cancer

The Center for Liver Disease and Transplantation Announces New Appointments

by Columbia Surgery on January 20, 2012

NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital has a distinguished track record for liver transplantation and features a team of world renowned leaders in the field. The Center for Liver Disease and Transplantation offers a seamless integration of medical, surgical, radiological, and support services — using both deceased and living donor liver tissue, and minimally invasive laparoscopic techniques whenever possible.

Founded in 1998, the Center for Liver Disease and Transplantation at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center is one of the first liver programs built from its inception as a multidisciplinary unit. As of July 2011, the Center had performed more than 1,400 liver transplants, including over 200 living donor transplants. NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center’s strong hepatobiliary program was bolstered by the addition of adult liver transplantation to its services in 2010.

Together these programs provide compassionate, individualized care to a wide variety of patients, combining exceptional care with the most innovative approaches for expanding access to liver transplantation to reduce the mortality of patients on the waiting list.

Alyson Fox, MD, NewYork-Presbyterian/ Weill Cornell Medical Center

Alyson Fox, MD

Alyson Fox, MD

Dr. Alyson Fox earned her BA in Public Health at the Johns Hopkins University prior to attending the Mount Sinai School of Medicine. She completed her residency in Internal Medicine at NY Presbyterian Weill Cornell Medical Center, where she served as assistant chief resident. She completed her Gastroenterology fellowship at the University of Pennsylvania. While at Penn, she completed a Masters in Clinical Epidemiology and served as chief fellow. She completed her advanced fellowship training in Advanced Transplant Hepatology at the University of California, San Francisco and was named clinical fellow of the year by the department of medicine.

Dr. Fox’s clinical practice is focused on the management of patients with a variety of liver diseases including viral hepatitis, alcoholic and non alcoholic fatty liver diseases, inherited liver diseases and liver cancers. As a transplant hepatologist, she has advanced training in the management of end stage liver disease and caring for patients both pre and post liver transplantation. Her research area is focused on issues related to organ allocation and complications of portal hypertension.

Elizabeth Verna, MD, NewYork-Presbyterian/ Columbia University Medical Center

Dr. Elizabeth Verna

Elizabeth Verna, MD

Dr. Elizabeth Verna, Assistant Professor of Medicine, earned her BA in Biology at the University of Virginia prior to attending the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons for medical school. She completed her Internal Medicine residency at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital and then served as a Chief Resident before remaining at Columbia for Gastroenterology and Advanced/Transplant Hepatology fellowships.

While in fellowship, she also completed a Masters in Biostatistics at the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health.

Dr. Verna’s clinical practice includes the management of patients with a variety of liver diseases with a focus on viral hepatitis and liver transplantation as well as the new emerging therapies for hepatitis C. She treats patients with liver cancer, alcoholic and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and metabolic liver diseases and has expertise in the management of end stage liver disease. She has an active research program with grant support for the study of hepatitis C in liver transplant recipients and will be actively involved in clinical trials for the treatment of hepatitis C in both the transplant and non-transplant settings.

Julia Wattacheril, MD, NewYork-Presbyterian/ Columbia University Medical Center

Julia Wattercheril, MD

Julia Wattacheril, MD

Dr. Julia Wattacheril graduated magna cum laude from Brandeis University in Waltham, Massachusetts, obtained her MD with high honors from Baylor College of Medicine, did her internal medicine training at the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas and pursued her fellowship in gastroenterology, hepatology and nutrition as well as her Masters in Public Health at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. She joined us last year for her training in transplant hepatology while maintaining an adjunct faculty appointment at Vanderbilt.

Her clinical interests include all aspects of transplant hepatology, general hepatology and gastroenterology with emphasis on metabolic liver disease and obesity. She specializes in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease as well as all forms of hepatitis, chronic liver disease, and liver cancer in addition to liver transplantation. Her research interests focus on hepatic steatosis, insulin resistance and metabolic liver disease in adults. Her current grant concentrates on the proteins and lipids that signal the transition from steatosis to steatohepatitis.

Tagged as: cancer, hepatitis, liver, transplant, Verna, Wattacheril

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Women’s Wellness Series

by Columbia Surgery on January 4, 2012

Making a difference in the lives of women with breast cancer.

