Holy Name's gynecologic oncologists provide advanced medical and surgical treatments for patients with pre-cancerous conditions and cancer including:
Physicians and staff members in the Patricia Lynch Cancer Center ensure each patient receives comprehensive care from diagnosis through treatment, and supportive care to survivorship, in one location. Patients are treated by a multidisciplinary team of board-certified specialists that excel in all three branches of oncology care: radiation, chemotherapy and surgery.
Dr. Sharyn Lewin and Dr. Maria Schiavone are renowned gynecologic oncologists and two of the few physicians in North Jersey who provide both surgery and chemotherapy in one setting, eliminating the need to see additional physicians for gynecologic cancer treatment. They have expertise in hypertermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC), oral PARP inhibitors and sentinel lymph node mapping. They also specialize in genetic testing and counseling.
Patients receiving treatment for gynecologic cancers also have access to free integrative therapies such as massage, acupuncture, nutritional education, counseling support, guided imagery and yoga.
In addition to standard treatment protocols, Holy Name offers patients access to clinical trials, cutting-edge research, hereditary genetics and highly effective treatment options that include the following:
Robotic surgery is a minimally invasive procedure that utilizes the daVinci platform, which is a surgical system that includes a console and robotic arm with small tools attached. Surgeons are able to do extremely precise and complex procedures by controlling the arm with a computer while viewing enlarged 3-D images taken by a camera inserted into the body. Robotic surgery has the same advantages as laparoscopic surgery – less discomfort, shorter recovery time and a reduced risk of forming internal scar tissue - since it is performed through smaller cuts than open surgery.
Advanced laparoscopic surgery is a minimally invasive technique that allows the surgeon to operate through small incisions while looking at the targeted area magnified on a large monitoring screen. Procedures result in less discomfort and a shorter recovery time and reduce the chance of forming internal scar tissue, which can cause pain in the future.
Intraperitoneal chemotherapy, used in the treatment of ovarian cancer, involves administering chemotherapy drugs through a flexible tube inserted into the patient's abdomen. Studies have shown that patients given intraperitoneal chemotherapy have better outcomes than women who only received IV chemotherapy.
The Patricia Lynch Cancer Center provides the most advanced care to every patient. Here are some of their stories.
The news was terrifying - Jane Martinez was 29 years old, the mother of a young son and she had cervical cancer. She was told the disease was severe, requiring a radical hysterectomy, and she was...
Read Jane's full storyWhen Deyka Torres was told she had cancer, she was scared, really scared. Immediately, she had two thoughts, "Am I going to die from this? And if not, what do I have to do to get better? Deyka was 37 years old, a mother of three,...
Read Deyka's full storyLindita Peposhi had a weird pain on the right side of her abdomen. It wasn't sharp like appendicitis and it wasn't debilitating, but she wanted it checked. A doctor prescribed an antibiotic...
Read Lindita's full storyWhen Dana Calbi learned she had ovarian cancer, she immediately headed to one of the big academic hospitals in New York City. She was encouraged by the wealth of expertise it offered...
Read Dana's full storyThey are a close, extended family of sisters, cousins, aunts and uncles. They share vacations and holidays, burdens and joys. But they also have an expansive history of cancer: one sister had uterine cancer,...
Read Gannon's full storyLaura Mack was making ends meet by bartending after losing her banking job but she was eating all the wrong things at all the wrong times. She put 30 pounds on her athletic frame...
Read Laura's full storyJeanette McGill believes through her faith in God, that she is a miracle. From the day she was diagnosed with...
Read Jeanette's full storyIn the field of medicine, the most obvious diagnosis is often accurate – a sore throat is usually a respiratory illness, a mass on an ovary is likely to be ovarian cancer. But, as Suzanne Klausner found out, this...
Read Suzanne's full storyA cancer journey is never easy but Karen Riedel's was particularly arduous. Before things turned around, she was hospitalized for nearly two months and came close to dying. But Karen...
Read Karen's full storyAt 76, Cecilia Pappas has been through a lot – intense, challenging times that might have made others give up. She didn't, and now she's living a fulfilling life even though she has ovarian cancer, a disease...
Read Cecilia's full storyDarlene Smith knew something was wrong, probably something serious, but she didn't have medical insurance so she put off going to the doctor. Then fate intervened and took the timing right out of her hands...
Read Darlene's full storyDon't give up. Ever. Ms. Soon Kim believes it, lives it and shares the philosophy with those she meets facing a hard time. For nearly three years, Ms. Kim had been suffering with random, unexplainable pain. She had...
Read Soon's full storyAs people across the country learn to adapt to a new normal within the coronavirus pandemic, Donna...
Read Donna's full storyFew people travel a straight path when dealing with serious illnesses. There are almost always ups...
Read Theresa's full storyEvery cancer patient is unique and each journey evolves on different paths. But Jennifer Reeves’ story is
Read Jennifer's full storyIn the past, when Margaret Rovell saw friends or family members with cancer, she wondered what she would do if she ever developed the disease. Would she let nature take its course? “I’ve seen a lot of...
Read Margaret's full storyBreast cancer was rampant in Mary Jane Bisanzo's family – eight loved ones including her mother, brother, maternal uncle, aunts and cousins had all been diagnosed with the disease. Their doctors suggested...
Read Mary's full storyShe is used to zipping through the rooms in her home, the grocery store, her yard, wherever she is to get
Read Mattie's full storyFew people would consider a world-wide shutdown due to the COVID pandemic a good thing when it comes to a cancer diagnosis, but that’s exactly how Maureen Frazer sees it.
Read Maureen's full storyStandard chemotherapy fell short in treating Rebecka Hess’ ovarian cancer – the disease returned with a vengeance. Now, she’s receiving specialized medication through a clinical trial at...
Read Rebecka's full story