SPRING | 2019
Interactive Content From
Clara Maass Medical Center
healthy
together
TABLE OF CONTENTS
HEART- HEALTHy EXERCISE
Aging well
Fighting cancer
Breast Cancer Myths
Find a Doctor
There’s more to know about the topics highlighted in our print magazine. Click away in any order you choose for fresh insights into your health and news about healthcare innovations in our community.
Take Charge of Your Health!
CLICK EACH TOPIC TO READ MORE
EASY Heart- Healthy EXERCISE
AGING WELL
FIGHTING CANCER
BREaST CANCER MYTHS
Innovative Cardiac Care at CMMC: One Patient’s Story
Your Heart Doesn’t Beat Just for You. Get It Checked.
Whether you're looking for insights about keeping your heart healthy or you need treatment and care for a heart condition, specialists at RWJBarnabas Health can help. Click any of the links on this page to learn more.
YOUR NEXT STEPS
CLICK EACH LINK TO LEARN MORE
Exercise with a friend.
Find your best exercise time.
Have workout gear ready.
Set realistic goals.
Find an activity you like.
Track your success.
6 TIPS FOR STAYING ON TRACK
Your heart health improves with just 30 minutes of exercise on most days. You can break it up into two 15-minute segments of exercise or three 10-minute segments. Most of us find that starting a fitness routine isn’t the problem—sticking with it is! Try these tips to keep yourself motivated.
click each tip to learn more
Working out with someone is enjoyable, keeps you accountable and on a schedule—and may supply some healthy competition.
Everyone has a best time of day for exercising. Some folks like the morning because they can get it out of the way before the day’s activities begin or something unexpected happens. Others prefer the end of the day. Find what works best for your lifestyle and your energy level—and keep it on your calendar.
If you work out in the morning, make sure your workout wear is laid out the night before. If you plan to go to the gym after work, keep your gym clothes in the car so you don’t have to go home first to change.
Set goals that you know you can achieve. Most of us go beyond our set goals for the feeling of achievement that comes from beating our personal best.
Exercise can be anything that you like to do that keeps you moving— jogging, cycling, dancing or simply taking a walk with your family or dog. Ideally, your weekly activity should include cardiovascular work three to five days for a minimum of 30 minutes, and strength training on three days.
Keep a weekly exercise diary to track your progress and motivate yourself by providing a record of how much you’ve been able to accomplish. Take the long view. Remember, it takes one step at a time to climb a mountain.
reduces hypertension
lowers blood Sugar
relieves stress
increases blood flow
improves cholesterol
click buttons to learn more
Exercise and the heart
You know that exercising is good for your heart. But do you know exactly how exercise affects the cardiovascular system? Click on the buttons below to learn how physical activity helps reduce your risk of heart disease.
Hypertension, or high blood pressure, means that the force of blood pushing against the walls of blood vessels is too high. Exercise strengthens the heart muscle, so it doesn't have to work as hard to pump blood. As a result, the force of blood on the arteries is reduced, bringing blood pressure down.
When you do exercise that's of at least moderate intensity, your muscles take up more sugar from the blood to use as energy. The American Diabetes Association suggests that people with high blood sugar become familiar with how exercise affects their blood glucose levels by checking them more often before and after exercise.
Exercise reduces levels of the body's stress hormones, such as adrenaline and cortisol. It also stimulates the production of endorphins— chemicals in the brain that are the body's natural painkillers and mood elevators. According to the American Heart Association, research is ongoing to measure the effect of stress on factors that increase heart disease risk, such as high blood pressure and cholesterol levels, smoking, physical inactivity and overeating.
During exercise, blood flow increases everywhere in the body, spreading more energy and oxygen. This improved blood flow benefits muscles and promotes cell growth and organ function. The brain also receives more oxygen, which makes it perform better. (That's why you think more clearly after you get up from your desk and take a walk.)
Moderate-intensity physical activity can help raise high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol. HDL is known as the "good" cholesterol because it helps remove low-density lipoprotein (LDL), the type of cholesterol that's linked to heart disease, from the bloodstream.
easy Heart-Healthy Exercise
The human heart pumps nutrient-rich blood and oxygen throughout the body, 24/7. Regular physical activity keeps this vital organ strong and improves overall quality of life. Best of all, starting with even small steps can give heart-healthy benefits. Here's what happens to the cardiovascular system during exercise, how to get going—and how to stick with it.
exercise and the heart
heart-healthy Exercise MAIN
6 tips for staying on track
your next steps
How often should i work out?
A minimum of 150 minutes at moderate intensity each week is the goal—and there are many ways to get there.
The Lowdown on Cardio vs. Resistance
Cardio exercise is great for the heart and circulation. Resistance training builds muscles and burns calories. Why choose?
