NUMC ONCOLOGY PATIENT, PATRICIA MARTINEZ VARGAS, RINGS BELL OF HOPE, SIGNALING MAJOR MILESTONE IN HER FIGHT AGAINST BREAST CANCER
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 4, 2012
PRESS CONTACT:
Shelley Lotenberg
shelley@numc.edu
516-572-6055
NUMC ONCOLOGY PATIENT, PATRICIA MARTINEZ VARGAS, RINGS BELL OF HOPE, SIGNALING MAJOR MILESTONE IN HER FIGHT AGAINST BREAST CANCER
East Meadow, NY…..In signaling a major milestone in her fight against breast cancer, Nassau University Medical Center patient Patricia Martinez Vargas, 44 years old, recently completed her chemotherapy and rang the Bell of Hope in celebration of her victory over the first phase of her treatment. Ms. Vargas started her chemo treatment on June 14th and continued this first cycle of her breast cancer treatment for five months. She will undergo breast surgery by her NUMC surgeon Edwin Gonzalez, MD, in about four weeks, to be followed by radiation with Dr. Mitchell Karten, director of radiation oncology, for about sixty days.
“Patricia still has a long journey ahead of her as she will need further surgery and radiation treatment, following her chemo treatment,” Vladimir Gotlieb, MD, chief of medical oncology at NUMC, said. Dr. Gotlieb added that Patricia will be surrounded by the love and support of her physicians and friends at NUMC as she completes the next cycles of her treatment.
“To Patricia, ringing the bell is a small victory that will give her the strength to continue her cancer treatments in the coming months,” Dr. Gotlieb said. “We wish her the best of luck a she enters the next phase of her journey.”
Ms. Vargas who emigrated to the United States 27 years ago from Colombia, resides in Hempstead and up until her breast cancer diagnosis, was working as a nanny in East Meadow. She has two adult sons who have been supporting her emotionally throughout. “I am blessed to have such excellent care from my doctors and nurses at NUMC. I thank God and my family that I have been able to finish the first cycle of my treatment. Dr. Gonzalez, who is a wonderful human being, will perform the surgery in four weeks. Everyone in the oncology division has been so kind to me,” said Ms. Vargas while she was ringing the Bell of Hope in the presence of her physicians and nurses.
Photo left to right:
Rear row: Dr. Alida Podrumar, Lois Goetz, CSW, Karen Staib, RN, Dr. Vladimir Gotlieb, Dr. Valeria Zilberman
Middle row: Janna Bido, clerk, Iris Nieves, RN, Dr. Amber Iqbal, Morticia Boone, clerk,
Front row: patient Patricia Vargas
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