Can weight-loss drugs help in cancer treatment? This Jewish organization is on the case
Larry Luxner
(JTA) — Jamie Mafdali of South Florida was hit with a cancer doublewhammy three years ago.
Shortly after her mother began treatment for breast cancer and learned it had metastasized, Mafdali herself was diagnosed with invasive ductal carcinoma in her left breast.
Given her family history, Mafdali, now 45, decided to get a bilateral mastectomy. Although she initially prepared for implants, she later learned of a natural reconstructive procedure known as DIEP flap surgery that she preferred. But it required her to lose at least 20 pounds before her surgeon could even consider the option.
To lose weight, Mafdali’s endocrinologist suggested GLP-1 receptor agonists: a then new, and now enormously popular class of injectable weightloss drugs known as semaglutides. They’re sold under brand names like Ozempic and Wegovy.
Over the next year, Mafdali—who’d struggled with weight issues in the past—shed
more than 20 pounds.
“I feel satiated with less food and don’t think about food all day now,” she says. “I thought taking a GLP-1 would help me lose the weight needed for surgery, and I’m excited for my next steps along this journey.”
Mafdali spoke at a webinar organized by Sharsheret, the Jewish breast cancer and ovarian cancer organization. Sharsheret works to improve the lives of Jewish women and families living with, or at increased genetic risk for, breast or ovarian cancer through personalized support and educational outreach.
Weight-related issues can be a significant complication in cancer treatment, particularly for patients who are diabetic or at risk for diabetes due to obesity.
“People who have diabetes may have an increased risk of complications from breast cancer treatment and possibly also have an increased risk of recurrence,” Dr. Ruth Oratz, an oncologist
Expert Physicians. Exceptional Cancer Care.
At Virginia Oncology Associates, we recognize all of our patients as individuals with a need for caring, personalized treatment. We are dedicated to finding new and better ways to treat cancer through ongoing research and clinical trials. Our team of specialized physicians and sta work together and collaborate to create a plan that will help navigate each person’s journey.
PENINSULA | (757) 873-9400
HAMPTON • NEWPORT NEWS • WILLIAMSBURG
SOUTHSIDE | (757) 466-8683
CHESAPEAKE • NORFOLK
SUFFOLK • VIRGINIA BEACH
HEALTHCARE
at NYU Langone Health who sits on Sharsheret’s medical advisory board, said during the webinar. “The treatments we give are often very, very harsh. Chemotherapy can cause a lot of disorders in terms of what you’re eating and how you’re exercising.”
The new GLP-1 drugs are enabling cancer patients to address weight issues more quickly and effectively, helping along their cancer treatments.
The drugs are also thought to be able to help with lymphedema— swelling caused by an accumulation of fluid from the body’s lymphatic system that can affect arms, legs, and other body parts.
Obesity is one of the biggest risk factors for breast cancer.
Wegovy users saw a 20% drop in heart attacks, strokes, or death from heart-related events. In another trial of weight-loss drugs known as tirzepatides—marketed under brand names including Mounjaro and Zepbound— patients with obesity as well as a risk for heart disease showed a 38% reduction in hospitalizations for heart failure. Those on the highest dose of tirzepatide saw a 62% clearing of fatty liver compared to those treated with a placebo.
“Lymphedema is not only related to body weight but is also, we feel, sort of an immunologic disease characterized by stasis or stagnation of the lymphatic fluid in the arm after surgery and perhaps radiation therapy,” Oratz said.
Because the GLP-1 drugs may also have anti-inflammatory properties, Oratz said, they may counteract the slowing down of lymphatic fluid that causes the swelling and inflammation.
“It’s a very exciting time for all these medications,” Dr. Barrie Weinstein, an endocrinologist and the medical director of Well by Messer, a New York City metabolic and wellness center specializing in weight loss, said on the Sharsheret webinar.
More than 800 viewers logged in to watch the webinar, which was facilitated by Melissa Rosen, Sharsheret’s director of training and education, and supported by Pfizer, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and program partners NYU Langone Health, Well by Messer, and the American Jewish Medical Association.
In a recent drug trial, patients who used Wegovy obtained a mean weight loss of 15%, with 36% of patients losing 20% or more of their body weight after two years of treatment.
