Cancer Care 2023

Living with cancer - one milestone at a time

M ichele Campbell was first diagnosed with HER2 positive breast cancer 18 years ago, just days before her daughter’s first birthday. As a new mom now faced with a terrifying diagnosis, Michele had to make unimaginable decisions about her healthcare journey. She no longer had only her own survival to consider, but also now how to factor in what life without her would look like for her family – if she wasn’t present for those precious milestones. Michele’s cancer had been misdiagnosed in New Hampshire several times over the course of a year. Each time she asked about the lump in her breast, she was assured it was a clogged milk duct. Finally, a provider decided that perhaps an ultrasound would help reassure Michele of the diagnosis. Unfortunately, Michele’s worst fears were instead realized; cancer had already been spreading in her body for a year. “I went immediately to Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, and from that point, everything happened at rapid pace.” Due to the aggressive nature of the cancer, Michele’s care team opted to begin treatment immediately and then perform a mastectomy. “My cancer was inflammatory and HER2-positive; it would have formerly been known as a death sentence,” reflects Michele. “Because of the wonderful work being done with clinical trials, I was able to find a treatment that worked well for me, and it saved my life.”

Eighteen years later, Michele has had two recurrences and she now lives her life while managing cancer as a chronic disease. “I’m so fortunate for the medications that didn’t even exist when I was first diagnosed. Their development and availability speak to the great importance of clinical trials.”

Michele now works closely with her team at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston and Northern Light Cancer Care in Brewer, and they are managing her cancer by administering a shot every three weeks. “My message is two-fold: advocate for yourself – if you feel there’s

“I've learned to live my life by milestones."

something wrong, ask for the scan. Secondly, cancer is not a ‘one and done’ disease. It will now be a part of my life for years to come.” Michele was able to celebrate the milestones of her daughter’s high school graduation and starting college. With the help of continued advancement in cancer care, she looks forward to experiencing all the milestones to come.

Northern Light Cancer Care Compassionate cancer care designed for you

New Nurse Navigation Program

To learn how you can support our patients with a gift to grow our nurse navigation program contact Jenifer Lloyd at jlloyd@northernlight.org or 207.973.9628. through initial testing and appointments, answer questions, provide emotional support and clinical expertise” explains Carla Mancini, RN, BSN, OCN, CCRP, manager, Cancer Research, Oncology Nurse Navigation, and Social Work. Navigating cancer care takes many steps. Patients often need guidance and support to understand the best path through their care plan. To support patients with breast and lung cancers, the team at Northern Light Cancer Care has implemented a Nurse Navigation Program. While our physicians and staff use the best technologies to tailor treatment to each person's individual needs, our oncology nurse navigators steer patients, and their families, through an unfamiliar world of appointments, resources, fears, and questions. Oncology nurse navigators are specially skilled to help patients through their entire continuum of treatment, from initial diagnosis and treatment, through to our survivorship navigator. “Oncology Nurse navigation means helping a patient who has just received devastating news navigate through the system. Our oncology nurse navigators guide patients

Cancer care is rapidly evolving. Our friends, neighbors, and loved ones deserve access to world-class cancer care, close to home, and I am honored to work with the incredible team to at Northern Light Cancer Care to help make this happen. It’s been a year of progress for Northern Light Cancer Care as Champion the Cure Challenge raised a record $1 million, allowing us to order one of two new linear accelerators needed to provide life-saving radiation oncology treatment. We also recently installed a new CT Simulator that enhances the precision of our radiation therapy treatment planning. And now, thanks to the generosity of philanthropists like the Lawrences featured in this newsletter, we were also able to initiate our Nurse Navigation Program and continue to enroll patients into life-saving clinical trials as we help identify the treatment options of tomorrow.

