One patient has lived with the disease for nearly three decades
Manolita M. Felipe, a retired CPA from the Philippines, has been battling breast cancer for an astounding 27 years. Prior to her diagnosis, Manolita struggled with nodules on both breasts, which were removed in her country. When she became a U.S. citizen in 1992, she had a mammogram and discovered she had Stage I cancer in her left breast. She had surgery to remove the breast and was prescribed a drug to reduce the risk of a recurrence. The treatment seemed to be effective, and Manolita enjoyed her work as an income auditor at a New York City hotel for 13 years. When she retired, she and her husband moved to an adult community in Lakewood.
In 2008, Manolita experienced discomfort in her left hip. “I was in terrible She had pain and had trouble walking,” she says. Her primary care physician, Manjula Thopcherla, MD, recommended that she see an oncologist, Sarah J. Easaw, MD, Chief of Hematology and Oncology at Monmouth Medical Center Southern Campus (MMCSC) and a member of RWJBarnabas Health medical group. A biopsy showed that the breast cancer had spread to her left hip, and it was Stage IV.
“She had a very late relapse,” says Dr. Easaw. “It’s unusual.” Dr. Easaw prescribed a drug that reduces the production of the hormone estrogen in the body, since Manolita’s cancer was fueled by estrogen. Manolita also received radiation for three and a half weeks to control the hip pain. “I felt much better afterward,” she says. In addition, Dr. Easaw prescribed an injectable drug to help strengthen Manolita’s bones and prevent a fracture. During her treatments, Manolita got to know the office staff well. “I call them my angels,” she says. “They are caring and loving.”
An aggressive disease
Manolita saw Dr. Easaw regularly and had a bone scan every one to two years. In 2017, Manolita noticed she was coughing frequently. “It bothered me, especially when I went to church,” she recalls. “One time, a couple in front of me moved to another pew when I started coughing.” A follow-up positron emission tomography (PET) scan showed that Manolita had nodules, or abnormal tissue growth, in her lungs. A biopsy indicated that the breast cancer was in her lungs. “I took it in stride,” says Manolita. “Dr. Easaw’s oncology nurse embraced me and said 'it’s now a chronic disease.’”
Dr. Easaw prescribed chemotherapy for about three months, but due to side effects Manolita began to receive injections of a hormonal treatment for breast cancer. She had PET scans every three months. Unfortunately, the lung cancer progressed, and in July 2018, Manolita learned that the cancer had spread to her liver. She started taking a new breast cancer drug—a targeted therapy—which seemed to work for almost a year. Then, last spring, a PET scan showed that the cancer had progressed further. Manolita was given an oral chemotherapy drug.
New treatments
At the end of the summer, repeat PET scans indicated that the disease had worsened. “I was disheartened when I asked Dr. Easaw if I was good and she said, 'You look good, but you’re not,’” says Manolita. Dr. Easaw prescribed a new form of intravenous chemotherapy.
Manolita feared the possible side effects, but Dr. Easaw says “the treatment will continue as long as it benefits her and she tolerates it. She’ll have another PET scan when she completes three cycles. We can test Manolita’s tumors for genetic mutations [changes in cancer cells] and target them with new drugs. While Stage IV cancer is not curable, we can help people live longer. Cancer is now considered a chronic disease like diabetes or high blood pressure. More people live with cancer than die from it. Cancer patients and survivors need compassion and emotional support as much as they need medical treatment to help them live a meaningful life while battling the disease.”
Manolita receives infusions once a week for two weeks in a row and takes a break for a week. Each treatment lasts about an hour. She says she’s blessed with the compassionate, friendly and caring staff at the Infusion Center.
“I appreciate the readiness of the staff to provide warm blankets when you need them and the extended arms when they see me losing my balance while walking to and from the treatment room,” says Manolita. Despite her long battle with breast cancer, Manolita remains in good spirits. “My acquaintances in church and my adult community greet me with, 'You look good,’” she says. “I feel really good. I’m very lucky. I’m still alive because of the excellent care I’ve received from Dr. Easaw and my primary care physician.”
If you or a loved one is struggling with a cancer diagnosis, and need answers and support visit Monmouth Medical Center Southern Campus to learn more. To schedule an appointment with one of our cancer specialists, click here or call (844)-CANCERNJ or (844) 226-2376.