Lung Cancer: Meet Anna
Anna Frazzetto-Miano is a leadership executive and one of the founding members of the Lady Leaders Book Club, a group formed by female leaders in the staffing industry during the COVID-19 pandemic who united in their passion to empower women during difficult times. In 2023, Anna harnessed her own inner strength to surmount the greatest challenge of her life: beating lung cancer.
That October, Anna, who lives with her husband in Franklin Lakes, New Jersey, was attending a work conference in North Carolina when she began to have abdominal pain. She went to the nearest hospital emergency room and underwent a series of tests. When an abdominal CT scan showed a mass in her lower left lung, she decided to fly home right away.
“Back home, I underwent a series of tests that gave me one piece of bad news after another,” says Anna. “The first full CT scan confirmed I had a tumor in my left lung, and then a PET scan showed two involved lymph nodes,” says Anna. “By that winter, I was diagnosed with Stage IIIA lung adenocarcinoma. What is so fascinating about this diagnosis is that I’ve never smoked or inhaled anything a day in my life.”
Stunned at this unexpected diagnosis, Anna went to see Isabel Preeshagul, MD, medical oncologist at Memorial Sloan Kettering (MSK) who specializes in treating lung cancer. Dr. Preeshagul told Anna she would need at least four cycles of chemotherapy and then another scan to eventually lead to major surgery followed by radiation therapy to treat her cancer. She also suggested that Anna undergo genetic testing, which may explain the cause of her lung cancer. Anna complied, and soon learned that she did have a genetic mutation that was likely responsible for the lung cancer.
In surgery, Bernard Park, MD, thoracic surgeon at MSK, removed half of Anna’s left lung and 24 lymph nodes. “After the surgery, my doctors told me that although the surgery went very well, there was a chance there may be some cancer cells left behind,” says Anna. “They said to be safe, I should have radiation therapy to treat any remaining cancer.”
An Introduction to Proton Therapy
Anna met with Boris Mueller, MD, MPH, Director of Radiation Oncology at MSK Bergen. “Dr. Mueller said, ‘You’re young, so we don’t want to blast you with traditional radiation that could damage the surrounding organs, but proton therapy may be a good option for you,” says Anna. “He explained proton therapy is a type of radiation therapy that targets the tumor, sparing much of the surrounding, normal tissues. I was very interested in learning more about it.”
Dr. Mueller recommended that Anna meet with Dr. Charles B. Simone II, radiation oncologist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and Chief Medical Officer of the New York Proton Center (NYPC). Dr. Simone is an internationally recognized expert in the use of proton therapy to treat thoracic malignancies.
Because Anna had several positive lymph nodes with cancer growth from within the lymph node outward into perinodal tissues, she required a higher dose of radiation therapy to effectively treat her cancer. Dr. Simone explained to Anna that proton therapy was ideal for providing the necessary high dose, and compared to traditional radiation therapy, proton therapy would reduce the risks of toxicities and the amount of irradiation received by her lungs, heart, and esophagus.
“Dr. Simone was very thorough in explaining the pros and cons of proton therapy,” says Anna. “He sat down with me, and showed me pictures, graphs, and charts that compared traditional radiation to proton therapy. It was also very assuring to learn that if I ever need proton therapy again, I can have it again, as opposed to traditional radiation, for which there is a limit as to how much the body can take. It felt a like a win-win scenario.”
Anna underwent 30 proton therapy treatments at the NYPC, commuting back and forth to New York City, and working throughout that time. By early June 2024, Anna had completed her therapy, and the only side effect she experienced was a slight temporary pinkness on her skin.
“I was thrilled with my experience at the New York Proton Center,” says Anna. “Dr. Simone and his entire team were amazing. I can’t say enough about Alisa Ryncarz, AGACNP-BC, the nurse practitioner, who always answered my questions and offered me a listening ear throughout my journey.”
“The technicians that managed the daily treatments were also wonderful,” adds Anna. “I never had a bad experience during my 30 days of treatment.”
“The proton therapy machine is a little intimidating, like you just stepped into a sci-fi movie, but I wouldn’t trade that process for the world,” continues Anna. “I’m so grateful for proton therapy. I’ve had two scans since my treatment ended and both were 100% clean.”
New Life Goals
Now cancer-free, Anna has started her own business, AFM Strategic Partners, and she is looking forward to traveling with her husband. She has also added a newfound goal to her life: increasing awareness of proton therapy.
“Things happen in life for a reason,” says Anna. “I feel like there was a greater purpose to my getting cancer and undergoing proton therapy, which helped me fight this cancer. My purpose now is to spread the word about proton therapy. Believe me, if I could scream it from the rooftops, I would!”
After spending many years as a successful leadership executive, Anna now draws from her own experience of beating cancer. “Having cancer and undergoing treatment can be overwhelming, and it can consume you,” says Anna. “As frightening as it may be, it is important to take one day at a time, never panic, and surround yourself with a positive support system. Most importantly, you have to do what is right for you, so begin by finding the therapy that best fits your needs from experienced people you can trust. For me, that was proton therapy at the New York Proton Center.”
Lung and Thoracic Cancers Treated at New York Proton Center
We treat various lung and thoracic cancers at our center including non-small cell lung cancer, small cell lung cancer, malignant mesothelioma, and recurrent thoracic cancers.
