Maryland’s Health Matters - St. Joseph - Fall 2017 - 7

diagnostic and treatment services, including a broad array
of survivorship support services and a range of national
clinical trials," he adds.
The cautionary news is that cancer is all around us.
The lifetime risk of developing cancer in the U.S. has increased
to 1 in 2 men and 1 in 3 women. This year in Maryland, more
than 10,200 people will be newly diagnosed with cancer.
Cancer may touch almost every family, whether it is
your diagnosis or a friend's diagnosis. So it is comforting to
know there's exemplary care right here in your backyard.
UM SJMC has a comprehensive oncology center, staffed by
multidisciplinary teams of highly skilled professionals who
combine cutting-edge technologies with compassionate
care-treating the whole patient, not just the cancer. The
result is holistic patient care at its finest.

ONE CENTER TREATS
A SPECTRUM OF CANCERS
The UM SJMC Cancer Institute treats a large spectrum of
cancers. Specialized, holistic and personalized treatment
is offered for lung, breast, prostate, colon, pancreatic, liver,
gynecologic, urologic, brain and blood cancers and more.
"Our professionals are not only highly trained and credentialed, but we hold our patients' hands throughout the whole
process," says Dr. Hanna, who specializes in colorectal cancer.
When someone is diagnosed, it can be overwhelming, says
Richard Schraeder, MD, a medical oncologist who specializes
in thoracic and lung cancers and also treats gastrointestinal,
pancreatic and colon cancers, and blood abnormalities. "We
reassure the patient that the two most important pieces
of information in creating a personalized treatment plan
are diagnosis and stage, so we extensively review those two
things. We take a multidisciplinary approach and individualize
treatment to enhance the patient's quality of life."
"Each patient is reviewed at our weekly multidisciplinary
conference to discuss the best treatment plan for them,"
adds Breast Center nurse navigator Susan Feild, RN. "All the
medical experts are present-from medical oncologists to
pathologists, radiation oncologists, radiologists, surgeons
and social workers. We produce an easy-to-read presentation
that's given to each patient."
Rima Couzi, MD, a medical oncologist who specializes in

CANCER SURVIVOR
DONNA RAE SMITH
SHARES HER
'NEW NORMAL'
I was a healthy 63-year-old personal trainer and
nurse when my gynecologist, Dr. Susie Chung,
discovered a lump in my breast. After an intense
treatment process, which included surgery and
chemotherapy, my new normal began. Ambivalent
about the future, I relied on the folks at the Cancer
Institute as my first line of support. My nurse navigator, Rose Wolfe, RN, is a strong believer in integrative
health therapies, and she applied her certified skills
in Healing Touch techniques to help me calm my
spirit and begin my post-breast cancer journey.
As a practitioner of breathing, meditation and
yoga exercises and a teacher of qi gong, I am able
to stay physically strong and mentally centered.
Once my breast surgeon, Dr. Michael Schultz, gave
me the OK, I walked 30 minutes every day. I also
participate in the survivorship mentoring program
at the Cancer Institute. My mentor, a breast cancer
survivor herself, offers a wealth of support and
provides a lot of practical information.

breast cancer, says the teams spend a lot of time going over
the treatment plan with each patient.
"We guide patients through the rationale of their plan,
bringing clarity to why we're recommending a certain treatment. And we make sure to support the patient through the

LEARN MORE
To read more about Smith's story, visit
stjosephtowson.com/healthy.

whole journey," Dr. Couzi says.
stjosephtowson.com | Fall 2017 7

http://www.stjosephtowson.com/healthy http://www.stjosephtowson.com

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