It’s one thing to know that we ought to eat a healthy diet and exercise. It’s another to change our lifestyle and put that knowledge into daily practice. And it’s yet another entirely to inspire others to do the same in their lives. But Eileen Z. Fuentes has managed to accomplish all of the above through the Women’s Wellness Series, an inspiring and unique program aimed at helping women with breast cancer to become as healthy as they can possibly be.

When she became a breast cancer patient three years ago, Eileen – an employee of Columbia University — suddenly discovered what it was like to be on the patient’s side of the desk. She recalls that while the care she received at the Breast Surgery Section was wonderful, certain elements of support fell short, even in this world-class institution, and even for a knowledgeable, proactive person like herself. “I wanted to know what else I could do to help recover from breast cancer besides follow the treatments that my doctor advised,” she says. “I knew there had to be things I could do in addition to what my doctors prescribed – things to help become stronger, healthier, or things to alleviate side effects of my treatments, for instance.” She also realized that for patients whose first language was not English, the challenges were even more pronounced. In a personal quest to meet these needs, Eileen independently completed trainings in holistic nutrition and lifestyle modifications, including eating to beat cancer. She also pursued training in patient navigation, with an eye toward helping others by bridging some of the gaps she faced as a patient.

The fruit of her quest has blossomed into the Women’s Wellness Series, a very unique program held at Columbia University’s Clinical Breast Cancer Program for women with (or survivors of) breast cancer. The first series, held October 2010-April 2011, included weekly meetings and monthly yoga classes. Free to all participants, the meetings included many sessions about holistic nutrition, explaining how foods could be used to help prevent cancer. Information was provided in both English and Spanish. “Our goal was to serve underserved women, such as those who could no longer work due to their illness.”

As a survivor herself, Eileen was able to not only share information, but compassion and inspiration. She was able to convey not just why certain foods are good for us, but show the women how they could cook them in their own homes, in ways that taste good. She explains that before attending the series, women from some cultural groups had never been exposed to mushrooms or cruciferous vegetables. So after Eileen presented data from scientific studies about why those foods are so important in fighting cancer, a professional chef demonstrated how to prepare them.

In addition a cooking demonstration, numerous special guests shared their expertise during the six-month series, including a yoga teacher, a chi kung practitioner, a Zumba teacher, members of the Alvin Ailey Dance Theater, a reiki practitioner, a massage therapist, and others. In order to keep the series free for participants, these professionals all provided their services at no charge to the group.

The concept behind the series clearly worked for the women, most of whom continue to stay in touch with Eileen about their progress. “I recently ran into one of the women from our group. She is a low-income person, on welfare, and she was buying kale from the farmer’s market,” says Eileen. “That was fantastic to see.” Indeed, post-series surveys indicate that most of the participants have continued to adhere to lifestyle changes they adopted as a result of the series, such as eating whole foods, including greens in their diets, and exercising – changes that not only have enhanced their well-being now, but could contribute to staying cancer-free in the long term.

The 2012 Women’s Wellness Series will begin in January. Anyone interested in attending the series should contact Kris Smith at 212.342.3911 or ks2666@columbia.edu.

Related Link:
Positive Reinforcement: Women’s Wellness Series for All New York Area Breast Cancer Patients

Tagged as: breast, cancer

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2011 Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Day

by Columbia Surgery on December 20, 2011

This year’s Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Day was the largest and most successful yet, says event organizer Christine Rein. One hundred fifty participants attended the event, which was held Saturday, November 12, 2011 at NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia.

The program provided information about the pancreas and its function, genetics, risk stratification and screening, cancer-therapy breakthroughs, surgical options, cysts, pre-cancerous tumors and more.

Lecture topics included:

  • Surgical Options
  • Genetics & Prevention
  • Cysts & Pre-Cancerous Tumors
  • Current & Future Therapies
  • Epidemiology of Pancreatic Cancer: What We Know About Risk & Prevention
  • Question & Answer Session

Pancreas Center Director John A. Chabot, MD, gave a moving tribute to Peter Stevens, MD, an integral member of the Pancreas Center team who passed away this year. Bob Brown, a pancreatic cancer survivor, also gave an inspiring testimonial.