GET STARTED
Try this 5-minute body-weight workout—no equipment needed!
Learn More About Geriatric Behavioral Health Services Across NJ
Learn More About Industry-Leading Senior Health Services
The best geriatric care isn’t just about treating an illness. It involves a team of experts helping people live their lives to the fullest. Here’s how RWJBarnabas Health can help you or a loved one do just that.
Aging Well MAIN
What Is Age-Friendly Healthcare?
Better Health for Seniors
Aging Well
Older adults and their loved ones must learn how to navigate the challenges—and savor the joys—of a new stage of life. RWJBarnabas Health is here to help with clinical expertise, research, education and age-friendly care.
Best-in-class maternity care close to home.
WATCH VIDEO
Age-Friendly Healthcare:
Setting the Standard
“It’s About Treating the Person in Front of You.”
Jessica Israel, MD, Corporate Chair of Geriatrics and Palliative Care, explains the RWJBarnabas Health approach to age-friendly care.
Ten thousand U.S. citizens turn 65 every day. RWJBarnabas Health (RWJBH) is at the forefront of a national drive to provide compassionate care tailored to their needs. Among other initiatives, RWJBH facilities are following the elements of the 4M Model for Creating Age-Friendly Health Systems, a practical approach to improving care for older adults.
The 4M Model for Creating Age-Friendly Health Systems was developed by the American Hospital Association’s Health Research & Educational Trust, the Institute for Health Care Improvement and the Catholic Health Association of the United States, with support and leadership from the John A. Hartford Foundation.
What Matters
Medications
Mentation
Mobility
CLICK EACH ICON TO LEARN MORE
“It’s about treating the person in front of you.”
Jessica Israel, MD, Corporate Chair of Geriatrics and Palliative Care
Know and act on each older adult’s specific health outcome goals and care preferences across settings.
What atters
M
If medications are necessary, use age-friendly medications that do not interfere with what matters, mentation or mobility.
edications
Identify and manage depression, dementia and delirium across care settings.
Ensure that older adults at home and in every setting of care move safely every day in order to maintain function and to do what matters.
entation
obility
To improve the health and well-being of local seniors, RWJBarnabas Health is expanding the successful Better Health program, first offered at Monmouth Medical Center Southern Campus, system-wide. Better Health is now available at Saint Barnabas Medical Center in Livingston and Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Hamilton, with more locations to come.
Check out some of the many benefits of being a member.
VIP access to health education seminars led by medical experts
Free preventive screenings
Exercise classes, such as Tai Chi and yoga
Social activities, ranging from concerts to luncheons
Age-Friendly Healthcare: Setting the Standard
Jessica Israel, MD, Corporate Chair of Geriatrics and Palliative Care, tells how RWJBarnabas Health is a one-stop destination for senior health.
FIGHTING CANCER MAIN
NCI-Designated Comprehensive Cancer Center: Why It Matters
Clinical Trials: The Cutting Edge
A Partnership for Patients
Together, the Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey—the state’s only NCI-Designated Comprehensive Cancer Center—and RWJBarnabas Health are on a mission to help patients fight cancer. Their tools: precision medicine, clinical trials and comprehensive, compassionate care.
Fighting Cancer
NCI-Designated Comprehensive Cancer Center: Why It Matters Clinical Trials: The Cutting Edge A Partnership for Patients
Q
What is the National Cancer Institute (NCI)? What is an NCI Cancer Center designation? How is an institution designated an NCI-Designated Comprehensive Cancer Center? How does being treated at an NCI-Designated Comprehensive Cancer Center benefit patients?
CLICK EACH question to read the answer
To bring a world-class team of researchers and specialists to fight alongside you, RWJBarnabas Health partners with Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey—the state’s only National Cancer Institute-Designated Comprehensive Cancer Center. What does that designation mean, and why does it matter? Here are answers to some frequently asked questions.
What the NCI Designation Means
Steven K. Libutti, MD, Senior Vice President of Oncology Services, RWJBarnabas Health and Director, Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, explains.
A
• CLINICAL TRIALS: As one of the NCI’s designated cancer centers, Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey is able to provide access to clinical trials not available at other hospitals, clinics or doctor offices, as well as access to some of the most advanced, targeted treatments and medicines available. • COLLECTIVE KNOWLEDGE: A Comprehensive Cancer Center collaborates with other NCI-designated centers. Patients get the benefit of their collective knowledge, clinical trials and research. • COMPREHENSIVE APPROACH: A Comprehensive Cancer Center takes a broad approach that not only involves cancer treatment, but also prevention, screening, surveillance and survivorship.
How does being treated at an NCI-Designated Comprehensive Cancer Center benefit patients?
