ChristianaCare

Helen F. Graham Cancer Center and Research Institute

Newark, Delaware
Training Program Director: Valerie L. Staradub, MD
Fellowship Administrative Coordinator: Mads Turley

About the Helen F. Graham Cancer Center and Research Institute

The ChristianaCare Breast Program is located on the Christiana Hospital (Newark) campus, centered within the beautifully designed and landscaped, 200,000-square-foot Helen F. Graham Cancer Center & Research Institute, a state-of-the-art facility that serves the majority of cancer patients residing in Delaware and also draws patients from nearby Pennsylvania, Maryland, and New Jersey. This National Cancer Institute-selected Community Cancer Center features advanced medical, surgical, and radiation procedures and diagnostic services. Our full-time, fellowship-trained breast surgeons and dedicated breast surgery APCs care for all benign and malignant breast disease. The breast cancer service line submits 700 to 800 analytic breast cancer cases annually to the NCDB. Our Center for Breast Reconstruction offers a full range of implant and autologous reconstruction options with our 3 fellowship-trained microsurgeons, who also collaborate with the breast surgeons on oncoplastic procedures. The HFGCC houses the Center for Translational Research, a collaborative program with the University of Delaware, as well as the Tatiana Copeland Breast Imaging Center. Under the direction of our team of dedicated, fellowship-trained breast imagers, over 14,000 breast imaging studies and over 2,000 image-guided breast procedures are done annually. With more than 200,000 patient visits annually, the Helen F. Graham Cancer Center and Research Institute is recognized as a national model for multidisciplinary cancer care and a top enroller in U.S. clinical research trials. Our NCI NCORP program continues to maintain an annual accrual rate of 20%, and there are generally over 100 NCI clinical trials open. Collaborations with world-renowned scientists at facilities such as the University of Delaware and The Wistar Institute in Philadelphia are opening new avenues to more quickly translate cancer science into cancer medicine.

About ChristianaCare

A dynamic health care organization with four campuses, ChristianaCare is a major teaching affiliate for Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University, training more than 280 residents annually. ChristianaCare includes an extensive network of primary care and outpatient services, home health care, urgent care centers, three hospitals (1,336 beds), a freestanding emergency department, a Level I trauma center and a Level III neonatal intensive care unit, a comprehensive stroke center and regional centers of excellence in heart and vascular care, cancer care and women’s health. It also includes the pioneering Gene Editing Institute. With over 37,000 surgical procedures annually, ChristianaCare is consistently among the top 50 hospitals for surgical volume in the country and in the top 25 among East Coast hospitals.

About the Program

Our clinical fellowship education includes rotations in Breast Surgery, Medical Oncology, Radiation Oncology, Pathology, and Breast Imaging. Additional rotations include Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Genetics, Outreach, Rehabilitation (including Lymphedema Rehabilitation), Oncology Health Psychology, and Palliative and Supportive Care. A robust Research rotation begins the academic year, including exposure to translational research, clinical trial design, and participation in national clinical trials. Our fellows have access to a research associate and a biostatistician through our Academic Affairs department. It is anticipated that the fellow will design and develop either a research project or clinical protocol in an area of their interest, which will lead to presentation at a regional or national meeting and a manuscript to be submitted for publication. A research mentor is identified to assist with developing a project, helping to complete the project, and assisting with publication and presentation.  The fellow will participate in one-on-one didactic sessions throughout the year, scheduled to align with the clinical rotations for the enhancement of breast-related medical knowledge. Additionally, the fellow will participate in weekly multidisciplinary Breast Cancer Tumor Board meetings and the Breast Cancer Multidisciplinary Clinic while on service, and will lead a monthly Breast Journal Club. It is anticipated that the fellow will attend the Society of Surgical Oncology Fellows Institute as well as national meetings.

Eligibility

Applicants must have successfully completed an accredited general surgery residency program in the United States and must be American Board of Surgery certified or eligible. One fellow per year will be selected, and interviews will take place in the fall prior to the match year.

Contact Information