Although the event was scheduled to end at 3:00 pm, NYP/Columbia faculty stayed and answered attendees’ personal questions for several additional hours.

Learn more about the treatment of pancreatic cancer and diseases of the pancreas by viewing the 6th Annual Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Day Presentations and by visiting pancreasmd.org.

Tagged as: cancer, Chabot, pancreas

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Advances in Breast Surgery: New Tissue Expansion System for Breast Reconstruction Patients Under Study

by Columbia Surgery on November 18, 2011

Jeffrey A. Ascherman, MD, FACS

Jeffrey A. Ascherman, MD, FACS

After the jubilation of beating cancer, many women who seek breast reconstruction have another journey to complete. Before they can receive a permanent breast implant, they must first undergo a process to create the space to house the new implant – a process which can be uncomfortable at times and may take many months.

“Traditionally, women undergoing breast reconstruction have had to endure a long process of inconvenient and sometimes uncomfortable saline injections every 2 to 3 weeks to create a pocket for the permanent implant following a mastectomy,” said Jeffrey Ascherman, MD, Site Chief, Division of Plastic Surgery, NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia. According to some women, this process can also involve a significant time burden, since they must visit their doctor’s office every few weeks for an average of four to six months.

Dr. Ascherman is now the first physician in the United States to be enrolling patients in a study of a new, needle-free tissue expansion method that may allow women to achieve the same preparation for reconstructive surgery in a much easier manner.

The clinical trial at NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia, which was the first center in the U.S. to receive Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval for the trial, involves a novel, needle-free tissue expansion method that eliminates the need for frequent saline injections and office visits. This investigational method first requires implantation of a normal-sized tissue expander device. Once at home, the patient uses a remote-control device to release small amounts of compressed carbon-dioxide from a valve in the expander. In a recent study of the device in Australia, the daily expansion resulted in creation of a pocket in an average of 15 days that was comparable to those created after several months of saline injections. Patients can use the new needle-free technology while at home, at their own pace and comfort level.

The randomized controlled clinical study is designed to directly compare the outcomes of traditional saline expansion method to the investigational, remote-controlled tissue expander. NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia is the only hospital in New York, and one of only approximately ten hospitals in the U.S., to participate. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted an Investigational Device Exemption (IDE) to conduct the study, and the trial has received approval for enrollment by the Columbia University Medical Center IRB.

Eligible patients include non-obese women between 18 – 65 years of age who do not smoke, have not had previous tissue expansion or radiation therapy, and who want breast reconstruction with tissue expansion after mastectomy.

For more information about this trial, see clinicaltrials.gov.

To inquire about enrolling in this study, or to refer a patient, please contact:

Jeffrey Ascherman, M.D.
Site Chief, Division of Plastic Surgery
NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center
Tel: (212) 305-9612

Tagged as: Ascherman, breast, cancer, plastic

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GLOW Magazine Highlights Breast Surgery Expertise at NYP/Columbia

by Columbia Surgery on November 8, 2011

GLOW magazine’s Isabel Stoltzman has just published highly informative interviews with Sheldon Feldman, MD, Chief of the Breast Surgery Section, and Robert T. Grant, MD, Chief of the Division of Plastic Surgery, at NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia.

In ‘The Silver Lining,’ Dr. Grant highlights the latest procedures available to women undergoing surgery for breast cancer, including nipple-sparing mastectomy and the multiple options for reconstruction of the breasts. He describes the ‘silver lining’ in undergoing cancer surgery – the opportunity to recreate breasts that are cosmetically as good as (or even better than!) they were before cancer.

In the second article titled ‘Breast Cancer,’ Dr. Feldman discusses the current state of the field of breast cancer detection and treatment. He describes some of the cutting edge research now underway, such efforts to develop a test for breast cancer involving nothing more than a simple, non-invasive PAP smear of the breast. These and many other research projects of Dr. Feldman’s are discussed in detail in the article.

Together, Dr. Feldman and Dr. Grant address the history of breast cancer treatment, comparing the routine mastectomies of the past with the way recent research allows each patient to receive fully customized care, with a treatment plan that takes into account the stage, size, and location of her specific form of cancer, among other things. They discuss some of the complexities of treating patients who want to have their breasts entirely removed even when it might not be advisable, and, Dr. Feldman summarizes the prevailing thought and research regarding the prevention of breast cancer.

