Media Contact: Michael Schwartzberg, GBMC Media Relations Manager

(O): 443-849-2126/Cell: 410-258-3465eMarch 2:]

New Mexico Woman Seeks Treatment At GBMC’s Lymphedema Center

BALTIMORE, Md. –   March 6, 2008 – It’s a trip of more than 1,670 miles by air each way, but Patricia Evans hopes it’s one that will save her life. Evans, of Albuquerque, New Mexico, is a survivor of inflammatory breast cancer and is being treated at GBMC’s Lymphedema Center for a combined diagnosis of lymphedema and a chronic chest wound.

Her road to GBMC was paved with many obstacles – physicians and therapists in her area were unable to provide her with the treatment she needed and oncologists in her area confirmed her condition was worsening.  “I began to suspect last October that the open wound in my left chest that refused to heal and the increasing lymphedema in my left arm were related,” said Evans, who turned to the Internet as a resource and discovered Alan Kimmel, M.D., medical director of the GBMC’s Lymphedema Center and called to discuss her situation.  Within a day she had made an appointment to see Dr. Kimmel, an authority in providing lymphedema and wound care treatment.

Evans first saw Dr. Kimmel and therapist Ginny Moratz at the GBMC Lymphedema Center around Thanksgiving 2007 for a consultation and was advised to relocate to the Baltimore area temporarily for aggressive treatment.  She decided instead to try at-home therapy in New Mexico, but that didn’t work out and Evans recently made the decision to temporarily live in Maryland (she has a daughter in Bethesda) and seek outpatient treatment at GBMC.

Following nearly seven months of no success in controlling the lymphedema or closing the wound in Albuquerque, after just three weeks of treatment at GBMC the lymphedema has been reduced so dramatically that her left arm is almost normal size again and the chest wound is showing significant improvement.  “My only regret is that I didn’t start treatment at GBMC last November,” Evans said. 

Prior to beginning treatment at GBMC, Evans had undergone a double mastectomy, radiation, and several chemotherapy treatments.  “It was discouraging, to say the least, to realize that I had survived the deadliest type of breast cancer only to find that I was facing another life-threatening situation and, this time, couldn’t find any help in Albuquerque.  I am extremely grateful that the GBMC Lymphedema Center exists.  The GBMC program is the only one I could find in the U.S. that could provide treatment for both my lymphedema and unhealed wound. It is unique.”

GBMC’s Lymphedema Center saw 2,285 patient visits in 2006 and 3,005 in 2007.  “Our center is unique in the Mid-Atlantic region offering a wide range of services needed by oncology patients who also have a diagnosis of lymphedema,” said Dr. Kimmel.

Lymphedema, a common side effect of breast cancer treatment, is an accumulation of lymphatic fluid in the interstitial tissue that causes swelling in the arm. Other causes of lymphedema can cause swelling in the arm(s) and/or leg(s), and occasionally in other parts of the body.  There is no known cure for lymphedema.

Because few doctors specialize in lymphedema and trained therapists are not prevalent in many areas of the country, it is often difficult for patients to get a proper diagnosis and subsequently to receive proper treatment and care.  Additionally, a treatment regimen often lasts several weeks, requiring patients, such as Evans, to relocate nearby where they are receiving treatment. 

Future plans call for a Lymphedema/Oncology Rehabilitation Program at GBMC.  “More people are surviving cancer these days thanks to new procedures and technology, so more people need assistance in dealing with the after-effects,” explained Dr. Kimmel. 

“Patients are well educated and aren't satisfied with anything less than getting back to their lives as normal. After they ask  "Am I going to live?" the next question is "How am I going to live and what will my quality of life be?,” said Dr. Kimmel. GBMC’s Lymphedema/Oncology Rehabilitation Program will offer comprehensive services including a private gym with trained therapists to improve the continuum of care during or after cancer treatment where patients will be able to get back to exercising without worrying about being the only bald person, the only one not wearing shorts, etc.  Additionally, therapists will be able to monitor a patient’s exercise regimen to coordinate with the type of chemo they received.

“I would have loved to have had a place like that while undergoing cancer treatment,” Evans said. 

Editor’s Note:  Patricia Evans will be receiving therapy at GBMC’s Lymphedema Center and available for interviews on Tuesday March 11, Wednesday March 12, or Thursday March 13, at 11 a.m. each day.  Clinicians familiar with her care will also be available.  Please advise if you are interested in a story.

About GBMC
GBMC includes Greater Baltimore Medical Center (GBMC), Central Maryland’s leading community hospital; Hospice of Baltimore, which provides comfort and care to patients with life-limiting illnesses; and the GBMC Foundation, which supports the GBMC mission by managing fundraising efforts.  The 298-bed Medical Center, located on a beautiful suburban campus, serves nearly 22,000 inpatients annually and provides approximately 60,000 emergency room visits. For more information, go to www.gbmc.org        

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