TABLE OF CONTENTS
NEW RUTGERS PARTNERSHIP
BREAST CANCER
Atrial Fibrillation
A Publication of
Saint Barnabas Medical Center
FALL | 2018
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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.
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INTO THE FUTURE, IN GOOD HEALTH
WHAT THE UNPRECEDENTED PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN RWJBARNABAS HEALTH AND RUTGERS UNIVERSITY MEANS FOR YOU.
RWJBarnabas Health (RWJBH) and Rutgers University have formed an exclusive partnership, integrating the vast resources of both institutions to create the largest academic healthcare system in the state. Watch the video and explore the rest of this interactive story to learn how this exciting partnership will improve your healthcare.
BY THE NUMBERS
More Clinical Trials
Tomorrow’s Physicians Today
A Transformational Relationship
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Dr. Brian Strom, Chancellor, Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences; Barry Ostrowsky, President and CEO, RWJBarnabas Health; and Robert Barchi, President, Rutgers University explain how this new partnership will change the future of healthcare.
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100
By the Numbers
A partnership of this scope involves significant investments of capital, people, space and time. Here’s a look at some key figures that illustrate these dimensions.
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23,000
1
1,000
+
5,500
5.1
10
$
BILLION
MILLION
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To be invested by RWJBarnabas Health in the education and research mission of the integrated academic health system, over 20 years
Committed by RWJBarnabas Health to encourage Rutgers medical students to remain in New Jersey and provide care to its residents
Patient visits conducted by RWJBarnabas Health and Rutgers Health, combined, in 2017
Physicians and providers (2,500) and staff (3,000) under the direction of the new Combined Medical Group
New high-caliber principal investigators to be recruited by Rutgers over 10 years, doubling its research portfolio
The Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey is the state’s only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center
Births per year in the RWJBarnabas Health system
Residents and interns that RWJBH and Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School will train and educate each year
RWJBH has pledged $10 million to encourage Rutgers medical students to remain in New Jersey after they complete their education. At the same time, Monmouth Medical Center (MMC), an RWJBH facility, has become the regional campus for medical education for Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. As a result, dozens of students will complete their clinical rotations at MMC. System-wide, RWJBH will work with Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School to train and educate more than 1,000 medical residents and interns throughout our hospitals each year.
The RWJBH/Rutgers partnership means more of the best and brightest medical students will be trained and make their careers in New Jersey.
WATCH Video:
Monmouth Medical Center Welcomes Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School Students
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Residency programs
at Monmouth Medical Center
Residency programs at Monmouth Medical Center
• Dental Medicine • Internal Medicine • Obstetrics & Gynecology • Orthopaedic Surgery • Pathology • Pediatrics • Pharmacy • Radiology (Diagnostic) • Surgery (General)
The new partnership means more clinical trials—and cutting-edge care. The RWJBH/Rutgers partnership will improve the ability of researchers to get grants for research and clinical studies. “We have this huge and diverse population—a major strength to bring to clinical trials,” says Brian Strom, Rutgers Biomedical and Health Science Chancellor. The result: better medical and social services for patients, and exciting new opportunities for medical researchers and students.
Clinical Trials, Close to Home
Why particpate in a clinical trial?
Steven K. Libutti, MD, Senior Vice President of Oncology Services, RWJBarnabas Health, and Director, Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, explains:
ongoing clinical trials at RWJBH
ongoing clinical trials at Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey
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YOUR NEXT STEPS
SCREENING RESOURCES
BREAST CANCER MYTHS, BUSTED
Breast Cancer
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 decisions about preventing, treating or managing the disease.
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” above and below 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.
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
Screening Resources
Comprehensive diagnostic services are close to home.
The Breast Center at RWJBarnabas Health Ambulatory Care Center, one of the nation’s largest and most comprehensive breast diagnostic centers, is one of the few breast centers in New Jersey to receive accreditation from the National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers. It is conveniently located at 200 South Orange Avenue in Livingston. Click the buttons below to find out about diagnostic services for breast cancer:
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 have digital mammography, which displays results on a computer instead of on film. The test can be uncomfortable, but it only lasts a few moments.
MammogRam
Get Checked
The Breast Center at the Barnabas Health Ambulatory Care Center in Livingston is accredited by the National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers. The Breast Center offers a complete range of tests in one convenient location, along with a comfortable, soothing atmosphere with private dressing rooms and consultations. The center also provides same-day screening results for women who want them.
