[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BlogPosting","@id":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/news\/a-survivors-30-year-fight-against-breast-cancer-michelle-deblasi-of-pompton-plains-shares-her-story\/#BlogPosting","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/news\/a-survivors-30-year-fight-against-breast-cancer-michelle-deblasi-of-pompton-plains-shares-her-story\/","headline":"A Survivor\u2019s 30+-Year Fight Against Breast Cancer:  Michelle DeBlasi of Pompton Plains Shares Her Story","name":"A Survivor\u2019s 30+-Year Fight Against Breast Cancer:  Michelle DeBlasi of Pompton Plains Shares Her Story","description":"First diagnosed with breast cancer in 1992, she has persevered in her battle against the disease for more than 30 years. ","datePublished":"2023-11-08","dateModified":"2025-03-25","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/news\/author\/ceastway\/#Person","name":"ceastway","url":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/news\/author\/ceastway\/","identifier":5,"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/007b7979610c70c3cd4b24ed960fb78ff62c0b68401d393e79cb483d56812050?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/007b7979610c70c3cd4b24ed960fb78ff62c0b68401d393e79cb483d56812050?s=96&d=mm&r=g","height":96,"width":96}},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Regional Cancer Care Associates","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/logo.svg","url":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/logo.svg","width":506,"height":228}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/RCCA-Dr-Bernstein_Michelle-DeBlasi-Photo.jpg","url":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/RCCA-Dr-Bernstein_Michelle-DeBlasi-Photo.jpg","height":533,"width":800},"url":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/news\/a-survivors-30-year-fight-against-breast-cancer-michelle-deblasi-of-pompton-plains-shares-her-story\/","about":["Breast Cancer"],"wordCount":1489,"articleBody":"\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tA Survivor\u2019s 30+-Year Fight Against Breast Cancer:  Michelle DeBlasi of Pompton Plains Shares Her Story\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tNovember 8, 2023\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMichelle DeBlasi has been fighting for a long time.First diagnosed with breast cancer in 1992, she has persevered in her battle against the disease for more than 30 years. Since being diagnosed as a young mother in her early forties, Ms. DeBlasi has known hardships and triumphs alike, and has met both with a positive attitude and a survivor\u2019s spirit. She first underwent a lumpectomy, but five years later required a mastectomy to treat recurrent disease. Since then, she has received many other forms of treatment as her cancer has gone in and out of remission.Through all those years of struggle, she has found the strength to go on \u2013 and even to laugh often \u2013 despite the obstacles in her way.Strength from \u2013 and for \u2013 family\u201cI\u2019m always trying to laugh,\u201d the Pompton Plains, NJ resident explains. \u201cEverybody says, \u2018Oh, Michelle, you look so good.\u2019 I try to put on a nice front for my family and my friends, but really, sometimes, I\u2019m hurting on the inside. But we all have something we need to deal with,\u201d Ms. DeBlasi notes, attributing her outlook in part to lessons learned from her late mother. \u201cMy mom would always tell me, \u2018If you had a circle of people and everybody put their problems in the middle of that circle so that you could choose which one to take, the best thing you could do would be to pick your own because somebody always has something worse than you.\u2019 That\u2019s how I try to live.\u201d\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tPompton Plains, NJ resident Michelle DeBlasi, pictured with Dr. Andrew Bernstein, shares her fight against breast cancer.\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tHer mother is just one of the many relatives from whom Ms. DeBlasi draws inspiration. She glows while discussing her family, recounting the 47 years she has been married to her husband, Frank, a union which has blessed them with two daughters. Her daughters also live in Pompton Plains, enabling Ms. DeBlasi to fill her days attending the school functions, baseball games, and other activities of her grandchildren; Tyler and Rebecca. Her motherly \u2013 and grandmotherly \u2013 pride shines through as she talks about what\u2019s important to her in life. (Ms. DeBlasi\u2019s maternal instincts aren\u2019t limited to her family, however. During a long career as an accountant with the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, she was known as \u201cthe office mom,\u201d because of the care and concern she demonstrated for younger colleagues.) She is quick to note that her husband and daughters have fully returned the love she has lavished on them, saying \u201cthey\u2019ve been with me every step of the way.\u201dA caring cancer specialistAnd for the last several years, Ms. DeBlasi adds, another person\u2019s care and skill also have supported her in her journey with advanced breast cancer and have helped her maintain her health and quality of life.She explains that after experiencing a recurrence and needing to see a medical oncologist, her sister Denise suggested that she make an appointment with Andrew Bernstein, DO. \u201cMy sister works in healthcare, so that recommendation carried a lot of weight \u2013 and, boy, has it proven to be a great piece of advice,\u201d Ms. DeBlasi says.She adds, \u201cDr. Bernstein has been wonderful. He is kind, caring, and passionate about what he does. If you have one question or 20 questions, he will sit with you and take the time needed to go through all your questions and address your concerns. There have been many times when I\u2019ve had my family here with me and I\u2019d be crying and he was trying to console me and answer my questions,\u201d she says. With her breast cancer now having reached an advanced stage, Ms. DeBlasi says that the support she receives from Dr. Bernstein and his team has increased in step with the frequency of her visits. \u201cNow I\u2019m here basically on a weekly basis to see him, and everybody on the staff is great. They\u2019re all kind and loving.