by Kimberly Sanders-Vanderbrook
She’s bright, she’s beautiful, she’s energetic and the slightest bit irreverent. Her name is Jennifer Rice and she is the face of breast cancer today.
“Breast cancer sucks!” she says, “but it’s do-able! The day I was diagnosed I started climbing a mountain. Now that I have completed my treatment, I feel like I have reached the top of the mountain. And like most mountain climbers, I tend not to remember the pain of the journey, but rather savor the feeling of accomplishment in reaching the top.”
It’s that kind of attitude that has carried Jennifer Rice through her experience with breast cancer.
Last year, she went in for a routine mammogram and the radiologist found three cysts in the imaging. After an immediate biopsy, Jennifer’s doctors determined that the cysts were malignant and that two of her lymph nodes were involved. She was diagnosed with Stage II breast cancer.
Approximately two weeks later, Dr. M. Celeste Lagarde and Dr. Richard D. Celentano of the Surgical Enhancement Center, performed a bilateral mastectomy that removed four malignant tumors. She then began two courses of chemotherapy, which were followed by five weeks of radiation.
“Many women dread chemo, but I chose to see chemo as my friend, as a process that was helping my body get rid of the cancer. I refused to let cancer ruin my life or affect the quality of my life.
Chemotherapy today is so much better than the old days. Today there are better medications to prevent nausea. These medicines, along with an excellent diet and drinking lots of water allowed me to continue working and riding my horses during treatment. I didn’t miss a day of work, but I lost my hair, which—strangely enough—was a liberating experience. I’d wear a wig for business, but mostly I just went bald. My grandkids just loved it!”
When Jennifer was diagnosed with breast cancer, she didn’t know anyone with the disease. She didn’t know what to expect or where to turn for information. After her experience, she has made it her mission to ensure that no one else should have to go through breast cancer alone. Usually a private person, Jennifer has chosen to use her position on the St. Tammany Parish Hospital Foundation Board and her high profile career in real estate to share her story—and, she hopes, to bring comfort and encouragement to other women. Although she is a busy woman, Jennifer has been known to show up with a meal, information and hope to share at the homes of women who have recently been diagnosed. To the women she helps, Jennifer is a wonderful resource and someone for them to talk to who really understands what they are going through.
Not your mother’s breast cancer
Statistics estimate that approximately 203,500 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year. But a woman diagnosed today faces a much different situation from one diagnosed 20, 10 or even five years ago. New breakthroughs in screening diagnosis and treatment are offering women more hope than ever that they can beat the disease. In fact, if breast cancer is detected early, the five-year survival rate is an incredible 97 percent.
Here on the northshore, we are fortunate to have some of the latest breast cancer technology available in our backyard.
Screening and diagnostic mammograms: Having an annual mammogram is the best way to detect breast cancer at a very early and treatable stage. “It’s so important,” says Jennifer. “I would have never known that I had four tumors had I not gotten my mammogram. I could not see or feel them from the outside. Because I caught my cancer at an early stage, I was able to treat it promptly and effectively.”
The wait between having a mammogram and receiving the test’s results can seem like a lifetime. Mammography machines employing digital technology and computer-aided detection have changed that, however, as they offer instant feedback during testing. The St. Tammany Parish Hospital Breast Center’s digitized R-2 image checker provides both film and digital images of the breast, allowing optimum detection of abnormalities. Slidell Memorial Hospital uses the state-of-the-art Lorad Selenia Full Field Direct Digital Mammogram to provide immediate, sharp images of the breast. North Oaks Diagnostic Center’s Senographe 2000D produces images that offer better visibility of the breast, particularly near the skin line, the chest wall, and in women with dense breast tissue. At the Lakeview Regional Medical Center Women’s Center for Wellness, in addition to the new technology, technicians are always on-site to read a patient’s scan, instead of having them sent out. Lakeview’s Dr. Bo Kite says, “This gives more personal attention to the patient.”
Ochsner North Shore offers mammograms at its three locations and a direct link to the Lieselotte Tansey Breast Center at Ochsner in New Orleans. The center specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer, and has significantly reduced the time between testing, diagnosis and treatment.
If the screening mammogram detects an abnormality in the breast, then the patient’s doctor schedules a diagnostic mammogram. Because a speedy diagnosis is so important, a radiologist reviews the diagnostic mammogram immediately. A breast ultrasound may be done, if indicated, as well as a biopsy. In addition to screening mammograms and diagnostic imaging services, NorthShore Regional Medical Center offers a stereostatic, or X-ray guided, biopsy which is much less invasive than the surgical approach. St. Tammany Hospital is acquiring advanced technology that uses MRI guidance to provide a non-surgical biopsy.
Treatment: Depending on the type of cancer, treatment can range from simple radiation and/or chemotherapy to breast surgery, which may be a lumpectomy (removal of the malignant tumor only), a partial mastectomy (removal of the malignant breast) or a total mastectomy (removal of both breasts). Surgery may be followed by chemotherapy and/or radiation. On the northshore, Lakeview, North Oaks, NorthShore Regional, Slidell Memorial and St. Tammany provide chemotherapy treatment, as does Ochsner at its Covington location. Up-to-date radiation treatment is offered at Slidell Memorial and at the Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Centers in Hammond and Covington.
Reconstruction: St. Tammany Hospital is fortunate to offer the latest in reconstructive breast surgery techniques, thanks to the talent of nationally renowned breast surgeon Dr. Scott Sullivan and the acquisition of the special microscope necessary for this groundbreaking reconstructive surgery. This microscope is designed for the most advanced cases of reconstruction: a patient’s own tissue taken from the stomach or other area is used to completely reconstruct the breast. Tissue expanders are put in during the mastectomy. During reconstruction, nerve sensation is retained, and a nipple and areola are created. “It’s not just as good as natural, it’s better than nature!” quips Rice, who had what she terms “reproductive, not reconstructive” surgery last year.
Jennifer’s husband, institutional investor Tim Rice of Rice Volker, LLC, is responsible in large part for providing the hospital with the special microscope. When he found out that it was needed to perform the groundbreaking surgery, he donated the $10,000 he received for winning the National Stockbroker of the Year Award toward its purchase.
No place like home
Jennifer Rice could have gone anywhere in the country to treat her breast cancer, but she chose to stay right here on the northshore. And she credits being close to her home and her family as a big part of the success of her treatment. “It was such a blessing to stay home. It was huge to be able to sleep in my own bed and have my husband, family and friends nearby for support. I was able to continue working and caring for my horses that I love.”
And Rice knew that by staying here she was getting the best care possible. “We are so blessed to have the finest oncologists, radiologists and surgeons right here at home.”
Editor’s note: This article is intended to provide helpful information about northshore resources for the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer, but was not meant to be all-inclusive. Readers are urged to consult with their own physicians to determine the best approach for their individual situation.
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