MDNews - Mid Hudson

WHITE PlAIns HOsPITAl PHysICIAn AssOCIATEs Oncology and Hematology + sara sadan, mD + anney mannancheril, mD + Joshua Raff, mD + yael sadan Zack, mD + swati sehgal, mD + sandra aufiero, Rn, msn, FnP-BC + annie Borofsky, Rn, msn, nP-BC the physicians of White Plains hospital Physician associates Cancer and Blood specialists of new york (L–R): Carol Lederman, mD; afshan malik, mD; Dan Costin, mD, FaCP; Karen green, mD; subuhee hussain, mD; and Julie monroe, mD WHITE PlAIns HOsPITAl PHysICIAn AssOCIATEs Cancer and Blood specialists of New york + Dan Costin, mD, FaCP and clinical trials. Advanced interventional radiology and minimally invasive surgery are available, and women benefit from the Cancer Genetics Program at Dickstein Cancer Treatment Center to guide their treatment decisions and assess their ongoing risks and those of their family members. Programs such as Reach to Recovery and Look Good…Feel Better promote social, emotional and aesthetic support. Transition from acute to chronic care can be difficult, but physicians with Women's Medical Oncology are prepared to stay with patients for a lifetime, Dr. Sadan says. "Cancer is a chronic disease most of the time," Dr. Sadan says. "Once you are diagnosed with cancer, the best person to follow you is your oncologist. New information is always coming in that physicians in other specialties will have difficulty staying up to date with. For example, we recently learned that tamoxifen was more effective when taken for 10 years, rather than five years. An oncologist would be most likely to keep current on such research." After acute diagnosis and treatment, patient-oncologist conversations can include not only recommendations for reducing the recurrence of cancer, but also healthier living and life-changing modalities to improve quality-of-life and cancer-related outcomes. "What patients take from their traumatic experience is life modification," Dr. Sadan says. "They learn about the threat and use their experience as a weapon to reduce the risk of cancer in their families and neighborhoods." + Karen green, mD special clinical section: ONCOLOgy partn ers i n c ar e + subuhee hussain, mD + heather Kramer, msRn, nP + Carol Lederman, mD survivorship and Beyond In addition to follow up to make sure cancer does not return, survivorship care at White Plains offers multiple opportunities for people who have experienced cancer to celebrate their ongoing lives and to give back to the community. Among these are National Cancer Survivors' Day and Reach to Recovery, which pairs cancer survivors with people newly diagnosed with cancer. Many other survivors volunteer in local physicians' offices or the Cancer Center at White Plains Hospital. Survivorship isn't just for people whose cancer is in remission. White Plains Hospital offers multiple opportunities for people with recurrent or metastatic cancer. Systemic and local therapies available include radiation, hormonal and chemotherapies. Programs focused on diet and exercise offer another approach to living well with this chronic condition. A research study at White Plains Hospital is actually seeking to demonstrate a correlation between specific, measurable, intense exercise programs and patient well-being after an initial cancer diagnosis. "Cancer patients are living longer, and while treatments are generally very effective, we can achieve greater longevity and potentially greater benefits if we keep our + afshan malik, mD + Julie monroe, mD patients moving," Dr. Costin says. "It is better for people to stay active so they will not have to take pain medications or be restricted to the home. All these things can impact survival and longevity." For patients in advanced illnesses seeking symptom relief, as well as for those with limited life expectancies, White Plains Hospital partners with Hospice & Palliative Care of Westchester. Patients may remain in hospital or return home, cared for by a team including spiritual care professionals, nurses and social workers. However, White Plains Hospital physicians are committed to finding treatments even for those patients with advanced-stage cancer. For example, Dr. Sadan and her team recently treated a patient using a three-drug combination with excellent clinical outcome. "We used an aggressive combination of medications and fought intensely for the medication to be covered," Dr. Sadan says. "Sometimes all it takes is being the right person at the right time to help someone." To learn more, visit wphospital.org and select "Cancer Program." ■ MDNEWs.COM ■ MD News Mid Hudson | 19

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