The Record Special Sections Health Quarterly 10-27-2019 | Page 10

10 ❚ SUNDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2019 ❚ THE RECORD
HEALTH QUARTERLY / ADVERTISING SECTION
Facing Breast Cancer Together
A Team of Specialists Surrounds and Supports Breast Cancer Patients
W
hen someone gets a diagnosis
of breast cancer, the future
appears uncertain. Questions
abound: What’s my first step?
Who will provide my care? Will I be OK?
Breast cancer spe
cialists at The Cancer Center at Saint
Barnabas Medical Center (SBMC) and the
Barnabas Health Ambulatory Care Center
(ACC) are dedicated to making sure no one
faces those questions alone. The extensive
group of experts works as one unit to pro-
vide innovative and individualized care at
diagnosis, during treatment and afterward.
“Newly diagnosed patients are often
frightened and don’t know where to turn,”
says Michele Blackwood, MD, medical
director and Northern Regional director of
Breast Services for RWJBarnabas Health,
chief, Section of Breast Surgery at Rutgers
Cancer Institute of New Jersey and a mem-
ber of Barnabas Health Medical Group.
“Once we’ve assembled their team and a
plan of action is in place, everyone calms
down. Families feel optimistic knowing their
loved one is in good hands.”
PERSONALIZED APPROACH
As soon as a patient is diagnosed at The
Breast Center at the ACC, physicians pro-
actively reach out to experts at The Cancer
Center. A multidisciplinary lineup of spe-
cialists is then assembled.
“Not all breast cancer is the same,”
explains Anya Litvak, MD, a breast medical
oncologist with The Cancer Center. “It’s a
complex disease that
requires a large group
of specialized doctors
throughout the pro-
cess—from abnormal
mammography to
diagnosis to treatment,
whether that means
surgery, chemothera-
py, endocrine therapy,
radiation therapy or a
clinical trial.”
Dr. Michele
Each week, phy-
Blackwood
sicians gather at
meetings to discuss
patients. “We talk
about upcoming
operations and dif-
ficult diagnoses,” says
Dr. Blackwood. “All
of these wonderful
doctors focus their
intellect toward one
patient. We put our
heads together and
come up with the best
Dr. Alison
treatment plan.”
Grann
Every aspect of
that plan is customized. “We individualize
each patient’s treatment,” says Alison Grann,
MD, chair of the Department of Radiation
Oncology. “For a patient facing breast cancer,
we have a variety of options for radiation
treatment, depending on his or her needs.”
At every step of the journey, patient
navigators guide and
support patients,
coordinating appoint-
ments and making sure
patients know where
to go and in what
order they should see
various specialists.
Appointments are
scheduled promptly,
with multiple visits
arranged for the
Dr. Anya
same day. “We do
Litvak
our best to make
patient care seam-
less and hassle-free,”
says Dr. Blackwood.
As soon as
patients and families
arrive for appoint-
ments at the ACC,
they’re welcomed
by extended team
members. Valets
offer complimentary
parking and a con-
Dr. Michael
cierge helps them
Scoppetuolo, Jr.
navigate the build-
ing. Experienced staff and administrators
get to know the patients over time as treat-
ment progresses.
ADVANCES IN TREATMENT
The Cancer Center’s comprehensive
array of cancer-fighting tools includes
the newest technologies and treatments.
Surgery patients benefit from recent
advances in surgical and reconstructive
procedures, with new approaches including:
n Mastopexy breast lift during lumpectomy
n Nipple-sparing mastectomy
n DIEP flap reconstruction surgery, in
which a new breast is formed from trans-
planted abdominal tissue
n Pre-pectoral reconstruction, in which
implants are placed directly over the mus-
cle, resulting in less post-mastectomy pain
and a more natural appearance
At The Infusion Center at SBMC, the lat-
est FDA-approved chemotherapy protocols
are administered. In addition, Dr. Litvak
says, medical oncologists screen patients
to see if a clinical trial (an FDA-approved
research study in which patients are given
cutting-edge treatments) might be an
appropriate option for them.
“Our very strong multidisciplinary team,
along with our partnership with Rutgers
Cancer Institute of New Jersey, means we
have the clinical expertise, technology,
access to clinical trials and breadth of expe-
rience to deliver world-class care for breast
cancer and other cancers,” says Michael
Scoppetuolo, Jr., MD, medical director of
The Cancer Center. “With very specialized,
targeted therapies, we can meet all patient
treatment needs, and do it close to where
they live.”
To learn more about cancer care at Saint
Barnabas Medical Center, visit the website
at rwjbh.org/sbmc or call 1-844-CancerNJ.
New Breast Cancer Screening Tools, Technologies
O
ne size does not fit all when it comes to breast
screening,” says Linda Sanders, MD, medical direc-
tor of The Breast Center at the Barnabas Health
Ambulatory Care Center. “At The Breast Center,
we tailor the tests to what each patient needs and what’s
best for the individ-
ual.” That kind of
personalized care
is made possible
by The Breast Center’s comprehensive array of state-of
the-art breast screening equipment, including digital mam-
mography, MRI, breast ultrasound and more.
ENHANCED TECHNOLOGY
This year, all digital mammography machines at The
Breast Center were upgraded to include tomosynthesis,
sometimes called 3D breast imaging. “Tomosynthesis
renders small, subtle cancers easier to see in dense breast
tissue,” explains Dr. Sanders.
The Breast Center also recently acquired a stereotactic
breast biopsy machine with tomosynthesis. This machine
gives technicians the ability to locate a breast abnormality
and remove a tissue sample — a much less invasive proce-
dure than a surgical biopsy.
“Radiology is all technology,”
says Dr. Sanders. “As tools get bet-
ter and better, the things we can do
expand. We can spare people from
more invasive procedures by find-
ing lesions early and do biopsies on
subtle lesions without having to send
patients to surgery.”
COMFORT COUNTS
The Breast Center is the largest
single site in the state to offer curve
d-paddle mammography, which is
Dr. Linda
designed to better fit the shape of
Sanders
a woman’s breast and decrease
discomfort during screening. “The other wonderful thing
about our Center is that we have dedicated mammogra-
phers and breast interventionalists right on site,” says
Dr. Sanders. “We’re not reading results remotely. We’re
actually here to examine and speak to a patient, as need-
ed.” To schedule a mammogram at The Breast Center go
to www.rwjbh.org/mammo.
PHOTO COURTESY OF RWJ BARNABAS HEALTH
All digital mammography machines at The Breast Center
include tomosynthesis, sometimes called 3D breast imaging.