To gain the designation of Comprehensive Cancer Center, the highest ranking given by the NCI, an institution must undergo a competitive application process. The institution must meet rigorous standards for transdisciplinary, state-of-the-art research programs focused on developing new and better approaches to cancer prevention, diagnosis and treatment. It must also demonstrate its ability to leverage additional resources for cancer research, education and care.
How is an institution designated an NCI-Designated Comprehensive Cancer Center?
Any institution or group can call itself a “cancer center” or a “comprehensive cancer center,” but those terms do not have the specific meaning of a National Cancer Institute (NCI) designation. NCI has designated 71 U.S. institutions as Cancer Centers. They fall into three categories: • Basic Laboratory Cancer Centers (7), which conduct only laboratory research. • Cancer Centers (14), which are recognized for their scientific leadership, resources and the depth and breadth of their research in basic, clinical and/or population science. • Comprehensive Cancer Centers (50), which must demonstrate an added depth and breadth of research, as well as substantial transdisciplinary research that bridges basic, clinical and population science. Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey is the state’s only NCI-Designated Comprehensive Cancer Center.
What is an NCI Cancer Center designation?
The National Cancer Institute (NCI), based in Bethesda, Maryland, was established in 1937 as the federal government’s primary agency to address research and training needs for the cause, diagnosis and treatment of cancer. It leads, conducts and supports cancer research around the country, funding scientific priorities to prevent more cancers and improve the lives of those affected by the disease.
What is the National Cancer Institute?
Understanding Cancer Clinical Trials
Howard Hochster, MD, Associate Director, Clinical Research, Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey and Director of Oncology Research, RWJBarnabas Health, talks about breakthroughs.
Why Participate in a Clinical Trial?
Steven K. Libutti, MD, Senior Vice President, Oncology Services, RWJBarnabas Health and Director, Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, explains the benefits for patients.
Find a Clinical Trial at the Rutgers Cancer Institute
Clinical trials are research studies in which patients may volunteer to take part. Those patients will get the best treatment for their cancer, and may also get a new type of medicine that is only available to people who join the trial. All of today’s successful treatments for cancer are based on results of past clinical trials. As an NCI-Designated Comprehensive Cancer Center, Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey can provide access to clinical trials not available at other healthcare institutions.
Howard Hochster, MD, Associate Director, Clinical Research, Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey and Director of Oncology Research, RWJBarnabas Health, tells how breakthroughs are made.
Let’s Beat Cancer Together
Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, the state’s only NCI-Designated Comprehensive Cancer Center, and RWJBarnabas Health, the most comprehensive healthcare system in New Jersey, have a unique partnership. Patient care can be seamlessly transferred between the Rutgers Cancer Institute and experts at any of 11 RWJBarnabas Health facilities. Together, the two entities bring world-class cancer care close to home for residents of New Jersey.
Saving Grace
How a young girl was successfully treated with care coordinated by a team of leading specialists.
LEARN MORE
COLLABORATING WITH PRINCETON UNIVERSITY
CLICK to request an appointment with a top cancer specialist at your preferred location.
SAVING GRACE
How a young girl was successfully treated with care coordinated by a team of leading specialists at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital New Brunswick and Rutgers Cancer Institute.
Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey has a longstanding partnership with Princeton University as a National Cancer Institute-approved consortium partner. This partnership provides continued opportunities for scientific collaboration and cooperative use of state-of-the-art shared resources. As a result of this relationship, scientific advances in the areas of cancer metabolism, metastasis and genomics have contributed to impactful clinical progress in areas such as precision medicine and immunotherapy. We continue to advance scientific discoveries that serve as the foundation for tomorrow’s innovative cancer therapies. RWJBarnabas Health and Rutgers Cancer Institute are committed to providing integrated, cutting-edge cancer care to those in New Jersey and the region.
Your Next StepS
Clara Maass Medical Center provides convenient, compassionate and comprehensive breast care and breast imaging services.
Screening Resources
Comprehensive diagnostic services are close to home.
Clara Maass Medical Center provides comprehensive, compassionate outpatient imaging services. Click the buttons below to find out about diagnostic services for breast cancer.
Tomosynthesis
Genetic Testing & Counseling
Breast MRI
Breast Ultrasound
MammogRam
Clinical Breast Exam
CLICK EACH ONE TO learn MORE
A clinical breast exam (CBE) should be performed at a regular office checkup by a healthcare provider or nurse trained to check breast problems. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the National Comprehensive Cancer Network recommend that between ages 29 and 39, women should have a CBE done by a healthcare provider every one to three years. After age 40, women should have a breast exam by a healthcare provider every year. During a CBE, a trained provider will carefully feel your breasts, underarm and the area just below your clavicle (breast bone) for any changes or abnormalities (such as a lump). The provider will visually check your breasts while you are sitting up and physically examine your breasts while you are lying down.
