A journey of hope

Two years ago, Donna Pollock heard words that took her breath away. Newly diagnosed with breast cancer, Pollock was told that her type of disease had an 85 percent chance of returning.

Pollock is thankful the person delivering that life-changing news was Dr. Deepa Shah, a surgeon at OhioHealth Berger Hospital in Circleville, Ohio. When she learned how aggressive her cancer was, “It was pretty hard to take, but Dr. Shah was on my side,” Pollock said. “She told me, ‘I will take care of you. I’ll make sure I get it all,’ and she did. She stood there beside me the whole time. I couldn’t have asked for a better doctor. She’s a doctor who cares.”

When Shah has to give a patient such difficult news, “I carry the weight of knowing that I’m about to change someone’s life forever. I always remind myself that while I can’t control the diagnosis, I can control how I communicate it … What I’ve learned is that patients don’t just remember the facts you share, they remember how you made them feel.”

Shah, who has been with OhioHealth since 2018, is part of a team at Berger that includes a medical oncologist, nurse and patient navigator, who provide advanced and compassionate care to breast cancer patients close to home.

“We’re going to give you excellent care, and we’re going to support you every step of the way. We want our patients to understand that we’re going to do this together. We’re partners on this journey.”

Pollock lives in the tiny town of Warmville, Ohio, about 10 miles west of Chillicothe. For patients like her who live in remote areas, being able to receive treatment at Berger has far-reaching benefits. The dread of having to go to Columbus keeps some patients from seeking the best care possible, Shah said. It also can make it harder for families to be with their loved ones during treatment, since the cost of gas, parking and food may be prohibitively expensive for some. Navigating a large, metropolitan medical complex also can seem overwhelming.

Berger performs mammograms and ultrasound testing, which are vital to catching cancer when it is most treatable. “I remind people that 90 percent of breast cancer is curable if caught early,” Shah said. “When someone receives the diagnosis, all you hear is this cancer word. The reality is that the majority of people survive.”

Treatment services at Berger include biopsies, full and partial mastectomy (lumpectomy), chemotherapy, hormone therapy and immunotherapy. Patients also have access to genetic counseling, emotional support systems and participating in clinical trials, where the most promising new treatment options are explored. Patient navigators work to schedule several visits on the same day when possible to reduce the number of trips patients and their families must make during treatment.

Shah and her team work closely with patients to weigh treatment options as they relate to preserving a woman’s sense of self. “I ask patients what is going to keep them up at night – having an entire breast removed, or living with the possibility that their cancer could return in the remaining tissue,” she said.

Shah uses meticulous closure techniques, often with dissolvable sutures underneath the skin and surgical glue on the surface, to minimize scarring. “For many women, their breasts are tied to identity, femininity and confidence. So the issue is about respect. When I’m closing (a surgery), I’m not just thinking about the incision integrity, I’m thinking about how this patient will see herself after her surgery. I want to help her feel as whole and intact as possible after such a life-changing diagnosis.”

Pollock, who underwent a double mastectomy followed by chemotherapy, has high praise for Shah’s surgical technique. “It looks really good. The scars are very, very minor. She tries to maintain a woman’s body. She glued me back together, and I love it.”

More than two years after hearing those life-changing words about her health, Pollock actually feels a sense of gratitude. “With Dr. Shah, when she looks you in the eyes, you know she means what she is saying. I had faith in her. It’s been a good journey.”