THE COACHELLA VALLEY'S

First Comprehensive Breast Center

EST 1988

Mission Statement:

Our mission is to prevent breast cancer when we can and if we can't to make the diagnosis as early as possible using state-of-the-art techniques allowing us to preserve mind, body and spirit.  Our mission is not simply to be on the edge but to make it. We will continue our research and be a voice for those who don't have one until this disease is conquered.

History and Current Thinking:

We began in 1988 when women's issues in medicine were nothing but a blip on the screen, very similar to today unfortunately.  DBI is the first comprehensive breast center in the Coachella Valley and one of the first in the country.  Our founder Dr. Phillip Bretz has been on the active surgical staff (without interruption) of Eisenhower Memorial Hospital, in Rancho Mirage, California since 1979.  During that tenure he has served as Chairman of the Cancer Committee and has been appointed the Field Liaison Office for the American College of Surgeons.  In 2006 Eisenhower Memorial Hospital was named one of the nation's top 100 hospitals.  Also during his tenure he served as an associate surgeon of the Heart Institute of The Desert (Eisenhower's Open Heart Surgery Team).  During that time Eisenhower's heart team had the lowest mortality of any open heart team in the country 0.6% in 1984-85 as documented by Medicare.  From 1990-1995 he was privileged to serve as a civilian physician aboard the 29 Palms Marine Air Ground Combat Center.

We pioneered Stereotactic core biopsy in the valley to avoid surgery and DBI was the first private breast center to introduce digital mammography and we were the first researcher's to introduce National Cancer Institute funded breast cancer clinical trials to the Coachella Valley.  Dr. Bretz's NCI (National Cancer Institute) research number is 17790 and he has been a principal investigator with the N.S.A.B.P. (National Surgical Adjuvant Breast Project) as well as the American College of Surgeons Oncology Group.  In addition, he has been involved in breast cancer vaccine trials and more recently is promulgating a clinical trial to use three emerging technologies to treat breast cancer without surgery, chemotherapy or radiation.

He has worked with some of the nations most respected research institutions including the Ultrafast Laser and Photonics Laboratory at the City College of New York, working on laser mammography.  He has authored two United States patents for breast implants.  In 1993 he was a principal speaker on President Bush's Breast Cancer Panel but, of course, authoring our country's first large-scale breast cancer prevention trial also involving the erstwhile Soviet Union remains the highlight of his research endeavors.

He has personally seen close to twelve thousand patients and they come from all over the world, Singapore, Ireland, England, Moscow, Japan, Egypt and countries in South America.  The institute also manages osteoporosis patients both preventing and providing cutting edge treatment using Hologic DEXA scanning.

The institute is the first in California to introduce digital infrared breast imaging by InfraredSciences.  It uses military technology translated in to civilian use.  It basically uses the same infrared camera that is used in military "smart" bombs.  As well, DBI is the first in the Coachella Valley to introduce OncoVue the most advanced breast cancer genetics risk test.  Because of these technologies we no longer just send a woman for yearly mammography and hope for the best.  Now we will be able to tell a woman if she is in the 14% of women who will develop breast cancer and when her highest risk is pre, peri or post menopausal.  One only has to take the genetics test once.  Armed with this knowledge, we will obtain yearly mammograms, but employ infrared (95% sensitive) at least twice yearly because we know when it is most likely to strike.  Using these techniques we should make the diagnosis in the 5mm range, small enough to use an Argon Gas probe and simply freeze the tumor thus avoiding surgery, chemotherapy and radiation.  The clinical trail is written and in the process of developing and being shared with other centers.

Over the past five years Dr. Bretz has realized that the breast cancer he cured 20 years ago is now not the problem, it is the chronic diseases like osteoporosis, heart disease, stroke, immobility from arthritis etc.  While we can't eliminate these processes all together, we can minimize their impact with proper anti-inflammatory diet and exercise.  To this end Dr. Bretz has developed The Bretz Diet (not just a diet but a lifestyle to live long and strong).  A special note to patients who suffer from hot flashes, mood swings, dry tissue etc. etc.  Dr Bretz utilizes natural hormone replacement (bio-identical hormones) to help his patients through menopausal symptoms. _Also keeping our patients as beautiful as they can be at affordable prices we offer state-of-the-art laser facial rejuvenation and skin tightening, vein and hair removal using the ELOS system.  Please look over our web site for testimonials and our published data, letters and awards we have received.  Please feel free to call us if you have a problem.

Contact us for more information about us or to schedule an appointment.