Experts

Robert Prosnitz, MD, MPH is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Radiation Oncology at the University of Pennsylvania. He cares for patients receiving radiation therapy for breast cancer. Dr. Prosnitz attended medical school at Duke University and completed a Master’s in Public Health at Harvard University.

Christina S. Chu, MD is an Assistant Professor in the Division of Gynecologic Oncology at the University of Pennsylvania Health System where she specializes in the surgical management of gynecologic cancers and complex benign disease. Her research interests focus on clinical trials for the evaluation of novel chemotherapies and immunotherapies for gynecologic malignancies.

Emily Conant, MD is a Professor of Radiology and the Chief of the Division of Breast Imaging at the Abramson Cancer Center. Her clinical practice and research revolve around breast cancer detection and diagnosis.

OncoLink’s lung cancer experts will address a wide variety of topics including: lung cancer early detection, smoking cessation, screening tests, treatments, supportive care issues and nutrition.

Our experts will address:

• » Lung cancer early detection
• » Screening tests in development
• » Treatments and supportive care
• » Nutritional issues
• » Financial and psychological concerns
• » Smoking cessation

Panel of Experts

Anil Vachani, MD

Dr. Vachani is an attending physician at the University of Pennsylvania Medical Center. His primary clinical interests are in evaluating new diagnostic techniques for patients with suspected lung cancer, better defining patient prognosis for patients with lung cancer, and novel methods for early detection and screening. Dr. Vachani sees patients at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania and at the VA Medical Center in Philadelphia.

Katrina Claghorn, MS, RD

Katrina Claghorn, MS, RD is a registered dietitian at the Abramson Cancer Center of the University of Pennsylvania Before specializing in oncology Katrina worked in medical nutrition and with patients with eating disorders. Since 1995 she has specialized in oncology nutrition. She now works as an outpatient dietitian in her role as the nutritionist for the Abramson Cancer Center of the University of Pennsylvania. She is also a section editor on nutrition and diet for OncoLink.

Tracy Lautenbach, MSW, LCSW

Tracy Lautenbach, MSW, LCSW, Social Worker in the Radiation Oncology Department at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Perelman Center for Advanced Medicine. She has been a social worker for 20 years and has worked at Penn since 2005. She works with a variety of oncology patients that receive radiation therapy. Tracy addresses problems and concerns identified through assessments, ranging from financial to adjustment and coping with illness.

Christine Hill-Kayser, MD

Dr. Hill-Kayser is Assistant Chief Resident in the Department of Radiation Oncology at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. Her special interests include the late effects of radiation therapy in cancer survivors.

Carolyn Vachani, RN, MSN, AOCN

Carolyn Vachani is an oncology advanced practice nurse at the University of Pennsylvania’s Abramson Cancer Center. She has worked in the areas of medical hematology and oncology, bone marrow transplant, clinical research, radiation therapy and staff development. She currently serves as the nurse educator for OncoLink, developing content and special projects for the site. She serves as the project leader in the development and maintenance of the LIVESTRONG Care Plan and has a strong interest in oncology survivorship care.

Gloria DiLullo, RN, MSN, CRNP

Gloria started her career with a biology degree and working in a medical research laboratory. She returned to school to obtain her nursing degree and began her nursing career in oncology. She has worked in inpatient units for medical oncology and phase I clinical trials. She obtained her CRNP at the University of Pennsylvania and then worked as a nurse practitioner in collaboration with 3 physicians conducting Phase I oncology clinical trials. She has recently joined the OncoLink team as a content specialist for the LIVESTRONG Care Plan.

Jared Weiss, MD

Dr. Weiss graduated from Yale Medical School and is completing a fellowship in Hematology & Oncology at the University of Pennsylvania. He has a strong interest in the care of people with lung cancer and is a contributor to the GRACE website. We are delighted to have him on board!

Join us for a lunch time LIVE Web Chat with OncoLink’s Breast Cancer Supportive Care Experts on October 22, 2009 at 12:30-1:30pm EST.

You can submit questions during the chat or ahead of time. A transcript of the chat will be available after the event. Submit a Question Now!

Have questions about side effects and health concerns during and after your breast cancer treatment?

Then be sure to tune into this week’s Brown Bag Chat. Log on to www.oncolink.org/blogs/ at 12:30pm Thursday October 22nd, as we talk with our Supportive Care Experts.

