Richard J. Bleicher, MD, FACS

Richard Bleicher, MD, FACS
​​
This physician is not currently rated. Why?

Why is this doctor not rated?

Close

To ensure the accuracy of our patient satisfaction scores, we require that providers who see patients receive a minimum number of completed patient-submitted surveys before their reviews are listed on their profiles. Star ratings on this site are collected on a rolling basis from the previous 12 months.
Additionally, some of the physicians listed on our site do not see patients directly, and therefore, do not receive evaluation and ratings from patients.

More about patient ratings
Request an Appointment

Clinical Locations

Clinical Director, Breast Service Line
Director, Breast Fellowship Program
Professor, Department of Surgical Oncology
Attending Surgeon

Specialties

Treatment Focus

  • Novel Treatment Modalities for Breast Cancer
  • Breast Cancer Clinical Trials
  • Cosmetic Outcomes in the Treatment of Breast Cancer
  • Male Breast Cancer
  • Atypical Ductal Hyperplasia
  • Ductal Carcinoma in Situ
  • Timeliness of Treatment

Key Awards

2023 top doctors
Surgery
  • Philadelphia MagazineTop Doctors 2018-2023
  • Pink Tie Ball Light of Life Award 2014
  • Susan G. Komen Medical Co-Director of Philly Pops Event for Minority Women 2016
  • Susan G. Komen/American Association of Cancer Research Outstanding Investigator Award 2016
  • Susan G. Komen Medical Co-Director of Philly Pops Event for Minority Women 2017
  • Susan G. Komen Jamie Brooke Lieberman Award 2020
     

 

Treatment Philosophy

I am acutely aware of the impact that a breast cancer diagnosis has on an individual. I do my best to foster a positive environment in which to start my patients' course of treatment and take the time to explain the pros and cons of each treatment option, so that they can make an informed decision. My treatment philosophy also includes, not just an emphasis on successful treatment, but also preserving a good cosmetic outcome. I feel fortunate to be a fellowship trained, very highly specialized clinician practicing at Fox Chase Cancer Center, which is an NCI-Designated Comprehensive Cancer Center, because this combination of factors allows me, and our treatment team, to focus on one thing all day, every day, and do it well: curing breast cancer. Additionally, what may be rarely seen by others, such as unusual pathology results, complex cases, or rare clinical situations (such as male breast cancer or breast cancers whose primary tumor cannot be found), I see frequently. I enjoy using that experience to help individuals where it may be hard for them to find expertise for their specific concern. When it comes to curing breast cancers of all types, I think there is nothing more rewarding that I could do as a clinician. 

Follow on Twitter: @RichardBleicher 

Educational Background

  • Fellow, Basic Science Research, Mercy Hospital of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA
  • Fellow, Surgical Oncology, John Wayne Cancer Institute, Santa Monica, CA
  • Resident, Mercy Hospital of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA
  • MD, Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, 1994
  • BA, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 1990

Certifications

  • Board Certified, General Surgery

Appointments

  • Founding Member, American College of Surgeons Quality Improvement Steering Committee/Cancer Quality Improvement Committee (CanQIC)
  • Member, Commission on Cancer Quality Assurance Data Committee (QADC) Breast Disease Site Working Group
  • Member, Board of Directors, American College of Surgeons National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers
  • Chairman, Quality Improvement and Information Technology Committee, American College of Surgeons National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers
  • Surveyor, American College of Surgeons National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers
  • Past Chairman, Society of Surgical Oncology Breast Fellowship Program Directors Training Committee
  • Committee Member, Commission on Cancer Operative Standards Committee
  • Committee Member, Commission on Cancer, Quality Integration Committee

Memberships

  • National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN)
    • Epic User Group Committee
  • American College of Surgeons
  • American College of Surgeons Oncology Group
  • American Medical Informatics Association
  • American Radium Society
  • American Society of Clinical Oncology
  • Association for Academic Surgery
  • Oncology Group American
  • Society of Breast Surgeons
  • International Sentinel Node Society
  • National Comprehensive Cancer Network
  • Radiation Therapy Oncology Group
  • Society of Surgical Oncology
  • Society of University Surgeons 

Honors & Awards

  • Philadelphia Magazine Top Doctors, 2017-20
  • Jamie Brooke Lieberman Remembrance Award, Susan G. Komen® Philadelphia, 2020
  • America's Top Doctors®2016-17
  • Best Doctors in America®, Best Doctors Inc., 2014
  • Breast Cancer Researcher of the Year Award for 2009, Adams County Breast Cancer Coalition
  • Sentinel Node 2002 Congress Young Investigator Award, 2002
  • American Society of Clinical Oncology Merit Award, 2002 

Gabrielle Korosec

  • Breast Cancer

There were a lot of things going on in my life when I first found a lump in my breast. My mother-in-law was in failing health, my two children were teenagers, and I was separating with my husband of 23 years. My life was in chaos; when I found the lump, it further added to that.

VIEW PATIENT STORY

Melanie Fowler

  • Breast Cancer

I’m 65 years old, and thanks to a 35-year career at the Department of Defense, I’ve been happily retired for just about a decade. I live in Willow Grove, Pennsylvania, with my husband Bill, our dog Tess, short for Tess the Mess, and our cat Amoco, who is named for the gas station where we found her.

VIEW PATIENT STORY

Kat Kramer

  • Breast Cancer

When I was growing up in Philadelphia’s Olney-Feltonville neighborhood, my grandmother made sure I knew how to run a household. She taught all of her grandchildren how to do essential household tasks, like sewing and cooking. I always looked forward to the day when I’d get to follow in her footsteps and pass these skills along to my son, Alex.

