Local Woman Participates in
National Breast Cancer Study
By George Nianiatus, senior writer/media manager
Marketing and Communications Department
Upper Allegheny Health System
Holly Pascale may have never envisioned being a trailblazer who could ultimately help herself and so many other women with breast cancer.
Still, this is precisely the direction she’s taken by being the first to participate in a national clinical breast cancer trial through the Cancer Care Center at Bradford Regional Medical Center (BRMC), a regional clinical network member of Roswell Park Cancer Institute.
The national study by Roswell Park, scheduled to last three years, is designed to help researchers determine whether drugs called bisphosphonates can prevent breast cancer from spreading to the bone and also protect against bone problems associated with standard treatments for breast cancer.
Ms. Pascale hopes her participation in the study, which includes free medication to those volunteering, will help her own condition and spur other women to enroll in the national study as well.
“I certainly hope it will prevent me from having a recurrence and encourage other women with breast cancer to participate in this clinical trial,” Ms. Pascale says.
“I never could have afforded these types of medications, otherwise,” says Ms. Pascale, who’s been on medical leave for several months from her daycare center job.
“She is the first breast cancer patient to take part in the local portion of the study and I truly commend her for it,” says Eyad S. Al-Hattab, M.D., medical director of Oncology/Hematology at BRMC’s Cancer Care Center and a staff physician in Medical Oncology at Roswell Park. He will oversee the study at BRMC.
As part of an affiliation agreement between BRMC and Roswell Park, Dr. Al-Hattab practices full time in Bradford but also works with Roswell Park faculty to improve access to quality cancer care for patients in Northwest Pennsylvania and the Southern Tier of New York state.
“She’ll be taking these medications for three years and we’ll be tracking information on her and other participants for another five to 10 years,” Dr. Al-Hattab says.
“The medications we’re using are very safe and effective. They’ve been around for a long time,” the oncologist states.
“This is an excellent way for women with breast cancer to enter a study of this magnitude and get medication treatments for free,” Dr. Al-Hattab explains, noting, “The study is completely voluntary and participants can stop at anytime without providing a reason.”
Ms. Pascale’s eventual entry into the clinical study came about when this past March a lump was found in her breast. She had a biopsy taken, which involves removing a small tissue sample for analysis. At that time, though, no abnormalities were found.
A few months later the lump became painful and she had it checked again in May. It was then determined she had Stage II breast cancer, meaning the disease spread to the auxiliary lymph nodes under her arm.
In addition to a lumpectomy to remove the tumor, she underwent several more surgical procedures to remove cancerous lymph nodes and also place an injection port under her skin to regularly dispense chemotherapy treatments.
“So far, I’ve had five surgeries and undergone radiation and chemotherapy,” says Ms. Pascale.
Under the study, Ms. Pascale will either take a daily medication or an intravenous treatment once a month, says Dr. Al-Hattab. After the first six months, the regular treatments will be spaced further apart.
Additionally, Ms. Pascale is planning to undergo radiation therapy at whatever nearby hospital is most convenient to her.
Ms. Pascale is more than eager to participate in the clinical study. There are far more birthdays she wants to celebrate for herself, her son and daughter, and especially her 4-year-old grandson.
“We definitely want more women to enter this study, which will give us more accurate data,” says Dr. Al-Hattab.
For further information about the study, call Anne Zimbardi at BRMC at 814-362-8425 and refer to clinical trial SWOG-S0307.
Bradford Regional Medical Center and Olean General Hospital are members of Upper Allegheny Health System. The two hospitals integrated on Nov. 5. This integration is intended to enhance the hospitals’ ability to introduce new and expanded programs and services in response to regional healthcare needs.
Additionally, the integration will improve the ability of the hospitals to recruit physicians and other clinical professionals, better manage healthcare costs and improve financial stability.
Combined, the two hospitals serve 150,000 area residents, have $160 million in annual revenue and employ over 1,600 people. For further information, go online at www.brmc.com, www.ogh.org or www.uahs.org.
The mission of Roswell Park Cancer Institute is to understand, prevent and cure cancer. Founded in 1898, Roswell Park was one of the first cancer care centers in the country to be named a National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center and remains the only facility with this designation in Upstate New York.
Roswell Park is a member of the prestigious National Comprehensive Cancer Network, an alliance of the nation’s leading cancer centers; maintains affiliate sites; and is a partner in national and international collaborative programs. For more information about Roswell Park, go online at www.roswellpark.org.
Pictured, Port Allegany resident Holly Pascale, who’s participating in a national breast cancer study, has details explained by Eyad S. Al-Hattab, M.D., medical director of Oncology/Hematology at Bradford Regional Medical Center’s Cancer Care Center. He also is a staff physician in Medical Oncology at Roswell Park Cancer Institute.
