Joan Zaslow’s guide to beating cancer (page

By Leslie McMann | Photo: Staci Brimer

Joan Zaslow prefers to be called an optimist, not a cancer survivor. Born in New York City and raised in Miami Beach before moving to New Orleans for college, Joan was brought up to always try to see the good in any situation.

Joan’s glass half full perspective served her well when in 2014, her dental hygienist spotted a precancerous lesion on her tongue.

As a former English teacher, docent and attorney turned sculpture artist plus active philanthropist, the irony of a tongue cancer diagnosis was not lost on her. “I’ve always been doing something that calls for speaking,” Joan said.

Thanks to the excellent care of Ochsner’s Head and Neck Surgical Oncology department, led by Brian Moore, MD, Joan has been cancer-free since 2016.

Seeking a second opinion

Dissatisfied with the care from her initial doctor, Joan sought a second opinion at Ochsner. The Head and Neck Surgical Oncology department is one of the leading treatment centers in the Gulf South region, specializing in minimally invasive techniques and treatments designed to preserve quality of life.

“The minute I walked in, I knew I was home,” Joan said of her first visit to the treatment center.

It was there that she first met Dr. Moore, whose personable approach to cancer treatment has kept Joan a patient at Ochsner to this day: “He has my best interest at heart, which I’m telling you, I just appreciate so much.” Patient-centered care

Dr. Moore proposed surgically removing the cancer using a procedure called partial glossectomy. “They took out a small area on the right side of my tongue. I’ve had foot surgery and bone surgery. I’ve never had such pain as tongue surgery,” Joan recalled. Recovery from head and neck surgery can be quite painful—even swallowing can bring discomfort. But the bedside manner of Dr. Moore and his surgical team—and the post-operative care they provided—helped make Joan as comfortable as possible.

“[Dr. Moore] is kind and he’s empathetic and he’s patient. You never feel rushed. You feel like you’re the most important person in the room,” Joan gushed.

And Dr. Moore has no shortage of kind things to say about treating Joan these past years: “The ability to have relationships over time with wonderful people like Mrs. Zaslow is one of the main reasons that I went into head and neck surgical oncology—and these relationships and the ability to positively impact patients are why I remain clinically active despite my other responsibilities around Ochsner Health,” he said.

Joan must keep monitoring her tongue for signs of cancer, so Dr. Moore can intervene should it return. “We have a great relationship with her dental team, including Dr. Kitrina Cordell of the LSU Dental School,” Dr. Moore said.

Thankfully, Joan remains cancer-free —which she credits entirely to Dr. Moore’s surgical expertise and rigorous follow-up. “He saved my life. I mean, if he didn’t treat me the way he did and get it right away and continue to watch me?”

Losing speech, but not heart

Even when her biopsy at Ochsner revealed cancerous squamous cells, Joan was focused on recovery, not her disease. Following surgery, her primary concern was the loss of function in her tongue and the effect on her speech. “When they take a little piece of your tongue out, it changes the way you talk,” Joan explained. “And my last name is ‘Zaslow’, but I couldn’t pronounce my S’s or my Z’s.” Speech pathologist Yvette Peevey taught Joan to pronounce her name again. Paying it forward

Joan is as active now as she always was before her cancer diagnosis: “I don’t want to sit still and play cards,” she said.

Joan is on the board of several philanthropy groups supporting performance, music and arts education in the New Orleans area. She also creates sculptures, some of which she donates to auctions for charitable causes or to public institutions, such as the New Orleans Ballet Association, and she recently took up Zumba.

Joan’s experience at Ochsner inspired her to donate to the Head and Neck Surgical Oncology department. Her goal? To directly support Dr. Moore’s continued research. “It became very personal. I think the world of him and also his staff,” she said. “I’m so grateful for the incredible care they give me.”

Joan’s dedication to her community is apparent in all her work.