CentraState - Healthy Directions

suspicious areas in her lung, so Dr. Silberberg ordered a PET scan the week before vacation. Superstorm Sandy had shut down Dr. Silberberg's practice for a few days, so when he got the PET scan results and tried calling Claudia, he wasn't able to reach her. Being persistent, he reached her daughter to alert her-–Claudia's lung cancer had returned. Claudia recalls: "Our daughter came over to see us as soon as we got home and when I saw our grandchildren weren't with her, I knew something was wrong. She delivered the news that my cancer was back. " Dr. Silberberg referred Claudia to Robert Caccavale, MD, a boardcertified thoracic surgeon on staff at CentraState, for a bronchoscopy and video-assisted thoracic surgery, which confirmed cancer had returned to her right lung. (A bronchoscopy is a procedure in which a thin, flexible tube called a bronchoscope is passed through the nose or mouth, allowing the doctor to look inside the lungs' airways.) Claudia, accompanied by her husband, son and daughter, followed up with radiation oncologist Joseph Pepek, MD. "Dr. Pepek told us that the cancer was close to my esophagus and it would likely affect my ability to swallow and that I'd need narcotics to help with the pain, Claudia explains. "Our son asked " if I was eligible for proton radiation therapy and Dr. Pepek referred me to Members of the CentraState cancer team (l to r): Jeffrey Silberberg, MD; Sharon Lorfing, APN; Joseph Pepek, MD; Henry Tsai, MD; Bhavesh Balar, MD; and Jean-Philippe Bocage, MD. his colleague at Princeton Radiology Associates, Henry Tsai [MD, boardcertified radiation oncologist]. " When she found out she was a proton candidate, she agreed. "The benefits of proton therapy were less irritation and pain and less damage to the cells surrounding the area, " Claudia adds. "The choice was an easy one to make. " She had chemotherapy in conjunction with proton therapy treatments. Claudia describes the ProCure Proton Therapy Center as "a wonderful, friendly place. Everyone had a smile on their face; they were laughing and always welcoming. " Her husband, Frank, adds, "When we walked into ProCure for the first time, there were two people at the front desk who greeted my wife and me with hugs. They also made sure they handed me my favorite chocolates when we continues on page 6 A First to the Area: BEATING CANCER WITH PROTONS In spring 2012, CentraState Medical Center, in collaboration with ProCure Treatment Centers and Princeton Radiology Associates, brought to the area the first and only proton therapy center between Boston and Philadelphia. This 60,000 square-foot ProCure Proton Therapy Center in www.centrastate.com Somerset, NJ, is one of only 11 centers in the United States. Proton therapy, an FDA-approved alternative to traditional X-ray radiation, is an advanced form of radiation treatment used to combat several types of cancerous tumors, including lung cancer. The treatment is performed using proton beams rather than X-rays that direct radiation more precisely to the cancerous tumor while minimizing damage to healthy, surrounding organs and tissue. LEARN MORE ABOUT PROTON THERAPY... Henry Tsai, MD, will provide an overview of proton therapy, an advanced form of radiation cancer treatment, offered at the ProCure Proton Therapy Center located in Somerset, NJ. He will discuss ProCure's history and its mission in improving the lives of patients with cancer by increasing access to proton therapy. He will talk about the science behind protons and the clinical benefits of proton therapy as well as the adult and pediatric cancer types that can be treated with this advanced radiation therapy. WEDNESDAY, JUNE 26, 2013 11 a.m.–12 p.m. Light lunch will be provided. Registration required: (732) 308-0570 CentraState Medical Office at Monroe 312 Applegarth Road Monroe Summer 2013 5

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