Dr. Christa Balanoff at KU (Indian Creek campus)

Dr. Balanoff was excellent to work with.  She is a most compassionate and skilled breast surgeon.  She spent a great deal of time with my husband and I on the first visit discussing staging, receptors, my pathology report, indications for chemo and surgical options.  Due to a positive lymph node and a HER2+ tumor, I was referred to Dr. Sharma (Oncology) as both were indications for chemo before surgery.  She explained the importance of having chemo first with my cancer as surgery would assess my response to chemo.  

I completed my 6 cycles of chemo and had my lumpectomy that September in 2017 (after an early April diagnosis).  At that point I couldn't even feel my lump anymore.  I agreed to a study where sentinel (closest to the cancer) lymph nodes were removed but axillary lymph nodes were spared with the hopes of reducing the incidence of lymphedema. 

When the pathology came back, Dr. Balanoff called to let me know that my cancer showed only about a 40% response (my cancer was not killed by the chemo) and I had 3 positive sentinel nodes.  She saw me in the office promptly (and frankly I thought I was going to die).  She explained that I did, in fact, need an axillary lymph node dissection and also took the time to explore my mental health since I was so shocked by all of this.  Everything ultimately turned out well but I so, so appreciated her care and compassion!