Community Leader | Dr. Angela Buonagura
In the Fight: Dr. Angela Buonagura
-Liesel Schmidt
We’ve all heard the statistics about breast cancer…
…that it is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in women…
…and that one in eight women will be diagnosed in her lifetime.
For Dr. Angela Buonagura, one hundred percent of the women who find themselves meeting with her on a patient basis have heard the words “breast cancer.” Each and every one of these women are depending on her expertise to keep them from becoming a mortality statistic.
A practicing surgeon for 22 years, Dr. Buonagura specializes in breast cancer surgery, making her the one who performs mastectomies and lumpectomies. In the case of the former, she works in tandem with a plastic surgeon to complete tissue removal in the same surgery as a breast reconstruction. “I work with an entire team of incredible physicians and specialists who treat patients with breast cancer,” she says. “Amazing nurse practitioners, navigators, nurses, surgical staff, medical assistants and administrative staff. We all do this together. Every one of us has tremendous dedication to our patients, and we all go above and beyond. I can’t do it without them.”
Doctor Buonagura has been dreaming of being a doctor since she was four years old—and that passion has followed her through medical school, residencies and extremely taxing schedules. “I decided that becoming a surgeon would be an opportunity to not only work with patients to diagnose their problems but also deliver a change for them and help them in a physically profound way,” she observes. “I wanted to help the women—as well as the men—suffering from this devastating disease in my community. Facing the uncertainties of cancer is such a scary time, and I try to ease that burden for them. I want my patients to feel safe and know that I am in it with them. As difficult a road as it is to work in this specialty, I care deeply for each of my patients. I pray for them daily and work my hardest to help them win their battle.”