Weight loss isn’t the only benefit, Weinstein said. In one recent trial,
Another study has shown that Ozempic reduces the risk of kidney failure and death in adults with diabetes and chronic kidney disease. Still other trials indicate that GLP-1 drugs may also slow the degenerative effects of Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease.
“Patients on these drugs feel better and are healthier overall,” Oratz said. “They’ve already shown a benefit in reducing the incidence and risk of recurrence of other kinds of cancers.”
The vast majority of women who develop breast cancer are postmenopausal. Yet Medicare does not cover these drugs to reduce cancer risk. Patients must either have diabetes or metabolic syndrome—or be significantly overweight—to get a prescription.
Common side effects of the drugs include nausea, constipation, diarrhea, vomiting, and acid reflux.
Women currently receiving chemotherapy or those with a family history of medullary thyroid cancer should avoid GLP-1 drugs, according to Oratz, and women trying to get pregnant should be off the drugs for at least eight weeks.
Oratz said that GLP-1s are safe for patients with BRCA-related mutations as well as metastatic breast cancer.
“They’re doing very well, and this has contributed significantly to the stability of their disease by losing weight and correcting the metabolic syndrome,” she said. “There’s no reason why someone
July 17th |11am-5pm
Sophia D blends rich design heritage and expert craftsmanship. Timeless styles meet modern techniques in perfect harmony.
SHOWROOM
Marina Shores Shoppes 2861 Lynnhaven Dr. Suite 110-A 757.807.3062 GMARIE.COM For more info visit Gmarie.com/events
Featured Designer: Sophia D GMARIE.COM/SOPHIAD
who’d otherwise benefit from the drug and has a history of triple negative breast cancer couldn’t take it.”
Sharsheret CEO Elana Silber says part of her organization’s mission is to provide reliable information to the community about new procedures, cancer treatments, and “hot topics” like GLP-1 drugs.
“We know that obesity is one of the biggest risk factors for breast cancer. At the same time, so much of our Jewish culture, holidays, and rituals revolves around food,” Silber says. “If there is a safe and effective option for women to manage weight loss and cancer to improve their
quality of life, we want them to know about it from the experts.”
Anyone considering GLP-1 weightloss drugs as part of a breast cancer treatment plan should speak with their healthcare team to understand the benefits and risks. For personalized support and more information, contact Sharsheret at 866-474-2774 or info@sharsheret.org.
This article was sponsored by and produced in partnership with Sharsheret, the national Jewish breast cancer and ovarian cancer organization. This article was produced by JTA’s native content team.
HEALTHCARE
Medical Directives versus Medical Orders
Stephanie Peck
An 84-year-old woman in the intensive care unit asked if the facility had a copy of her advance medical directive to support her healthcare wishes. The doctor explained that, in the hospital, this legal document did not serve the purpose she intended and instead detailed the importance of a POLST, or portable medical orders for life-sustaining treatment. The state of Virginia adopted this document in 2023, modeled after the Oregon POLST form which has been in use for more than 20 years.
While advanced directives and portable medical orders appear similar, the differences between the two are consequential when considering a patient’s healthcare at the end of their life.
David Kamer, an attorney with Kaufman & Canoles, outlines the importance of having an advance directive, which is comprised of two elements: a health care power of attorney and health care instructions. In an advance directive, an individual names one or more agents who are given the power to make health care decisions on the individual’s behalf if this person is unable to make an informed decision. The individual can decide what types of powers the agent can have. Examples include whether the agent should have the power to admit this person to a mental health care facility or whether the agent should have the power to decide on a specific treatment even if this person objects.
David Kamer.
“An advance directive is also an opportunity to provide specific instructions about care after a person is no longer able to make decisions. It provides instructions about endof-life care – meaning, whether to provide life-prolonging procedures, such as tube feeding, IV fluids, or use of a ventilator. But it might also be instructions about things such as who is permitted to visit, types of music to play, specific physicians to use, or specific types of treatment to use or not use. In addition, an advance directive can be used to provide instructions about organ donation,” Kamer says.
In contrast, a POLST is a physician-signed order form which communicates and puts into action treatment preferences, such
as cardiopulmonary resuscitation orders when a patient is near the end of their life. The Virginia POLST website recommends this form for those with a terminal illness, or those dealing with a chronic progressive illness, such as advanced heart or lung disease or cancer that has spread. Medical orders like POLSTs can be consulted in an emergency, such as in an ambulance or by an emergency medical professional.