In addition to this objectively useful information, we are also given a moving glimpse of the tragic personal influences that eventually led Dr. Feldman to specialize in breast surgery. “I always say I didn’t choose this specialty – it chose me,” he says. To find out more read the full articles in the Fall 2011 issue of GLOW magazine.

Glow Magazine Fall 2011

Glow Magazine Fall 2011

Tagged as: breast, cancer, Feldman, Grant, plastic

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Profile in Compassion: Sue Mirza Carries Husband’s Legacy, Potentially Transforming the Treatment of Pancreatic Cancer

by Columbia Surgery on November 8, 2011

On first glance, the story may appear cliché; a spouse dies, and the surviving spouse gives to a charitable cause, hoping to confer some measure of permanence to his or her loved one’s memory. Repeated in infinite variations, the uplifting closure softens just a little bit of the survivors’ sadness and pain, and makes a small contribution that lasts a little while before fading.

This time, the story is a bit different. This time, the legacy started by one grieving spouse is fueling research that is already saving lives, and that may be the most important work in pancreatic cancer in the last 40 years, experts say.

Muzzi Mirza was a 46-year-old husband, father of three, and a partner in a private equity firm when he learned he had stage 4 pancreatic cancer in 2005. His diagnosis shattered what his wife, Sue Mirza, called “the perfect life” they were then living in Greenwich, CT. Muzzi began treatment, which included chemotherapy at New York Hospital and consultations at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center. Although Dr. John Chabot and Dr. Robert Fine worked with Muzzi to determine his optimal treatment plans based on their research at NYP/Columbia, there was no structure in place at the time to coordinate patient care in tandem. Instead, Muzzi and other patients had to travel to multiple physicians’ offices for different parts of their care – a burden made even more onerous by their serious illness. According to Sue, “It was clear to Muzzi that this was not the way it should be done.”

Sue Mirza, Dr. John Chabot, Francine Castillo

From L to R: Sue Mirza, Dr. John Chabot, Francine Castillo

Indeed, Dr. Chabot was already laying the groundwork for a comprehensive center dedicated to research and treatment of pancreatic cancer, and had begun discussions about establishing and funding the new Pancreas Center at NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia.

Meanwhile, not only did Muzzi want to improve the way he and other patients received daily care for their disease, but he also wanted to spare other families the same devastation of receiving a pancreatic cancer diagnosis at such a late, largely untreatable stage. He talked with Drs. Chabot and Fine in depth, and he learned about the work Dr. Harold Frucht was conducting regarding genetic causes of pancreatic cancer and methods for early detection.

It became clear that although a cure might be years away, the possibility of early detection and prevention likely held the best promise for successfully reducing mortality from pancreatic cancer in the near term, explains Sue. With his keen business acumen, Muzzi could see that with the right resources, physicians who were working in parallel could together accomplish even more, both in their research and also in optimally treating their patients. “Muzzi could see that the Pancreas Center was a blueprint waiting to happen,” Sue says. “There was a very timely collision of two forces – Dr. Chabot’s in the medical world, and Muzzi’s with his business and fundraising experience.”

His vision and commitment firm, Muzzi pledged one million dollars to the establishment of a program within the new Pancreas Center that would focus specifically on prevention and early detection of pancreatic cancer. His business associates in the Odyssey Partners matched that pledge with another million, and matching funds from a wider circle soon brought the total to about four million, which launched the first five years of the Muzzi Mirza Pancreatic Cancer Prevention & Genetics Program.

In addition, Sue and members of the Odyssey Partners, plus others in the Muzzis’ circle, began the tradition of the fall golf event, an invitational outing held in CT both to celebrate Muzzi’s life and also to raise additional funding for the program. This year’s event on September 19, 2011 brought the total raised to over $400,000 in the five years the event has been held.

With that generous backing, the Muzzi Mirza Pancreatic Cancer Prevention & Genetics Program has coalesced into a dynamic program within the Pancreas Center for the prevention and detection of pancreatic cancer – the first such effort of its kind. Led by Harold Frucht, MD, the program’s comprehensive clinical practice is integrated with a robust research program focused on early detection and prevention. Unique in this country, the program not only pioneers some of the most promising and unique research in pancreatic cancer today, but it quickly translates these research findings to clinical therapies for patients at the center.

