In October 2021, Laura Rosenberger, MD, Associate Professor of Surgery in the Division of Surgical Oncology, performed a radical breast/chest wall resection on a 16-year-old girl.
People magazine recently spotlighted the patient, now 19-year-old Addison Rowan of Henderson, NC, who was captain of her high school volleyball team when she was diagnosed with alveolar soft part sarcoma, a rare, slow-growing, malignant sarcoma that typically forms in the legs or arms.
By the time of her surgery on October 19, 2021, the sarcoma had spread outside the tumor into the surrounding tissue in Rowan's breast and close to her ribs. Dr. Rosenberger explains that Rowan's surgery included a section of pectoralis muscle, ribs, and a rotational latissimus dorsi myocutaneous flap for chest wall coverage and breast reconstruction.
Dr. Rosenberger compares the recovery of an operation of this extent as requiring rehabilitation, "similar to that of an open-heart surgery or a total joint replacement."
"An operation of the breast is not only physically altering, but also impacts one from a social, psychological, and sexual standpoint, requiring many additional layers of recovery," Dr. Rosenberger adds. "These layers undoubtedly compounded in a teenager. Addison is a successful young woman in many realms, but has unparalleled tenacity and grit."
For all that she experienced, Rowan received a glowing commendation by Dr. Rosenberger for her strength and spirit throughout her treatment and recovery:
"Addison rebounded effortlessly, having displayed abundant healthy coping mechanisms, including her best attribute being her humor. Addison regularly broke the ice with a joke, lightened up morning rounds, eased the tension for her parents, and even drew whimsical caricatures of her surgeons. She kept herself grounded in her desire to recover and return to her high school activities. While many would lament about missed activities, Addison channeled an inner strength to fight, displaying an innate ability to stay focused on a goal, and persevere through adversity."