Cancer Update May 2021 by ChristianaCare

MAY 20 21 Issue No . 42

cancer update

Convenient

access to care

Radiology imaging onsite means more “me time,” less travel time for patients at the Helen F. Graham Cancer Center & Research Institute

ike most of us, Linda Larrimore of Newark, Delaware, is a working woman with little time to spend shuttling from doctor’s appointments to treatment centers. But unlike many of us, Linda has been living with advanced colon cancer for the last ten years. Linda’s new normal includes traveling every other week to the Helen F. Graham Cancer Center & Research Institute for four and half hours of chemotherapy. She comes every three months to Radiology on the first floor for a surveillance CT scan.

IN THIS ISSUE

More me time cancer update

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Onsite radiology imaging Cancer social workers Fast MRI Radiation therapy team

“Tests and treatment have been part of my regular routine for a long time now,” Linda said. “I really like the convenience of accessing these services at the Graham Cancer Center close to where I work.” “When I have to visit Radiology,” she adds, “my day becomes more complicated, but everyone on staff is very efficient. They make me feel like my time is as valuable as theirs.” The Graham Cancer Center is one of nine imaging sites serving patients at locations

close to where they work and live. The ChristianaCare Radiology Department offers the latest in breast cancer imaging at the Breast Center, located onsite at the Graham Cancer Center, as part of a comprehensive array of breast health services tailored to meet patient needs. Imaging capabilities include digital and 3D mammography as well as supplemental screening with breast ultrasound and breast MRI for women with dense breast tissue or those who have an intermediate to high lifetime risk of breast cancer. The team includes dedicated breast radiologists onsite, who subspecialize in breast imaging interpretation and image-guided procedures. “Being onsite to care for our patients in person allows us to more accurately evaluate breast concerns and enables us to perform breast biopsies as needed,” said Jennifer P. Rowland, M.D., chief of Breast Imaging, and a member of the Breast Center team. (CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE)

10 Palliative care team 11 Meet Dr. Caterson 13 Crocheted afghans bring comfort 14 News briefs

Cover: (From left) Jayne Logue, Radiologic Technologist II, RT(R), Ingrid Williams, Registered Nurse II, RN, MSN, Carolyn Smith Young, Paula Indellini, Clerk VI, Nicole Darrah, Cat Scan Technologist I, BS,RT(R)(CT), Jessica Workman, Cat Scan Technologist III, BS,RT(R)(CT), Heriberto Caraballo, Clerk VI, Linda Larrimore, Marie Smith, Cat Scan Technologist I, AS,RT(R)(CT)

Helen F. Graham Cancer Center & Research Institute

Cancer Update | May 2021

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“Having the multidisciplinary breast care team in a single location also helps facilitate collaboration and communication among providers, ultimately leading to better patient care.” The Radiology Department also offers X-rays and computed tomography (CT) scans with and without contrast dye at the Graham Cancer Center. These noninvasive tests are important tools for diagnosing cancer early and accurately and for tracking how a cancer may be responding to treatment. CT imaging is also used to aid cancer research that can lead to even better and more successful treatments. A specially trained technologist performs the CT scans and X-rays in the Radiology Department. A radiologist, who is a medical doctor specializing in diagnosing and treating diseases using medical imaging, is onsite to review the images and communicate the results to the referring physician for consultation with each patient. “Here at the Graham Cancer Center Radiology Department, we see patients at

Helen F. Graham Cancer Center & Research Institute

every stage of their cancer,” said Senior CT Technologist Jessica Workman, B.S., RT (R) (CT). “Besides helping to lessen any anxiety they may feel about their testing, we want patients to feel they are getting the highestquality imaging and most professional experience anywhere.” “More than that,” Workman said, “we want them to know we care about making them feel comfortable and welcome.” For Linda, a trip to the Radiology Department now feels like visiting old friends. “I feel very relaxed there. Everyone greets me and is very good about getting answers to questions I may have or information I need. Sometimes, I just have time to wave as I go by. I may not know everyone’s name, but they know mine.”

