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Reprinted with permission, Courtesy, Asbury Park Press, a Gannett Co. newspaper.
BY MICHAEL AMSEL
TOMS RIVER BUREAU
TOMS RIVER, New Jersey, January 31, 2007 – Denise Meisler of Toms River sensed something was terribly wrong. She discovered a lump in her right breast on Oct. 1, and though there was no history of breast cancer in her family, a feeling of dread and uncertainty shot through her body.
An initial mammogram did not detect anything, but Meisler went for an ultrasound and breast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at Community Medical Center in Toms River, and a cancerous growth was detected.
"Her breasts are so dense it wasn't seen on mammograms," explained Dr. Cynthia Barone, a radiologist and women's imaging specialist at Community Medical Center. "She could have had a lesion in her breast . . . that we didn't know about. But the MRI showed a lymph-node involvement, which wasn't suspected clinically, and we were able to begin treating it."
There were more than 200,000 new breast cancer cases and 40,000 deaths reported in the United States last year, according to Community Medical Center.
In an effort to help early detection, Community Medical Center recently initiated state-of-the-art breast MRI services for area women, including what is called "external beam three-dimensional (3-D) conformal radiation therapy," according to the hospital's Web site.
A big advantage of the new technology is its precision, which enables it to detect minute breast cancer lesions that are sometimes missed by mammography.
Community Medical Center is the first hospital in the region — and one of only a few hospitals across the state — to offer this advanced diagnostic service, hospital officials said.
This particular breast MRI requires no radiation, instead using magnetic energy, radio waves and the introduction of a contrast medium to produce precise images of the tissue inside the breast.
Dr. Alicia Daniels, a radiologist at Community Medical Center, said one of the key benefits of the improved technology at that hospital is it allows women to get both the MRI and the biopsy at the same location.
"A lot of places they will get your breast MRI, and they will find something but aren't able to do anything about it," Daniels said. "We are able to biopsy the lesions with our machine. A lot of places will send you out with your films, and you are wondering where you have to go."
Meisler, 42, said she felt a mix of emotions when she learned she had cancer.
"After the biopsy and I knew it was cancer, I thought, "I have it, now, let's take care of it.' My biggest worry was losing my hair from the chemotherapy," she said.
Meisler, a sales representative for a pharmaceutical company, said she had the cancerous growth removed and is now undergoing chemotherapy. When she completes the chemotherapy, she will begin radiation treatment.
Upbeat and determined, Meisler has maintained her sense of humor, quipping, "I got this perfect — right at the start of Cancer Awareness Month."
She smiled and added, "I am strong-willed and positive, and I will beat this cancer. State of mind is 50 percent of recovery."
This story includes material from previous Press stories.
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