A mammogram is an X-ray used to find breast tumors before symptoms of cancer appear. During the test, your breast is placed between two metal or plastic plates that flatten and spread the tissue. Low levels of radiation are used to take a picture of the inside of your breast. Some facilities, such as Clara Maass Medical Center, have digital mammography, which displays results on a computer instead of on film.
An ultrasound uses sound waves to find out whether a lump is solid or filled with fluid (a cyst). During an ultrasound, your doctor or a technician spreads a thin coating of lubricating jelly over the area to be imaged. A hand-held device called a transducer directs the sound waves through your skin toward specific tissues. As the sound waves are reflected back from the breast tissues, the patterns formed by the waves create a two-dimensional image of the breast on a computer.
An MRI uses magnets, radio waves and a computer to make detailed pictures of the inside of the breast. Before an MRI, you may be injected with a contrast dye. This helps to better outline the breast tissue and possible tumors.
Genetic testing for cancer should strongly be considered for people who have a personal or family history that suggests a hereditary cancer syndrome is present. Genetic counseling helps those who are candidates for genetic testing understand the limitations of the testing, the cost to them and how the results may be used.
Tomosynthesis is advanced 3D breast imaging that provides doctors with a clearer view of breast tissue, resulting in a more detailed picture that makes abnormalities and hidden lesions easier to see, even in dense tissue.
8 Breast Cancer Myths, Busted
Separate facts from fiction.
Though breast cancer is the second-most-often-diagnosed type of cancer in women, death rates have been going down since 1989. Most likely, this is due to better treatment and better ways to find tumors early, when they’re small and easier to treat. Still, misinformation about breast cancer—often fueled by fear—abounds. Click on each of the “myths” to find out the facts.
YOUNGER (OR OLDER) WOMEN DON’T GET BREAST CANCER.
BRAS CAUSE BREAST CANCER.
INJURY OR TRAUMA TO THE BREAST CAN CAUSE BREAST CANCER.
THERE IS NOTHING YOU CAN DO TO DECREASE YOUR RISK OF DEVELOPING BREAST CANCER.
DEODORANTS AND ANTIPERSPIRANTS CAN CAUSE BREAST CANCER.
BREAST CANCER CAN ALWAYS BE DETECTED BY A LUMP.
BREAST CANCER TENDS TO RUN IN THE FAMILY.
A MAMMOGRAM CAN CAUSE BREAST CANCER.
CLICK EACH myth TO learn the facts
All women, regardless of age, are at risk of developing breast cancer. While fewer than 5 percent of all breast cancers occur in women under 40, some of those cases are diagnosed in women as young as their 20s. The highest rate of diagnosis is in women in their 70s.
FACT:
One misconception is that underwire bras can cause breast cancer by blocking the drainage of lymph fluid. However, a 2014 study examined any possible links between women wearing a bra and breast cancer and found no correlation between the two.
There is no scientific evidence to support a link between experiencing an injury or physical trauma and developing any type of cancer, including breast cancer.
Lifestyle choices and environmental factors can influence breast cancer risk. To minimize the controllable aspect of your risk, maintain a healthy weight, exercise at least three times per week, abstain from smoking and drink in moderation, if at all.
Some have voiced concern that because antiperspirants block sweat, they can cause toxins to build up in the breast. Scientific studies have shown no link or correlation between the use of antiperspirants or deodorants and an increased risk for developing breast cancer.
While a lump might be a sign of breast cancer, it could be a sign of something else. More importantly, breast cancer can exist in someone without the presence of a lump, which is why the American Cancer Society says women ages 40 to 44 have the option to start yearly screenings. Women should get annual mammograms from ages 45 to 54, and every other year thereafter.
Only about 5 to 10 percent of breast cancers are thought to be hereditary. Both lifestyle and environmental factors can play a role in your risk of developing breast cancer.
While a mammogram is a form of X-ray used to take images of the breast, the amount of radiation required is too small to cause cancer. It’s less than the amount of radiation you’d be exposed to on a long-distance flight.
CLICK EACH LINK TO read MORE
What You Need to Know— and How We Can Help
When it comes to breast cancer, knowledge really is power. Knowing the facts—and having access to great healthcare—will guide your decision-making when it comes to your efforts to prevent, treat or manage the disease.
SCREENING RESOURCES
BREAST CANCER MYTHS, BUSTED
Breast Cancer
Breast Cancer Myths MAIN
schedule a mammogram at Clara maass medical center
Giving For Good Health
FIND A DOCTOR
New rutgers partnership
Where you get your healthcare matters. At Clara Maass Medical Center, we partner with other local organizations and residents to create healthier communities. We hope you’ve found this information useful. Be part of our better health movement by using the links below to share this interactive digest with friends and family.
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