“They make me feel like my time is as valuable as theirs.” Linda Larrimore

Cancer Update | May 2021

hen Paulette Campbell of Bear, Delaware, was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2017, she was prepared to meet the challenges of treatment, but as time went on, the added blow to her finances threatened to knock her off course. Cancer social workers at the Helen F. Graham Cancer Center & Research Institute offered help and support to keep her treatment on track. “Cancer took more than my health. It took my job and my ability to pay my bills,” Paulette said. “The social work team has been just marvelous. They got me help to pay my heating bills when I needed it and transportation to appointments when my car broke down. I feel like the Cancer Center is my home away from home. I have real friends there.”

Paulette Campbell, left, and Ronna Glenn, LBSW, CCM

Cancer social workers help patients meet the practical, emotional and financial challenges of cancer

“It is important for us to understand each person’s unique situation when they come for help along their cancer journey,” said social worker Ronna Glenn, LBSW, CCM. “So many of our patients, like Paulette, need a little extra help because of the practical, emotional or financial burden that cancer places on them and their families.” The Cancer Social Work team of licensed and master’s prepared social workers offers help and support for a whole range of concerns, including issues with medical insurance and the cost of cancer care. They

answer questions about Social Security, Medicare or Medicaid, and paying bills, for example. They can help with transportation or home care, communicating with family and children about a diagnosis, writing an advance directive or relocating to assisted living or hospice care. Everyone’s situation is different and needs can change over the course of treatment, which could last several years,” said Glenn. “Our job is to advocate, educate and address the needs of patients at whatever stage and to provide the resources and community referrals we can to help them make it through treatment successfully and on through survivorship.” In her third year of treatment, Paulette recently completed 24 rounds of immunotherapy for her lung cancer. Her twice-monthly trips to the Graham Cancer Center will decrease, but when she does come, she will always stop by and give a wave to her friends on the Social Work team. “I’ve worked in customer service all my career, first in banking and more recently in home care,” Paulette said. “I know what quality is, and I understand empathy and respect for others. At the Cancer Center, I get all that. I wouldn’t go anywhere else for treatment.” There is no cost to speak with a social worker. For assistance, call 302-623-4727.

“It is important for us to understand each person’s unique situation when they come for help along their cancer journey,” Ronna Glenn, LBSW, CCM

Helen F. Graham Cancer Center & Research Institute

Cancer Update | May 2021

Fast MRI — one more reason why women trust the ChristianaCare Breast Center for exceptional breast care

“While a mammogram is still the gold standard for breast health screening, if you are a woman with dense breasts and at intermediate risk, fast MRI offers an additional screening option,” said Breast Center Operations Manager Wendi Rader, AS, RT (R)(M)(BS). “Our ability to offer patients fast MRI reflects the continued efforts by our leadership team at the Breast Center to stay on top of the latest clinical trials and evidenced-based technologies for breast health,” Rader said. “Women are at the heart of our community, and anything we can do to protect their health is our goal.” The Breast Center team coordinates with the Breast Surgeons’ Practice to take care of women at increased risk, due to breast density or to family or personal medical history, through their Breast Cancer Prevention Program. The program offers women information and tools to understand their personal risks for breast cancer and to make educated and informed decisions about their health.

(From left) Wendi Rader, AS, RT (R)(M)(BS), Amanda Godwin and Shannon Hostetter

he Breast Center at the Helen F. Graham Cancer Center & Research Institute is the first in Delaware to offer “fast” breast MRI, a shortened version of conventional MRI. MRI can find breast cancer that does not show up on a mammogram or ultrasound. Fast MRI is a self-pay test, but it costs less and takes less time than conventional breast MRI. Having dense breast tissue can make it

Helen F. Graham Cancer Center & Research Institute

harder to find cancer on a mammogram and may be linked to an increased risk of cancer. An international study, recently published in the Journal of the American Medical Association that included patients from the Breast Center, showed that among women with dense breasts, screening with fast MRI detected a significantly higher rate of invasive breast cancers compared with digital screening mammography. (JAMA, Feb 25, 2020)

“We all work together to identify patients who are at elevated risk for breast cancer, and if there is a potential cancer, to move the patient into biopsy and treatment as quickly and efficiently as possible,” Godwin said. “We can do this because of the close collaboration between the Breast Center and the Breast Surgeons’ Practice.” The personal, hands-on care that each team member provides helps ease what can become a stressful experience for patients sometimes faced with the unexpected. Business Manager Shannon Hostetter, BS, knows that insurance concerns and billing issues can add to that stress. “From scheduling to check-in to imaging, we want our patients to know the Breast Center experience is truly all about them, their comfort, and their convenience,” said Hostetter. “Our patients trust our partnership and the role our team plays in their breast health.” To learn more about fast MRI and the other services at the ChristianaCare Breast Center, call 302-623-4273.

Practice Operations Manager Amanda Godwin works closely with the Breast Center team to ensure patients have a seamless visit from imaging to a surgical consult, if needed.

“Women are at the heart of our community, and anything we can do to protect their health is our goal.” Wendi Rader, AS, RT (R)(M)(BS) Breast Center Operations Manager

Cancer Update | May 2021

Radiation medical physicists and dosimetrists work behind the scenes to ensure safe and accurate radiation therapy for every cancer

t the Helen F. Graham Cancer Center & Research Institute, an entire team of medical professionals delivers the most advanced and effective radiation treatments. Two team members, the medical physicist and medical dosimetrist, work behind the scenes to ensure that radiation treatment is delivered safely and precisely as prescribed. Radiation therapy is one of the most common and effective cancer treatments. High doses of ionizing radiation that can destroy cancer cells are delivered either externally (external beam radiation), by temporary or permanent implant (brachytherapy) or by injection. The radiation oncologist prescribes the type and dose of radiation needed to safely and accurately treat a particular type of cancer based on clinical experience and evidencebased standards. The medical physicist and dosimetrist, using sophisticated computers and software as well as radiobiology models, do the math and the physics to make sure these complex treatments are tailored precisely for each patient. “One could say that radiation therapy is largely technology driven,” said Firas

Helen F. Graham Cancer Center & Research Institute

Mourtada, MSE, Ph.D., D.ABR, chief of Clinical Physics at the Graham Cancer Center. “As members of the radiation therapy team, both the medical physicist and the dosimetrist are critical to safe and effective implementation of the latest methods to achieve the highest standards of patient care.” Within the Radiation Oncology Department, Dr. Mourtada oversees all aspects of radiation safety, treatment planning and delivery, working closely with the radiation oncologist and other members of the radiation therapy team. He is also responsible for integrating new, cuttingedge radiation technologies, staff training and commissioning of new equipment. “Part of my role is to focus forward on our future technology needs over the next five to ten years,” he said. “We want to be ahead of the curve with the latest advances, but we have to be practical by balancing capability with costs to best serve our patients.” Dr. Mourtada leads a team of eight medical physicists and nine dosimetrists at the Graham Cancer Center. The medical physicists under his direction play a critical role in tumor eradication. “Our

number one job is to cure our patients while minimizing radiation toxicity to adjacent tissues,” Dr. Mourtada said. The team is essential also to ensuring patient safety, which includes making sure the equipment used in treatment planning and delivery is precisely calibrated and operating at all times according to national standards and guidelines. Their job includes certifying dosing parameters and delivery of the correct radiation dose to patients. Using imaging modalities such as CT scans, advanced MRI and PET scan technologies, supported by the latest 4D computer planning software, the medical dosimetrist performs complex dose calculations and maps out the patterns of treatment designed to safely and accurately deliver the precise radiation dose prescribed by the radiation oncologist. “One example of the tools we dosimetrists use is the latest generation RayStation treatment planning system in our department,” said chief dosimetrist Kelly Andreou, CMD. “With this and advanced computer simulation capabilities like Monte Carlo, for example, we can be very accurate in our ability to direct higher doses of radiation to destroy more cancer cells while protecting the healthy organs and sensitive structures around them.” The radiation therapy team not only leads the way in adapting new technologies to advance patient care, they help write the standards for best practices in care delivery.

As part of the National Cancer Institute’s Clinical Trials Network and the NRG Oncology Group, Dr. Mourtada’s team contributes to research projects that have helped define and validate many of the national practice standards for radiation therapy. What is more, participation in NRG Oncology trials allows patients to benefit from the latest cancer treatments right in their own community. The dosimetrists and medical physicists on Dr. Mourtada’s team also teach other doctors and health care professionals in their specialty. They help train medical dosimetrists in collaboration with Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia, as well as medical students and residents who rotate through from other institutions. The department also offers two collaborative, in-house residency-training programs. The Radiation Oncology Physics residency program under Dr. Mourtada’s direction, offered in partnership with Thomas Jefferson University, is one of only a few such accredited programs in the country. “As a teaching institution, we are pushed to maintain our skill set and our technology to current standards,” said Dr. Mourtada. “Collaboration with our partnering hospitals and graduate medical schools enriches our knowledge base and our credentials as leaders in the effort to raise the platform for how we deliver radiation therapy.”

“Our number one job is to cure our patients while minimizing radiation toxicity to adjacent tissues.” Firas Mourtada, MSE, Ph.D., D.ABR Chief of Clinical Physics

Cancer Update | May 2021

Palliative Care team gives comfort and support for patients and families facing the challenges of cancer

y definition, something or someone that is “palliative” provides comfort.

ChristianaCare’s interdisciplinary palliative care team at the Helen F. Graham Cancer Center & Research Institute provides cancer patients and their families the comfort and support they need at every stage — from the moment of diagnosis through treatment to remission. Palliative care is about living well and improving quality of life. Studies have shown patients experience prolonged life and better quality of life when supported early by palliative care. “We know that people with cancer and other serious illnesses are often plagued by frequent trips to the hospital and other issues that affect quality of life,” said Michael Scott, M.D., who leads the Palliative Care team at the Graham Cancer Center. “We want to engage with patients early in their treatment continuum in order to support them proactively with the many resources we have available.” Supportive and palliative care specialists are members of a larger multidisciplinary team of doctors and health providers who meet regularly at the Graham Cancer Center’s Multidisciplinary Clinics (MDCs) to collaborate in caring for patients with

Helen F. Graham Cancer Center & Research Institute

a particular type of cancer. Patients are referred to the Palliative Care team by their oncologists or primary care physicians. Palliative care specialists work closely with each patient’s cancer care team to help the patient understand and navigate the treatment plan, to assist in planning care goals and to communicate desires and needs effectively. These are services that can go a long way toward promoting health and recovery. For some patients, palliative care may help manage symptoms such as pain, fatigue, nausea, anxiety and trouble sleeping. Others may need emotional or spiritual support. Palliative Care team members are fundamental to the Supportive Care MDC, providing early palliative care interventions to help prevent unnecessary emergency room visits and hospital readmissions. “We are mindful of the value of care we provide our patients,” said Dr. Scott. “It is great when treatment helps patients live longer and reduces their disease, but as palliative medicine specialists, we also want to make sure that the life they are living is a good one.”

Harvard-trained plastic surgeon Stephanie Caterson, M.D., clinical innovator in breast reconstruction techniques, joins the Breast Center team

he Breast Center at the Helen F. Graham Cancer Center & Research Institute is broadening access to the most advanced surgical techniques for women with breast cancer, welcoming Stephanie Caterson, M.D., a plastic surgeon who specializes in microsurgical breast reconstruction. Dr. Caterson has been taking care of patients with breast cancer for 15 years and is credited with several clinical innovations in breast reconstruction.

She completed residency training in plastic surgery at the Lahey Clinic in Burlington, Massachusetts, and a fellowship in microsurgery breast reconstruction and aesthetics at the Harvard Medical School/ Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, in 2007. (CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE)

“I am honored to have the opportunity to build a state-of-the-art breast reconstruction program for the ChristianaCare community,” said Dr. Caterson. “Breast reconstruction is an essential component of comprehensive breast cancer care. I feel privileged to be part of a woman’s cancer journey, and to offer what can often be the ‘silver lining’ to an otherwise stressful experience.” Dr. Caterson is a graduate of Jefferson Medical College and the surgical residency program at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia.

Cancer Update | May 2021

She then joined Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, where she has served as the director of Perforator Breast Reconstruction for the last 12 years. She is a member of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons’ Autologous Breast Reconstruction Guideline Work Group and the Women’s Microsurgery Group Committee of the American Society for Reconstructive Microsurgery. “Dr. Caterson is a great addition to our multidisciplinary breast program at the Cancer Center,” said Nicholas J. Petrelli, M.D., Bank of America endowed medical director. “Her surgical and teaching experience will be a tremendous asset to cancer care in Delaware.” During her time at Brigham, Dr. Caterson was an assistant professor of surgery at Harvard and a consulting surgeon at several Bostonarea hospitals, including the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. She also served as the associate program director for the Harvard Plastic Surgery Residency Program, where she earned several prestigious teaching awards, including the Julian Pribaz Teaching Award and the Bernard Lown Award for Excellence in Teaching. She plans to continue teaching residents here.

comfort

Crocheted afghans bring

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and as a quality improvement initiative, designed and implemented a standardized clinical assessment and management plan (SCAMPs) to evaluate the clinical decisions surrounding implant-based breast reconstruction. Working with radiology colleagues, she also developed an innovative and unique CT angiogram protocol to image abdominal perforator vessels (<2mm) for pre-operative planning on DIEP flaps. Subsequently all DIEP flap patients at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital now undergo this imaging, resulting in decreased operative time and improved patient outcomes. She remains a co-investigator on several ongoing clinical trials and has presented and published extensively. “Plastic surgeons are innovators by nature,” Dr. Caterson said. “The field of breast reconstruction is continually evolving, and it is important to push the boundaries of ‘ordinary’ to offer the best options to our patients. I hope to continue my involvement in clinical outcomes research to advance breast reconstruction care.”

to cancer

arbara Meindl loves to crochet. She stitches that love into the colorful afghans she makes for patients at the Helen F. Graham Cancer Center & Research Institute. Husband Alfred is her deliveryman. “Dr. Petrelli agreed it would be a good idea to share Barbara’s talent in a way that would bring warmth and comfort to the patients who visit the Cancer Center for treatment,” he said. “The afghans I bring are snapped up like hotcakes!”

patients

Barbara is a retired art teacher who learned to crochet at age 8 while recovering from a childhood illness. After she made an afghan for a friend who was undergoing treatment at the Cancer Center, Barbara got the idea that others might enjoy them too. “Crocheting keeps me active and alert,” she said. As she works, she often thinks about the person who will hug her blanket. “I feel a spiritual connection there,” she said.

“The afghans I bring are snapped up like hotcakes!”

In coordination with plastic surgeons and anesthesiologists at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Dr. Caterson developed an online tutorial to guide anesthesiologists, residents, and nurse anesthetists caring for perforator (free flap) breast reconstruction patients,

Helen F. Graham Cancer Center & Research Institute

Cancer Update | May 2021

News Briefs Helen F. Graham Cancer Center & Research Institute among first in nation to offer primary care onsite to cancer patients The Helen F. Graham Cancer Center & Research Institute at ChristianaCare is among the first cancer programs in the nation to offer patients undergoing cancer treatment the opportunity to see a primary care provider (PCP) onsite if they don’t already have one of their own. The new Primary Care Practice builds on the success of the Oncology Express Unit (OEU), a pilot program offering urgent care to cancer patients in distress during treatment. The PCP will see patients with nonurgent health concerns, expanding onsite services at the OEU to an even broader population of patients in need.

to improve our patients’ long-term health.” Family Nurse Practitioner Debra Delaney, RN, MSN, ACNS-BC, FNP-BC, has joined the team at the Graham Cancer Center to provide primary care services at the OEU to patients who are referred by their cancer care providers. She sees patients five mornings a week from 8 a.m. to noon, at the Primary Care Practice located at the OEU, on the first floor of the Graham Cancer Center in the West Pavilion. Plans are to eventually expand practice hours.

Delaware’s first Young Adult Survivorship Transition Program treats cancer survivors at risk for recurrence and long-term or late effects of treatment

Since March 2018, the OEU has treated some 1,550 patients with acute care needs, 90 percent of whom successfully avoided an emergency department visit.

The Helen F. Graham Cancer Center & Research Institute has launched the firstever Young Adult Survivorship Transition Program in Delaware to help adolescent and youngadult cancer survivors aged 18 to 39 to stay healthy after childhood cancer.

“Our ability to offer primary care services to our patients who need them alongside a multidisciplinary roster of cancer services all under one roof is highly unique among major cancer centers,” said Nicholas J. Petrelli, M.D., Bank of America endowed medical director at the Graham Cancer Center. “By adding a primary care provider onsite, we are taking a somewhat novel approach to providing not only the latest cancer treatments, but also care designed

“Not only are survivors at risk for recurrence of their primary cancer, but complex treatments place them at risk for long-term and late effects,” said Pamela Simpson, M.D., medical oncologist and co-director of the program. “These effects can be secondary malignancies, cardiovascular disease, endocrine disorders or fertility and behavioral health issues. As a result,

Helen F. Graham Cancer Center & Research Institute

cancer survivors require long-term, tailored survivorship care.”

not been to one in a while, the team can help find one.

Most patients in the program will come from referrals from oncologists at A.I. duPont Hospital for Children. Others will come from referrals from primary care physicians, specialists, other hospitals and health care providers. The program also aims to reach survivors in this age group who have not been in regular contact with a health care provider since their last cancer treatment.

ChristianaCare patients contribute to multinational study showing high dose rate brachytherapy optimizes treatment for high-risk prostate cancer

“Adolescent and young adult cancer patients face a unique set of challenges, distinct from both older adult and pediatric survivors,” said Stephanie Guarino, M.D., pediatric oncologist and program co-director. “They may be completing their education, applying for college or looking for a job. They are often starting their careers and may be beginning a family or planning for one. Some may have lost contact with their health care provider. Cancer makes these situations more difficult and complicated. These patients need an annual check-up to screen for chronic conditions that can occur as a result of their treatment.” ChristianaCare’s team of specialists in the Young Adult Survivorship Transition Program will work with each patient’s primary care physician to support overall wellness, including emotional support, disease prevention and rehabilitation. If patients do not have a primary care physician or have

Long-term results from a multinational study that included patients from ChristianaCare showed that high dose rate (HDR) brachytherapy combined with external beam radiation (EBRT) is safe and effective for treating localized, high-risk prostate cancer. “Local control of the cancer in the prostate is critically important to preventing future distant spread,” said co-author Adam Raben, M.D., chair of Radiation Oncology at the Helen F. Graham Cancer Center & Research Institute. The study was published online in the International Journal of Radiation Oncology, Biology, Physics. “Results for patients at five and ten years post treatment showed that dose escalation with HDR brachytherapy in conjunction with EBRT carried a minimal risk of toxicity to the GI tract or surrounding organs and an equivalent ten-year cure rate to low dose rate (LDR) brachytherapy combined with EBRT,” Dr. Raben said. The study was sponsored by NRG Oncology, part of the National Cancer Institute’s Clinical Trials Network.

Cancer Update | May 2021

News Briefs Delaware Clinical & Laboratory Physicians join ChristianaCare Delaware Clinical & Laboratory Physicians, PA, a preeminent provider of hematology and pathology medicine services in our community for over 50 years, has become part of ChristianaCare. The five hematologists, nurses and staff from the practice are now ChristianaCare Hematology, and will continue to offer the same high-quality care and services to patients at the Helen F. Graham Cancer Center & Research Institute. ChristianaCare hematologists have expertise in both cancerous and noncancerous hematologic disorders, including sickle cell anemia and hemophilia. They specialize in patients diagnosed with blood disorders, thrombosis and blood cancers, and provide medical oversight of the Bone Marrow Transplant program at ChristianaCare. Patients receive infusion services in the practice office. The eight, board-certified pathologists joined as ChristianaCare Pathology and will continue to direct the pathology services at ChristianaCare, as they have done for many years. Their expertise includes surgical pathology, cytopathology, molecular diagnostics and flow cytometry. All laboratory services are accredited by the College of American Pathologists.

Helen F. Graham Cancer Center & Research Institute

Fellowship-trained breast surgeon Valerie L. Staradub, M.D. joins the ChristianaCare Breast Center team The ChristianaCare Breast Center welcomes breast surgeon Valerie L. Staradub, M.D. With over 20 years of breast surgery experience, Dr. Staradub most recently served as medical director of the Breast Program for the Western Connecticut Health Network and section chief of Breast Surgery at Danbury Hospital in Danbury, Connecticut. A graduate of Tufts University School of Medicine, Dr. Staradub completed residency training in general surgery at the Medical University of South Carolina and a fellowship in breast surgery at the Northwestern University Medical School in Chicago. Training tomorrow’s physicians remains a priority for Dr. Staradub, who has been on the faculty at various medical schools, including those at the University of Vermont, Harvard University and Northwestern University, where she earned an Excellence in Teaching award. She has a strong commitment to patient and community education on the topics of breast health and disease. She has made presentations to professional and lay audiences around the country and has co-authored

numerous peer-reviewed articles on research topics pertinent to the surgical management of breast disease.

Helen F. Graham Cancer Center & Research Institute ranks as national leader for patient participation in cancer clinical trials Safe enrollment of patients into trials during COVID-19 pandemic helps earn top ranking among 46 NCORP sites For its outstanding patient participation rate in cancer clinical trials, the Graham Cancer Center has earned top national rankings from several organizations of the National Cancer Institute (NCI). In addition, the Wake Forest NCI Community Oncology Research Program (NCORP) Research Base recognized the Graham Cancer Center for achieving the second highest participation rate out of 94 nationwide sites participating in its research program. ChristianaCare’s patient participation rate into cancer clinical trials each year is nearly 30% – more than seven times the national average of 4%.

to maintain, not just during the COVIDpandemic, but for multiple years,” said Nicholas J. Petrelli, M.D., Bank of America endowed medical director of the Helen F. Graham Cancer Center & Research Institute. “Their unwavering commitment to research broadens opportunities for our patients to participate safely in the latest and most promising cancer treatments without leaving Delaware.” In 2020, the Graham Cancer Center diagnosed 3,265 new cases of cancer. At the same time, more than 960 patients were enrolled in clinical trials for cancer prevention, treatment and cancer control. “Our program is at the cutting edge and goes above and well beyond the national standard,” said Gregory Masters, M.D., NCORP principal investigator at ChristianaCare. “Our program provides patients with more opportunities to find the most effective treatments and allows patients to be part of the overall advancement of cancer care.”

“Congratulations to our physicians and the entire research team for this national recognition and the tremendous accomplishments that we have been able

Cancer Update | May 2021

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