At this time, Dr. Frucht and other researchers in the Mirza Program are conducting cutting-edge studies including a trial of stool DNA testing, which shows promise as the first noninvasive test to detect pancreatic abnormalities at a very early stage. Early results are very promising, with tests for DNA mutations in stool samples showing high levels of sensitivity in identifying precancerous lesions such as IPMN (intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm). If further testing bears out this simple method, fecal testing has the potential to become a routine, standard screening method akin to mammography, and would represent an unprecedented improvement in our ability to detect and treat pancreatic cancer. As Sue puts it, “If the test could be developed into something internists used routinely to screen for pancreatic cancer, that would be the ‘home run’ in fighting pancreatic cancer.”

The Mirza Program maintains a registry and tissue bank for individuals at high risk; this invaluable infrastructure facilitates ongoing clinical, basic, and translational research that would not be possible without the availability of sufficient tissue samples, clinical data, and family and epidemiologic information. In addition to the study of stool DNA testing, the tissue bank supports numerous other studies, such as one on a new vaccine for pancreatic cancer. A newly opened trial, led by M. Wasif Saif, MD, is investigating whether a new vaccine, developed specifically to target pancreatic cancer cells, will help to prevent recurrences among patients who have had pancreatic tumors surgically removed.

Yet another important trial, led by Kenneth Olive, PhD, is evaluating the use of a therapy that could extend survival among patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer. This agent, called IPI-926, inhibits the ability of tumors to build protective walls around themselves, which act as barriers to chemotherapy. Inhibiting this process could allow therapies to work far more effectively, and because of its potential, IPI 926 is currently under study as an approach to numerous types of cancer.

These are just a few of the innovations currently underway at the Pancreas Center and the Mirza Program (for more, see the Pancreas Center’s web site and the Department of Surgery blog). Together, these efforts are making inroads into a disease that has remained almost uniformly fatal for the last 40 years. As they have done each year at the fall golf tournament, Drs. Chabot and Frucht have shared stories about how the program has helped to detect patients’ cancers earlier and to save their lives. According to Sue Mirza, those who contributed to the establishment of the Muzzi Mirza program are extremely pleased that they can already see tangible results in such a short time. “My husband firmly believed that supporting research efforts would pay off and help to lower the mortality rate of this disease,” says Sue. “I am thrilled that following through on his wishes is proving to be successful.”

Related Links:
Promising Pancreatic Cancer Trial (IPI-926) Enrolling Patients at Columbia
Pancreatic Cancer Vaccine Trial Opens at NYP/Columbia’s Pancreas Center

Tagged as: cancer, Chabot, clinicaltrials, Fine, Frucht, Olive, pancreas, Saif

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Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Day 2011: Interview with Bonnie Badenchini, Coordinator of the Pancreas Center at NYP/Columbia

by Columbia Surgery on October 25, 2011

Bonnie Badenchini

Bonnie Badenchini

The Pancreas Center will hold its Annual Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Day Saturday, November 12, 2011 at the Vivian and Seymour Milstein Family Heart Center. At this free event, experts from NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, Columbia University Medical Center, The Pancreas Center, and The Muzzi Mirza Pancreatic Cancer Prevention & Genetics Program will provide a free patient education program about screening and early detection of pancreatic cancer.

In the following interview, Bonnie Badenchini, Coordinator for the Pancreas Center, explains the history behind this event.

Question: When was the first NYP/Columbia Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Day held? Why did the doctors and staff decide that an event like this was needed?

Bonnie: The initial group of doctors that would later form The Pancreas Center came together in the mid-1990′s. The medical field was starting to realize that pancreatic cancer required a multi-disciplinary approach that included interventional gastroenterologists, oncologists, and surgical specialists. In 2005, our group at NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia was officially launched as The Pancreas Center.

Dr. John Chabot felt that a forum was needed where findings, new research, and our innovative approaches could be communicated to other NYP/Columbia doctors and the community at large. This meeting could also provide patients and their families an opportunity to speak with Pancreas Center doctors outside the confines of a medical office. So from that need, the first Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Day was planned.

