Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer in women—about 270,000 women are diagnosed each year, accounting for approximately 30% of all cancer cases, according to the American Cancer Society. Although it happens much less often, men can develop breast cancer, too.

In each of these people, breast cancer began the same way: A rogue cell began to multiply in ways it’s not supposed to, usually in the milk glands (called lobules) or the ducts that carry milk, eventually forming a tumor.

How each person’s breast cancer develops from there depends on lots of variables. But importantly, most breast cancers are highly treatable. On average, the five-year survival rate (meaning: the percentage of people who are still living five years after diagnosis) for breast cancer that has not spread to other parts of the body is 90%.

Shelby Blank, MD is a board-certified general surgeon at Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare (TMH) and Medical Director of TMH’s Walker Breast Program. Dr. Blank leads the program’s Breast Clinic, providing an unparalleled level of care and a more efficient treatment process for patients being diagnosed with and treated for breast cancer. Dr. Blank earned her graduate degree in 1994 and her medical degree in 2001 before going on to complete an internship and residency in surgery – all at the University of South Florida. Dr. Blank is Board Certified by the American Board of Surgery and has over 20 years of experience as a general surgeon. Her passion is providing the most comprehensive care for women’s breast health to our community, which was one of the driving factors in establishing the newest multidisciplinary Breast Clinic at TMH.

To learn more about Dr. Blank, TMH’s Walker Breast Program, and the latest about breast cancer, click the link https://www.tmh.org/

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