Mary L. Gemignani, MD, MPH, FACS

I am a surgeon who specializes in the diagnosis and surgical treatment of breast cancer. I am dual trained as a breast surgeon and as a gynecologic oncologist, having completed fellowships in both disciplines. My training has allowed me to focus my research endeavors in hereditary familial cancers, focusing on breast cancers caused by mutations in the BRCA genes. I have extensive experience in the diagnosis and treatment of hereditary breast cancer, including surgery for prevention by risk reducing bilateral mastectomy.

Additionally, I am a principal investigator for several research projects, including one to investigate the use of a special estrogen PET (positron emission tomography) imaging substance in patients with breast cancer. This novel technique will help doctors to image tumors functionally, and may enhance treatment decisions for patients with ER (estrogen receptor) positive breast cancers. My research has also covered important aspects of surgical decisions related to axillary node surgery. I value the importance of minimizing risks and side effects of cancer surgery, and helped to develop and apply the technique of sentinel-node biopsy in many types of cancers. Along with my colleagues, I am excited about recent developments that even when the sentinel nodes harbors some cancer cells, that many patients do not require additional lymph node removal.

I am currently fellowship director for the breast surgical fellowship training program, and responsible for the educational training program for a highly selected group of surgeons choosing to specialize in breast surgery. I am an active member of local, national, and international societies including the American College of Surgeons, the Society of Surgical Oncology, the American Society of Breast Surgeons, and the American Society of Breast Diseases.