Question: How has Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Day changed over time?

Bonnie: As can be the case with first-year events, it was difficult to get the word out for our first event and attendance was low. But we believed in the purpose and necessity of this event and have proudly watched it grow in attendance to 125 in 2010.

Another important and more exciting difference is our agenda of topics. Today, there are more research studies and clinical trials to discuss. Since our center’s formation we’ve started to address pancreatic cancer prevention and screening techniques, and can provide attendees with the news on our findings in those areas.

We will also discuss the addition to the Pancreatic Cyst Surveillance Program headed by Dr. John Allendorf. With this program we are establishing methods to monitor pancreatic cysts that could potentially turn into cancer.

Question: What differences will attendees see this year compared to last year’s event?

Bonnie: For the first time this year we are going to have a patient speaker. We believe that others who have been touched by this disease will draw strength and support by hearing from a peer. As Dr. Chabot has said, “All a patient with pancreatic cancer and their family have is hope.” Our goal is to provide as much hope as it takes to inspire patients to push through, families to stay strong, and physicians to keep looking for a cure.

Question: What was one of your most inspiring moments at a Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Day?

Bonnie: Every Awareness Day inspires me. I have been with the Pancreas Center from the beginning and have watched this center grow and achieve goals that have affected so many lives. What has touched me the most has not only been the growth in attendees but the increase in number of survivors.

Question: Pancreatic cancer has been in the news recently with the stories of Steve Jobs, Pavarotti and Patrick Swayze. Do you think this is making a big difference in the general public’s awareness of pancreatic cancer?

Bonnie: I do believe this does makes a difference. If the passing of a celebrity from pancreatic cancer helps to make people more aware of it, and they take steps to obtain screening for themselves or loved ones, then some positive effect has happened.

Question: Will those who cannot attend the Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Day be able to see copies of the presentations?

Bonnie: Yes, we will put these on our web site www.pancreascenter.org and post them to our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/pancreascenter. The best thing to do is to “like” our Facebook page. Then our messages will appear on readers’ walls when they are posted.

Question: Is there anything else about the services and facilities within the Pancreas Center that you would like to share?

Bonnie: At the Pancreas Center we know all too well that being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer is devastating for patients as well as their families. We do everything possible to provide the best care for everyone involved with the diagnosis. The staff, nurses, and doctors all work tirelessly to help patients not just survive, but maintain as full and vibrant a life as possible. Meanwhile we continue to strive for the ultimate goal of finding a cure for this disease.

For more information on the Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Day and to register, please visit our Annual Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Day event page. Free parking is available and should be requested at the time of registration.


Interview by Bradley Jobling

Tagged as: Allendorf, cancer, Chabot, pancreas

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Landmark Study Finds CT Screening for Lung Cancer Saves Lives

by Columbia Surgery on October 24, 2011

Lyall A. Gorenstein, MD, FRCS (C), FACS

Lyall A. Gorenstein, MD, FRCS (C), FACS

A recent study funded by the National Institutes of Health found that CT screening reduced deaths from lung cancer by 20%. While it may seem intuitive that screening would help to detect lung cancers and reduce deaths, until now, that had not been definitively proven.

“This is a landmark study,” said Lyall A. Gorenstein, MD, Director of Minimally Invasive Thoracic Surgery at NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Medical Center, who lauded the study’s design and its clear implications for treating patients at risk for lung cancer. Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States, but the merits of screening — whether or not it actually improves patient outcomes – has been a topic of debate for the last 30 years. Dr. Gorenstein believes that controversy has now been settled: “Finally there is conclusive evidence demonstrating that CT screening in patients who are at high risk for the development of lung cancer can significantly lower mortality from the disease.”

The National Lung Screening Trial enrolled more than 53,000 people, current and former smokers, assigning half to receive low-dose CT scans and the other half to be screened by chest x-ray. After eight years the group assigned to receive CT screening had a 20% lower mortality rate than those screened by chest x-ray.

The low-dose CT (computed tomography) screening of the lungs studied in this randomized controlled trial takes from 7-15 seconds of one held breath for a scanner to rotate full circle around the body and compiles that information into images of the chest and lungs. While chest x-rays produce a single snapshot, CT produces a complete 3D image that allows doctors to view cross-sections of the entire lungs, frame-by-frame.

