Patient Success Stories

Baltimore City Cancer Program's Manic Monday Performance Leads to One Woman's Breast Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment

Cassandra Warthen

Regular viewers of WJZ-TV's morning news program know that each Monday morning at 6:00 a.m., local groups come on the air to sing the song Manic Monday. The staff of the Baltimore City Cancer Program (BCCP) was one of those to perform the song recently -- and they took the opportunity to publicize the free breast cancer screening services available to uninsured women in Baltimore City. The BCCP program is part of the University of Maryland Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Cancer Center (UMGCC). Baltimore City resident Cassandra Warthen happened to be watching that morning, and she immediately called the phone number for BCCP.

Cassandra had never had a mammogram. She had noticed a lump in her breast a few months prior, but put her concerns aside, since she had no health insurance. She had recently started a new career as a court reporter after raising her three children, and was looking forward to buying her own coverage as soon as she could afford it.

The staff at BCCP referred her to the Breast Evaluation and Treatment Program at UMGCC, and her mammogram was scheduled for the next very week. "The staff at the BCCP just embraced me and did everything they could to get me the proper care," noted Warthen. "They saw how upset I was, and they never made me feel guilty for not getting screened sooner."

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After a breast biopsy and a consultation with the UMGCC Breast Program team, including surgeon Nazanin Khakpour M.D., medical oncologist Kate Tkaczuk, M.D., and mammographer Helen Mrose M.D. Cassandra was found to have cancer in both breasts. Her treatment includes chemotherapy to shrink her tumors, to be followed by surgery and radiation.

She feels strong, and is thankful that her new job is flexible enough to accommodate her treatment sessions. Her close relationship with her two daughters has also been a tremendous help.

"It's hard not to feel good when you're around people who are so positive," she says of the BCCP staff. "They've been wonderful. Now that my treatment is underway, I feel positive. I'm thinking bigger picture these days," she explains. "This experience makes you not so concerned with the little things."

For the staff of the Baltimore City Cancer Program, there couldn't have been a better outcome from their choreographed performance on TV. Says Rhonda Silva, R.N., BCCP program manager, "We've received quite a few calls from people who saw us on TV and have said 'tell me more about your program.' We're just so happy that Cassandra called."

Dr. Stacy Garrett-Ray, medical director of BCCP, agrees: "The way that Cassandra found us is unique, but I'm hoping that we can reach many more women who could benefit from our free screening services. Our program is especially designed to help women like Cassandra overcome their fears or their lack of insurance, and get the care they need."

The Baltimore City Cancer Program provides free mammograms and breast exams for uninsured women age 40 and over. For more information, call 410-328-HOPE (4673).

An initiative of the University of Maryland Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Cancer Center (UMGCC), the Baltimore City Cancer Program (BCCP) is funded by the State of Maryland Cigarette Restitution Fund (CRF) program.