The Record Special Sections Health Quarterly 10-27-2019 | Seite 5

NORTHJERSEY.COM ❚ SUNDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2019 ❚ 5
HEALTH QUARTERLY / ADVERTISING SECTION
VALLEY-MOUNT SINAI
Comprehensive Cancer Care:
Helping Women Triumph Over Breast Cancer
A
bout 1 in 8 women in the
United States will develop
invasive breast cancer
during their lifetime,
according to the American Cancer
Society. Regular screening for
breast cancer with a mammogram
and a breast self-exam reduces
the risk of dying from breast
cancer by catching the cancer
early, when it is more easily and
successfully treated.
Valley-Mount Sinai
Comprehensive Cancer Care pro-
vides the full spectrum of breast
health services — from diagnosis
and treatment through survivor-
ship. The Valley Hospital Breast
Center offers a comprehensive
roster of the latest screening and
diagnostic services to increase
the chances of early detection.
These include 3-D diagnostic
mammograms, breast ultrasound
and coil MRI studies. Stereotactic
and ultrasound-guided biopsies
are performed right in the Center.
Women who have the potential
for hereditary cancer have access
to genetic testing. For women
Eleonora Teplinsky, M.D.
determined to be at high-risk
for breast cancer, Valley offers
risk-reducing surgery and high-
risk surveillance.
For women diagnosed with
breast cancer, Valley offers a
multidisciplinary approach to
treatment by a dedicated team
of breast cancer specialists. The
physician team includes fellow-
ship-trained and board-certified
breast radiologists, breast sur-
geons, plastic and reconstructive
surgeons, pathologists, radiation
oncologists, medical oncologists,
and nurse practitioners. From
their collective insights, a detailed,
personalized treatment plan is
developed that addresses each
patient’s unique physiology and
type and stage of breast cancer.
Treatment options include
the latest advances in medical
oncology; opportunities to enroll
in clinical trials; and breast seed
localization, which allows doctors
to precisely pinpoint and remove
very small breast cancers that
can be seen on a mammogram
but not felt in the breast. “We
also offer oncoplastic surgery,
which combines the latest plastic
surgery techniques with breast-
conserving surgery for the best
cosmetic result possible,” said
Laura Klein, M.D., director, The
Valley Hospital Breast Center, and
Laura Klein, M.D.
clinical assistant professor of
surgery, Icahn School of Medicine
at Mount Sinai.
Seamless coordination of care
and guidance is provided by cer-
tified navigators. At every step,
patients and families receive the
support they need to understand
— and cope with — their unique
medical and personal challenges.
“If breast cancer is diagnosed, it
is of course imperative to provide
excellent, quality, evidenced-
based care, but what is probably
most important is that we provide
the emotional support that all
patients and their families need as
they navigate this journey,” said
Eleonora Teplinsky, M.D., director,
Breast Medical Oncology at Valley
and clinical assistant professor
of medicine, Icahn School of
Medicine at Mount Sinai.
Specialized programs and
services offered after treatment
include support groups; nutri-
tional guidance; and integrative
medicine services such as yoga,
T’ai Chi Chih, guided meditation
and massage therapy.
Valley’s team of breast cancer
specialists is elevating cancer care
in the region. If you or a loved one
is facing a breast cancer diagno-
sis, this is the team to choose. For
more information, or to make an
appointment, call 201-634-5557.
A Fast Track to Colonoscopy
R
egular screening,
beginning at age 50
for average-risk individu-
als, is the key to preventing
colorectal cancer. Not only can
screening identify pre-cancerous
conditions; it also can identify
cancer at its earliest stage, resulting in fewer cases of
advanced cancer and the need for extensive therapy.
Valley–Mount Sinai Comprehensive Cancer Care
has made it easier and more affordable to sched-
ule a colonoscopy to screen for colorectal cancer.
Valley’s Fast Track Screening Colonoscopy program
streamlines the process by eliminating the need for
patients to meet with a gastroenterologist for a pre-
procedure consultation; they simply come in on the
day of their procedure.
It is recommended that all men and women at
average risk for colorectal cancer undergo a screen-
ing colonoscopy beginning at age 50 and continuing
every 10 years through age 75. Limited evidence
Nurse Navigator Leslie Ringelstein, MS, RN, APN-C
supports screening in African Americans at age 45.
When the procedure is more accessible and afford-
able, more patients opt to be screened.
Valley’s Fast Track Screening is for individuals in
overall good health with no significant medical prob-
lems or symptoms or family history of colon cancer.
Those who call inquiring about the Fast Track
procedure will receive an initial consultation by
phone with the program’s nurse navigator, who
will determine their eligibility. Once an individual is
deemed eligible, they are scheduled for the proce-
dure with a Valley gastroenterologist or colorectal
surgeon based on patient request, a health insur-
ance match and availability, and are provided with
instructions for preparatory colon-cleansing agents.
Fast Track Screening Colonoscopy is an ideal
option for healthy individuals who have no symp-
toms of colon cancer. Individuals with gastrointesti-
nal symptoms are directed to a gastroenterologist
for a complete evaluation.
For more information, or to refer a patient for
a Fast Track Colonoscopy, call Nurse Navigator
Leslie Ringelstein, MS, RN, APN-C, at 201-389-0808.