\u201dDr. Bernstein, a board-certified medical oncologist and hematologist, says, \u201cMichelle is an inspiration to all women facing breast cancer and also to me and to everyone here in our office. I never cease to be amazed and motivated by Michelle and all my patients and the strength they display. However, that doesn\u2019t mean that you need to be strong all the time or that you should not acknowledge the fears and sadness you may be feeling. We\u2019re here to treat people wherever they are in their cancer journey \u2013 whether that be very early disease where we\u2019re pursuing cure or advanced cancer where our focus is on extending life and maintaining quality of life. In the same way, we\u2019re here to support people on their good days and their bad ones, whether they are brimming with optimism or weighed down with worry.\u201d\u201cNo one should face cancer alone, and we\u2019re committed to providing not only the newest therapies but also the old-fashioned empathy and concern that remain at the heart of medicine,\u201d adds Dr. Bernstein, who practices at the Riverdale, NJ offices of Regional Cancer Care Associates (RCCA), one of the nation\u2019s largest networks of oncology specialists.Ms. DeBlasi echoes Dr. Bernstein\u2019s comments about the importance of accepting and processing one\u2019s emotions, whatever they may be. \u201cI do have occasional pity parties where I sit and I cry for an hour, but then I tell myself, \u2018I\u2019ve got to get over this because I don\u2019t know how long I\u2019m going to live.\u2019 So, my mindset is \u2018just live every day.\u2019\u201d Ms. DeBlasi adds that there is abundant cause for hope thanks to the dramatic advances that have been made in the fight against cancer. When she was diagnosed, she explains, she was motivated to fight because she didn\u2019t want her daughters to grow up without their mother. \u201cI had young children back then, so I decided I was going to do what I needed to and stay as positive as I could and look how far it got me!\u201dShe encourages people newly diagnosed with cancer to embrace a positive attitude as best they can, while also acknowledging their fears and worries and obtaining the support they need. And she has one other piece of advice for newly diagnosed patients who live in Morris or Passaic counties or nearby communities. \u201cI\u2019d say connect with Dr. Bernstein. He\u2019s a wonder.\u201d*******Dr. Bernstein has treated patients in Morris County and surrounding communities for more than 10 years.\u00a0 After earning his medical degree from the New York College of Osteopathic Medicine, he completed an internship and residency at Long Island Jewish Medical Center, as well as a medical oncology fellowship at Mount Sinai Hospital.\u00a0 He has since served as the Associate Director of Medical Oncology at Chilton Medical Center, and is one of more than 90 cancer specialists who treat patients at more than 20 RCCA care centers located throughout New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and the Washington, D.C., area. RCCA oncologists and hematologists see more than 24,500 new patients each year and provide care to more than 245,000 established patients, collaborating closely with their patients\u2019 other physicians. They offer patients the latest in cutting-edge treatments, including immunotherapies and targeted therapy, as well as access to a wide range of clinical trials. In addition to serving patients who have solid tumors, blood-based cancers, and benign blood disorders such as anemia, RCCA care centers also provide infusion services to people with a number of non-oncologic conditions\u2014including multiple sclerosis, Crohn\u2019s disease, asthma, iron-deficiency anemia, and rheumatoid arthritis\u2014who take intravenously-administered medications.To learn more about RCCA, call 1-844-346-7222 or visit RCCA.com.\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\twe are here for you\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tFor more information or to schedule an appointment, call 844-346-7222. You can also schedule an appointment by calling the\u00a0RCCA location\u00a0nearest you.\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\trequest an appointment\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tRELATED ARTICLES\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tCutting Your Cancer Risk: RCCA Oncologists Discuss 4 Lesser-Known Steps\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tYou don\u2019t smoke. You drink alcohol in moderation, if at all. You avoid processed meats and you dab on the sunscreen before you hit the\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tLearn More\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tGetting Your First Mammogram on Schedule Really Matters: 2 RCCA Oncologists Explain Why\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tThere are many reasons women don\u2019t obtain their first mammogram at the recommended age: work commitments and other demands on their time, uncertainty regarding when\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tLearn More\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tEarly Signs of Inflammatory Breast Cancer\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tRegional Cancer Care Associates (RCCA) provides comprehensive treatment of cancer and blood disorders to patients throughout New Jersey, Connecticut, and the Washington, DC, area. Here,\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tLearn More\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tRegional Cancer Care Associates is one of fewer than 200 medical practices in the country selected to participate in the Oncology Care Model (OCM); a recent Medicare initiative aimed at improving care coordination and access to and quality of care for Medicare beneficiaries undergoing chemotherapy treatment.\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t"},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"News","item":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/news\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"A Survivor\u2019s 30+-Year Fight Against Breast Cancer:  Michelle DeBlasi of Pompton Plains Shares Her Story","item":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/news\/a-survivors-30-year-fight-against-breast-cancer-michelle-deblasi-of-pompton-plains-shares-her-story\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]