Rumson resident Lisa Craven is pictured center with her surgical team, breast surgeon Dr. Manpreet Kohli and plastic and reconstructive surgeon Dr. Rahul Vemula. (Photo courtesy of Monmouth Medical Center.)
Long Branch, NJ, October 8, 2026 –Lisa Craven of Rumson says opting for a preventative double mastectomy following genetic testing that showed she was at an extremely high risk of getting breast cancer was the best decision she could have made.
For the 51-year-old full-time working mother of an 11-year-old daughter and 20-year-old stepson, the constant fear of knowing it was not a matter of if, but when, she would get breast cancer is gone. And it is why she chose to share her story to advocate for women to ask their doctors if genetic testing is right for them.
Lisa in the waiting area of Dr. Kohli’s West Long Branch practice location. (Photo courtesy of Monmouth Medical Center.)
Her story began when she asked her gynecologist about treating her perimenopausal symptoms with hormone replacement therapy (HRT). Because some forms of HRT can be associated with a slightly increased risk of breast cancer, her doctor recommended she first have genetic testing done to determine if she was already at an elevated risk.
“The panel of high-risk breast cancer genetic testing checks for inherited gene changes like BRCA1, BRCA2, and PALB2 that raise the chance of getting cancer,” said Lisa’s breast surgeon Dr. Manpreet Kohli, a RWJBarnabas Health Medical Group physician who serves as Director of Breast Surgery at Monmouth Medical Center. “Following the recommendation of her doctor, she took advantage of our High Risk Breast Cancer Assessment Program to take proactive steps to reduce her risk of getting breast cancer.”
In her case, the testing revealed she was at a greater than 40 percent risk of developing breast cancer. Lisa Soberg MSN, FNP‑BC, an Advanced Practice Nurse with Monmouth Medical Center’s High Risk Breast Cancer Assessment Program, said once a woman like Lisa is deemed to have a lifetime risk of 20 percent or higher for the development of breast cancer, she then undergoes consultation with a breast specialist such as Dr. Kohli within the high-risk breast program.
Lisa, pictured holding the family dog Lucy, with, from left, her husband Joe, daughter Indi, and stepson Max. (Photo courtesy of Lisa Craven.)
“When I got the test results, I called a family friend who is a retired surgeon, and he told me that Dr. Kohli is the best of the best,” Craven said. “I really loved her bedside manner; she did loads of testing and then explained the three options I had to lower my risk.”
These options included twice a year surveillance imaging including MRI with contrast, chemo prevention with tamoxifen, which can significantly reduce the risk of breast cancer but also increase potential for blood clots, stroke, and endometrial hyperplasia, or prophylactic double mastectomy. In consultation with Dr. Kohli, she opted for the third option and underwent a preventive double mastectomy in April.
“The surgery went really well, and I was able to bounce back very quickly,” she said, adding that she went into the surgery with a very positive attitude. “I felt safe and cared for by Dr. Kohli and at the Jacqueline Wilentz Breast Center.”
For Craven, who underwent the first of her breast reconstruction procedures performed by plastic and reconstructive surgeon Rahul Vemula, M.D., in June, advocating for awareness of genetic counselling is her way to give back.
“The irony of my timeline as a high risk and breast surgery patient is that just before my mastectomy in March I lost a good friend to breast cancer,” she said. “I found myself with feelings of survivor’s guilt as I would see women on my appointments who were in active treatment for breast cancer. This is why I have become so passionate about sharing the message that women can empower themselves with the knowledge they are doing all they can to stay healthy.”
Lisa and Joe (Photo courtesy of Lisa Craven.)
According to Soberg, patients are often referred to the high-risk breast program by their primary care physicians, gynecologists, radiologists from breast imaging facilities, genetic counselors, or first-degree relatives who have been diagnosed with breast cancer. Under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and many state laws, most private insurance plans, Medicaid, and Medicare cover both breast imaging surveillance and preventive medications for women determined to be high risk for the development of breast cancer.
“Our comprehensive High Risk Breast Cancer Assessment Program offers an individualized approach to care, with risk-reduction counseling also a cornerstone of the program,” she said. “We take a multidisciplinary approach by coordinating care with high-risk nurse practitioners, breast surgeons, breast radiologists, medical oncologists, genetic counselors, gynecologic-oncologists, and plastic surgeons.”
Lisa and Indi. (Photo courtesy of Lisa Craven.)
Through the High Risk Breast Cancer Assessment Program offered through RWJBarnabas Health together with Rutgers Cance Institute, the state’s only NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center, the risk of developing breast cancer is initially calculated through a cutting-edge computerized risk assessment. The tool can be accessed at any of the Jacqueline M. Wilentz Breast Center locations, which in addition to Monmouth Medical Center’s Long Branch campus include Monmouth Medical Center Southern Campus in Lakewood and satellite locations in Colts Neck and Howell. To learn more or make an appointment, call 844-CANCERNJ.
About Monmouth Medical Center
Monmouth Medical Center, an RWJBarnabas Health facility, along with The Unterberg Children’s Hospital, is a regional teaching campus for Rutgers-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. As the first hospital in Monmouth and Ocean counties, Monmouth Medical Center offers the most experienced surgeons in robotics and other minimally invasive procedures as well as bariatric and joint and spine surgery. Delivering more babies annually than all other hospitals in Monmouth and Ocean counties combined, Monmouth Medical Center was recently one of 16 New Jersey hospitals recognized by Newsweek magazine as a top maternity hospital and was recognized by U.S. News & World Report among the 2026-2027 Best Hospitals for Maternity Care. It was the first hospital in New Jersey and the 11th in the country to earn Magnet Recognition with Distinction® from the American Nurses Credentialing as a reflection of its nursing professionalism, teamwork and superiority in patient care. It is the only hospital in Monmouth and Ocean counties to consistently receive an “A” Hospital Safety Score by The Leapfrog Group, an independent national nonprofit organization, and most recently was recognized for a fourth time as a Leapfrog Top Teaching Hospital – one of just 73 in the nation and four in New Jersey to earn this honor. It is one of the 96 hospitals in the United States to be honored by the Emergency Nurses Association (ENA) with their Lantern Award, which recognizes emergency departments that demonstrate exceptional and innovative performance in leadership, practice, education, advocacy, and research, and in 2025, earned the Lantern Award for a second consecutive time. RWJBarnabas Health and Monmouth Medical Center, in partnership with Rutgers Cancer Institute — the state’s only NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center — bring a world class team of researchers and specialists to fight alongside patients, providing close-to-home access to the latest treatment and clinical trials.
CONTACT: Elizabeth Brennan
Elizabeth.Brennan@rwjbh.org
732-923-5005