Dr. Rosie Newman, a retired geriatric and inpatient palliative care physician, completed a POLST form four to six times per day during the last five plus years of her medical career.
“This (the POLST) spells out the desire to avoid interventions focused on life support and rather focused on comfort and a natural death,’ she says.
“This is care that aims to remain out of hospital except when comfort cannot be provided in another setting.”
The current standard of care during an emergency is to do everything possible to save someone’s life unless there is a medical order to the contrary. A POLST is based on the ethical principle of respect and patient autonomy and the legal principle of patient self-determination. According to its website, all competent adults have the right to make their own healthcare decisions. A POLST is designed to help healthcare professionals know and honor the treatment wishes of their patients.
Dr. Marissa Galicia-Castillo, director of the Glennan Center for Geriatrics and Gerontology, also serves as the director of the Brock Fellowship in Hospice and Palliative Medicine (which she was instrumental in establishing) and serves on the board of Dozoretz Hospice House of Hampton Roads. She outlines that an advanced care plan provides guidelines for medical care, but it is not an order like a POLST. (Other acronyms for similar orders include POST, MOST and MOLST, and Virginia will accept these documents from other states, as well).
The POLST form simply asks how the individual wants to be treated at the end of life: comfort measures only, selective treatments, or full treatment including artificial nutrition and hydration. “We try to fill-out POLSTS as often as we can, but
Dr. Marissa Galicia-Castillo.
people don’t want to talk about it,” Dr. Galicia-Castillo says. Since a serious illness often results in palliative care, she recommends having this conversation when the patient is as well as possible and not in distress.
Kamer recommends that everyone also have an advance directive. “The Virginia Code sets out an ordering of who serves as agent to make health care decisions in the absence of an advance directive, but that agent might be someone who would not have otherwise been chosen,” he says. Without an advance directive, a person’s wishes about end-of-life care or other types of health care might not be carried out, as they will be unknown to the agent and the health care providers.
An advance directive can be created online, and Kamer recommends using the form available on the Virginia State Bar website or forms made available by hospitals. However, a lawyer can be helpful in explaining the concepts contained in an advance directive. A POLST, on the other hand, should be obtained from, and completed with, a health care professional. It should not be provided to patients or individuals to complete on their own.
Connect Virginia is a state registry for advance directives where Virginia residents can securely store their completed documents. Health care providers and
HEALTHCARE
designated persons can have access to the account. Kamer adds, “To ensure that all relevant parties know about someone’s advance directive, aside from registering it, I recommend giving a copy to one’s physicians and named agents. If the person is comfortable with it, I would also suggest giving a copy to family members and close friends or letting them know where to find a copy.”
While 30+ states recognize the National POLST form, there is no national registry. In Virginia, the form can be uploaded to Sentara’s EPIC system, free of charge, while other hospital systems charge a fee for the upload. “It’s a chunky system, not consistent,” Galicia-Castillo says. She also recommends the U.S. Advanced Care Plan Registry, a secure, online database to store advanced directives, including DNRs (do not resuscitate) and POLSTS. Through its mobile app, emergency responders can search a document by address, allowing personnel to review a DNR or POLST before
arriving at the scene.
Newman adds, “Sadly it was not unusual to have this document missing between the hospital and the rehab site – making my job one of calling to be sure the staff saw the POLST and that a copy was now on file in this new setting. Which is why we say transitions of health care locations are the weakest link in healthcare where things can go wrong despite all the best efforts at both sides.”
Both Kamer and Galicia-Castillo stress that a person is never too young to prepare these documents. “It should become a normal part of becoming an adult,” says Galicia-Castillo.
Kamer agrees, “It can be difficult and uncomfortable to think through these serious issues, particularly for young adults, but life is unpredictable. It’s better to get through it and put the subject out of mind than to never deal with it.”
Dr. Rosie Newman.
Parents gift therapy practice to daughter
Stephanie Peck
Dr. Michael S. Weissman and his wife, Brina, opened Churchland Psychological Center in 1981, serving Hampton Roads for nearly 45 years.
