Her experiences help her empathize with patients at medical clinic

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1 Crystal Mikell turns to exercise, prayer Her experiences help her empathize with patients at medical clinic BY COLETTE DEAN Special to The Advocate Taking things in stride has been something 49-year-old Crystal Mikell as been doing for many years. She has endured an abrupt move to Baton Rouge due to Hurricane Katrina and the sickness and death of her father just three months later. When diagnosed with breast cancer following her routine mammogram this past May, the mother of two adult sons said all she could think of was, "I've just got to keep going." "My husband was with me when I learned of my diagnosis and I had the exact same feeling when Katrina hit," she explained. Her son was angry when he learned the diagnosis and said, "It's not fair! Why you? All you do is go to work and go to church," Mikell explained. "I told him that things happen for a reason, and maybe because I try and live well, it's not worse than it is," she said. Mikell has been able to keep working as a customer service representative supervisor for the Lake After Hours Urgent Care, despite her chemotherapy treatments. Chemotherapy weakens the immune system making cancer patients susceptible to infection. "My counts are at a level where they are not worried about me getting sick. I do wash my hands all the time though," she said. When she greets patients at work, she said her experiences have helped her understand the family and provider side of someone who is ill. "I know that when someone is sick or scared, being in a bad mood is something I can really understand," she said. Mikell said immediately after her diagnosis her team of medical specialists including Drs. Lauren Zatarain, Cecilia Cuntz, Cheree Schwartzenburg and Renee Levine worked quickly. "I felt like my doctors were all like, 'Let's get this done,' " she said. After a series of appointments, she underwent a lumpectomy of her invasive ductal carcinoma and had a sentinel lymph node removed. She has been following a 12 -week treatment of chemotherapy to be followed by radiation. Mikell had begun an exercise program to help with weight loss, and she has been determined not to let her chemotherapy treatments get in the way of her daily three-m ile walk, work and church schedules. Now nearing the end of her chemotherapy treatments, she admits, "I have been very lucky that I haven't experienced any nausea or fatigue so far." She self-treats with ice baths for her hands and feet during her chemotherapy treatments in hopes of preventing neuropathy, or pain and swelling. "I believe in God, and praying helps relieve so much stress," she said. Mikell credits getting her routine mammogram as a lifesaver and urges all women to get theirs. "My mammogram last year was clear, but they found my cancer a year later. Get the mammogram. Sometimes it takes the men in our lives to remind us to do this, too. Cancer does not discriminate,'' she said. Mikell is counting the days when she can celebrate the end of her chemotherapy treatments and begin the next stage of treatment protocol. "I'm looking forward to ringing that bell at Mary Bird Perkins," she said. PROVIDED PHOTO Crystal Mikell, seen in a selfie, is taking cancer in stride, just as she did relocating after Hurricane Katrina. "My mammogram last year was clear, but they found my cancer a year later. Get the mammogram. Sometimes it takes the men in our lives to remind us to do this, too. C ncer does not discriminate:' CRYSTAL MIKELL

2 Advancements improve treatment when cancer spreads to the brain BY LORI TUCKER While early detection and treatment is the best line of defense for breast cancer, the fight against breast cancer does not end if the cancer spreads, known as metastasis. Breast cancer may spread to the lungs, liver, bones or brain, but is still considered breast cancer. In the past, when chemotherapy for breast cancer was not as effective as it is today, brain metastasis often was the cause of death for breast cancer patients, said Dr. Renee Levine, radiation oncologist with Mary Bird Perkins-Our Lady of the Lake Cancer Center. The biology of brain metastasis is different from cancer that originates in the brain. However, for both types of cancer, a major challenge is how to target radiation very precisely to destroy cancerous cells while limiting harmful radiation exposure to normal brain cells. At the cancer center, a new Leksell Gamma Knife Icon stereotactic radiosurgery system will become operational in October. The Gamma Knife is used for primary brain tumors, brain metastases and other central nervous system conditions. Despite its name, the Gamma Knife is noninvasive and involves no incision or lengthy hospital stay. It can sometimes serve as an effective alternative to surgery, and for certain indications, may replace conventional radiation therapy. "Gamma Knife Icon gives us a new, powerful tool for treating brain cancer; its precision is unparalleled and will allow us to more effectively target tumors and protect critical structures within the brain," Levine said. Gamma Knife Icon radiosurgery typically requires only a one-time treatment, but can be used more than once for patients with brain metastases. With onboard CT imaging, the Gamma Knife can pinpoint radiation on a cancer lesion with precise accuracy. The slightest movement can compromise accuracy, so in the past a rigid frame was attached to the skull. Now, motion tracking technology monitors movement precisely via a form-fitting mask over the patient's face. "Gamma Knife Icon is the best option for many patients; it gives them another choice - one that can enhance their outcome," said Kelly Scrantz, M.D., neurosurgeon, with the Neuro Medical Center. "It also offers greater comfort for patients due to its frameless and swift treatment approach." Linda Lee, administrator of Mary Bird Perkins-Our Lady of the Lake Cancer Center, said the Gamma Knife Icon technology will offer patients a level of care found at few other cancer centers across the country. The cancer center will be the first in the Gulf South. So far, only three other U.S. institutions offer this system. The cancer center's medical physics program, a component of the long-standing Mary Bird Perkins-LSD Academic and Research Partnership, is a significant factor in making this technology available. C 0,.; PROVIDED PHOTO During radiation treatment with the Gamma Knife Icon, patients wear a form-fitting mask that monitors the slightest movement.. f

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