Breast cancer survivor praises Anna Jaques' cancer center
Jun. 3—NEWBURYPORT — Lisa Lewis was diagnosed with Stage 2 breast cancer on April 23, 2021. From May 5 to Oct. 4, 2021, she received several rounds of chemotherapy, she had both breasts surgically removed on Nov. 4, and from Jan. 18 to Feb. 25, of this year she underwent radiation treatments. All of that took place in one building, the Anna Jaques Hospital Cancer Center.
"These dates stick in your head forever," Lewis, 54, said.
Considering the large number of world-class hospitals close by, the Plaistow, New Hampshire, resident had plenty of options to choose from. But when it came to making a decision, Lewis said she wanted to stick with Anna Jaques Hospital from start to finish.
'Honestly I just didn't want to go to Boston because of that extra stress of driving. In hindsight I am glad I didn't take on the extra emotional and financial burden," Lewis said.
Having both her sons, now 15 and 16 years old at the Newburyport hospital and living in West Newbury for many years, she and her husband were very familiar with Anna Jaques, she added.
"I just trusted the process, you really don't have a choice (but to trust the process). I felt comfortable and I am very thankful that I didn't go to Boston. For breast cancer itself there is a standard protocol for every diagnosis and I felt very comfortable with Anna Jaques doing that process," she said.
Lewis went on to say she was grateful to her surgeon, Dr. Peter Hartmann, oncologists Dr. Neelam Desai and Dr. Donielle Sliwa, her radiologist, Dr. Claire Fung, and to her entire medical team.
"I've received the best care at the Anna Jaques Cancer Center. The physicians, nurses, staff — everyone has been kind, supportive, and so positive. I have had all my treatments here — it is my one-stop shop. I'm so thankful," she said.
Despite successfully battling back against breast cancer, Lewis conceded her fight is not complete. In addition to experiencing treatment side effects, she will once again have surgery in August when her ovaries will be removed. While fighting breast cancer she learned she carried a gene that greatly increased her risk of developing ovarian cancer.
"My journey is still not over," she said.
Lewis now counts herself as one of the 16.9 million cancer survivors in the United States. As the number of cancer survivors living years beyond their cancer diagnosis has grown, so has the emphasis on cancer survivorship, which starts from the time of diagnosis, continues well after treatment, and includes cancer patients, as well as their family and caregivers, according to Anna Jaques officials.
Since opening its doors, the Anna Jaques Cancer Center, affiliated with Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, has continued to raise the bar of comprehensive cancer care offered to patients locally. Its cancer survivorship program aims to provide complete care for the whole person, including managing the long-term effects of treatment, managing the risk of second cancers, and addressing the patient's social, physical, and psychological effects, Anna Jaques officials said.
Anna Jaques Hospital President Mark Goldstein said no one should trade down quality hospital care to stay local and called Anna Jaques on par with Boston-area hospitals in terms of cancer care. Part of that success, he said, comes from the hospital's merger with Beth Israel.
"It was the vision we had in 2010 when we opened the cancer center," Goldstein said.
However, should a patient require a trip to a Boston hospital in their network, Anna Jaques Hospital will make that happen, Goldstein added.
Dave Rogers is a reporter with the Daily News of Newburyport. Email him at: drogers@newburyportnews.com. Follow him on Twitter @drogers41008.
Dave Rogers is a reporter with the Daily News of Newburyport. Email him at: drogers@newburyportnews.com. Follow him on Twitter @drogers41008.
