Survivorship care close to home: Barbara's story

Barbara Brooks, a clinical laboratory technician living in Jamestown, NY, is used to being the one who delivers test results to other people. With more than three decades of experience working in chemistry, microbiology, hematology and blood banking, Barbara has analyzed, tested and reviewed thousands of samples that help patients and medical staff with important health diagnoses. 

But a few days after her 50th birthday, she found herself on the receiving end of unexpected test results after having a routine mammogram during her lunch break. “I had barely walked back to my office when the radiologist was calling me, asking me to return and do an ultrasound because she detected a suspicious growth that required a closer look,” she recalls. 

Barbara learned that she had invasive ductal carcinoma, the most common type of breast cancer. “I was shocked,” she says. “I had no family history of cancer. I did regular self-exams. Luckily, I had scheduled my annual mammogram otherwise I would not have discovered my cancer at an early stage.” 

Finding world-class care across the street

Following surgery and radiation therapy, Barbara realized she would need a medical oncologist to manage her ongoing care. She chose Jamestown Medical Oncology and Hematology. The community medical facility, located at 21 Porter Avenue in Jamestown, NY, is part of the Roswell Park Care Network, and provides a range of specialized cancer therapies, as well as chemotherapy protocols and clinical trials onsite. “The medical director Dr. Jairus Ibabao and I belong to the same church, and we have worked together professionally,” says Barbara. “When I sat down in his office the first thing he said was, ’I never expected to see you here’. And I said, ‘I never expected to be sitting in this chair.’” 

Barbara knew she was in good hands. “Dr. Ibabao makes sure his patients come first. He often came to the lab where I was working to review blood smears and consult on difficult cases. I knew he and his staff would provide me with wonderful care.” As a busy mother of three teens and working full-time, the convenience of accessible care and treatment close to home was important to Barbara. “I had confidence in the physicians and medical staff at Jamestown Medical Oncology and Hematology. There’s this nice, intimate connection you get with people who work locally in your community, and I knew everyone there was looking out for my best interests.” 

Dr. Ibabao managed her continued maintenance treatments which included tamoxifen, a medication that blocks the effects of estrogen, and later anastrozole, a hormonal therapy to reduce the risk for recurrence. But even after being declared cancer free, Barbara continued with the Jamestown practice, and signed up for Survivorship Care, a program that integrates follow-up care with an emphasis on health, well-being and quality of life for survivors. 

“I could literally walk across the street from the lab where I was working to my appointments and then go back to work,” says Barbara. “It made life easier and less stressful knowing that I could go to one facility and get everything checked out, without having to wait days for results. The phlebotomist and lab techs were onsite and able to consult with the rest of the medical team every time I had tests or blood drawn.” 

“No one should struggle with feeling alone through their cancer journey,” says physician assistant Susan Gustafson, PA-C, Director of Survivorship Care at Jamestown Medical Oncology and Hematology. “We help cancer survivors learn to cope with the range of physical, emotional, psychological and social issues and life changes that cancer deals them. Our goal is to help cancer survivors live as long as possible with the best possible quality of life.” 

Survivorship care focuses on the life changes that cancer brings

Based on your cancer and health history, the customized survivorship care plan provides a roadmap for you and your healthcare team, and includes information about your cancer type, your treatments and recommendations for exams and follow-up testing going forward. Survivorship Care is available to all cancer survivors, regardless of where they received cancer treatment. 

“In our region, we see a lot of seasonal residents who spend their summers here and then may spend winter in other warmer parts of the country where they also receive care. We are happy to welcome all survivors, helping them learn to live and cope with life changes as well as continue careful monitoring for cancer recurrence,” Gustafson says. 

Each person’s plan is tailored to their specific health and lifestyle. “I see some patients for survivorship visits every three to six months and others, once a year. We look at each person’s circumstances and provide personalized recommendations for quality-of-life concerns, ongoing screenings and healthy living.” 

The Survivorship Care program also is helpful for primary care providers, says Gustafson. “We communicate regularly with patients and doctors, helping them keep up to date with recommended tests and office visits based on past treatments. Primary care offices do their best to keep up with everything, and this is one way we can reduce their load.” 

Providing emotional support 

“One of the biggest concerns for survivors, understandably, is whether their cancer is going to come back,” says Gustafson. “These visits are a helpful reassurance that everything is okay. We’re available anytime there are concerns including alleviating common fears or stigmas often associated with having cancer. By talking about what they’re experiencing as a cancer survivor, people realize that they’re not alone. When people realize that other people who have had the same cancer are feeling the exact same way, including experiencing similar side effects from treatments, they can feel less scared." 

For Barbara, the Survivorship Care program continues to provide valuable support and convenience. “I had cancer during the busiest time of my life,” she recalls. “My son was a high school senior, one daughter was a high school sophomore, and another daughter was a junior in college. My husband Ed and the kids were very supportive but having the local support and confidence of the medical team and being part of the survivorship program was extremely helpful because I didn’t want to overburden my family and friends. 

“I was lucky - my cancer was very treatable, and my side effects were minimal, but it’s still helpful to know I can call Susan anytime, and she’ll be attentive to what I need,” says Barbara. 

Roswell Park’s Survivorship Care is provided at three locations: Jamestown, Buffalo and the Amherst location on College Parkway.