Through the eyes of a breast cancer survivor
When Dolores Jeffries was diagnosed with breast cancer, she and her husband were scared and stunned. Not knowing where to turn for the best possible treatment, they looked in the Yellow Pages. There they found Fox Chase Cancer Center, a name that gave them great reassurance - a name her husband, a medical professional, knew meant superior cancer care. Even better, this remarkable care was close to home at the Fox Chase Virtua Health (FCVH) Cancer Program. "This is wonderful," Jeffries thought. "Virtua is where I got my first stitches, and the hospital where my son was born."
A unique brand of care
The right diagnosis and treatment
Working with each woman
Clinical trials and high-risk patients
Taking charge
A unique brand of care
Jeffries' introduction to the FCVH Cancer Program was by way of its breast health services director, Colleen Carey, RN, BSN, OCN. Jeffries recalls: "Just hearing her voice was calming and having somebody to talk to about my situation." Carey, a certified oncology nurse who specializes in breast cancer, says: "Breast cancer affects women on many levels - emotionally, physically, socially - and it's critical for them to share their thoughts, fears and concerns with someone who is experienced and educated in the field."
That's why FCVH offers all its breast cancer patients the opportunity to speak with a certified oncology nurse. These nurses assist in every possible way: from helping women find a wig to answering questions about sexuality and treatment.
The right diagnosis and treatment
As important as getting an accurate diagnosis is getting the most appropriate treatment. Newly diagnosed breast cancer patients meet with specialists including a medical oncologist, breast surgeon, radiation oncologist, certified oncology nurse and social worker. After a team conference among these specialists as well as a radiologist and pathologist to determine the best treatment options, the recommendations are discussed with the patient and her family.
For women who feel more comfortable planning treatment with just one physician the FCVH Cancer Program also offers one-on-one treatment planning. Here, a woman meets with each specialist individually and a treatment plan is then coordinated.
All breast cancer patients, regardless of their treatment planning approach, receive the highest level of comprehensive care. This includes FCVH's Breast Cancer Conference, where cancer specialists from a variety of disciplines meet to discuss breast cancer cases and to coordinate treatment plans. FCVH also holds a Tumor Board, where a multidisciplinary team of cancer professionals discuss rare or complicated cases, get input from other physicians and note emerging trends in cancer diagnosis and treatment.
Working with each woman
At the core of FCVH breast services is a unified goal to work with each woman, regardless of the extent of the cancer, to optimize her chances for a full, healthy life. "We have many more effective treatments than even five years ago," says medical oncologist Maurice Cairoli, MD. "And there are promising new ones such as monoclonal antibody therapy, which kill cancer cells more selectively than chemotherapy." Likewise, there are new and more targeted forms of radiation therapy.
Women needing surgery are often reassured by the fact that FCVH breast surgeons perform advanced procedures. This includes procedures through which a diagnosis of breast cancer can often be made with a non-invasive technique using either a stereotactic approach or ultrasound guidance. These procedures allow a large tissue sample to be taken through a small knick in the skin.
Surgeons also perform sentinel lymph node biopsies, which can identify cancer cells in underarm lymph nodes and may in some cases avoid more extensive surgery. Also available are the latest approaches to lumpectomies and mastectomies, including skin-sparing techniques with reconstruction at the same time as mastectomy. "The goal is to maximize results and minimize side effects," says FCVH breast surgeon Diane Gillum, MD.
Clinical trials and high-risk patients
For postmenopausal women at high risk for breast cancer, FCVH offers the opportunity to enroll in a national clinical trial to determine if the drugs tamoxifen and raloxifene can prevent breast cancer. There's also the Cancer Risk Evaluation Program, which provides education, risk assessment and prevention programs to women with a family history of breast or ovarian cancer.
Taking charge
Breast cancer can be difficult to deal with before, during and even after treatment. "Many women find strength by partnering with their doctors as well as by participating in support groups and sharing with friends and family," explains Dr. Cairoli, who treated Jeffries. FCVH sponsors a range of support groups and education programs, including a Young Breast Cancer Survivors Group.
Dr. Cairoli encourages women to get a second opinion through a program such as BES. He says: "Physicians are not insulted by this. Actually, the reassurance that comes with a second opinion can solidify the patient-doctor relationship and reassure the patient and family." The other advantage is that the initial shock of the diagnosis has lessened and patients are better able to absorb information and ask important questions.
"Thanks to the love and support of my family and the wonderful people at the Fox Chase Virtua Health Cancer Program, treatment wasn't as bad as I expected" says Jeffries. "I was able to work in my garden and do my needlework. I was determined to not let cancer control me."