Your Next Steps
Breast Tissue, Explained
What your radiologist is looking for when reading your mammogram, explained by Linda Sanders, MD, Medical Director of The Breast Center.
Mammography can be a limited tool for women with dense breasts. Linda Sanders, MD, Medical Director of The Breast Center, explains what women need to know.
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, with the highest rate of diagnosis 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.
THERE IS NOTHING YOU CAN DO TO DECREASE YOUR RISK OF DEVELOPING BREAST CANCER.
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.
Clinical Breast Exam
Breast Ultrasound
Breast MRI
Genetic Testing & Counseling
Tomosynthesis
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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 recommends that between ages 29 and 39, women should have a CBE by a healthcare provider every one to three years. After age 40, women should have a breast exam by a healthcare provider every year. The National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) recommends a trained provider 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.
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.
CLICK EACH LINK TO learn MORE
Understanding Breast Tissue
What to Know About Breast Density
Get Directions
Make a mammogram appointment
Learn more about The Breast Center at Barnabas Health Ambulatory Care Center
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Next Steps
PREVENTION AND TREATMENT
FAQS ABOUT AFIB
Symptoms OF AFIB
Atrial fibrillation (AFib) is the most common kind of arrhythmia (abnormal heartbeat). Left undiagnosed and untreated, it can lead to a stroke. Here’s what to know, plus proactive steps you can take.
All About
AFib
View an animation of an
arrhythmia
What are the symptoms of
AFib?
It’s possible to have AFib and not realize it. Tell your doctor if you have any of the following:
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A “fluttering” feeling in the chest
Rapid heart beat
Fatigue and weakness
Light-headedness, dizziness or confusion
Shortness of breath
Chest pain
FAQs about AFib
An interview with Marc Roelke, MD, Director of Electrophysiology at Saint Barnabas Medical Center and Newark Beth Israel Medical Center.
Q
CLICK EACH question TO get the answer
What happens in the heart with AFib?
How can AFib lead to a stroke?
Who is most at risk for AFib?
Does AFib run in families?
What is ablation therapy for AFib?
A
AFib is a chaotic rhythm of the upper chambers—the atria—of the heart. When the atria are beating irregularly, they don’t contract efficiently. As a result, blood isn’t fully moved into the ventricles, or lower chambers, and blood flow becomes reduced.
Reduced blood flow caused by AFib makes the patient prone to having blood clots. If the clots form and get dislodged, they could cause either a peripheral embolism or a stroke. AFib patients should be evaluated to determine whether blood thinners are indicated.
People at higher risk include older people; people with hypertension, diabetes or congestive heart failure; people who have had a prior stroke; and people with other underlying heart disease, among others.
A minority of patients have a genetic predisposition. For most, it just has to do with the aging of the atria—and conditions like hypertension and diabetes can accelerate that.
Very often, atrial fibrillation is triggered by the firing of cells in the pulmonary veins that come off the left atrium of the heart. With an ablation, a cardiologist goes into the heart with a catheter and uses radiofrequency current to burn circles around the pulmonary veins. That creates scar tissue, so that when they fire, that impulse doesn’t get to the rest of the atrium and doesn’t trigger atrial fibrillation.
NEXT STEPS...
Up to 6 million people in the U.S. may have atrial fibrillation, with that number expected to increase as the population ages. As New Jersey’s leader in cardiac services, RWJBarnabas Health Heart Centers treat more cases of atrial fibrillation than any other program in New Jersey.
Learn More About Atrial Fibrillation
Get Checked at Saint Barnabas Medical Center
Prevention and Treatment
These steps can help reduce your risk for AFib—and many other medical conditions:
Prevention:
A Heart-Healthy Lifestyle
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Get regular physical activity
Eat a heart-healthy diet, low in salt, saturated fats, trans fats and cholesterol
Manage high blood pressure
Avoid excessive amounts of alcohol and caffeine
Control cholesterol
Don’t smoke
Maintain a healthy weight
Medication
Surgical Options
TREATMENT:
What Can Be Done?
If you have AFib, your doctor may prescribe anticoagulants (blood thinners) to prevent stroke; heart rate regulators (beta-blockers, calcium channel blockers, digoxin); or heart rhythm controllers (sodium channel blockers, potassium channel blockers). Be sure to take as directed.
Your doctor may consider implanting a pacemaker, a small electrical device that regulates heartbeat through wires going to the heart. Ablation therapy uses a radiofrequency current to create scar tissue that will prevent the firing of cells that trigger atrial fibrillation.
Where you get your healthcare matters. At Saint Barnabas 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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