“Take Your Best Shot at Treatment” for Breast Cancer

From BestHealth, September 2007

“If I could share one thing with patients who are newly diagnosed with cancer it would be this: It is abundantly clear that you want your first shot at treatment to be the best shot you can have,” said breast cancer survivor Carolann Adcock.

“I am eternally grateful that I was treated at the Breast Care Center at Wake Forest Baptist,” said Adcock. “Sometimes people are given information and make choices that are not the best option ... that doesn’t happen at the Breast Care Center.”

Diagnosed with breast cancer in 2005 after a routine mammogram, Adcock was stunned. “Cancer was not on my radar screen. I have a family history of heart disease and stroke, but no one in my family ever had cancer,” she said.

When she met with surgical oncologist Edward Levine, M.D., her case had already been evaluated by the multidisciplinary breast cancer team, which includes surgeons, radiologists, medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, plastic and reconstructive surgeons, pathologists, and advanced practice nurses. She was given several treatment options. 

Although breast conservation was possible, she chose mastectomy and reconstruction. “My personality is not tied to a body part, and I was 100 percent focused on getting rid of this cancer permanently,” said Adcock.

The day of her surgery, she heard a fellow patient of Dr. Levine’s say something she found deeply reassuring. Preparing to undergo surgery for a serious abdominal cancer, he said he had come from Tennessee to Wake Forest Baptist because Dr. Levine was the first doctor who had given him hope.

“That was absolutely a wonderful, inspirational way to be assured you are in the right place,” Adcock said.

Because she had a mastectomy and the cancer had not spread to any lymph nodes, she did not need radiation and chemotherapy. Just three weeks after surgery, Adcock was off to Europe.

Since then, she has participated in several exercise-related clinical research trials. Her cancer is estrogen sensitive, so she takes an estrogen-blocking drug to prevent recurrence, and is monitored by a medical oncologist.

Two years out, Adcock is cancer-free and loving life. “I am blessed with a mind-boggling circle of support and lots of things that occurred in such a way that changed me for the better. We are so fortunate to have a premier facility like the Breast Care Center right here in Winston-Salem.”

The Breast Care Center

• The Breast Care Center is part of the Comprehensive Cancer Center, the only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center in western North Carolina.
• Patients benefit from seeing a multidisciplinary team of breast cancer specialists during a single visit.
• Patients typically leave at the end of the day with a comprehensive treatment plan in place, reducing the stressful period between diagnosis and the beginning of treatment.
• Specially trained nurses shepherd patients through the treatment process, providing both clinical and emotional support.
• In addition to receiving the most advanced treatments, patients have access to the latest clinical trials on breast cancer treatment and prevention.