I`m Important - Riverview Medical Center

Taking Action
Active Hazlet resident teams
up with Riverview for proactive cancer care.
Riverview Medical Center
“I was devastated,” Lisa says. “All I could think
was, ‘Here I am trying to take care of myself and
what for?’ The day I had to go into the gym and put
a hold on my membership was the hardest part.”
Lisa underwent a lumpectomy in May, followed by
months of chemotherapy. In December, she was
referred to Adnan Danish, M.D., a board certified
radiation oncologist at Riverview Medical Center and
chairman of radiation oncology for Meridian
Cancer Care.
As part of the multi-disciplinary radiation oncology
team at Riverview, Dr. Danish and fellow physicians,
nurses, physicists, and therapists meet weekly to
review patient cases and recommend the best plan of
treatment. Lisa’s case was no different, and after Lisa
had a discussion with Dr. Danish, she embarked on
the third and final leg of her cancer treatment
journey — 33 daily treatments of external beam
radiation therapy (EBRT) using intensity modulated
radiation therapy (IMRT) to her breast.
According to Dr. Danish, EBRT and IMRT
treatments are delivered using a linear accelerator,
which is a machine that delivers radiation to the
intended area, while sparing healthy surrounding
tissue and organs.
“Radiation therapy may be recommended to
cancer patients following surgery and/or
chemotherapy in order to improve their outcome,”
Dr. Danish says. “Because of the aggressive nature of
Lisa’s cancer, radiation therapy after surgery was
needed to ensure that she has the best
chance for cure.”
FOR THE LAST FIVE YEARS, LISA LOMBARDE, 55, HAS BEEN
diligent about working out at Meridian Fitness and Wellness in
Hazlet. For the last 15 years, she has also been diligent about
getting her mammogram and doing breast self-exams. So when
she found a lump in March 2013, she chalked it up to a pulled
muscle. When it didn’t go away after a few days,
however, she made an appointment with her
gynecologist Nirmala Sanakkayala, M.D., at
Bayshore Community Hospital, who referred Lisa
to the Women’s Center at Bayshore for a
mammogram and ultrasound.
“I have no history of cancer in my family,” says
Lisa,
a Hazlet resident. “I have been going for my
Adnan F.
Danish, M.D.
annual mammogram since I turned 40, and I do my
Board certified in
self-exam monthly. So when it was recommended
Radiation Oncology
that I go for a biopsy after my mammogram and
Red Bank
1-800-560-9990
ultrasound, I had a feeling the result was not going
to be good.”
In April, Lisa went for her biopsy. On her 55th birthday, she
received her diagnosis of early stage triple negative breast cancer.
Calling In a Team of Experts
“At first I thought maybe negative means nothing,” Lisa says.
“But I soon learned that triple negative meant it would limit my
treatment options and lengthen the time of treatment.”
Through research and talking with her doctor, Lisa learned
that triple negative breast cancer does not have estrogen
receptors or progesterone receptors and therefore is
unresponsive to hormone or drug therapies. She also learned
this type of breast cancer has a greater chance of growing and
spreading faster than other breast cancers, which is why it
requires aggressive treatment.
Lisa’s doctor recommended surgery and chemotherapy and if
needed, a follow-up with radiation therapy to ensure any
remaining cancer cells were eradicated.
I’m Important
As a Mom, I play many roles. I am the chauffeur, errand-runner, chef, and costume-maker to three daughters.
Making sure my girls have everything they need leaves little time to take care of myself. But when it comes
to getting my mammogram, I make it happen! I go to the
Women’s Center at Riverview.
Taking Care of
So, with all the available technology and the knowledge that
early detection is my best defense against breast cancer, why
wouldn’t I make time for my annual mammogram?
New Jersey
You are important too. Make time for your mammogram.
Pink it Forward!
Paint the Town Pink is bigger and pinker than ever!
Learn how you can “pink it forward” and get involved at PaintTheTownPink.com, and Like us at
16
Meridian HealthViews MAY/ JUNE 2014
Facebook.com/PaintTheTownPinkNJ.
#pinkitforward
Lisa Lombarde has been a member of
Meridian Fitness and Wellness in Hazlet
since 2006. The 55-year-old loves taking a
variety of classes, including yoga and Pilates.
Comfort and Convenience, Close to Home
Lisa went regularly to the Radiation Department
located in the Booker Cancer Pavilion at Riverview
for her treatments. The privacy of the department,
with its own dedicated parking and entrance,
impressed her.
“It was nice not having to walk through the whole
hospital,” Lisa says. “When you are going through
cancer, you don’t want to have to think about
anything or how you look, and with Riverview, it’s
no fuss. You can get in and get out quickly.”
Throughout her treatment journey, Lisa tried
to remain positive, waiting for the day her life
would get back to normal. Little by little it did, as
she was able to return to the gym and then to her
job as a recruiter. She credits all the medical
professionals she came in contact with for helping
her back to normalcy.
“Everyone at Riverview was understanding and
caring. Sometimes you just want to cry, and I felt like
with them I could do that. They would always
reassure me things would get better,” Lisa says. “I
chose Riverview because local is good, you don’t
have to go to New York. I have found that staying at
home, I have access to the same care and technology,
but it’s much more convenient and personal.”
by Caitlin Coyle
Trust Meridian Cancer Care
There’s no easy way to cope with a cancer
diagnosis, but when radiation therapy is the
best treatment option, you can take comfort knowing
you’ll be in the capable and trusted hands of Meridian
Cancer Care. To learn more about our extensive
treatment options and meet our expert team, visit
MeridianHealth.com/RadiationOncology.
MeridianHealth.com
1-800-560-9990
17