Risk Assessment and Prevention Program (RAPP)
The Risk Assessment and Prevention Program allows for patients at high-risk of developing breast cancer to be thoroughly evaluated every six months. In addition to detailed screenings twice a year, the clinic also provides counseling on how to change your lifestyle in order to lower your risk, and counseling on chemoprevention strategies, which involve taking certain medications to prevent the development of cancer.
The patients are channeled to this clinic through multiple sources, as follows:
- Primary physician referrals, when they determine that the patient is high-risk (e.g. family history of cancer, high score on risk models, etc.)
- Scheduled by trained staff attending patient calls, when they determine the high-risk status
- Referral of family members of cancer patients seen in the cancer clinic
- Referral from other specialists, when they determine the high-risk status
This clinic provides:
- 6 monthly detailed screening breast exams
- Counseling regarding life-style modification to lower the risk pertaining to modifiable factors
- Evaluation of yearly screening mammograms
- Determination and referral for screening MRI’s
- Counseling regarding chemopreventive strategies
- Monitoring of women who choose to use hormonal chemoprevention
- Identification of risk for genetic mutation
- Genetic testing for appropriate women
- Specific sessions with geneticist for counseling regarding mutation carrier status