For Our Patients

Mission, Scope & Goals

“Crusading against breast disorders through prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and research.”

Mission Statement:

The Windber Research Institute/Walter Reed Army Medical Center Clinical Breast Care Project helps lead the way in the fight against breast disorders and cancer. The project utilizes a multidisciplinary approach as the standard of care for treating breast diseases and breast cancer. This multidisciplinary model integrates prevention, screening, diagnosis, treatment and continuing care, but the project is further unique in the incorporation of advances in risk reduction, biomedical informatics, tissue banking and translational research. These efforts will focus on decreasing the morbidity and mortality of breast cancer among American women.

Scope:

The Clinical Breast Care Project (CBCP) encompasses the facilities, resources and expertise of the Walter Reed Army Medical Center (WRAMC), the Windber Research Institute (WRI), the Windber Medical Center (WMC) and the Henry M. Jackson Foundation (HJF). The CBCP fosters a collaborative and collegial working relationship with cited partners, other government agencies, academic institutions, commercial industry leaders, and non-profit organizations. The CBCP has a five pronged-interlocking approach based on the five pillars: Risk Reduction, Translational Research, Tissue Bank, Biomedical Informatics, and Clinical Care.

Goals:

Ultimate Goal: Decrease morbidity and mortality of breast cancer among American women. Through the interlacing of the five pillars, the CBCP will help lead the fight against breast disorders.

Develop a comprehensive breast care center/system to enable health care providers with a multidisciplinary team approach that works towards the common goal.
Empower women afflicted with breast cancer and other breast disorders, with the decision-making tools and environment to enhance quality of life and to meet psychosocial needs of the patients and their families.
Develop research facilities that facilitate world-class tissue banking, high-throughput and translational research (genomics and proteomics).
Develop an integrated network of communications for the flow of biomedical informatics into a master database/warehouse for conducting research.

Pillar Specific Goals:

1. Risk Reduction:

Identify the population of patients at above average risk for the development of breast cancer.
Decrease this identified population’s rate of breast cancer development.
Analyze potential cost differential in the prevention of breast cancer development.

2. Translational Research:

Genomics-Utilize high-throughput and translational research in a unique Discovery Science environment to include but not be limited to DNA analysis with LOH studies, CGH, and gene sequencing, along with RNA/cDNA microarrays, to identify expression level differentials across the entire spectrum of breast disease and cancer specimens of all stages and types. Include the accompanying lymph nodes and metastatic deposits, serum, and blood. Store all this expression data in a data warehouse where it can then be utilized for biologic pathway development and in-silico biology research for hypothesis-driven research.
Proteomics-Utilize high-throughput and translational research in a unique Discovery Science environment to include but not be limited to 2D-Difference Electrophoresis (2D-DIGE), mass spectrometer pattern analysis and protein identification, to identify expression level differentials across the entire spectrum of breast disease and cancer specimens of all stages and types. Include the accompanying lymph nodes and metastatic deposits, serum, and blood, and to search for novel protein biomarkers, individual or pattern. Store all this expression data in a data warehouse where it can then be utilized for biologic pathway development and in-silico biology research for hypothesis-driven research.
Perform affiliated translational laboratory research in support of the main expression profiling and biomarker discovery goals of the CBCP research laboratories. Develop alliances with other research organizations and entities and carry out project-supported research in support of same.

3. Tissue Bank:

Collect and store breast, serum, sentinel and axillary lymph nodes, and/or bone marrow aspiration specimens from every patient undergoing a breast biopsy and/or breast surgery at WRAMC and CBCP-affiliated clinical centers who consent to participate in this study. Use the power of this tissue bank to dramatically further breast disease research.
Leverage the CBCP Biospecimen Repository within CBCP and with its affiliated centers and entities to maximize the utilization of the repository with CBCP leadership approval for the overall benefit of breast cancer patients and research as able and appropriate. Develop external collaborations with academia, industry, and other governmental agencies to make the most powerful and appropriate use of this repository.

4. Biomedical Informatics:

Develop, implement, and prospectively continue a clinically relevant and laboratory research-linked prospective, longitudinal computerized database for use in patients with all types of breast care needs.
Link this database information through the Internet to data set at a rural primary breast care center with appropriate security and firewall protections.
Develop the database to allow for "on-the-fly," relational, clinically-relevant statistical analysis.
Develop an informatics companion to the prospective serum / breast tissue bank. (Pillar 3)

5. Clinical Care:

Decrease the negative psychological impact on the patient of having an evaluation or treatment intervention for breast disease.
Create and maintain an environment (medical, physical, psychological) conductive to the multiple needs of the patient undergoing breast disease evaluation / treatment.
Utilize objective measurement instruments to longitudinally assess the patient’s psychological response to evaluation and intervention, and base modifications on those results.
Serve as the portal for breast disease research by acquiring tissue, serum and clinically relevant data.

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