My Crozer Health Story: Marge Libetti, Cancer Patient

Marge Libetti (center), of Broomall, is pictured with her care team from the Crozer Health Regional Cancer Center at Broomall.

When a routine mammogram resulted in a diagnosis of breast cancer, Marge Libetti of Broomall turned to the team at the Crozer Health Regional Cancer Center at Broomall for a plan of action.

After a lumpectomy to remove a three-centimeter tumor, Libetti learned that some cancer remained in her lymph node. She then met with Crozer Health medical oncologist Nabila Chowdhury, M.D. and radiation oncologist Deborah Markiewicz, M.D. to define her tumor and plan a course of treatment. Together, they agreed on chemotherapy followed by radiation therapy.

After Libetti recovered from a summer of chemotherapy, she began her radiation treatments at the Crozer Health Regional Cancer Center at Broomall, which is conveniently located very close to her home. “I can’t tell you how amazed I was at what these doctors, nurses and staff members did for me and how critical they were to my success,” she says.

Libetti was particularly touched by the care she received from the staff. “They were all so great, but nothing could compare to the radiation therapists. I really have to emphasize what they did. I was there every day for 37 days straight. They were sympathetic, gentle and helpful,” she says.

Specifically, she remembers radiation therapists Hope, Cathy, Lisa, Lorraine and Jeanine, and Cathy the radiation therapy nurse practitioner. “When I think of the team that really got me through it, aside from my amazing, beautiful and thoughtful daughter and my incredibly loving best friend and soul mate - my husband, it was those girls,” Libetti says. She emphasizes the emotional toll that fighting cancer has on the patient: “It's hard. It’s the end of a long process. They’d boost me up every day.”

Libetti says that everyone at the Broomall facility made her comfortable from the start. “From the moment you walk in that door, and Peggy greets you, you feel like everyone truly gets to know you,” she says.

Libetti also recalls feeling surprised when she received a phone call from Markiewicz after bumping into her at an event. “I had a question for her in passing and she was busy speaking to someone else, but she went out of her way to call me when I got home to make sure I got an answer,” she says.

“Marge is a wonderful patient who was so motivated to get well,” Markiewicz says. “Our caring staff took pride in helping her over the finish line. It is so rewarding to see her doing well now.”

Now that Libetti has finished her radiation treatments, she still meets with Chowdhury regularly for follow-up visits but is otherwise living a healthy, active life. In fact, she just returned from an anniversary vacation with her husband. While some people would be happy to keep an experience with cancer in the past, Libetti enjoys giving hope to others who are in the beginning stages of cancer treatment and continues to express gratitude for the team who got her through it all. “I just had to express how grateful I am,” she says. “I hope they know how critical they were. Crozer Health is lucky to have that team.”

For more information about Crozer Health Cancer Services, visit crozerkeystone.org/Cancer.