Dr. Elena Alvarez-Henry

For Dr. Elena Alvarez-Henry, the importance of early breast cancer detection becomes clear when she thinks about her family. Birthdays, beach afternoons, and watching kids grow up. These are the moments she wants her patients to have more time for. As a breast-imaging radiologist based in Puerto Rico, she has spent nearly two decades helping women detect cancer early, when treatment is often more effective, and the possibilities for recovery are greater.

Originally from Ponce, Alvarez-Henry studied medicine in Puerto Rico before continuing her training in the United States. She specialized in radiology in Connecticut and worked in Miami's Mount Sinai, later focusing on breast imaging at Jackson Memorial Hospital. She was also a teacher at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine.

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She eventually returned to Puerto Rico, where she practices at Pavia Breast and Imaging Center at the Hospital Pavia Santurce and Hospital Oncológico de Puerto Rico. Her work includes caring for underserved patients, some of whom face significant obstacles when seeking preventive screenings and specialized medical attention. For Alvarez-Henry, identifying a suspicious result is only part of her responsibility. Women also need access to appointments and the necessary follow-up care that can make an early diagnosis meaningful.

Her involvement with the American Cancer Society began 19 years ago and remains an important part of her life. She serves on the organization's board of directors and has twice presided over its annual gala. With her husband, attorney Thomas J. Henry, she has also been a title sponsor of the event, helping support programs like Hope Lodge, which provides a home away from home for cancer patients undergoing treatment. It's a cause especially close to the couple's hearts, and one they have continued supporting over the years.

Her charitable work extends to other health causes. Alvarez-Henry and her husband served as title sponsors of an American Heart Association fundraising event in Puerto Rico that raised more than $1 million to support cardiovascular research, education and care.

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This October, Alvarez-Henry will serve as spokesperson for the American Cancer Society's 2026 breast cancer awareness campaign in Puerto Rico. It is an opportunity to speak directly to women who may have delayed a mammogram because of work, family responsibilities, or uncertainty about the process. She knows how important it is for people to make it to each appointment.

As she takes her message across Puerto Rico this October, Alvarez-Henry hopes more women will make their health a priority. She has seen what early detection can mean for a family, and she wants as many women as possible to have the chance to make more memories with theirs.