Some of the topics we will be talking about:

Nutrition Before, During and After Breast Cancer Treatment
Karen Wagner MS, RD, LDN is a clinical dietitian specialist for the Abramson Cancer Center who is currently working with gynecologic oncology patients. Prior to specializing in oncology Karen worked with a wide variety of patients in both hospitals and clinics, and taught nutrition and cooking classes. She has been with the cancer center since June of 2006.

Yoga as Therapy for Cancer Patients and Survivors: Achieving Balance through Breathwork, Meditation and Movement
Fern Nibauer-Cohen is the Associate Director of Strategic Marketing Services here at Penn Medicine. She oversees the strategic marketing for the Abramson Cancer Center and the Division of Surgery. While the depth of her experience is in marketing cancer programs and services, she has a very strong interest in patient-related outreach. Fern is certified in teaching yoga to cancer patients through the Integral Yoga Institute in Virginia. Combining her passion of the practice of yoga with her experience in working at a cancer center, Fern is working with Dr. Jun Mao here at Penn to develop our first yoga program for cancer patients. She has been practicing yoga for over 15 years. Over the past seven years, she has been involved in the intensive study of ayurveda (a sister science of yoga focused on self healing) and yoga therapy as it relates to cancer patients. She is very happy to be at Penn
and the Abramson Cancer Center to bring the joy of yoga to our program.

Coping with Financial and Emotional Concerns of Breast Cancer Treatment
Tracy Lautenbach, MSW, LCSW, Social Worker in the Radiation Oncology Department at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Perelman Center for Advanced Medicine. She has been a social worker for 20 years and has worked at Penn since 2005. She works with a variety of oncology patients that receive radiation therapy. Tracy addresses problems and concerns identified through assessments, ranging from financial to adjustment and coping with illness.

Solutions for Chemotherapy Side Effects of Breast Cancer Treatment
Carolyn Vachani, MSN, RN, AOCN is a certified advanced practice oncology nurse. She has worked in the areas of medical hematology and oncology, bone marrow transplant, clinical research, radiation therapy and staff development. In her current role, she serves as the nurse educator for OncoLink, the Abramson Cancer Center’s award-winning cancer information website, which receives an average 3.9 million page views a month. She serves as the project leader in the development and maintenance of the LIVESTRONG Care Plan, a partnership which was launched in the spring of 2009 to bring the OncoLife survivorship care plan to more cancer patients around the world.

Solutions for Radiation Side effects of Breast Cancer Treatment
Tammi Fisher RN, OCN, is a board certified oncology nurse in the Radiation Oncology Department at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Perelman Center for Advanced Medicine. She has been an oncology nurse for 15 years. She has dedicated her career to women’s health. She currently assists breast and GYN cancer patients that receive radiation therapy. Tammi addresses the side effects and concerns of her radiation oncology patients with an open mind and a wealth of knowledge.

Using Poetry to Help with Healing from a Breast Cancer Diagnosis
Alysa Cummings is the OncoLink Poet-in-Residence and 11 year cancer survivor. She writes Greetings from CancerLand, a column describing the cancer experience through the eyes of a long term survivor. Her digital photography, book and media reviews have also appeared on the OncoLink website over the years. Prior to her diagnosis, Alysa worked as an educational administrator in various school districts across southern NJ. Now retired, she devotes herself full time to fellow survivors – as a health educator, patient navigator, conference presenter, American Cancer Society volunteer, treatment coach and poetry therapist. Alysa regularly hosts poetry therapy groups where cancer patients explore the healing power of writing. The Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation honored Alysa’s efforts with a Local Hero Award in 2004 and a Living the Vision Award in 2009. NAPT gave Alysa their 2008 Public Service Award. In 2007 SJ Magazine cited Alysa as one of the five South Jersey Pioneers in Breast Cancer.

Tracy Lautenbach, MSW, LCSW, Social Worker in the Radiation Oncology Department at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Perelman Center for Advanced Medicine. She has been a social worker for 20 years and has worked at Penn since 2005. She works with a variety of oncology patients that receive radiation therapy. Tracy addresses problems and concerns identified through assessments, ranging from financial to adjustment and coping with illness.

Neal Niznan is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with over thirteen years experience in the field of oncology helping patients and family members manage the emotional impact of living with cancer. He currently is a social worker in the Department of Radiation Oncology at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. Neal also maintains a private psychotherapy practice for individuals, couples and families.