Trusting the Team

When a strong, committed team comes together, it’s amazing what they can accomplish. In the case of breast cancer patient Christine Matthews, the staff of the Sandra and Malcolm Berman Cancer Institute brought her from diagnosis through treatment with care and precision—all in a single year.

Matthews’ cancer experience began just over a year ago. She was on vacation, relaxing, when she found a lump. She returned from vacation and had an appointment with her obstetrician-gynecologist, who quickly referred her for an ultrasound-guided biopsy. Within a week of seeing her doctor, she had a diagnosis of breast cancer and a referral to see breast surgeon Lauren Schnaper, MD, FACS. She met with Dr. Schnaper at the Sandra and Malcolm Berman Comprehensive Breast Care Center within days.

“Dr. Schnaper was very calm, very knowledgeable,” Matthews recalled. “She explained everything to me. She put me at ease.”

At the Sandra and Malcolm Comprehensive Breast Care Center, Matthews was able to have her follow-up ultrasound right next door to Dr. Schnaper’s office and have the results within minutes.

This arrangement was one Dr. Schnaper designed when she came to GBMC many years ago, and it has been copied elsewhere since. Patients can move from testing to diagnosis to treatment in a single location, saving time that can pay off in improved results for their care. Matthews is a fan.

“Having it under one roof takes so much anxiety out of the patient’s mind,” she said.

It isn’t as though Matthews is easily rattled. Originally from Germany, she earned her doctorate in business from Technical University in Berlin, Germany and went on to earn a master's in packaging engineering from Michigan State University. She also holds a high-powered job in healthcare procurement. Matthews has navigated difficult waters before and was prepared to do so again. But when she talked with Dr. Schnaper and then when she realized the staff at GBMC was ready to accommodate her schedule and ensure prompt care, she knew she’d found a team with whom she could relax.

Even when she came down with COVID-19 and had to postpone surgery for a week, the Breast Center team stayed in touch, and her care otherwise remained on track.

When she was admitted to the hospital for surgery, “I told my husband it was the best day of my life. I knew I was going under anesthesia, and it was a very risky procedure. But I thought, ‘I’m in good hands.’ I had the entire staff behind me along this journey," she recalled.

“The journey I had at GBMC was amazing. Everybody was so kind, and everybody explained things very thoroughly. Susan Simeon, the nurse navigator, was phenomenal in terms of guiding me through all the testing and setting up the schedule. Pre-booking all the appointments was so helpful.”

When she met with radiation oncologist Dr. Kruti Patel, Matthews received not only the treatment she needed to halt her cancer, but also a referral for help with some of the side effects of her treatment. A schedule of visits to the Greater Baltimore Center for Rehabilitation Medicine for physical therapy and lymphedema treatments was her final step. After that, she is hoping to see her oncology team for check-ups only. For now, she’s grateful—for the excellent care she received at GBMC’s Comprehensive Breast Care Center and for an experience that is restoring her focus on joy.

“I look at my weekends differently now,” she said. “I spend these weekends with purpose. I enjoy my sons’ sports events. Those are the moments of joy in life that you remember, that nobody brings back to you again.”