I wouldn’t have to lose my breast.

“Saving my life was the most important thing to me. But it was very appealing when Dr. Harper said I wouldn’t have to lose my breast.”

Janet Pellerite of Fogelsville was just 44 when her doctor discovered the cancerous lump, and it was the last thing she expected. An avid skier, she ate a healthy diet, got regular mammograms, didn’t smoke or drink, and had no family history of cancer. Apart from the fact that she didn’t do monthly breast self-exams, Pellerite was a classic case of low risk. But as she discovered, “nobody gets any guarantees.”

Because her cancer was an aggressive type, two surgeons recommended a mastectomy (breast removal). But she and her husband, Sam, wanted to be sure, “so we started to read and read.” They learned about a second opinion service in Philadelphia and called for an appointment, only to learn they’d have to wait two weeks. “Then by chance, Sam found out Lehigh Valley Hospital has the same service,” she says.

After a multidisciplinary team reviewed Pellerite’s case, the couple sat down with Gregory Harper, M.D., physician in chief of the John and Dorothy Morgan Cancer Center, to discuss their options. “Though mastectomy may be necessary for some women,” Harper says, “the majority with early stage breast cancer do not need to lose their breast. The combination of lumpectomy (removal of the lump) and radiation produces just as good an outcome.” (When mastectomy is needed, he adds, it’s typically followed by breast reconstruction.)

Harper recommended four sessions of chemotherapy before Pellerite’s lumpectomy, to shrink the almond-sized tumor. It’s a wise course, he says, with slightly larger cancers. “After my first session, I was almost afraid to say it but the lump felt smaller,” Pellerite says. She was right; after the second session, technicians had to use ultrasound to locate the tumor. This response occurs in about one case in five, Harper says. “It indicates a less-resistant cancer, which may predict a better long-term outcome.”

Although she had radiation afterward, Pellerite had no trace of cancer in the tissue removed by her surgeon, Peter Rovito, M.D. “We were delighted; this is as good as it gets,” Harper says. All the Pellerites agree— including mother-in-law Terry Pellerite, herself a breast cancer survivor.

Her cancer journey taught Janet Pellerite many things. One: that she’d do anything to beat this illness. “I had so much to live for—a wonderful marriage, two beautiful daughters—and I wanted it back,” she says.

Another lesson: the importance of breast self-exams. “I would have found the lump so much earlier. I’ll tell everyone about this. If I can save one woman going through what I did, it’s worth it.”

Finally, Pellerite learned how to make treatment decisions. “It’s your body and your decision,” she says. “But you’re a layman in this stressful new cancer universe and you don’t know exactly what to do.” The second opinion service made all the difference. “It was wonderful having a whole team of specialists discussing my case,” she says. “I felt confident I was getting a balanced view.”

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