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All for HER Profile

    • Nancy Sokolowski
    • 2008 North East Region Winner
    • Whittingham Cancer Center / Smilow Breast Center
    • Norwalk, CT

Nomination Information (excerpts)

How does the nurse you are nominating go above and beyond his or her normal duties for patients with HER2+ breast cancer?
Nancy has devoted herself tirelessly to breast cancer patient care and education over the last 50 years of her career including a weekly support groups for survivors of breast cancer and newly diagnosed patients. She was responsible for starting the Smilow breast center here at Norwalk hospital. She works closely with Dr. Richard Zelkowitz here at Whittingham Cancer center. After a long career in nursing Nancy is retiring this year and her position will certainly have very big shoes to fill. She will be missed by many patients as well as her co-workers. She plans on remaining actively involved in community support services and continuing education programs in the immediate and surrounding communities.

How does the nurse encourage his or her patients to stay on therapy?
Nancy always focuses on the fact that the ultimate treatment decisions are the patient's while providing the patient with the most current research data to support Herceptin treatment.

What are the nurse's greatest strengths in teaching, relating to, and caring for his or her patients?
Nancy's greatest strength in teaching patients is that she communicates with each patient as an individual and is able to anticipate and perceive their needs ahead of time.

Is there any additional information you'd like to share about the nurse you are nominating?
Nancy Sokolowski,RN,BS,ONC has been taking care of patients in the cancer setting for over 50 years. She has been actively involved with the American Cancer Society for many years and has held many positions with them which include President,Head of education and Chair of nursing. She is also involved and responsible for many other community awareness/ support projects such as a yearly fashion show at the Stamford Town Mall here in Ct.,multiple fund raising projects as well as with the Hartenbaun Grant Project, Genetic Counceling & Testing,Breast Cancer Tumor Board, Ct. Breast and early detection program,Breast cancer Partner support group which Nancy founded here at Norwalk Hospital,( a buddy system which Nancy oversees that links pt. to pt. for ongoing support and mentorship),Lymphedema Sleeve Program, Labed Exercise class which was also founded by Nancy as well as many other public speaking engagements which are too numerous to list.

If known, indicate the number of years your nurse has been in practice.
50+

Who is Herceptin for?

Herceptin is approved for the adjuvant treatment of HER2-overexpressing, node-positive or node-negative (ER/PR-negative or with one high-risk feature)† breast cancer. Herceptin can be used several different ways:

  • As part of a treatment regimen including doxorubicin, cyclophosphamide, and either paclitaxel or docetaxel
  • With docetaxel and carboplatin
  • As a single agent following multi-modality anthracycline-based therapy

Herceptin in combination with paclitaxel is approved for the first-line treatment of HER2-overexpressing metastatic breast cancer. Herceptin as a single agent is approved for treatment of HER2-overexpressing breast cancer in patients who have received one or more chemotherapy regimens for metastatic disease.

† High-risk is defined as ER/PR positive with one of the following features: tumor size >2 cm, age <35 years, or tumor grade 2 or 3.

What important safety information should I know about Herceptin?

Herceptin treatment can result in heart problems, including those without symptoms (reduced heart function) and those with symptoms (congestive heart failure). The risk and seriousness of these heart problems were highest in people who received both Herceptin and a certain type of chemotherapy (anthracycline). Your doctor will stop or strongly consider stopping Herceptin if you have a significant drop in your heart function.

You should be monitored for decreased heart function before your first dose of Herceptin, and frequently during the time you are receiving Herceptin and after your last dose of Herceptin. If you must permanently or temporarily stop Herceptin due to heart problems, you should be monitored more frequently. In one study with Herceptin and certain types of chemotherapy, an inadequate blood supply to the heart occurred.

Some patients have had serious infusion reactions and lung problems; fatal infusion reactions have been reported. In most cases, these reactions occurred during or within 24 hours of receiving Herceptin. Your Herceptin infusion should be temporarily stopped if you have shortness of breath or very low blood pressure. Your doctor will monitor you until these symptoms go away. If you have a severe allergic reaction, swelling, lung problems, inflammation of the lung, or severe shortness of breath, your doctor may need to completely stop your Herceptin treatment.

Worsening of low white blood cell counts associated with chemotherapy has also occurred.

Herceptin can cause low amniotic fluid levels and harm to the fetus when taken by a pregnant woman.

The most common side effects associated with Herceptin were fever, nausea, vomiting, infusion reactions, diarrhea, infections, increased cough, headache, fatigue, shortness of breath, rash, low white and red blood cells, and muscle pain.

Because everyone is different, it is not possible to predict what side effects any one person will have. If you have questions or concerns about side effects, talk to your doctor.

Please see the Herceptin full Prescribing Information including Boxed WARNINGS and additional important safety information.



Herceptin® (trastuzumab)Herceptin® (trastuzumab)

Adjuvant Care Is defined as additional treatment given after the main treatment plan to decrease the chance of recurrence. Adjuvant therapy for breast cancer can include chemotherapy, hormone therapy, radiation therapy, or biological therapy

Metastatic Breast Cancer Breast cancer that has spread to other sites in the body; also referred to as invasive or infiltrating