Life
7 min. read
Breast cancer is often associated with later stages of life. But for many women, risk begins much earlier. Family history, genetic mutations, prior radiation exposure and certain high-risk breast conditions can significantly increase the likelihood of developing breast cancer — even before routine screening typically begins.
The Breast Cancer Prevention Clinic, part of Baptist Health Miami Cancer Institute, offers comprehensive, personalized care for individuals at increased risk of breast cancer. The Clinic is staffed by highly qualified Advanced Practice Providers (APPs) — licensed healthcare professionals with advanced education and training, including Nurse Practitioners (NPs) and Physician Assistants (PAs).
Separately, the Young Women’s Breast Cancer Program provides specialized coordination and support tailored to the unique needs of younger women following a breast cancer diagnosis.
These programs are helping close critical gaps in awareness, access and long-term prevention — empowering patients to take control of their breast health earlier than ever before.
At Baptist Health Cancer Care, which includes Miami Cancer Institute and the Eugene M. & Christine E. Lynn Cancer Institute at Boca Raton Regional Hospital, part of Baptist Health, a collaborative, multidisciplinary team approach is fundamental to providing comprehensive and personalized patient care.
“The entire concept of multidisciplinary care actually came from breast cancer care — we broke the silos of surgery, medical oncology and radiation to work together,” explains breast surgical oncologist Mehran Habibi, M.D., chief of breast surgery at Miami Cancer Institute and deputy chief of breast surgery for Baptist Health Cancer Care. “Radiology, pathology, surgery, medical oncology, radiation oncology, reconstructive surgery — all must work closely from the first encounter through the entire journey.”
The Young Women’s Breast Cancer Program is led by Starr Mautner, M.D., and Reshma Mahtani, D.O..
About 10 percent of all new breast cancer diagnoses occur in women under 45, according to the American Cancer Society. At Miami Cancer Institute, the number is even higher — 13 percent. While deaths from breast cancer have been declining, it is still the second-leading cause of cancer death in women (behind only lung cancer), killing more than 42,000 women a year in the U.S.
“I see several women in my clinic each week under the age of 45,” said Dr. Mautner, a breast surgical oncologist with the Institute. “A lot of these patients are coming in with aggressive cancers that they have found themselves because they aren’t of screening age yet. By the time they feel a mass, the cancer can be more advanced than if caught early with a mammogram or other imaging.”
The Breast Cancer Prevention Clinic is dedicated to caring for individuals who do not have breast cancer but are considered at higher-than-average risk of developing the disease.
This includes patients with:
Rather than a one-size-fits-all model, the clinic focuses on personalized risk assessment and long-term monitoring, helping patients understand their risk and take evidence-based steps to reduce it.
Younger women at increased risk often face unique challenges — including uncertainty about when to begin screening, concerns about fertility and family planning, and difficulty navigating fragmented care across multiple providers.
To address these needs, Miami Cancer Institute developed the Young Women’s Breast Cancer Program. The program is designed to provide better care coordination, education and continuity for younger patients who require earlier or more intensive surveillance.
“Through this program, we are not only providing compassionate, coordinated care, but also creating a database of young patients that captures clinical and genomic information,” said Dr. Mahtani, chief of breast medical oncology at the Institute. “This will give us the ability to ask and answer important research questions in the future about why breast cancer is increasing in this population and how we can improve outcomes.”
Early treatment is vital for young women hoping to become mothers, adds Dr. Mautner. “You have patients who have not had children yet and they’d like to become mothers. These conversations can be overwhelming. You may be discussing whether they will store their eggs or embryos or look at surrogacy — at the same time they are dealing with a breast cancer diagnosis.”
Patients in the Young Women’s Breast Cancer Program benefit from:
By embedding this program within the Prevention Clinic, patients receive consistent care over time — even as their risk profile or needs evolve.
One of the most important developments at the Breast Cancer Prevention Clinic is its Advanced Practice Provider (APP)-led care model.
The clinic is staffed by highly trained nurse practitioners and physician assistants with expertise in women’s health, breast cancer risk assessment and preventive care. This approach allows the clinic to expand access while maintaining a high level of personalized attention.
APP-led care offers several advantages:
This model is fully integrated within the Institute’s multidisciplinary framework. APPs work in collaboration with experts in breast surgery, reconstructive surgery, medical oncology, gynecologic oncology and genetics, ensuring patients have access to advanced expertise whenever it is needed.
The Breast Cancer Prevention Clinic provides a wide range of services designed to support patients at every stage of risk assessment and prevention, including:
All care follows National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) guidelines, ensuring patients receive the most current, evidence-based recommendations for breast health and prevention.
