“From the doctors and nurses to those answering the phones, I felt like everyone knew my name and truly cared about me. I’m so glad I found my way to Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center. I had the best care.”
For Lori Smith, a Rutherford resident, life was already filled with challenges. In June 2022, she lost her husband, becoming a widow while still supporting her then 20-year-old son through college. Just as she began to adjust to her new reality, another curveball arrived.
After years of dealing with persistent gastrointestinal issues, Lori decided it was time to put her health first. “I realized I had to take care of myself, I had a son who still needed me,” said Lori. “I went to my gastroenterologist, Jennifer Brown, DO, and she ran all of the standard tests, including an endoscopy and colonoscopy, but everything came back normal. Still suspecting something more, and leaning towards possible pancreatic issues, she ordered an MRI.”
“The first scan looked strange, so she sent me for another one. The second one also didn’t seem right to her,” Lori recalled. “She just kept digging until we got to the root of the problem. A third, more in-depth MRI, ended up revealing a mass in my liver.”
At that time, Dr. Brown immediately referred her to Russell Langan, MD, FACS, FSSO, Associate Chief Surgical Officer for System Integration and Quality and Director of Surgical Oncology, Northern Region, RWJBarnabas Health (RWJBH) and Rutgers Cancer Institute (RCI) and Chief of Surgical Oncology and Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery at Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center.
“Dr. Brown shared with me that she refers her patients to him because she has been very impressed by his skill and how he cares for patients,” Lori said. Having trusted Dr. Brown with her health for over 25 years, and doing some research on her own, Lori knew she could trust in her referral to Dr. Langan. So, Lori made the call.
“From the start, Dr. Langan’s whole office was awesome. Not only did they see me right away for an appointment, they made me feel comfortable and supported, and I knew it was the right place for me to be,” said Lori. “Moira, the nurse navigator, was a godsend. She was my shoulder to cry on, although I didn’t cry very much, and she always gave me the best hugs when she saw me.”
“When I first saw Lori’s imaging, I suspected Cholangiocarcinoma,” said Dr. Langan. “We brought her case to the RWJBH/RCI multi-disciplinary tumor board, which includes more than 60 specialists. Following in depth discussion, a unanimous decision was made that the liver abnormality was a neoplasm and required surgical resection.”
“Two days before Christmas in 2023, I got the call that no one wants to get,” Lori recalled. “Dr. Langan told me that he suspected I had cholangiocarcinoma. It was not quite the Christmas present I was hoping for.”
In early January 2024, Lori went through various testing to get herself ready for surgery and to start the fight of her cancer battle. Immediately following medical clearance, Dr. Langan performed a complex liver resection, removing 40% of Lori’s liver and the surrounding lymph nodes.
“Thankfully, the news was better than anyone could have hoped for. Dr. Langan got clean margins’ and all the lymph nodes came back clear. Dr. Langan told me I was stage 1A, the best-case scenario,” Lori said.
“Cholangiocarcinoma is a more rare and often aggressive cancer, which is why early detection and timely intervention are critical,” shares Dr. Langan. “In Lori’s case, it was found at a stage where surgery is the primary therapy for cure. However, following evidence based clinical trial data, we recommended chemotherapy after surgery, to improve her chance for cure.”
Following her surgery, Lori began oral chemotherapy under the care of medical oncologist, Andrew Brown, MD at Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center. “He is so caring and compassionate, and his office is also great, especially his nurse navigator, Jenna,” shared Lori.
“One time I had to go into his office and pick up some paperwork from Cliff, Dr. Brown’s assistant, who I had talked on the phone a thousand times, but it was the first time I actually ever met with him. The first thing he did was just give me a big hug,” recalled Lori. “It’s that kind of comfort that shows that people at Cooperman care.”
“Cholangiocarcinoma is a challenging diagnosis, but Lori faced it with remarkable courage and determination,” said Dr. Brown. “Lori’s trust in the process and her positive outlook were truly inspiring to our team.”
Lori’s treatment finished in November 2024, and to date, all of Lori’s scans have come back with no evidence of disease (NED). But the journey hasn’t been easy. As a widow and anchor for her family, Lori felt the weight of her diagnosis deeply.
“There were moments I was scared, but I didn’t let myself stay in that place for long,” she said. “I decided I was going to treat this cancer like business. Just something I had to get through.”
Lori credits the Cholangiocarcinoma Foundation (CCF) and its mentorship program for helping her stay positive. “My mentor is amazing,” Lori shared. “She’d been through the same thing as me and understood everything I was feeling. When I couldn’t talk to my son or family, she was there, and that was priceless. We still talk today.”
After deciding to retire early after 35 years as a senior litigation paralegal to prioritize her health, Lori is paying it forward. She has now become mentor herself as well as a research advocate with the CCF. “I face every day with hope and have learned that my cancer was just a bump in my life’s journey that I’m learning to navigate around,” she said. “This is not going to be how my story ends. It’s just a road I must travel along the way.”
As she reflects on her experience at CBMC, Lori is grateful for the care team who surrounded her with expertise and compassion. “From the doctors and nurses to those answering the phones, I felt like everyone knew my name and truly cared about me,” Lori said. “I’m so glad I found my way to Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center. I had the best care.”
To learn more about cancer care at Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center, go to rwjbh.org/cbmccancer. For an appointment call 844-CANCERNJ.
Coming Soon: Melchiorre Cancer Center at Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center
The Melchiorre Cancer Center at Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center is an outpatient facility on CBMC’s campus that will serve as the northern hub for the integrated oncology services offered by RWJBarnabas Health and Rutgers Cancer Institute, the state’s only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center. Learn more at rwjbh.org/cbmccancercenter.