Sasee Magazine

Medical Director of Georgetown Hospital System’s Breast Health Program, Dr. Craig Brackett is not your stereotypical surgeon. His team at Coastal Carolina Breast Center is the only one of its kind in our area; one of only eight programs in the state accredited by NAPBC (National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers) and was the third in the state to do needle biopsies. This type of cutting edge care is not typically found in small communities like ours, but Dr. Brackett’s passion and dedication have made this center a lifesaving reality for women with not only breast cancer, but all diseases of the breast. Most importantly, Dr. Brackett is a true healer – his genuine kindness and compassion instills the kind of confidence in his patients that facilitates recovery.

Dr. Brackett, please tell us about your work with Coastal Carolina Breast Center.

One of our primary goals is education. We don’t approach breast cancer with fear; the majority of cancers can be cured. Actually most of women I see don’t have cancer, but they’re all scared when they come in. Studies show that 70% of women with breast cancer are treated in their community, so we want to be able to offer university level care. Our team sees patients from Florence to Awendaw to the southern part of North Carolina.

Great changes for the better in breast cancer treatment have occurring during the last 10-15 years. Today, our multi-disciplinary team meets to decide the best possible treatment for each individual patient – all women are different. And, each member of our team wants to be the very best at what they do; I spend many of my vacations sitting in conference rooms learning more. This is an amazing group of people; we work together like a big, happy family.

We realize that telling a woman she has breast cancer is a big deal. I know I have to cure the cancer not only in the body, but in the mind as well. It’s important for your readers to know that nearly 70% of breast cancer patients have no family history – actually only 5-10% of breast cancers are from hereditary causes. I do a lot of public speaking locally and regionally to help educate the public about this disease.

This is how I was called to serve. I pray every time I stand at the scrub sink because I realize that I’m not the one in charge. Sometimes I miss doing general surgery, but no one was tackling breast cancer. Each day is a test, and at the end of the day I want to go home knowing I gave the right advice and did a good job. There’s no room for arrogance in this business – that’s how people die.

At Coastal Carolina Breast Center, we see everyone regardless of their ability to pay. Programs are available to ensure that very woman can get a mammogram and treatment, but we still need to work toward better and more affordable care. I trained to be a doctor – not to treat one person over another who has a better insurance plan. It doesn’t cost me anything but my time to do your operation.

Tell us a little about your personal life.

Amy and I have been happily married for 26 years and have three children. Ben is 20 and Katie is 18 – both are students at Clemson. Will, our youngest, is 9 years old. I enjoy my family – when the older ones were younger I was busy studying and learning – this was the early 2000s and things were changing monthly. Now I can sit back and relax a little.

We grill out a lot when the weather is nice, and I do enjoy a beer with the occasional cigar! My workouts include bike riding and lifting weights. I love my church – All Saints – where we are all active members. My youngest is a baseball whiz, and I go to his games and have co-coached his team. We all love sports.

Any last thoughts for our readers?

We, as doctors, don’t know everything. The power is in your hands: ask questions, know your risk factors and keep searching until you find your answer. Do. Not. Be. Afraid.

Contact Coastal Carolina Breast Center at 843-651-3308.