Michelle St. John, BSN, RN, OCN

Donna Boehm, MSN, MPH, RN

Donna Boehm, MSN, MPH, RN, is system leader for the Northern Light Health Oncology Service Line, and associate vice president of Oncology Services at the Lafayette Family Cancer Institute. Donna is an accomplished healthcare executive with extensive experience in leadership and clinical operations. In her role, Donna ensures that care is streamlined for our patients, so they can receive treatment as close to home as possible. She works with cancer leaders and providers throughout the state to open up communication and services, reach strategic initiatives, and help oncology teams stay well connected and share knowledge and resources. All of these advances would not be possible without the incredible support from generous individuals in our community. Thank you to all who contribute to Northern Light Cancer Care and provide us with the privilege to serve our friends and neighbors living with cancer. Surgical Oncology Surgery may offer the best chance to effectively treat many types of cancer, such as those originating in the breast, skin, thyroid, gastrointestinal tract, liver, pancreas, and colon. Sometimes surgery is used to diagnose cancer or after a diagnosis is established, surgery may support other forms of treatment, such as chemotherapy and radiation. 2018 2020 2019 2021 *2022 GRAND TOTAL Number of Ocology Surgeries by Cancer Type As you read our patient story, I hope you will take a moment to reflect on how all of these advances work together to provide patients like Michele a world-class experience, and above all, hope. Thanks to state-of-the-art technology and clinical trials, patients like Michele are living longer than ever, enjoying milestones that just years ago would have been unlikely, given the diagnosis.

Kimberly Flagg, BSN, RN

Generosity , making a difference

FUNDRAISING SPOTLIGHT

Chuck and Belinda Lawrence are longtime supporters of healthcare in Maine. They champion several Northern Light Health initiatives including the Lafayette Family Cancer Institute, and Maine Coast Hospital’s Mary Dow Cancer Center through their Tradewinds Oncology Fund, as well as the Blue Hill Hospital’s Keeping Our Promise Campaign. The Tradewinds Oncology Fund provides support for patients and families for critical needs that help them during their cancer treatment such as gas to assist with transportation to and from their medical appointments, lodging, medical expenses, and others needs such as wigs for those undergoing treatment and experience hair loss. Upon learning about plans to implement a Nurse Navigation Program for patients living with cancer, the Lawrences helped make the program a reality through their generous philanthropic support.

“We recognize the importance of providing this critical need to patients and families undergoing cancer treatment. A nurse navigator will make a huge difference and will help to make things a little easier to know someone is there to support them during what can be a difficult and challenging time. We are honored to help in such a meaningful and impactful way.” states Chuck and Belinda Lawrence. “We’re incredibly grateful for the support of Chuck and Belinda Lawrence. This program has already begun improving the lives of our patients and will no doubt make a tremendous difference for patients as we expand it in the years to come,” says Donna Boehm, AVP of Oncology Services.

Breast Cancer Genitourniary-non prostate Lung Cancer

335 164 104 51 45 39 28 21 88 875

362 142 112 83 48 60 45 22 80 954

418 135 101 82 51 33 39 19 87 965

337 104 95 57 43 29 33 18 65 781

1757 684 538 335 226 202 161 113 400 4416

305 139 126 62 39 41 16 33 80 841

Our surgical oncologists at Northern Light Surgery in Bangor are experts in helping patients with cancer. They are board certified in general surgery and have undergone two years of additional specialty fellowship training in cancer surgery. They work together with a multidisciplinary cancer care team to consult on uncommon and complex cancers.

Colorectal Melanoma Prostate Cancer GI-Non Colorectal Head and Neck Cancer All Others GRAND TOTAL

*2022 totals do not include surgeries for November and December

A new CT Simulator is now available for patients at Northern Light Cancer Care at the Lafayette Family Cancer Institute. The superior technology, which replaces our 13-year old simulator, offers more precise images, shorter preparation time for complicated cases, and better accommodations for larger body types and various physical positions. Modern radiation requires precise computerized tomography (CT) images of a patient’s anatomy to calculate complicated treatment plans and dose distributions. With improved visualization of the size of the tumor and views of the corresponding organs, we can develop more accurate and safe treatment plans for patients receiving radiation therapy. “It is a truly exciting time to be moving forward with such advanced technology,” says Ashley Mehuren, BSHA, RT (R)(T), Interim. Manager, Radiation Oncology. “This state-of-the art CT simulator will help us optimize clinical operations allowing us to focus more time on obtaining more precise scans in better treatment positions. This in turn will help us provide more accurate and intricate care plans for our patients. We will see great possibilities in curative and palliative outcomes for our patients.” Investing in the future of Radiation Treatment Planning

Champion the Cure Challenge 2023 EVENT SCHEDULE 8.19.23 | Lafayette Family Cancer Institute, Brewer � Run (1k, 5k, 10k) � Cycle (12, 25, 50, 75, and 100 mile)

8.20.23 | Lafayette Family Cancer Institute, Brewer

� Walk (1k, 5k, 10k) � Run (1k, 5k, 10k)

9.17.23 | Brewer Waterfront Near Mason's � Paddle (1.4 and 7.5 mile) 10.14.23 | 80 Brown Rd, Corinna � Horse Trail Ride (5 and 10 mile rides)

Learn more at ctcchallenge.org