A self-described “healthy 40-year-old,” Lauren Domitrovits initially dismissed the sudden onslaught of food sensitivities she was having. “I thought, ‘this is what happens when you turn 40’.”
However, when unusual pain and bowel symptoms continued to worsen despite eliminating gluten and dairy from her diet, the Rockland County-based teacher went to a local gastroenterologist who recommended a colonoscopy.
Due to an inherited mutation in the ATM (ataxia-telangiectasia mutated) gene, Domitrovits knew that she was at increased risk for breast and other forms of cancer. Just weeks prior, she had completed a routine breast cancer screening with Dr. Preya Ananthakrishnan, Director of Breast Surgery at White Plains Hospital. When her colonoscopy detected a tumor, she called Dr. Ananthakrishnan, who goes by Dr. Preya, immediately.
“She was incredible,” the mother of two says. Dr. Preya immediately assembled a team to coordinate Domitrovits’ appointments. “She told me to just breathe, go home, and she would make the rest happen.”
The following day, Domitrovits saw Dr. Preya’s colleague, White Plains Hospital’s Director of Colon and Rectal Surgery Dr. Kimberly Yee. “Dr. Yee found, to my horror, that I had stage 3 colorectal cancer,” Domtrovits shares. “I didn’t have any indicators besides what I thought were food reactions.” Over the next week, an MRI and CT scan helped to determine that the tumor had also impacted her lymph nodes, meaning that a multi-phased treatment approach would be needed to eradicate the cancer.
Beyond the Statistics
Unfortunately, Domitrovits’ case is becoming less of a rarity. Colorectal cancer (CRC) has been among several cancers on the rise in Gen Xers and Millennials. In 2021, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force lowered its recommended age to start CRC screenings from age 50 to 45 for patients at average risk. For patients under 45, consulting with a physician about gastrointestinal symptoms can make a life-saving difference.
Despite the shock of her diagnosis, Domitrovits was in the best of hands at White Plains Hospital’s Center for Cancer Care. Her multi-disciplinary team of specialists, which included Dr. Yee, Dr. Joshua Raff, Director of the Hospital’s Digestive Cancer Program and Dr. Randy Stevens, Director of Radiation Oncology, worked together to create an individualized, three-phase treatment plan.
First, Domitrovits underwent 30 days of targeted radiation therapy and oral chemotherapy, followed by five rounds of intravenous and oral chemotherapy. “The treatments were emotionally and physically draining, but because of the close support of Dr. Stevens and Dr. Raff, my treatment was always tailored to minimize discomfort and side effects,” she shares.
“I was worried for my two young sons, and I felt like my plate was full already,” Domitrovits explains. Enter a tight-knit group of girlfriends who call themselves “Lauren’s Tribe.” Each took turns lending their support with transportation to appointments, cooking meals for the family, and creating matching bracelets to show their support. Their devotion made a significant difference in her treatment.
Next, Dr. Yee performed two surgeries, the first of which removed the tumor, as well as her ovaries and fallopian tubes, to prevent the spread and recurrence of the cancer. “The first surgery showed no evidence of cancer, which meant the treatments had worked, which was very exciting,” Domitrovits says. “We were as cautious as we could be because it had spread to my lymph nodes.” Following the first surgery, which also removed part of her colon (known as a resection), Domitrovits temporarily used an ostomy bag to allow her body time to heal at the surgical site. Three months later, she underwent a second surgery to reconnect her system, completing her treatment.
Now cancer-free, back to teaching and caring for her children, Domitrovits acknowledges that her two teams – her friends and her White Plains Hospital experts – did a remarkable job.
“It’s been a whirlwind, but I’m so thankful. I went from Stage 3 to cancer-free in a year. At the end of my course of treatment, the doctors told me that they celebrated my story at their weekly tumor board meeting,” she says, referring to the Center for Cancer Care’s interdisciplinary tumor boards. “It’s nice for them to have those wins too.”
Learn more about White Plains Hospital’s Center for Cancer Care. Take the risk assessment to find out if you should be screened for colorectal cancer.
