Dr. Adam Berger spoke about current and developing advances in surgical cancer-care techniques at a Greater Northeast Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce breakfast meeting at Nazareth Hospital.
Berger is a graduate of the New York University School of Medicine. His residency was in general surgery at the University of Maryland Medical Center. He had a fellowship in surgical oncology at Fox Chase Cancer Center.
The doctor has been practicing for five years. His areas of special interest are gastrointestinal malignancies, pancreatic cancer, melanoma and breast cancer. He sees patients from adolescents through geriatrics at Nazareth.
As for breast cancer, Berger said one in seven American women is diagnosed with the disease. There has been a 30-percent decrease in deaths since 1990, when the country increased the use of mammography screenings.
“We’re finding cancers earlier and earlier,” he said.
To prevent melanoma, Berger recommends wearing wide-brimmed hats, avoiding tanning salons and using a sun protection factor (SPF) of 30. He recommends applying sunscreen a half-hour before going into the sun and reapplying it after going in a pool or the ocean.
“It’s just a matter of being smart,” he said. ••
