TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Breast Cancer Surgeon Honored

Photo courtesy of H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute

Susan Hoover, an H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute breast cancer surgeon, has been selected as one of 21 U.S. delegates to a global breast care advocate summit in Budapest, Hungary, Sept. 29 and 30.

ADVERTISEMENT

By JOYCE McKENZIE, The Tampa Tribune

Published: September 29, 2007

EDITOR'S NOTE: At press time Thursday, it was learned that Susan Hoover, because of illness, would not attend the Ignite the Promise: Global Advocate Summit in Budapest, Hungary.

TEMPLE TERRACE - Despite the long hours and taxing demands of performing surgery, breast cancer surgeon Susan Hoover makes time for patient advocacy.

'My background has given me firsthand experience in understanding the plight of women with limited or no access to education, screening and treatment,' said Hoover, director of the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute's Breast Diagnostic Center.

Committed to changing the disparity of care among women of different racial and ethnic groups, Hoover also serves as Moffitt's medical director of diversity affairs, a role in which she promotes screening, outreach and funding efforts geared to meet the needs of women in low-income communities.

As a result of her efforts, the Temple Terrace resident and graduate of the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School was selected as one of 20 U.S. delegates to participate in Ignite the Promise: Global Advocate Summit this weekend in Budapest, Hungary.

There also will be representatives from 30 other countries at the conference, sponsored by Susan G. Komen for the Cure, a grass-roots network of breast cancer survivors and advocates focused on eradicating breast cancer. First lady Laura Bush will serve as the event's honorary co-chairwoman.

It will enable Hoover, 38, who has been partnered with a 'buddy' from another country, to share her outreach tactics, gather information on health education from other medical professionals and work together to create ideas that ultimately could eliminate death from the disease.

'That's kind of cool to be able to have a buddy, a pen pal, and the exchange of information that is vitally important. There is just so much disparity in health care,' said Hoover, who was a participant in Komen's interdisciplinary breast cancer fellowship training after completing her general surgery residency at Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas.

'Multidisciplinary care is big at Moffitt,' Hoover said. 'It's all about education and people approaching a subject from different angles and with different ideas.'

She looks forward to interacting with her summit peer group in the same way.

'I'm sure there are things they've done that I've never thought about,' she said.

Breast cancer, Hoover said, appears to be on the increase in other countries, a phenomenon that she believes could be the result of better screening.

'We have a long way to go to improve the overall outcomes, but summits like this can provide so much information,' she said. 'Having your fingers on the pulse, I think, helps with care.'

Hoover's husband, Ty, a pathologist at Moffitt, met his wife when they were freshmen in college.

'She's a very dedicated doctor, and she cares about her patients tremendously,' he said. 'When she has a patient who's not had a good experience, she really takes that to heart. I'm not sure if many other breast surgeons have that same compassion.'

Reporter Joyce McKenzie can be reached at (813) 865-4849 or jmckenzie@tampatrib.com.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT