John Ashker is no stranger to dangerous situations. As a professional Hollywood stunt man, his typical work day may include exchanging punches in a bar brawl, being hit by a charging car, or escaping from a burning building. In his spare time, he races motorcycles. So when doctors diagnosed John with the most common and aggressive type of primary brain tumor, glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), he didn’t panic.

Less than 30 percent of patients diagnosed with GBM survive more than one year. To improve John’s prognosis, specialists at Providence Regional Cancer Centers recommended neurosurgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy. According to John’s radiation oncologist, Rex Hoffman, MD, medical studies have demonstrated that, on average, patients with GBM have a 26 percent chance of surviving two years or more when receiving both chemotherapy and radiation therapy, compared to 10 percent with radiation therapy alone. Ashker’s surgery resulted in complete removal of the tumor, but John initially refused additional therapies after reading about the possible side effects.

Ashker carefully considered the advice of his physicians and agreed to be treated with recommended medical therapies. He also integrated natural remedies, which he firmly believes helped to fend off the cancer. Ashker took an herbal remedy to cleanse his bowels, liver, kidneys and gallbladder, and increased his intake of foods high in antioxidants, including green “superfoods” with seaweed and kelp. In addition, he relied on coral calcium supplements to promote healthy pH levels in his bloodstream.

More than four years after his initial diagnosis, Ashker is cancer free and living life to the fullest.

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Because Cindy Moll’s mother had died of breast cancer, Cindy began at an early age to perform a breast self-examination every month.  She was only 34 years of age when she found a small lump on her breast.

“I first had a needle biopsy, and it came up negative,” said Cindy.  “But my doctor said we should take the lump out because of my family history.”  A lumpectomy was performed, and cancer was found on the lump’s back side where the needle had not reached.

The Treatment

Cindy met with Shamel Sanani, MD, Medical Director of Cancer Services and Nancy Ellerbroek, MD, Medical Director of Radiation Oncology at Providence Holy Cross Medical Center.  At first she hesitated when they recommended six months of chemotherapy and seven weeks of radiation therapy.

“It was rough because I remember what my mom went through and how sick she was,” she said.  Cindy did get nauseous and lost her hair, but she also knew the treatments gave her a chance to live

For most breast cancer patients at Providence Holy Cross, their treatments would end there, but in 2003 Cindy found another cancerous lump in the same breast.

“I thought, ‘Oh no, not again,’” Cindy said.  “But Dr. Sanani said I needed to go through it again.  He said ‘We want to keep you around.  You’re so young.’ And so I did it again.”

The Prognosis

This time, Cindy had a mastectomy due to the aggressiveness of the cancer, which had spread to her liver.  Under Dr. Sanani’s guidance, she received a new chemotherapy treatment that could attack the cancer in both the breast and liver.  Three years later, her cancer is still in remission.

“It was very important to find just the right treatment for Cindy due to the nature of her cancer,” Sanani said.  “We were all very pleased with how well the therapy worked and how few side effects Cindy had during this period.”

Cindy credits Drs. Sanani and Ellerbroek for helping her survive the cancer.  “Cindy did everything she could to help herself by strictly adhering to follow-up check-ups and tests,” said Dr. Ellerbroek.  “She faced her issues head-on, and it has worked out well for her.”

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The Diagnosis

The next morning, the young Valencia couple headed to the Emergency Department at Providence Holy Cross Medical Center for help. Jocelyn, an attorney who thrives on fitness and leads a healthy lifestyle, explained her symptoms to the emergency staff. A chest x-ray and CT scan revealed a mass in Jocelyn’s mediastinum — the space in front of her heart, just behind her breastbone. Jocelyn was immediately referred to an oncologist and to Roderick Yasuda, M.D., a cardiothoracic surgeon affiliated with Providence Holy Cross Medical Center.

“The most important thing we can do when we suspect cancer is to gather information about the nature of the cancer tissue,” explains Dr. Yasuda. “This allows us to recommend the most effective treatment for each patient.”

To get more information about the nature of the tumor, Jocelyn’s oncologist performed blood tests to identify markers for certain types of cancer, and Dr. Yasuda ordered a needle biopsy, a relatively non-invasive procedure. These tests indicated that the tumor in Jocelyn’s chest was a thymoma, a tumor in the small organ under the breastbone.

“In Jocelyn’s case, the tumor was discovered early and was encapsulated. The best course of treatment was to surgically remove the tumor,” explains Dr. Yasuda. “Additional therapy, such as radiation or chemotherapy may be necessary and will require the supervision of an oncologist.”

Thoracic Surgery at Providence Holy Cross Medical Center

Like Jocelyn Nolan, many thousands of patients have relied on the expertise and compassion of Providence Holy Cross physicians and staff for more than 40 years.

The thoracic surgeons affiliated with Providence Holy Cross have provided continuous cardiothoracic care to patients in the San Fernando Valley since 1979, the longest established cardiothoracic practice in the area.

In addition, these surgeons lead the Valley in offering the most advanced thoracic surgical techniques. By using video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) technology, surgeons diagnose and treat a comprehensive range of diseases of the chest, including infections, esophageal problems, tumors and cysts. Endoscopic instruments allow surgeons to perform these procedures through smaller incisions, promoting faster recovery, reduced scarring and less pain.

The Prognosis

Jocelyn’s prognosis is excellent. She reacted quickly to her symptoms and doctors caught Jocelyn’s cancer during the first stage, which describes how far cancer has spread from the original site to other parts of the body. Finding cancer in the early stages improves the effectiveness of treatment.

“Being diagnosed with cancer is a terrifying experience. You don’t want to believe it’s happening,” remembers Jocelyn. “But Dr. Yasuda was so confident. Every time I went to his office, I just felt better. He walked me through the whole thing so I wasn’t so scared.”

Now Jocelyn looks forward to celebrating a lifetime of Mother’s and Father’s Day holidays with her son. “At the time of my surgery, my little boy, Robert was 10 months old. I’m so glad I had symptoms and I’m so glad I went to Providence Holy Cross Medical Center. If I had waited, who knows?”

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In September 2006, Connie Owen of Burbank received a visit from her mother, 77-year old Phyllis Winblood. Connie anticipated spending time doing typical mother-daughter activities, such as talking, sharing lunch and shopping.  Neither woman expected to find an egg-sized lump in Phyllis’ breast five days before her scheduled flight home to Virginia.

“My mom is very independent. She has friends and activities that she enjoys, and she wanted to get home to them,” Connie recalls. “But we had to make sure she was okay first.”

With the assistance of the patient care navigator at the Providence Breast Health Center, doctors expedited a series of diagnostic tests — including a mammogram, breast ultrasound and biopsy. Test results indicated that Phyllis had early-stage breast cancer that had not spread to other parts of her body. Doctors also determined that because of the size and location of Phyllis’ tumor, she was a candidate for breast brachytherapy, a technologically advanced radiation treatment that can be completed in four to five days, compared to six or seven weeks for traditional external beam radiation therapy.

"When women are diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer, we can offer less invasive options that are as good as older, more aggressive methods of treatment, explains Deanna J. Attai, MD, FACS, a breast surgeon affiliated with Providence Regional Cancer Centers. “With less invasive treatments, women experience less scarring, less pain and faster recovery. They can get back to their lives sooner.”

With lumpectomy followed by breast brachytherapy, Dr. Attai and Phyllis’ radiation oncologist, Chester Wilson, MD, medical director of radiation oncology at Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center, told Phyllis she could be cancer-free and ready to travel home within a couple of weeks after her surgery. Raul R. Mena, MD, medical director of Cancer Services at Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center, also recommended hormonal drug therapy with selective estrogen receptor modulators to decrease Phyllis’ risk for cancer recurrence.

“After the doctors explained everything, my mom just changed,” Connie reflects. “She had hope. Every corner that we turned we thought something bad would happen, and it didn’t. It was miraculous the way things turned out.”

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The first step in treating Valerie’s cancer was a radical hysterectomy.  This can be a difficult surgery, but Valerie’s doctor, Gynecologic Oncologist Richard Friedman, MD, of Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center, is highly skilled at performing radical hysterectomies laparascopically.

“The real advantage is it allows a faster recovery for the patient,” says Friedman, one of a handful of surgeons who perform this procedure.  “It is a minimally invasive procedureand shortens the patient’s hospital stay.”

Valerie also received care from two renowned oncologists at Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center to ensure a full recovery. Raul Mena, MD, Medical Director of Cancer Services, supervised her care while she received weekly low-dose chemotherapy for six weeks.  Radiation Oncologist Christopher Rose, MD, provided external beam radiation therapy five days a week during the same period.

“It was one of the best experiences of my life, not only because of the way the doctors cared for me, but also because I met so many other cancer patients who were so inspirational in how they handled their cancer treatment,” says Valerie.

Three years have passed since Valerie’s surgery and treatment. She remains cancer free.

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The First Sign...

“I had chest pain. I had stomach pain. I had shortness of breath. I knew something was really wrong with me.”  Still, Robin Ceppi, a busy, working mother of young children, says fear initially prevented her from seeking help. Robin had already fought and won a battle with breast cancer, but it took a serious toll on her family — husband Mike, daughter Allison and son Brian.

“I was flipped out. I knew it was bad. I even told people, ‘I’m really sick.’”

The Diagnosis...

Eventually, Robin shared her concerns with her primary care doctor, who immediately scheduled her for a chest X-ray. The X-ray showed a very big mass in the middle of Robin’s chest. Robin remembers
having a “horrible” feeling, even before she received the results. “I knew I had cancer, and I thought that was the end of my life,” Robin recalls.

Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the United States, claiming the lives of more than 550,000 Americans each year.

Following the X-ray, Robin’s doctor scheduled her for a
computed tomography (CT) scan to determine if the cancer had spread to other areas in her body. Following the CT scan, her oncologist suspected lymphoma and referred Robin to thoracic surgeon Raymond Schaerf, MD, who asked Robin to come
to his office immediately.

“From the moment that cancer is suspected, it is absolutely critical to act quickly,” emphasizes Dr. Schaerf. “The best chance for a cure is to find and surgically remove the cancer as early as possible.
In the earliest stages, the cancer is less likely to have spread.”

When a biopsy of Robin’s tumor generated inconclusive results, Dr. Schaerf scheduled Robin for a thoracotomy, a procedure in which he carefully employed a minimally invasive surgical technique to view Robin’s chest cavity. This enabled Dr. Schaerf to examine the size of the tumor and establish if the cancer had traveled to the lymph nodes.

The Prognosis...

In a complex operation, Dr. Schaerf removed a very large tumor from Robin’s mediastinum — the space between the breastbone and lungs. Fortunately, almost all of Robin’s cancer was removed. Robin needed four months of chemotherapy and two weeks of radiation therapy to destroy the remaining cancer cells. Robin remembers feeling better almost immediately at the end of the therapy.

“Everything was handled expeditiously. Dr. Schaerf just exuded
confidence, and that made me feel more confident,” Robin says. She’s been cancer-free for nearly five years.

“Robin’s situation was more complicated because the cancer
wasn’t detected and treated in the early stages,” notes Dr. Schaerf.
“However, at Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center, we’re adept
at effectively treating cancer patients in all stages of the disease. Our success rates are among the best in the United States.”

“I’ve never seen the care you get from all of the physicians and staff at Providence Saint Joseph, and I’m very critical,” Robin admits. “From my doctors, to the ICU nurses, to the radiologists, to the techs — they were all so terrific. I just can’t say enough.”

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