April 16, 2005
Jeanne Petrek
Dr. Jeanne A. Petrek, a prominent surgeon and expert on pregnancy-associated breast cancer, was killed in an accident on April 11. She was 57.
Born in Youngstown, Ohio, Petrek received her bachelor's and medical degrees from Case Western Reserve in Cleveland. After doing her internship and residency in surgery at Peter Bent Brigham Hospital in Boston, she landed a surgical oncology fellowship at Memorial Sloan-Kettering in New York City.
In the early 1980s, Petrek taught surgery classes at Emory University School of Medicine and served on staff at Grady Memorial and Emory University hospitals. She returned to Memorial Sloan-Kettering in 1984 as an assistant attending surgeon and continued her academic career as a professor of surgery at Cornell University School of Medicine.
For the past two decades, Petrek specialized in treating pregnancy-associated breast cancer and studied the causes of lymphedema, a swelling in the arm and hand that can develop after the removal of certain lymph nodes. In an effort to improve her patients' quality of life, she countered the aftereffects of cancer therapy with hormonal and other treatments.
The compassionate physician directed the surgical program of the Evelyn H. Lauder Breast Center at Memorial Sloan-Kettering, and personally treated more than 4,000 patients. To determine whether it was safe for a young woman to get pregnant after breast cancer, Petrek also conducted a 10-year, federally-funded study on the changes in ovarian function resulting from breast cancer treatment. She followed the histories of 800 women under the age of 44 who had undergone chemotherapy. Preliminary findings of the study will be reported to the American Society of Clinical Oncology next month.
Petrek was on her way to work when she was struck by an ambulette while crossing the street at the intersection of 2nd Ave. and E. 64th St. in New York City. Eight construction workers lifted the vehicle off of Petrek, but she died in surgery a few hours later. The driver, who said she was blinded by the sun, was cited for failure to yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk.
Posted on April 16, 2005 3:31 AMMy wife was her patient, we just found out about her death and are sad to hear she passed away. She was an excellent doctor.
Posted by Miguel Campo on April 25, 2005 2:27 PMI just found out about her death, I was her patient , she was my surgeon, the best in the world...... she saved so many lives. A great lost for humanity.............so sad.....no words
Posted by ANITA ABRAMOVICH on May 25, 2005 10:52 PMMy heart is broken, she saved my life and now she is gone. Only god can understand such a terrible lose. My condolences to her family friends, and patients
Posted by Lila on July 11, 2005 11:17 PMželám Vám pekný dobrý deň,
Vyhledala som si Vás na internete, zaujalo ma vaše priezvisko Petrek. Ja žijem v Czech Republic, moj dědo Anton Petrek pochadzal zo Slovakei.
Mě i mou rodinu by zajímalo, zda-li máme společné více než-li příjmení. Máte - li zájem, odepište.
Volám sa Anton Petrek, bývam v Košiciach, pracujem ako stredoškolský učiteľ. Môj otec je tiež Anton, býva v Novej Dubnici,bývalý okres Považská Bystrica, starý otec bol tiež Anton a pochádzal z Novej Bystrice na Kysuciach, býval v Hoštine, okres Púchov.
My name is Anton Petrek, I live in Košice and work as a high-school teacher. My father is also called Anton, he lives in Nová Dubnica, district of Považská Bystrica. My grand-father is also called Anton, he was from Nová Bystrica; Kysuce he lived in Hoština, district Púchov.
Posted by Anton Petrek on September 28, 2005 5:03 AMI went to high school with Jeanne. We were good friends but lost touch after high school. She was always so bright - a shining star. I just found out yesterday. It is so sad.
Posted by Margaret Winebrenner on March 29, 2006 4:46 PMGOD BLESS JEANNE AND HER BEAUTIFUL FAMILY.THANK YOU FOR HELPING MY MOTHER IN LAW JESSICA RICHMOND.REST IN PEACE.
Posted by ANTHONY on August 20, 2008 10:33 PM