Leading Mass General Breast Surgeon Dr. Suzanne Coopey Joins AHN Cancer Institute

Breast surgeon Suzanne B. Coopey, MD, FACS, has joined Allegheny Health Network (AHN) Cancer Institute from Massachusetts General Hospital, where she was Breast Surgery Program Director at Mass General/North Shore Cancer Center.

Dr. Coopey will serve as Director of the Breast Program at the soon-to-open AHN Wexford Hospital. AHN Wexford will offer a full spectrum of cancer care, including surgical, radiation and medical oncology, with the most advanced technologies, and in an environment designed for patient comfort. In addition to her role at AHN Wexford, Dr. Coopey will also serve as Co-Strategy and Growth Officer for AHN Cancer Institute’s Breast Program.

“We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Suzanne Coopey to our growing cancer team. She brings to AHN Cancer Institute an outstanding combination of surgical skill, compassionate, patient-centered care and innovative leadership, and we look forward to the difference she will make in our breast program, and ultimately in the lives of our patients,” said David L. Bartlett, MD, Chair, AHN Cancer Institute.

A graduate of Penn State University, Dr. Coopey received her M.D. degree from the Ohio State University College of Medicine and Public Health. She completed a general surgery residency at the Cleveland Clinic and a breast surgery fellowship at Massachusetts General Hospital, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Brigham & Women’s Hospital.

Her areas of research and clinical expertise include nipple-sparing mastectomies, the treatment of high-risk breast lesions, lumpectomy margins, patient-reported outcomes after mastectomy and reconstruction; the use of Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) protocols that allow potential same-day discharge for mastectomy patients, and axillary downstaging/targeted axillary dissection of lymph nodes, a method that improves staging accuracy and allows some patients to avoid a more invasive procedure that can produce lifelong side effects.

Dr. Coopey serves on the editorial board of the Annals of Surgical Oncology (Breast Oncology Section) and as an ad hoc reviewer for a number of other preeminent medical journals including New England Journal of Medicine, Annals of Surgery, and Breast Cancer Research and Treatment.

For more information, or to make an appointment with Dr. Coopey, call 878.332.4387.