Cancer Care Centers of Brevard’s Clinical Team Includes Seven Cancer Survivors, Helping to Inspire and Educate Patients through their own Personal Experiences

MELBOURNE, Fla. February 16, 2011 – There is an unbreakable bond between cancer survivors at Cancer Care Centers of Brevard (CCCB). However, these cancer survivors are not who most would envision. They are medical oncologists, radiation therapists, patient advocates and medical assistants who unexpectedly traded places with their patients after being diagnosed with cancer. They too are now survivors and find themselves more inspired by their patients than ever before.

CCCB is comprised of seven unique cancer survivors who possess a unique perspective about the deadly disease they fight everyday. From its Medical Director Dr. Silas Charles and medical oncologist Dr. Germaine Blaine to radiation therapist Kathy Nelson and medical assistant Mary Snyder, this group of cancer specialists have collectively survived bouts with lymphoma, Ewing’s sarcoma, as well as breast and ovarian cancer to gain an even greater sense of appreciation for those survivors who came before and after them.

Having worked with cancer patients for more than 30 years, Dr. Charles has witnessed the peaks and valleys that his patients experience during their diagnosis and treatment. However, he never truly understood the emotional and physical toll of cancer until he was diagnosed with lymphoma in 2008.

“Professionally, I feel for the first time that I have an intimate understanding about how a patient and his or her family feel once diagnosed and treated for cancer. It is a feeling of helplessness and doubt. From the inability to work to the countless doctors’ appointments and tests, life as I once knew it came to a crashing halt. It was a humbling experience,” explained Dr. Charles.

For many cancer patients, the road to survival is often described as precarious, frightening, overwhelming, and exhausting. They seek inspiration from family and friends, or those who have shared the same experience. They have countless questions about the rigors of chemotherapy or how to cope emotionally with their unexpected diagnosis. CCCB’s team utilizes their clinical expertise and personal experiences with cancer to educate and empower patients about what they can expect during their treatment. In addition, they make it a point to answer every question and alleviate any concerns patients may have so that patients can focus on their treatments and less on the unknown.

“When patients are emotionally and physically drained from their treatments, they look at us and think that we have never walked in their shoes,” said Sandra Howard, radiation therapist and Hodgkin's lymphoma survivor whose diagnosis inspired her career in cancer care. “I share my own personal story of survival to comfort and assure them that I can relate to what they are going through and that I will be here for them every step of the way.”

As a former employee and breast cancer patient at CCCB, Dannette Browning will never forget her own experience when she was diagnosed with stage II breast cancer in 2008. “When I was first diagnosed I couldn’t remember a thing that my doctor was telling me because I was in total shock. It sounded as if Charlie Brown’s teacher was talking to me,” recounted Browning.

Immediately after the diagnosis she turned to several of her co-workers and Dr. Charles for a shoulder to lean on. “I immediately felt a sense of relief because they had walked in my shoes. They answered every question I had about my treatment options, how I would feel during and after chemotherapy, and most importantly how to cope. I will never forget what they did for me.”

“We don’t ever want our patients to feel alone. We want them to feel that we are a part of their family,” said Snyder, CCCB patient advocate and ovarian cancer survivor. “Patients will often tell us that they are inspired by us, but the truth is we are more inspired by them and their courage.”

For CCCB’s seven survivors, the lessons they learned during their cancer fight could never be taught in medical school or perfected in a training course. The lesson they learned came straight from the heart and it continues to inspire them everyday.

“I sincerely hope that through our experiences we can all come away with a greater sense of appreciation for the patients we treat and the profession in which we serve. We are truly privileged to practice medicine,” continued Dr. Charles.

For more information or to schedule an appointment, please call the Cancer Care Centers of Brevard in Melbourne at (321) 952-0898, in Rockledge-Viera at (321) 636-2111, or log on to www.cancercarebrevard.com.


Contact:

Trace Longo
Longo Communications
Tel: (949) 364-2821
trace.longo@sbcglobal.net

Carolyn Hall
Operations Manager
Cancer Care Centers of Brevard
(321) 722-1342