Local breast cancer treatment that goes beyond national standards of care

Brought to you by MERCY HEALTH

It was 18 years in the making, but the promise was clear all along.

To create a comprehensive, expert breast care center here in the Mahoning Valley that broadened access to care and treated the patient with the dignity and expertise they deserve, but were sometimes lacking.

“Many women find it intimidating to undergo their yearly screening mammogram and then wait for a phone call with their results,” said Dr. Nancy Gantt, Co-medical Director, Joanie Abdu Comprehensive Breast Care Center (JACBCC), Mercy Health – Youngstown. “The fear of the unknown, of being diagnosed with cancer, can be overwhelming. Once you receive information and answers to your questions, you are empowered, not scared.”

That’s what the Joanie Abdu Comprehensive Breast Care Center set out to achieve. Here, patients rapidly learn the results of their imaging. If further scans or treatment are needed, they’re assigned an R.N. navigator right on the spot to explain the procedures and offer a hand to hold – literally and figuratively – throughout the entire process.

Neither the facility, nor its comprehensive nature of care, was around for the woman who inspired it, but her husband, Dr. Rashid Abdu, spearheaded the effort to make it a reality.

In fact, he promised Joanie in 1993 before her passing that no woman would go without access to great care. Thanks to a commitment from Mercy Health, as well as the support of the Mercy Health Foundation and those living in the Mahoning Valley; the Center opened its doors on Nov. 2, 2011; Dr. Abdu’s 80th birthday.

What would Joanie think of the Center and the community’s commitment to bringing it to life if she were still here today?

“She would say ‘Thank you; for goals reached, dreams fulfilled and promises kept. I am resting in peace knowing that my sisters can have the care I could never have,” Dr. Abdu, now retired, said.

Today, the Center’s standards of care meet or surpass the national standards for breast cancer care and it has been continuously accredited by the National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers (NAPBC). Mercy sees some 350 new cases per year, and has stimulated conversation in the region that encourages women to consider their breast health at an earlier age and talk about it openly.

“Not every cancer is curable, but we want to give everyone their very best opportunity,” Dr. Gantt said. “The Center has raised the bar for breast care, which is what the Mahoning Valley deserves. People no longer have to leave town to get the best care.”

How comprehensive is the Center? Every Wednesday at 7 a.m., outside of holidays, the facility holds an interdisciplinary breast tumor conference attended by a radiologist, pathologist, surgeons, medical and radiation oncologists, a tumor registry representative, genetic counselor, medical students and residents, mammography technicians, nurses and JACBCC staff.

The team reviews in detail, anonymously, each of the new breast cancer cases detected that week, and makes a personalized, detailed treatment plan recommendation to that patient’s referring physician.

“It’s a very intense conference,” Dr. Gantt said. “We review each case together and the diversity in the room builds strength in our recommendations.”

Dr. Gantt emphasizes that breast cancer is almost always manageable, but good breast health starts with establishing a relationship with a primary care provider.

“Women should start talking to their doctors in their 20s and 30s about their breast cancer risks, and when and how frequently they should undergo screening,” she said.

Outside of skin cancer, breast cancer is the most common cancer among women. It’s not the number one killer, that’s lung cancer, Dr. Gantt said, but taking care of one’s breasts is a critical part of a woman’s overall health.