A comprehensive, on-site, multidisciplinary program at New Jersey's only NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center
About the Cancer Risk Assessment and Counseling Program
- A team approach
- Who can benefit?
- What is available?
Scheduling An Appointment
Faculty and Staff
About The Cancer Institute of New Jersey
Directions
About the Cancer Risk Assessment and Couseling Program
The Cancer Risk Assessment and Counseling Program is designed for individuals and families who are concerned about their risks of developing certain cancers. The program offers patients and families appropriate medical and genetic information and provides social support and resources for those confronting cancer risk. Various healthcare professionals help patients and families make informed decisions about their own health care and ways to monitor for and treat possible cancer.
A Team Approach
Our program is staffed by a group of specialists who provide comprehensive care to families and individuals concerned about their risks of developing cancer. The team includes medical, gynecological, and surgical oncologists, geneticists, genetic counselors, nurse practitioners, social workers, psychiatrists, pathologists, radiologists, and other healthcare professionals. With these multiple perspectives, the team is able to address the unique needs of high-risk cancer patients and families.
Who Can Benefit?
The Cancer Risk Assessment and Counseling Program is designed for anyone who is worried about cancer in his or her family or his or her own personal cancer risk. It is especially helpful for families with:
- Several relatives with cancer
- Relatives diagnosed with cancer at an early age
- A relative with more than one cancer
- A relative with a rare or recognized hereditary cancer or cancer syndrome
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What is Available?
Genetic Counseling: The process of cancer risk assessment and counseling requires the integration of medical, scientific, family, and environmental information. Board-certified genetic counselors will meet with you to discuss your specific risk factors and family situation. They will provide education, risk assessment, and pre- and post-test genetic counseling when appropriate.
Education: You can learn about different risk factors for cancer, the inheritance of cancer risks, genetic testing, and management options. Through this approach, we assist you in making informed decisions about methods for early detection, tests to detect increased risk, and prevention strategies.
Risk Assessment: Based on your family history, medical factors, environmental factors, reproductive history, and life style choices, the team provides up-to-date information about individual cancer risk. When appropriate, genetic testing is available to assess your cancer risk.
Physical Exam: You will meet with medical, surgical and/or gynecological oncologists and nurse practitioners who will perform the appropriate physical exam(s) and discuss management issues with you.
Follow-up Plan: Based on the team's risk assessment, a personalized plan for careful monitoring will be designed and provided to you and your primary care doctor. You may also choose to continue to be seen at our center.
Psychosocial Support: Social workers and genetic counselors will be available to help you and your family address the unique issues involved with assessment and management of cancer risk.
Genetic Testing: When family history is suggestive of an inherited cancer risk, genetic testing may be available to further define your risk of cancer and the risk to your relatives. Comprehensive pre- and post-test counseling is provided, as well as a complete discussion of managment strategies and options.
Research: You will have access to appropriate clinical studies to evaluate new methods for the early detection of cancer, cancer prevention, cancer treatment, and genetic testing. Eligibility, benefits and limitations of these trials can be discussed.
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SCHEDULING AN APPOINTMENT
To schedule an appointment or for further information, please call 732/235-7110.
