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cancer Press Items

3/7/2022 -

Beginning this fall, the North Shore Cancer WALK is joining forces with Mass General Hospital’s Everyday Amazing Race to expand the scope and scale of its fundraising program. The Race, which kicks off on the Esplanade in Boston’s Back Bay, focuses on supporting all of Mass General’s cancer centers including the Mass General/North Shore Cancer Center in Danvers, and will continue to support world class care in this community.

Dramatic Rescue: Danvers Dog Trainer Bounces Back at NSMC Salem Hospital
Alexis Rochefort is a certified dog trainer and her rescues, Rudy and Leo, are her constant companions. “My heart belongs to rescue dogs,” says the Danvers resident. “Many people see only their flaws; I see their potential.” In August 2016, Rochefort’s training career was put on hold after she learned that a lump she found on her upper chest was Stage 2 breast cancer.
The Healthy Life Spring/Summer 2015 - This issue features a cover story on the 25th anniversary of the North Shore Cancer WALK, the largest single-day fundraising event on the North Shore. Also included is a feature on a Lynn general contractor who had hip replacement surgery at NSMC Union Hospital; a story about a Beverly father who has lost more than 70 pounds thanks to gastric sleeve surgery; photos from the annual Gourmet Gala fundraising event; and the annual leadership giving lists.
Colonoscopy Leads to Cancer Discovery for Salem Resident
It was Christmas Eve when Salem resident Michael Cocozella received a call informing him that he had rectal cancer. On the other end of the phone was North Shore Medical Center (NSMC) gastroenterologist Joshua Namias, M.D., whom Cocozella had seen two days prior for a routine colonoscopy. 
Saved by Self-Exam
Paula Steele Brancato has always understood the importance of conducting a monthly breast self-exam, but she never had made it part of her regular routine. “I did breast exams, but not on a monthly basis,” says Brancato, 66, of Ipswich. Her perspective changed a few years ago, when she happened to give herself a breast self-exam after reading an article about screening. 
How to save a life: Former smoker preaches Importance of lung cancer screening
Raising awareness about the importance of lung cancer screenings is an issue that is near and dear to Maryanne Sheckman’s heart. Last year, a screening saved her life. “If I can give one piece of advice to current or former smokers it would be to have a lung screening,” says Sheckman of Swampscott. “If cancer is detected, tackle the disease head-on and be strong. The earlier you can catch and treat your disease, the better the outcome.” 
A New Perspective on Cancer Care
In her 30 years as an oncologist, Karen Krag, M.D., has always empathized with her patients—to help them cope with their diagnoses, make decisions about their treatment and manage the effects of cancer on their physical and emotional health. She never imagined that one day she would find herself in their position.
Lacing Up to Fight Cancer: North Shore Cancer WALK/RUN to Support Renovation of Inpatient Oncology Unit
Ray Levesque, 55, of Saugus was diagnosed with an aggressive form of lymphoma in September 2010 and successfully treated at the Mass General/North Shore Cancer Center in Danvers and at the inpatient oncology unit at Salem Hospital. He is participating in the 2012 North Shore Cancer WALK to help raise funds to renovate the inpatient unit.
Outsmarting Cancer: Targeted Drugs Fight Lung Cancer
When Wilmington resident Joan O’Beirne, 68, started experiencing shortness of
breath during her daily activities, she had no idea what could be causing it or that
she was about to become part of a pioneering research study.
Coordinated Cancer Care Proves Powerful for Danvers Mom
Danvers native and mother of two, Cynthia House is no stranger to a busy lifestyle. She spent 18 years in the fast-paced, highly competitive field of pharmaceutical sales. Eventually, the chaos of the corporate world took its toll, and House was ready for a drastic switch. Now, at the age of 52, House uses her sales experience to peddle puppy toys and unique bakery items created just for man’s best friend at Dog Spa in Beverly.  That career change couldn’t have come at a better time.
Early Detection Danvers Man Thankful for Colonoscopy
“It’s clear that screening can save lives but, unfortunately, statistics show that too many people avoid it,” said Gregg Brodsky, M.D. “Early detection is important and everyone needs to be proactive in assessing their risk of colon cancer.” The most popular method for screening, the colonoscopy, is a painless test that allows your doctor to look at the inner lining of your large intestine.
Strike Out for Cancer: Lynnfield Man Battles Back to the Mound
When 53-year-old Tony Doucette on the pitcher’s mound in Lynnfield, you would hardly guess that only weeks earlier he was toting around a backpack loaded with cans of liquid nutrients attached to a feeding tube that snaked into his stomach.

 

The Case for Early Detection
Between raising her two children with her husband Gino, managing a busy household and working full time, Peabody resident Karen Schrader, 47, didn’t normally take a lot of time for herself. But one night last September, while washing dishes, she realized that she hadn't had a screening mammogram in several years. With a history of benign cysts in her 20s and 30s, she knew she was overdue.
What the Cancer WALK 20th Anniversary Means to Me
It means a lot to me that the North Shore Cancer WALK will be held on June 20, 2010. In addition to being the 20th anniversary of the WALK, it will be the 20th anniversary—to the day—of my father’s death. I can’t think of a better way to honor his memory on Father’s Day.
A Drive to Survive
Lynnfield native Sylvia Venuti's successful surgery and treatment for tonsil cancer.
Kim Kimball (breast cancer survivor)
Kim Kimball's breast cancer treatment included a high quality of care and state-of-the-art technology -- and was just minutes from her home in Wenham.
Embracing Life Beyond Breast Cancer
A five year cancer survivor shares her story.
Breathing Easy Again
Cynthia McPherson battled constant wheezing, horrible coughs, bronchitis and upper respiratory infections. “It got so that I knew when it crossed from a cold into pneumonia and I’d go to my doctor or the emergency room for X-rays and medication,” says McPherson. What McPherson didn’t know was that a cancerous lesion was slowly growing on her right bronchi, one of the main airways in her lungs.
Winning the Battle Against Cancer--Twice
Marcia Wolinski recently won her second battle against cancer. The spirited 74-year-old Swampscott resident first beat bladder cancer 25 years ago when she was treated successfully for rectal cancer at NSMC Salem Hospital. The second battle took place just this past spring
Charles Leveroni (non-Hodgkin's lymphoma survivor)
Charles Leveroni, a senior vice president at Lehman Brothers in Boston, came to work one morning and discovered that all of his male colleagues had shaved their heads the night before -- in a show of support for his struggle with cancer.
The Newest Standard of Care
70-year-old Barbara Schapero of Peabody was bothered by a nagging dry cough, so she went to see her primary care physician to have it checked out. X-rays and a CT scan showed an abnormality in her left lung that turned out to be cancer.
Winding Road to Recovery
Cookie Melanson received excellent continuity of care at several Partners hospitals last summer, thanks to a new form of electronic medical record (EMR).
Striking Out Cancer Through Teamwork
Jennifer Flanagan, a vibrant 55-year-old from Marblehead, is one of thousands of NSMC patients who have benefited from the NSMC Cancer Center close collaboration with the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) Cancer Center.