Illinois Medicine

"I didn't have one negative experience—not with a surgeon, a nurse or a staff member—which makes [battling cancer] a lot more bearable. Personally, I don't think there's a better place than UIC." — S T E PHANI E LOGAN N 32 | SUMMER 2 011 EARLY EVERYONE HAS A CANCER STORY. Stepha- nie Logan has two—and she is the protagonist in both. As a survivor, Logan is far from alone. The num- ber of cancer survivors in the United States has increased to nearly 12 million people, up from less than 10 million in 2001, according to a report released in March by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Cancer Institute, part of the National Institutes of Health. Logan, however, has survived cancer twice. She first was diagnosed with Hodg- kin's lymphoma at the age of 20 in 1984. After two years of intensive radiation treat- ments, Logan's cancer did go into remission and, for the next 22 years, cancer was off her body's radar. Then, in late 2008, the then-45-year-old felt a lump on one of her breasts. Stephanie Logan didn't know it then, but a second cancer in former Hodg- kin's patients is not uncommon. "The fear set in," admits Logan, a The Abyss Salon owners (from left) David Gilty and Sharron Gilty along with co-workers like Imania Detry wove together a strong support network during Logan's battle with cancer. native Chicagoan and hairstylist for more than 25 years. Between snips, she mentioned the lump to her gynecologist, Gloria Elam, MD, of the University of Illinois Medical Center, a client at Logan's 16th Street salon, The Abyss Salon. "But I couldn't make the appointment," Logan recalls. "I was paralyzed by fear." Elam forced her past that, and her fears turned out to be well founded. By the time Elam made an appointment for Logan, the ex- amination revealed stage 2 cancer; a subsequent MRI uncovered three additional, small cancerous clusters. Elam referred her patient to two specialists from the University of Illinois Medical Center in Chicago. Due to Logan's previous exposure, radiation therapy was ruled out by Divyesh Mehta, MD, an associate professor of medicine and chief of the Illinois Medicine section of hematology/oncology. In September 2009, she began the first of four rounds of chemotherapy, three weeks apart. Then, surgical oncologist Michael Warso, MD, performed a bilat- eral mastectomy with reconstruction in February 2010. "Taking the whole patient and their history into account when planning therapy is very important," Warso says. "Survivors of Hodgkin's are at an increased risk for other secondary cancers; while breast cancer is not at the top of the list, it must be kept in mind." Doctors disagree over whether Hodgkin's lymphoma patients treated with chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy, as was Logan's case, have a highly increased risk of developing acute myeloid leukemia, non-Hodgkin lymphoma and solid tumors when compared with the general population. Relapse after initial treatment occurs in L approximately 10 percent to 15 percent of patients with early-stage disease and up to 40 percent of patients with advanced-stage disease, according to research compiled by Peter Mauch, MD, professor of radiation oncology at Harvard Medical School. Solid tumors account for the major- ity of second cancers in HL survivors, with breast, lung and gastrointestinal cancer being the most frequent. Research released in March asserts that only a small proportion (around 8 percent) of second cancers among adult survivors are likely to be related to radiotherapy. Most second cancers arise from other causes, such as genetics or lifestyle factors, according to Amy Berrington de Gonzalez, DPhil, of the National Cancer Institute. "Collaborative, consultation care through a multidisciplinary approach is the goal that all centers strive for," Warso adds. "Through our working relationships between radiology, surgery, pathology, medical oncology and radiation oncology, we are able to achieve this for all our pa- tients. In fact, this is what happened with Ms. Logan." IKE AN ARTFULLY WOVEN WEB, family and friends wrapped themselves lovingly around Logan, although she may have not fully appreciated their support at the time. After all, these were stressful times. In particular, Stephanie's mother, Eloise Logan, stayed by her only child's side every step of the way. "I nicknamed her Florence Nightingale," says her daugh- ter, "because she took me to each and every doctor's appoint- ment. … She was amazing. But I took her for granted. A lot of people are there [at the doctor] all by themselves." Logan knows this now, thanks in part to a support group she or- ganized informally after discovering that an old friend's surgery date was only days apart from hers. "I had been to a cancer support group toward the beginning of my journey but didn't feel encouraged, inspired or up- lifted," she says. She decided to create something better after meeting with other people who had similar stories at the doctor's office and through her clients. Now numbering 15, this group of women, among the nearly 3.5 million breast cancer survivors in the U.S., meets once a month to discuss topics such as nutrition and lifestyle changes. "One lady is a nurse," Logan says, so she lends her perspective. Spe- cial guests have included a pastor and a holistic doctor. "I want to bring in an attorney this year," she adds, "to cover estate planning and living wills." Logan considers her co-workers at the near South Side salon as PHOTO: LLOYD DEGRANE

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