive and spread to other areas of the body through the blood and the lymph systems. They need to be treated with urgency to prevent them from spreading.

Most women are typically scared to receive a diagnosis of breast cancer, which means a malignant tumor is present. But Dr. Gorman is quick to remind everyone that breast cancer treatment has improved significantly over the last few years and that success rates have continued to increase.

Stage 0 is the earliest stage of breast cancer and indicates that there are some abnormal but non-invasive cells that have been found in the lining of the breast milk duct. It is highly treatable and Dr. Gorman may not even refer to it as cancer at this particular stage. In stage 1, there is a clear indication of the presence of cancer. Fortunately, success rates are high with a positive outlook as long as the discovery and treatment have been initiated quickly. In state 2, the cancer is growing but it is still within the breast or lymph nodes. Outlook is still positive at this stage as long as treatment is initiated early. Stage 3 means the cancer has started to spread. Fortunately, majority of the progress in treatments have been for this stage. Stage 4 means the cancer has spread to other parts of the body. It is not considered to be curable but it is generally treated like a chronic disease. But with the advances in medicine and having a positive mental outlook and attitude, the outlook for many women is much more positive.

Treatment for breast cancer can be local or system-wide. Local breast cancer treatments affect the tumor without affecting the whole body and include: breast cancer surgery and radiation therapy. System-wide treatments use drugs or hormone blocking agents and are also called systemic therapies. They can target cancer cells throughout the body and these include: chemotherapy; hormone therapy; and targeted therapy. At Texas Breast Center, they use a combination of treatments.

The Texas Breast Center serves as the breast cancer surgery practice of Dr. Valerie Gorman, MD, FACS. She specializes in breast cancer surgery; breast pain; benign breast disease; partial mastectomy; lumpectomy; mastectomy/ nipple-sparing mastectomy; sentinel lymph node biopsy; genetic/ familial high-risk screening and assessment; catheter placement for partial breast radiation; axillary surgery; prophylactic mastectomy; diagnostic breast biopsy with ultrasound and stereotactic guidance; and consultations for abnormal mammograms.

Those who would like to learn more about the services provided by Dr. Valerie Gorman can check out the Texas Breast Center website, or contact them on the phone. They are open from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm, from Monday to Friday.