As clinical director, Weissman offers individual adult psychotherapy, family and marital counseling, and psychological testing, while Brina Weissman serves behind the scenes in payroll, tax, and accounts payable. Together, they have gifted the practice to their daughter, Sara Litt, a licensed clinical social worker with degrees from University of Virginia and Columbia. Litt joined the practice more than 20 years ago.
Succession was not part of the original plan, until Weissman saw an article in The Virginian-Pilot about a family carrying on a business to the next generation. “My wife and I just gave the practice to my daughter. She’s my boss now,” he laughs. Weissman says he plans to continue seeing patients
as long as he can function. With Brina Weissman retiring this month, after teaching Litt the ropes, Weissman says he is thrilled to be young enough to see his daughter blossom in her new role. “She took over like a champ,” he kvells.
“Working with Sara is the highest form of nachas, seeing your child follow in your footsteps,” he adds. Weissman describes his daughter as an extraordinary therapist with a gift to understand others.
Litt says that her career path was partly influenced by her father. As a child, she would overhear him dictating his patient sessions. Originally pursing a life in theater, Litt did not have confidence in her talent but loved the character development and moral dilemmas that were presented on the stage. This idea of character study led her to become a therapist.
Both father and daughter remark at the overwhelming anxiety that they
currently see in their patients. Weissman attributes this escalation to the divisive political climate and the wars in Gaza and Ukraine. While he still counsels for marital
like for their children.
problems and depression, he notices a sense of personal insecurity that is overlaid onto these more common difficulties; he also hears concerns about climate change and parents wondering what the world will be
“There is a general angst about world events and politics,” Litt agrees. Families can’t get over the fact that someone voted otherwise. She worries about internet addiction and the next generation missing basic life skills, such as picking up the phone and calling someone. Litt observes that parents are so busy with their phones that they don’t look at their kids, and, therefore, these children are not getting the attachments they need.
As an observant Jew, wearing a yarmulke and lapel pin with U.S. and Israeli flags, Weissman explains how Torah infuses his work. While he does not often quote the source, he shares Jewish wisdom even with his non-Jewish patients. He says he is not proselytizing; he is merely imparting wisdom that is more than 1,000 years old. “Don’t discipline your child when you’re angry,” he offers as an example; instead, he suggests, buy time and think before responding.
Litt, too, follows Torah in her practice, though she cites a very different example from her father. Her mother abided by the commandment that “one must pay one’s worker on the day that he completes his work,” and therefore always paid employees on the first of the month. When the holiday of Shavous started on June 1, Litt recognized a dilemma and was grateful when staff came in the Sunday before to run payroll. “My parents created the company with a viable, supportive, and warm work environment. My intention is to keep that.”
As a mother of five boys, ranging in age from 11 to 24 years old, Litt is grateful to control her own schedule and tailor it to her family’s needs. She and her son, Ari Litt, revised the center’s website and upgraded the technology.
A graduate student at Hofstra University, Ari Litt is studying psychotherapy and specializing in clients with special needs. Who knows – perhaps there will be a third generation to this family business.
Sara Litt, LCSW and Dr. Michael Weissman.
HEALTHCARE
Newsweek ranks Hadassah
Medical Organization one of the world’s best hospitals –
for the first time ever
For the first time since Newsweek launched its annual rankings, the magazine named Israel’s Hadassah Medical Organization one of the best hospitals in the world. The Jerusalem-based nonprofit hospital system was founded and is owned by Hadassah, The Women’s Zionist Organization of America.
The rankings appear in World’s Best Hospitals 2025, Newsweek’s annual assessment of hospitals worldwide. The 2025 report, which rates 2,400 hospitals in 30 countries, puts Hadassah in the company of such renowned American institutions as the Mayo Clinic, Massachusetts General Hospital, the Cleveland Clinic, and The Johns Hopkins Hospital and such leading overseas institutions as Sweden’s Karolinska Universitetssjukhuset and Switzerland’s Universitätsspital Basel.
In the most recent World’s Best Specialized Hospitals and World’s Best Smart Hospitals, Hadassah once again earned a spot among Israel’s top hospitals for cardiology (fifth year), oncology (fourth year) and the use of
• Family owned and operated since 1917
• Affordable services to fit any budget
• Advance funeral planning
• Professional, experienced, caring staff
• Flexible burial options
smart technology (fourth year).
