Jeanmarie Mason arrived at Shore Cancer Center for her monthly injection recently, wearing a big smile and a bright blue t-shirt emblazoned on the front with "Metastatic Breast Cancer Warrior." Although the treatment is not pleasant, she was still happy to be there with some of her favorite people – including outpatient services representative Julie Roche, pictured above (left), and her oncologist Dr. Tiffany Pompa (right).
Jeanmarie has been coming to Shore Cancer Center since 2019 when she learned that her breast cancer diagnosed in 2014 spread to her bone. Approximately 20-30 percent of women with a breast cancer diagnosis will develop metastatic breast cancer, a terminal and incurable disease.
"When you have this diagnosis, it's important to be surrounded by people who give you hope, and Dr. Pompa gives me that hope," says Jeanmarie. "She's smart as a whip and is so caring and thorough in explaining everything to me."
Julie Roche is another person Jeanmarie thinks of fondly as she continues her Shore Cancer Center care. Julie sets her up when she arrives and schedules her appointments before she leaves. But for Jeanmarie, Julie does much more than that.
"Before we moved to Ocean City, I was getting care at a Pennsylvania cancer center, but no one was friendly or compassionate. When I arrived for my first appointment at Shore Cancer Center and saw Julie at the front desk with her wonderful spirit and friendly face, I thought, 'Oh, my gosh. This is a whole new world here!' She makes me feel very welcome."
Jeanmarie is not shy about sharing her feelings with the Cancer Center staff. Earlier this year, she made a Guardian Angel donation to Shore in Julie's honor. In March, when Doctors' Day was near, she made a donation in honor of Dr. Pompa.
"At Shore Cancer Center, I don't feel like just a name and a diagnosis– they truly care. I am grateful for all they have done for me, and I'd recommend them to anyone."
A cancer diagnosis is never easy, but at Shore Cancer Center, our team strives to give every patient the personalized care and compassion they need and deserve. We are grateful for Julie, Dr. Pompa, and the entire Cancer Center team, and for people like Jeanmarie who join us in Caring Together for our community.
