Folllowing The Discovery Of Her Own Family History For Breast Cancer, Dr. Marina Jacobson Adds A New Dimension To Her OB/GYN, Practice

With National Breast Cancer Awareness Month Approaching, Jacobson Shares Her Personal Story End Quote

(1888PressRelease) October 12, 2010 - Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey - When the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force announced its recommendations for new guidelines in breast health in late 2009, Dr. Marina Jacobson, an Englewood-based board-certified OB/GYN, reacted the way most of her colleagues did - with equal parts disbelief and outrage. The guidelines, which recommended that women start mammograms at age 50 (instead of age 40), that mammograms be done every two years (instead of every year) and also suggested that self breast examinations are no longer needed, run counter to the real-life experiences of thousands of patients and physicians, including Jacobson, who recently discovered her own family history of breast cancer.

Her discovery highlights both flaws in the system and the need, more than ever, for women to advocate for themselves and each other. She is passionate in her belief that, in the majority of cases, patients simply don't know their own family medical history. "Incredibly, my grandmother's sister had a mastectomy in her early 30's but we never knew why and, to this day and despite her own brush with breast cancer, my mother insists that her aunt did not have breast cancer."

In February 2010, Jacobson's mother was diagnosed with Stage IV (non-curable) breast cancer. "I was shocked," she recalls, asking herself "How could my own mother slip through the cracks?" Her mother had had annual mammograms, until two years ago, when she decided that the last mammogram was "very painful" and since she had "no family history of breast cancer, I did not need annual mammograms."

A few months later, her 42-year-old cousin, who had never had a mammogram because she was "too busy" and had "no family history." After her aunt's diagnosis, she became scared and finally got a mammogram. When she called Jacobson with the news in April, Jacobson says her world was shattered. Immediately, her cousin was scheduled for a mastectomy with a breast surgeon in Manhattan, a step that Jacobson felt was premature as she had not yet been tested for BRCA 1 or BRCA2 genes (genes that predispose one to breast cancer) nor had the tumor been tested for estrogen and progesterone receptors. She had not met with an oncologist or any other doctor, other than the breast surgeon.

Jacobson stepped in to help, first testing for the BRCA mutations, as this could potentially alter her treatment plan, and referring her cousin to a group of physicians, including breast surgeon, plastic and reconstructive surgeon, and a medical oncologist, with a multi-disciplinary approach.

A week later, Jacobson received the results. "As I had done for my own patients in the past, I assumed that it was negative. But this report looked different, I looked again, and again, but there it was, 'positive for the BRCA 2 mutation'. This was the first time that I had seen a positive result, and I had to break the news to my own cousin." As a result, her surgery plans changed quickly and dramatically.

"This takes time and skill," says Jacobson, "and navigating the medical insurance system greatly complicates the process." Her cousin's new surgeon recommended a double mastectomy, as her chance of having breast cancer in her other breast was significantly higher over the next five years. She may also need to have her ovaries removed as BRCA mutations also have an associated increased lifetime risk of ovarian cancer.

Amazingly, her mother's tumor was found to be estrogen receptor positive which made her a candidate for a medication which blocks these receptors from interacting with estrogen. After five months of this therapy, her primary tumor has regressed significantly and she feels stronger every day.

"I've learned the hard way that no one is safe from breast cancer. We all must be vigilant and push the insurance companies and government for support in early detection," she states. "The government task force is recommending starting mammograms at age 50 instead of age 40 and recommending mammograms be done every two years instead of every year. What this task force fails to consider is that many people do not really know their family history."

As a physician and a woman with a newly diagnosed family history of breast cancer, Jacobson feels strongly that every woman should have the opportunity to have a mammogram annually, starting at age 40 and is puzzled by the task force recommendation that self breast examinations are no longer needed. "From my personal experience in my practice, most breast cancers I have diagnosed started with a patient reporting that they 'feel a lump'," says Jacobson, who will continue to actively encourage self examination to her patients.

"The past six months have altered me as a physician and a woman," says Jacobson. "Now early detection and keeping my patients informed is deeply rooted in the type of care I provide. More than ever, I feel that insurance companies and the government should not be meddling in how and when a test can be ordered by a physician."

About Dr. Marina Jacobson:
Dr. Marina Jacobson is a Board-Certified OB/GYN who specializes in obstetrics as well as adolescent and adult gynecology. A Fellow of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, Dr. Jacobson has been in practice in Bergen County (NJ) for the past 5 years providing traditional and individual healthcare to women throughout their lifecycle. Dr. Jacobson was born in the former Soviet Union and immigrated to the United States at the age of 9 years old. Fluent in Russian, she was raised in Brooklyn, New York and received her medical degree from Temple University School of Medicine. Dr. Jacobson completed her training at Long Island Jewish Medical Center. She lives in Tenafly with her husband, Dr. Adam Jacobson of Beth Israel Medical Center and their three daughters.

Complete Women's Healthcare
200 Engle St. Suite 14 Englewood, NJ 07631 Phone: 201-735-5700
www.drmarinajacobson.com
http://epk.pranamarketing.com/drjacobson

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