FACULTY AND STAFF
Deborah Toppmeyer, MD
Interests: Breast Oncology & Cancer risk assessment
Specialty: Medical Oncology - American Board of Internal Medicine, 1993
Internal Medicine - American Board of Internal Medicine, 1988
Degree: Albany Medical College, Albany, NY, USA, 1985
Internship: Internal Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA, 1985-1986
Residency: Internal Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA, 1986-1988
Fellowship: Medical Oncology/Breast Evaluation, Harvard-Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA, 1990-1994
Steven Shiff, MD
Interests: Cancer prevention, nutrition, pharmacology
Specialty: Gastroenterology - American Board of Internal Medicine, 1993
Internal Medicine - American Board of Internal Medicine, 1987
Degree: Univ. of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA, 1984
Internship: Internal Medicine, New York Hospital, NYC,NY, New York, NY, USA, 1984-1985
Residency: Internal Medicine, New York Hospital, New York, NY, USA, 1985-1987
Fellowship: Gastroenterology, The Mass. General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA, 1989-1993
David August, MD
Interests: Colorectal cancer, breast cancer, liver tumor, cancer chemoprevention
Specialty: Surgical Oncology - American Board of Surgery, 1987
Surgical Critical Care - American Board of Surgery, 1991
Degree: Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA, 1980
Internship: General Surgery, Yale New Haven Hospital, New Haven, CT, USA, 1980-1981
Residency: General Surgery, Yale - New Haven Hospital, New Haven, CT, USA, 1981-1986
Fellowship: Surgical Oncology, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA, 1982-1984
Beth Pletcher, MD
Interests: Neurofibromatosis, Cancer syndromes, Cancer risk assessment
Specialty: Medical Geneticist – American Board of Pediatrics, 1987
American Board of Medical Genetics, 1987
Degree: Rush Medical College, Chicago, IL, USA, 1982
Internship: Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA, 1982-1983
Residency: Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA, 1983-1985
Fellowship: Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA, 1985-1987
Janice Berliner, MS, CGC
Interests: Cancer genetics and cancer risk assessment
Specialty: Genetic Counselor- American Board of Genetic Counseling, 1993
Degree: University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA 1988
Kimberly Ranieri, MS, CGC
Interests: Cancer genetics and cancer risk assessment
Specialty: Genetic Counselor- American Board of Genetic Counseling, 2002
Degree: University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA 2001
Linda Patrick-Miller, PhD
Interests: Cancer-related pain and symptom management; psychosocial adaptation to cancer
Specialty: Psychology
Degree: Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, USA, 1998
Internship: Behavioral Medicine, Dartmouth Medical School, Hanover, NH, USA, 1996-1997
Fellowship: Mental Health Services Research, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, USA, 1998-2000
Judith Much, RN, MSN, NPC, AOCN
Interests: Cancer genetics, breast cancer, symptom management
Specialty: Nurse Practitioner - American Academy of Nurse Practitioners, 1996
Degree: Lasalle University, Philadelphia, PA, USA, 1996
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About the Cancer Institute of New Jersey
The Cancer Risk Assessment and Counseling Program is a collaboration between The Cancer Institute of New Jersey, the Center for Human and Molecular Genetics at UMDNJ-New Jersey Medical School and the Division of Clinical Genetics at UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and St. Peter’s Medical Center. Deborah Toppmeyer, M.D., a medical oncologists at the CINJ, is the Program Director.
Established in 1990, The Cancer Institute of New Jersey (CINJ) is one of only 39 Comprehensive Cancer Centers in the country designated by the National Cancer Institute (NCI), and is the only such cancer center in the state of New Jersey.
CINJ delivers advanced comprehensive care, conducts world-class cancer research, transforms laboratory discoveries into clinical practice, and provides education about cancer prevention, detection, and treatment.
A network of partner and affiliate hospitals across the state brings this extraordinary quality of care to all
New Jersey residents. Our partners include: Atlantic Health System (Morristown Memorial Hospital, Overlook Hospital, Mountainside
Hospital), New Brunswick Affiliated Hospitals, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, the University of Medicine and Dentistry
of New Jersey (UMDNJ), and UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. CINJ affiliates include: Bayshore Community Hospital,
CentraState Healthcare System, Cooper Hospital/University Medical Center, Jersey Shore Medical Center, JFK Medical Center,
The Medical Center at Princeton, Monmouth Medical Center, Raritan Bay Medical Center, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital at
Hamilton, St. Joseph's Regional Medical Center, and Southern Ocean County Hospital. University of Medicine and Dentistry of New
Jersey/New Jersey Medical School is an academic affiliate.
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