Recognizing the demands of modern life — especially for younger women balancing careers, families and caregiving responsibilities — the clinic offers virtual appointments upon request. This flexibility makes it easier for patients to stay engaged in their care and maintain continuity over time.
The clinic’s prevention-focused philosophy emphasizes education and empowerment, helping patients make informed decisions today that can significantly impact their future health.
Despite the depth and scope of services offered, many people in the community remain unaware that specialized breast cancer prevention care is available — particularly for younger women who may not yet qualify for routine screening.
By increasing awareness of the Breast Cancer Prevention Clinic and the Young Women’s Breast Cancer Program, Miami Cancer Institute hopes to encourage earlier referrals, proactive risk assessment and informed prevention strategies.
Early engagement doesn’t just improve outcomes — it reduces anxiety, builds trust and gives patients confidence in their care plan.
Patients interested in the Breast Cancer Prevention Clinic or the Young Women’s Breast Cancer Program can call 786-596-2000 to schedule an appointment.
Physicians may refer patients by calling 786-573-6125 or emailing MCIPhysicianConnect@BaptistHealth.net. Virtual visits are available upon request, and international patients are also welcome.
Mehran Habibi, M.D., MBA, is an internationally recognized surgical breast oncologist with over two decades of clinical and academic leadership. He serves as chief of breast surgery at Baptist Health Miami Cancer Institute and deputy chief of breast surgery for Baptist Health Cancer Care. His clinical expertise includes oncoplastic and nipple-sparing mastectomies, nerve-preserving and risk-reducing procedures, and advanced intraoperative tumor localization and margin assessment technologies.
Before joining Baptist Health, Dr. Habibi held senior leadership roles at Northwell Health, including director of breast surgery at Staten Island University Hospital, regional chief of breast surgery for Northwell’s Western Region and director of international program development for Northwell Cancer Institute. He also served as an associate professor of surgery at the Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell. Prior to that, he spent more than 15 years at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, where he founded and led the Breast Center at the Bayview Medical Center.
Dr. Habibi’s research program spans surgical innovation, genomics and tumor microenvironment studies. His current investigations include wire-free localization techniques, intraoperative margin assessment tools and studies of tumor tissue mechanics, breast cancer genomics, and the role of the microbiome in breast cancer progression and therapy response. His research has been supported by multiple grants and published in high-impact peer-reviewed journals.
Certified by the American Board of Surgery, Dr. Habibi is a fellow of the American Society of Breast Surgeons and a reviewer for The Breast Journal and JAMA Surgery. He is also an editorial board member of Archives of Breast Cancer.
Dr. Habibi earned his medical degree at Islamic Azad University in Tehran and completed surgical training at Pennsylvania Hospital and St. Luke’s Hospital. He completed a fellowship in complex surgical oncology at the Medical College of Virginia and holds a master’s degree in business administration from Virginia Commonwealth University.
Outside the operating room, Dr. Habibi is known for his love of photography, swimming and baking—where his pastry skills rival his surgical precision.
Reshma Mahtani, D.O., is a medical oncologist at Baptist Health Miami Cancer Institute and chief of breast medical oncology at Baptist Health Wellness and Medical Complex. She specializes in the treatment of breast cancer.
Prior to joining Baptist Health Cancer Care in 2022, Dr. Mahtani worked as an associate professor of medicine and co-leader of the Breast Cancer Site Disease Group at the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. She also served as the director of community outreach.
Dr. Mahtani earned her medical degree at the University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine in Portland, Maine. She completed an internal medicine internship at Greenwich Hospital, a Yale affiliate, in Greenwich, Conn. She also completed an internal medicine residency and a hematology-oncology fellowship at St. Vincent’s Catholic Medical Center in New York.
Dr. Mahtani is an active clinical researcher, helping bring novel breast cancer treatments and clinical trials to patients in South Florida. She has made significant scientific and clinical practice contributions and has received funding from numerous organizations. As a nationally recognized thought leader in breast cancer, she has numerous first-author publications in peer-reviewed journals and has presented her cancer research findings at cancer conferences worldwide. She serves as editor-in-chief for Practice Update, an online medical education platform for physicians, and has served on national committees to recognize cancer clinics that offer quality care across the country.
Known for her passion for medical education, she founded an education initiative to ensure that physicians in South Florida know about the latest cancer treatments and can provide evidence-based care. She is also involved in several initiatives that enhance patients’ access to healthcare, as well as community collaborations for education and advocacy.
Though she is a passionate researcher, Dr. Mahtani most enjoys spending time with her patients. She believes it is a privilege to be by their side, teaching them about their breast cancer and treatment options. She strives to help every patient find hope through clinical trials and the latest novel treatments for breast cancer.
February 6, 2026
3 min. read
