The Gift of Time

The first thing most cancer patients realize is that nothing can be taken for granted again, especially not time. For Ethel Zelenske, a patient of the Sandra and Malcolm Berman Cancer Institute at GBMC since 2003, each moment is a precious gift. Now in remission and stable, Zelenske has cheated cancer more than once. She credits her physicians and the clinical trials at GBMC.

When Zelenske was diagnosed in 2003, it was not her first breast cancer experience. Her mother died of the same disease when Zelenske was just six years old. Ethel received her treatment from the Sandra and Malcolm Comprehensive Breast Care Center at GBMC. After Dr. Lauren Schnaper performed surgery, Zelenske was referred to medical oncologist Dr. Madhu Chaudhry. Today, 18 years later, Dr. Priyanka Mittar is Zelenske’s GBMC medical oncologist.

Dr. Chaudhry enrolled Zelenske in two breast cancer clinical trials, one for chemotherapy and another for hormonal therapy. After 18 years, her breast cancer has not returned.

Unfortunately, this was not Zelenske's only cancer battle. Four years after her breast cancer diagnosis, Zelenske went through genetic testing and discovered she was positive for the BRCA1+ gene mutation that leads to a higher occurrence of breast and ovarian cancer. She relied on the team at GBMC HealthCare once again. However, despite a prophylactic gynecological surgery, Zelenske developed a rare cancer similar to ovarian cancer 10 years ago. It was then Zelenske began seeing gynecological oncologist Dr. Kimberly Levinson. Zelenske is grateful to have Dr. Levinson’s expertise, given that this cancer is so aggressive: a less-than-50% five-year survival rate and a high recurrence rate. Zelenske has experienced two recurrences with this specific type of cancer.

To treat this cancer, she received chemotherapy, surgery, and three years of drug therapy. Dr. Chaudhry and Dr. Levinson continued to study and treat Zelenske and recommended she enroll in a new clinical trial to treat the second recurrence. This trial looked at a targeted oral therapy, which has a good response rate for women carrying the BRCA gene mutation. This was Zelenske's third clinical trial with GBMC, and after five years on this drug, she has had her longest period of remission and is stable -- 10 years after her initial diagnosis.

Zelenske still visits her team every three months. She gets bloodwork and other tests when ordered by her doctors. The preliminary results of this trial have been published and Zelenske is happy to report she is in the small group of women who have not only had a reduction in the disease but have gone into remission.

One amazing thing about the success of this trial is that being cancer free is, well, free. For the time being, Zelenske receives the oral medication at no cost since she is still being studied by the trial.

Today, Zelenske is a volunteer at GBMC and she recently joined the Berman Cancer Institute’s Patient/Family Advisory Council. Once the pandemic is over, Zelenske says she will be traveling again, maybe to New York to see a show or two and to visit relatives who live abroad.

If you’re fortunate enough to meet her, you’ll see that Ethel Zelenske, despite her long and difficult cancer journey, is happy and grateful to be able to enjoy life. She is making the most of the gift of time she has received, thanks to the care of the many GBMC oncologists and staff involved in the Clinical Trials Program.

“When I was first diagnosed with the gynecologic cancer, I remember my oncologist telling me she could give me a few good years," Zelenske said. "But here I am 10 years later. Every day is a bonus and I have a great quality of life - even during the pandemic! This trial has given me the best gift of all – TIME! That, I thought, I would never have."

Give more GBMC patients the gift of time, donate to The Sandra and Malcolm Berman Cancer Institute