The Westport Library and Andrew Wilk are excited to bring back the Westport Library Medical Series. This series is an opportunity for the community to learn about important medical issues, aiming to provide both practical and thought-provoking information that can help individuals navigate the complex world of medicine.
Dr. Robert Altbaum, a longtime Westport internist, will moderate the sessions and introduce experts in the fields under discussion. Each discussion will provide a general review as well as state-of-the-art updates on the topic. There will be time provided for questions from the audience.
The topic for this year’s series is cancer, a word that strikes fear and anxiety in everyone. Cancer treatment is a war between the cancer trying to spread and the doctor trying to stop it from overtaking the patient. Fortunately, there have been remarkable advances in the field of oncology. We are witnessing a revolution in cancer care that is allowing patients to live longer, healthier, and even experience cures from previously fatal cancer.
The 2025 Andrew Wilk Medical Library Lectures will address cancer in a four-part series; each being 90 minutes.
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On June 3, Dr. Lisa Phuong, a board-certified medical oncologist at Nuvance Health, and Dr. Jeanne Capasse, a board-certified breast surgeon specializing in breast cancer at Nuvance Health, will discuss the exciting progress in the diagnostics and therapeutics of breast cancer. Dr. Phuong will discuss the medical aspects of breast cancer care; Dr. Capasse will focus on surgical approaches and reconstructive surgery of patients with breast cancer.
About Lisa Phuong
Dr. Lisa Phuong is a medical oncologist who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer. She completed her internal medicine residency at the University of Connecticut, and her hematology/oncology fellowship at Montefiore Medical Center/Albert Einstein College of Medicine in Bronx, NY.
Dr. Phuong incorporates evidence-based medicine, clinical research, and compassionate care into her daily practice at the Whittingham Cancer Center in Norwalk. She helps patients understand the biology of their disease, as well as treatment options based on the most recent research developments and clinical studies. She also believes it is important to address patient challenges, including treatment-related side effects, financial concerns, and the psychological and emotional impact of being diagnosed with cancer.
Dr. Phuong is the principal investigator of several clinical trials investigating new drugs, including targeted therapies and immunotherapies for breast cancer. She has had several peer-reviewed articles and abstracts published, as well as poster presentations at national cancer conferences. Dr. Phuong is an active member of the American Society of Clinical Oncology.
About Jeanne Capasse
Jeanne Capasse, MD, FACS, is a surgeon specializing in breast diseases and a medical director of the Smilow Family Breast Health Center in Norwalk. A native Westporter, Dr. Capasse received her bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering at Cornell University, followed by her medical degree at Weill Cornell in New York. She has been in practice in Norwalk for 30 years. In addition to caring for and educating patients regarding breast health issues, her passions include skiing, crossword puzzles, travel, and spending time with family.
About Robert Altbaum
Dr Robert Altbaum is a recently retired physician who practiced as an Internist in Westport for 40 years. He graduated from New York University, followed by Harvard Medical School, and completed his residency at Massachusetts General Hospital and Yale University. He is board certified in Internal Medicine and Geriatrics.
For the past 40 years, he has enjoyed caring for the people of Fairfield County in the group practice, Internal Medicine Associates of Westport. He has been awarded Fairfield County and Connecticut’s Top Doctor award for 24 consecutive years. Currently retired, he continues to teach medical residents at Norwalk Hospital and coordinates the Andrew Wilk Westport Library Medical Series.
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Other events in this series:
On Tuesday, April 22, Dr. Richard Frank, system chief for clinical and translational cancer research at Nuvance Health, explored the amazing advances in cancer including chemotherapy, targeted DNA treatment, and immunotherapy that have transformed the cancer treatment landscape.
Fall 2025: Prostate and urological cancer will be reviewed. Date to be announced.
Fall 2025: Advances in lymphoma and leukemia will be the final oncology topic covered. Date to be announced.
