High Risk Clinic

New Physician Expands Access

The University of Virginia Health System’s High Risk Breast and Ovarian Cancer Clinic has added gynecologist Vanessa H. Gregg, MD, a move it hopes will make it easier for women at higher risk for breast and ovarian cancer to access care.

greggThe clinic helps women who may be at higher risk for breast and ovarian cancer, based on their family history or other factors, proactively manage their health through advanced diagnostics, genetic counseling and tailored treatment. Gregg enjoys the opportunity to work closely with patients to help determine their level of risk and develop a customized care plan.

“The High Risk Clinic gives me the unique opportunity to provide preventive care, while also offering the chance to perform surgeries that reduce women's risk of developing cancer,” she says. “We have a dynamic team of collaborators who work together to provide comprehensive care for this specialized group of patients. I really enjoy the clinic because it allows me to work together closely with the breast surgeons and with the radiologists. We are able to provide a highly coordinated level of care to our patients.”

Gregg is also researching improvements in diagnostics and treatment for high-risk cancer patients. Her research interests include: examining the effectiveness of breast MRI as a breast cancer screening tool; quality-of-life issues associated with being at high risk for malignancies; and examining outcomes after prophylactic removal of the fallopian tubes and ovaries.

To refer a patient to the High Risk Breast and Ovarian Cancer Clinic, call UVA Physician Direct at 800.552.3723.

High Risk Breast and Ovarian Cancer Clinic: How Your Patients Benefit

Genetic predisposition plays a role in about 5 percent to 10 percent of breast and ovarian cancer cases in the U.S. each year. Women at higher risk based on their family history or other factors can benefit from UVA’s team of gynecologists, oncologists, radiologists, surgeons and genetic counselors. Services include:

  • Advanced screening and diagnostics – including breast MRI, digital mammography, breast-specific gamma imaging, ultrasound-guided biopsy, stereotactic biopsy and transvaginal ultrasound
  • Genetic counseling
  • Non-surgical treatments – including close surveillance and chemoprevention
  • Surgical treatments – prophylactic procedures include lumpectomies, mastectomies, breast reconstructions and oophorectomies
  • Clinical trials for women undergoing prophylactic surgeries

 

When to Refer

Patients should be referred if they have:

  • Multiple family members with breast cancer (especially premenopausal)
  • A history of ovarian cancer in any family member
  • A family history of multiple cancers, especially among first-degree relatives such as mothers, sisters and daughters
  • A Gail Model calculated five-year risk of developing breast cancer of 1.8 percent or higher for a woman younger than 60 years of age
  • A personal history of abnormal pathology on an excisional breast biopsy such as lobular carcinoma in situ (LCIS), atypical lobular hyperplasia (ALH) or atypical ductal hyperplasia (ADH)