(Photo courtesy of BRMC)
Marketing and Communications Department
Upper Allegheny Health System
Holly Pascale may have never envisioned being a trailblazer who could ultimately help herself and so many other women with breast cancer.Still, this is precisely the direction she’s taken by being the first to participate in a national clinical breast cancer trial through the Cancer Care Center at Bradford Regional Medical Center (BRMC), a regional clinical network member of Roswell Park Cancer Institute.
The national study by Roswell Park, scheduled to last three years, is designed to help researchers determine whether drugs called bisphosphonates can prevent breast cancer from spreading to the bone and also protect against bone problems associated with standard treatments for breast cancer.
Ms. Pascale hopes her participation in the study, which includes free medication to those volunteering, will help her own condition and spur other women to enroll in the national study as well.
“I certainly hope it will prevent me from having a recurrence and encourage other women with breast cancer to participate in this clinical trial,” Ms. Pascale says.
“I never could have afforded these types of medications, otherwise,” says Ms. Pascale, who’s been on medical leave for several months from her daycare center job.
“She is the first breast cancer patient to take part in the local portion of the study and I truly commend her for it,” says Eyad S. Al-Hattab, M.D., medical director of Oncology/Hematology at BRMC’s Cancer Care Center and a staff physician in Medical Oncology at Roswell Park. He will oversee the study at BRMC.
As part of an affiliation agreement between BRMC and Roswell Park, Dr. Al-Hattab practices full time in Bradford but also works with Roswell Park faculty to improve access to quality cancer care for patients in Northwest Pennsylvania and the Southern Tier of New York state.
“She’ll be taking these medications for three years and we’ll be tracking information on her and other participants for another five to 10 years,” Dr. Al-Hattab says.
“The medications we’re using are very safe and effective. They’ve been around for a long time,” the oncologist states.
“This is an excellent way for women with breast cancer to enter a study of this magnitude and get medication treatments for free,” Dr. Al-Hattab explains, noting, “The study is completely voluntary and participants can stop at anytime without providing a reason.”
Ms. Pascale’s eventual entry into the clinical study came about when this past March a lump was found in her breast. She had a biopsy taken, which involves removing a small tissue sample for analysis. At that time, though, no abnormalities were found.
A few months later the lump became painful and she had it checked again in May. It was then determined she had Stage II breast cancer, meaning the disease spread to the auxiliary lymph nodes under her arm.
In addition to a lumpectomy to remove the tumor, she underwent several more surgical procedures to remove cancerous lymph nodes and also place an injection port under her skin to regularly dispense chemotherapy treatments.
“So far, I’ve had five surgeries and undergone radiation and chemotherapy,” says Ms. Pascale.
Under the study, Ms. Pascale will either take a daily medication or an intravenous treatment once a month, says Dr. Al-Hattab. After the first six months, the regular treatments will be spaced further apart.
Additionally, Ms. Pascale is planning to undergo radiation therapy at whatever nearby hospital is most convenient to her.
Ms. Pascale is more than eager to participate in the clinical study. There are far more birthdays she wants to celebrate for herself, her son and daughter, and especially her 4-year-old grandson.
“We definitely want more women to enter this study, which will give us more accurate data,” says Dr. Al-Hattab.
For further information about the study, call Anne Zimbardi at BRMC at 814-362-8425 and refer to clinical trial SWOG-S0307.
Bradford Regional Medical Center and Olean General Hospital are members of Upper Allegheny Health System. The two hospitals integrated on Nov. 5. This integration is intended to enhance the hospitals’ ability to introduce new and expanded programs and services in response to regional healthcare needs.
Additionally, the integration will improve the ability of the hospitals to recruit physicians and other clinical professionals, better manage healthcare costs and improve financial stability.
Combined, the two hospitals serve 150,000 area residents, have $160 million in annual revenue and employ over 1,600 people. For further information, go online at www.brmc.com, www.ogh.org or www.uahs.org.
The mission of Roswell Park Cancer Institute is to understand, prevent and cure cancer. Founded in 1898, Roswell Park was one of the first cancer care centers in the country to be named a National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center and remains the only facility with this designation in Upstate New York.
Roswell Park is a member of the prestigious National Comprehensive Cancer Network, an alliance of the nation’s leading cancer centers; maintains affiliate sites; and is a partner in national and international collaborative programs. For more information about Roswell Park, go online at www.roswellpark.org.
Pictured, Port Allegany resident Holly Pascale, who’s participating in a national breast cancer study, has details explained by Eyad S. Al-Hattab, M.D., medical director of Oncology/Hematology at Bradford Regional Medical Center’s Cancer Care Center. He also is a staff physician in Medical Oncology at Roswell Park Cancer Institute.
(Photo courtesy of BRMC)
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