But when I was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2015 at age 43, I found myself worried about whether I would be able to carry on family traditions like this.

VIEW PATIENT STORY

Patti Rose

  • Breast Cancer

At 36, Patti Rose, a wife and mother to seven children, was shocked to learn she had a rare form of breast cancer. Because her husband works in construction and had done several projects for Fox Chase Cancer Center, they knew right away Fox Chase was the right place for Patti's treatment. At Fox Chase, Patti underwent chemotherapy and radiation therapy, followed by a lumpectomy and additional surgery. The experience was extremely difficult, but Patti credits the staff at Fox Chase for giving her a positive outlook and helping her get through it. Today, she is cancer free and could not be more pleased with the treatment she received. "Fox Chase helped me to be positive. If I didn’t have that connection with doctors and nurses and even the security guard that I would talk to every time I was there, I think I would have felt more afraid," she said. "Knowing all those people were praying for me, thinking of me, and trying to get me through it made me feel like I could overcome it."

VIEW PATIENT STORY

Research Interests

Health services research, breast imaging, breast cancer, population studies; Sentinel node biopsy in breast cancer; Novel treatment modalities for breast cancer; Breast cancer clinical trials; Breast imaging and cancer outcomes, Disparities in breast cancer, Male and female breast cancer.

Selected Publications

Jordan, RM, Rivera-Sanchez L, Kelley K, O’Brien MA, Ruth K, Porpiglia AS, Aggon AA, Ross E, Sigurdson ER, Bleicher RJ. The Impact of an Electromagnetic Seed Localization Device as versus Wire Localization on Breast Conserving Surgery: A Matched Pair Analysis. Ann Surg Oncol 2023; 30 (7), 4111-4119. 
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37012435/

Bleicher R.J., Moran M.S., Ruth K., Edge S.B., Dietz J.M., Wilke L.G., Stearns V., Kurtzman S.H., Klein J., Yao K.A., The impact of radiotherapy delay in breast conservation patients not receiving chemotherapy and the rationale for dichotomizing the radiation oncology time-dependent standard into two quality measures. Ann Surg Oncol. 29(1): 469-481, 2022.PMC9059503. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/34324114.

Williams A.D., Chang C., Sigurdson E.R., Wang C.H., Aggon A.A., Hill M.V., Porpiglia A., Bleicher R.J., Neoadjuvant endocrine therapy and delays in surgery for ductal carcinoma in situ: Implications for the coronavirus pandemic. Ann Surg Oncol. 29(3): 1683-1691, 2022.PMC8504964. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/34635974.

Sharp N.E., Sachs D.B., Melchior N.M., Albaneze P., Nardello S., Sigurdson E.R., Deng M., Aggon A.A., Daly J.M., Bleicher R.J., Does the false-negative rate for 1 or 2 negative sentinel nodes after neo-adjuvant chemotherapy translate into a high local recurrence rate? Breast J. 27(4): 335-344, 2021.PMC8927898. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/33709448.

Esposito AC, Crawford J, Sigurdson ER, Handorf EA, Hayes SB, Boraas M, Bleicher RJ. Omission of radiotherapy after breast conservation surgery in the postneoadjuvant setting. Journal of Surgical Research, 221:49-57, 2018. PMC5729922

Bleicher RJ, Ruth K, Sigurdson ER, Beck RJ, Ross E, Wong YN, Patel SA, Boraas M, Chang EI, Topham NS, Egleston BL. Time to surgery and breast cancer survival in the United States. In Press, JAMA Oncol 2015

Bleicher RJ, Ruth K, Sigurdson ER, Daly JM, Boraas M, Anderson P, Egleston BL. Breast Conservation Versus Mastectomy for T3 Primaries (>5 cm): A Review of 5,685 Medicare Patients. In Press, Cancer 2015.

Bleicher RJ. Reply to E. Peralta, et al. re: Breast MRI as it is, in contrast to how we wish it to be.  J Clin Oncol 2014; 32, 2818-2819.

Loveland-Jones C, Ruth K, Sigurdson ER, Egleston BL, Boraas M, Bleicher RJ. Breast conservation surgery in the Medicare patient: Will the American College of Surgeons Oncology Group Z0011 Trial change the pattern of care? Br Cancer Res Treat 2014; 143, 571-7. [DOI 10.1007/s10549-014-2834-9, PubMed]

Bleicher RJ, Ruth K, Sigurdson ER, Ross E, Wong YN, Patel SA, Boraas M, Topham NS, Egleston BL. Preoperative delays in the United States Medicare population having breast cancer. J Clin Oncol 2012; 30, 4485-92. [DOI 10.1200/JCO.2012.41.7972, PubMed]

Crivello M, Ruth K, Egleston BL, Sigurdson ER, Wong YN, Boraas M, Bleicher RJ. Advanced imaging modalities in early stage breast cancer– preoperative use in the United States Medicare Patient. Ann Surg Oncol 2013; 20: 102-10. [DOI 10.1245/s10434-012-2571-4, PubMed]... Expand

Additional Publications

The following ratings and reviews are based on verified feedback collected from independently administered patient experience surveys. The ratings and comments submitted by patients reflect their own views and opinions. Patient identities are withheld to ensure confidentiality and privacy. Learn more about our Patient Experience Ratings.

Ratings Breakdown

Loading ...

Patient comments

Loading ...
​​