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Overcoming a Legacy of Cancer A cousin of Dale and Judy Drisker once compiled a family tree that recorded the cancer history of its members. Since 1958, 23 family members on Dale and Judy’s mother’s side have been diagnosed with cancer. In 11 of those cases, cancer claimed the person’s life. This includes their mother, Corrine, who died in 1997 from ovarian cancer that spread to her colon. Sisters Dale and Judy both share the same unfortunate genetic disposition for cancer. While the family’s first generation was struck with cancer in their 50s, 60s and 70s, successive generations have been diagnosed with cancer in their late 30s and 40s. “Cancer has affected so many family members,” Dale relates. “We have had too much sickness. I always thought I would get it, but I never thought it would come so fast. It makes you mad to feel cancer taking over your body, especially when it hits at a young age. There is just something wrong about going to a funeral for a 40-year-old.” At age 37, Dale found a lump in her breast a few days before a vacation. Because of her relatively young age, Dale’s physician was not overly alarmed. Then he heard her family history. “His whole attitude changed and he had me come to the hospital as soon as possible,” recalls Dale. “He gave me the bad news, that it was breast cancer, the same day as my biopsy. I was devastated.” Dale and her physician agreed on an aggressive approach to the cancer, a double mastectomy. Sadly, a cousin who was diagnosed with breast cancer at the same time died a year later; however, Dale remained cancer free until close to the five-year mark at age 42 in 2001. It was at that time that her sister, Judy, then age 36, was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. The cancer had spread so rapidly into vital organs that physicians at Saint Barnabas’ Division of Gynecologic Oncology and Reconstructive Pelvic Surgery could only remove some of it through surgery. The rest of the cancer was successfully treated with chemotherapy. As Dale watched her sister struggle, she felt a sense of panic about the form of cancer that had taken her mother and now attacked her sister. Although the breast cancer had not returned, Dale asked her physician for a CAT scan, pelvic/transvaginal ultrasound and CA125 blood test as a screening test for patients at high risk for ovarian cancer. “When they looked at the result of the scan, I could see in their faces that something was wrong,” recalls Dale. “They told me that they found a tiny spot of cancer in my ovarian wall. I was in complete shock.” Dale underwent exploratory surgery by physicians at the Division of Gynecologic Oncology and Reconstructive Pelvic Surgery, at which time a locally advanced ovarian cancer was found. This necessitated an aggressive surgical approach, which included a complete hysterectomy, removal of both tubes and ovaries, as well as all visible tumor, followed by intensive combination chemotherapy. Dale and Judy underwent chemotherapy at the same time, then recovered at the home they share with each other and their children. Both women are now undergoing testing to see if they carry genetic mutations in the BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene to determine whether they can be identified as carriers. If positive for the mutation, Judy will have up to an 80 percent risk of developing breast cancer. This knowledge will also be helpful to the children of the sisters. Now, a year later, both women have resumed their lives and maintain a positive outlook focused on recovery. With the assistance of Oncology Counselor Jill Kaplan, L.C.S.W., at The Cancer Center at Saint Barnabas, the sisters and their families enjoyed a much-needed vacation. Happiness Unlimited, a wish fulfillment organization for adults with cancer, sent them to Orlando, Florida and on a cruise to the Bahamas. The trip helped to lift the family’s spirits. “Everyone has remained positive,” says Dale. “When you get sick, you gain a totally different frame of mind. Each day looks different to you. Even sunsets look different. You learn to enjoy every moment of life and just live." To reach The Cancer Center at Saint Barnabas Medical Center, call (973) 322-5200. For information about cancer genetic counseling services and testing at Saint Barnabas, call (973) 322-7745. [ top ] |
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