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Continued From Page 18 aggressive , difficult-to-treat breast cancer called triple-negative breast cancer .
◾ Using sophisticated tumor testing , Hackensack University Medical Center ’ s breast oncologists are now able to identify specific characteristics in breast tumors and deliver customized immunotherapy or biological treatments based on each patient ’ s unique tumor profile .
◾ The Hackensack Meridian Health John Theurer Cancer Center is one of only 16 cancer center consortia in the U . S . that is approved by the National Cancer Institute ( NCI ), which provides patients with access to large national and international clinical trials .
◾ All patients also have access to a full range of supportive services during treatment , as well as comprehensive survivorship services such as support groups , physical therapy and nutritional counseling .
Holy Name Care Center Yadyra Rivera , MD Program Director , Breast Oncology
Holy Name Cancer Care provides expert , innovative care , from screening and diagnosis to treatment and survivorship . The ability to accurately detect cancer inside a patient ’ s body
is crucial for proper diagnosis and treatment . Holy Name ’ s Breast Center was one of the first in the region to offer 3D mammography , which provides the fastest and most accurate imaging today . Holy Name is the only institution in northern New Jersey offering Contrast Enhanced Mammography ( CEM ) for women at higher risk of developing breast cancer .
Our highly specialized team of breast cancer experts , including our skilled surgeons , works together to develop individualized treatment plans for the best possible outcome and to ensure efficient , coordinated care . Our breast surgeons are skilled in breast-conservation surgery and oncoloplastic surgery that provides a better aesthetic appearance . Because breast cancer acts differently in every patient , our medical oncologists are using personalized medicine based on each patient ’ s unique cancer biomarkers . For example , we are making significant progress in treating metastatic HER2 + breast cancer and triple-negative breast cancer with new oral and infusion medications that prevent the cancer ’ s progression and prolong patients ’ survival . These therapies , tailored to the individual , allow patients to have a better quality of life and often bring about long remissions without using chemotherapy .
Holy Name ’ s oncology research team is testing the latest advances , offering patients with breast cancer promising new therapies for cancer prevention and treatment .
RWJBarnabas Health / Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey M . Michele Blackwood , MD , FACS Medical Director and Northern Regional Director of Breast Services for RWJBarnabas Health and Chief of Breast Surgery at Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey .
As New Jersey ’ s only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center , Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey together with RWJBarnabas Health , our teams provide access to the most advanced , targeted treatments and medicines available for women with breast cancer including clinical trials , many not available elsewhere One such clinical trial is called I-SPY2.2 . This trial is evaluating a more personalized treatment approach for patients with stage 2 or 3 breast cancer who require treatment before undergoing surgery by offering a genomic profiling of the tumor prior to treatment , and then starting each participant on the treatment regimen ideal for the tumor . The participant undergoes a repeat scan to measure the level of disease left in the breast ; if the clinical response is not evident , another medicine is used and assessed . Our team is also championing and implementing new and clinically meaningful treat-
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Advanced treatments and technology reduces many of the side-effects of radiation therapy
Photo : Getty Images / iStockphoto / Anchiy
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