The Thoracic Surgery Section at NYP/Columbia uses CT screening in its High-Risk Lung Assessment Program. Some lung diseases (both cancerous and non-cancerous) that can be detected by CT may have no symptoms early in their development when treatment can be most effective. A hallmark of the High-Risk Lung Assessment Program is its proactive screening of people at high risk for lung disease—a standard that the National Lung Screening Trial has now shown to save lives.

Tagged as: cancer, Gorenstein, lung

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Sharsheret: Serving Jewish Women with Breast Cancer

by Columbia Surgery on October 18, 2011

Sheldon Feldman, MD

Sheldon Feldman, MD

It has been a great pleasure and distinct honor to be involved with Sharsheret for the past decade. I care for a large number of young orthodox Jewish women with breast cancer. In the pre-Sharsharet era, many of my patients felt very isolated and frightened without being able to connect with “experienced” patients who had already walked in their shoes. It seemed a paradox for me that is spite of their deep faith and dedication to Judaism, many women were unable to receive support from their community due to issues of stigmatization and concerns about confidentiality. There was a great deal of misinformation and lack of understanding, particularly relating to the Askenazi “Jewish” breast cancer gene.

With the birth of Sharsharet, I was able to witness first-hand the enormous culturally sensitive support that my new patients could receive. They now can be fully supported by peers and receive medically correct information in a caring way. I have been pleased to be a member of the Sharsharet Medical Advisory Board since 2003. I am firmly committed to helping expand the work and scope of this wonderful organization so as many patients as possible can be helped.

Sheldon Feldman, MD, Chief, Breast Surgery Section at NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia

Tagged as: breast, cancer, Feldman

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Promising Pancreatic Cancer Trial Enrolling Patients at Columbia

by Columbia Surgery on October 18, 2011

Kenneth P. Olive, PhD

Kenneth P. Olive, PhD

NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center is participating in an important trial of a new drug known as IPI-926 that could improve survival outcomes in patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer. Kenneth P. Olive, PhD, Assistant Professor of Medicine and Pathology and member of the Pancreas Center, led the original basic science study that provided the scientific foundation for the clinical use of this drug.

According to Dr. Olive, pancreatic tumors build protective walls around themselves that prevent chemotherapy from getting into the tumor. IPI-926 works by inhibiting a tumor’s ability to build and maintain that wall. With this wall weakened, already existing therapies could prove much more effective, doing more damage to the cancer and less to the patient. If it turns out that other cancers behave in a similar manner, IPI-926 could potentially improve the outcomes of tens of thousands of cancer patients around the world — which explains the excitement that the latest developments in IPI-926 research generated when presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) in early June.

An early trial designed primarily to test the toxicity of IPI-926 in combination with gemcitabine (the national standard-of-care treatment for pancreatic cancer) found a very positive early outcome. In this Phase I-b trial, 31% of patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer had partial responses after treatment with IPI-926 + gemcitabine, which compares favorably with the historical rate of 5% in patients treated with gemcitabine alone. Even more notably, the regimen was extremely well-tolerated with very little additional toxicity over gemcitabine alone.

With these early promising results, Infinity Pharmaceuticals, the company behind the IPI-926 research, is now conducting a larger Phase II trial across 29 institutions to further evaluate the drug’s efficacy. M. Wasif Saif, MD, MBBS, and Dr. Olive are directing the NYP/Columbia arm of this 118-patient, randomized, double-blind trial.

It’s still too early to say what the results of this important study will be, but Dr. Olive believes that the level of hope in the pancreatic cancer research field is higher than it has been in many years. Pancreatic cancer outcomes have scarcely improved in the past 40 years — but that may soon change, he says. “This is an extremely dynamic and exciting time in pancreatic cancer research. There is so much happening right now, and this is one example. There are many other investigative drugs working their way through research pipeline and into the clinical trial process. My level of hope and enthusiasm for a breakthrough in pancreatic cancer is tremendously elevated. We are starting to make inroads against this devastating disease, which has not been true for decades.”

Tagged as: cancer, clinicaltrials, Olive, pancreas

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