In a joint statement, Dalia Itzik, chairwoman of the Hadassah Medical Organization’s board of directors, and Yoram Weiss, MD, its director general, said, “At Hadassah’s hospitals, the true reward for our work lies in the thousands of patients whom we help to reclaim or enhance their lives each year. Our dedicated faculty and staff are aided by our use of cutting-edge technologies across every medical specialty and our partnerships with leading international science and healthcare companies.”
The World’s Best Hospitals 2025 was produced in collaboration with the global data firm Statista. The report is based on an online survey of medical experts; hospital quality metrics, which measure such things as healthcare processes and systems; and surveys of patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs), which document patients’ perceptions of their quality of life and ability to function after hospitalization.
For more than a century, the Hadassah Medical Organization, the
• Flexible payment options
Approved by all area Rabbis and Chevrah Kadisha
Celebrating life’s treasured memories.
Jerusalem-based hospital system founded and owned by Hadassah, The Women’s Zionist Organization of America, has set the standard for excellence in medical treatment and research in Israel. The experience and ingenuity of Hadassah’s doctors and scientists have led to new tools and treatments in all areas of medicine, including therapeutics, diagnostic medical devices, and digital health.
Hadassah, The Women’s Zionist Organization of America, is the largest Jewish women’s organization in the United States. With nearly 300,000 members, donors and supporters,
Hadassah brings women together to effect change on such critical issues as ensuring Israel’s security, combating antisemitism and promoting women’s health care. Through its Jerusalem-based hospital system, the Hadassah Medical Organization, Hadassah helps support exemplary care for more than 1 million people every year as well as worldrenowned medical research. Hadassah’s hospitals serve without regard to race, religion, or nationality and in 2005 earned a Nobel Peace Prize nomination for building bridges to peace through medicine.
Chris Sisler, Vice President, Member of Ohef Sholom Temple, Board member of the Berger-Goldrich Home at Beth Sholom Village, James E. Altmeyer, Jr., President, James E. Altmeyer, Sr., Owner
Dr. Louise Lubin inspires JFS staff with message of self-compassion and resilience HEALTHCARE
Amid the demands of social services work, the staff at Jewish Family Service of Tidewater recently gained valuable insights and inspiration during a seminar led by Dr. Louise B. Lubin, a distinguished clinical psychologist with 40 years of experience.
With a focus on self-love, compassion, and burnout, Dr. Lubin offered a deeply empathetic perspective drawn from her career in adult, marital, and family therapy. The session took place on Thursday, May 1.
to sort out how I am going to accept what is, rather than focusing on what should be. Staying stuck in blame toward others or myself keeps me from living more fully with an open heart and compassion.”
Drawing from her book, Many Paths to Healing, she shared a poignant passage that resonated with many in the room:
“Life is not fair. People do not always get what they deserve. Bad things happen to good people. It is up to me
The quote encapsulates the core of Lubin’s message: the path to healing begins with acceptance and is sustained by kindness— especially toward oneself.
During the seminar, Lubin introduced the concept of “warming up” self-talk, a simple yet profound shift in how individuals can nurture themselves mentally and emotionally. She encouraged participants to ask: What would I say to a dear friend? What would I like to hear that would allow me to rest and relax? What do I need?
These questions, Lubin explained, help redirect the often-critical internal dialogue toward one that is affirming
and restorative.
Lubin is a retired faculty member of Eastern Virginia Medical School and a lifetime member of leading national psychology organizations. Her “Many Paths to Healing” programs have helped patients build emotional resilience across hospitals and medical practices, offering patients vital tools for emotional resilience in the face of chronic or lifethreatening illness.
Reflecting on the significance of Lubin’s visit, Kelly Burroughs, CEO of JFS, says, “Dr. Lubin reminded us that in order to heal others, we have to care for ourselves. It was great for our staff to hear about self-care from such an experienced professional.”
At JFS, where the mission is to promote quality of life through services rooted in the tradition of Judaism, Dr. Lubin’s message served as a vital reminder: compassion must begin at home, within ourselves.
To learn more, visit Dr. Lousie Lubin's website at manypathstohealing.com.
Brooke Rush
Dr. Louise Lubin.