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About CancerCARE at Jefferson Hospital
Cancer Accolades and Facts
Blood
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Jefferson is home to a new Center of Excellence in the research, diagnosis and treatment of myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS)
offering clinical trials of drugs against MDS which is increasing among the elderly. Myelodysplastic syndrome, is a collection
of disorders where the bone marrow does not produce enough red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. MDS is not considered
a cancer. However, some forms of MDS can progress to acute myeloid leukemia (AML), a type of cancer. It is sometimes referred
to as pre-leukemia.
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Nearly 500 patients have benefited from the stem cell transplant expertise of Jefferson Hospital’s medical oncologists in
Jefferson’s Blood and Marrow Transplant
Program, which recently celebrated the 10th anniversary of its first stem cell transplant.
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Clinical laboratories at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital offer molecular oncology and hematology testing which allow
for faster and more accurate diagnosis and treatment of a variety of cancers and hematological diseases.
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The Director of Jefferson’s Division of Medical Oncology and Blood and Marrow Transplant Program has received the Leukemia
and Lymphoma Society’s Service to Mankind Award for his work toward curing leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin’s disease and myeloma,
citing his contributions to the compassionate care of patients with hematologic malignancies and those undergoing marrow or
stem cell transplant.
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Brain Cancer
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Jeff’s radiation oncologists and neurosurgeons are the first in the region to treat brain tumors with a new form of stereotactic
technology known as the Novalis Shaped Beam Stereotactic Radiosurgery System.
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At the Kimmel Cancer Center at Jefferson, clinical researchers have found that adding stereotactic radiosurgery after whole
brain radiation therapy helps many patients who have cancer that has spread to the brain live longer. Their results were reported
in the journal The Lancet.
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In the greatest advance in treating brain tumors of the last decade, Jefferson neurosurgeons and radiation oncologists pioneered
stereotactic radiosurgery to attack malignant and nonmalignant brain tumors with precisely targeted doses of radiation. They
demonstrated that radiosurgery can destroy benign tumors that cause blindness and improve the quality of life for others with
cancers that have spread to the brain.
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Breast Cancer
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All screening mammograms at Jefferson are performed by certified radiologic technicians and interpreted by experienced mammography
radiologists.
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Jefferson’s breast imaging service performs upwards of 35,000 studies each year - approximately 33,000 mammograms, 2,000
sonograms, 700 needle-guided biopsies of nonpalpable lesions, 150 stereotactic or ultrasound-guided core biopsies, and 500
breast MRI examinations yearly, making it one of the most active services of its kind in the country.
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Jefferson physicians helped write the standards of care for the American College of Radiology accreditation of mammography
centers.
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Jefferson is one of the few pioneers worldwide researching the use of chemotherapy before surgery to shrink tumors and set
the stage for breast conservation.
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Jefferson was one of the U.S. hospitals that helped develop standard radiation dosages for the best therapeutic and cosmetic
results following lumpectomies.
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Jefferson is the area’s only hospital where radiation oncologists use a breathing device called Active Breathing Coordination
(ABC) for patients with cancer in the left breast. ABC protects the heart and other organs from damaging radiation during
treatment.
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View a webcast where Jefferson surgeons perform a modified radical mastectomy and latissimus dorsi reconstruction as well
as review the latest information on breast cancer screening and diagnosis including stereotactic core biopsy and sentinel
lymph node biopsy. Jefferson cancer specialists also provide updates on genetics and risk assessment and cancer support services.
Visit www.JeffersonHospital.org/webcast
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Colorectal and Digestive
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Jefferson is among the nation’s best hospitals for digestive disorders: U.S.News & World Report
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Thomas Jefferson University Hospital’s hereditary cancer testing program, among the most comprehensive in the Delaware Valley,
assesses risk of hereditary colorectal cancer and helps doctors, patients and families understand complex lifestyle and treatment
options for this disease.
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Scientists and surgeons at Jefferson Medical College and Thomas Jefferson University Hospital are working to validate early
findings of a promising test that uses a protein marker to identify recurrence and spread of colorectal cancer to the lymph
nodes.
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Jefferson Endoscopy Unit is one of the largest academic centers on the east coast conducting exciting and leading-edge research
in endoscopic techniques for the treatment of gastrointestinal, pancreatic and esophageal cancers.
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Jefferson’s gastroenterologists wrote the National Standard for proper cleaning and disinfection of upper and lower gastrointestinal
instruments (colonoscopy) between patients.
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Gastroenterologists and radiologists at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital are combining two sophisticated technologies
— ultrasound and endoscopy — to improve cancer staging for gastrointestinal (GI) and rectal cancers.
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You can view Jefferson’s expert colorectal surgeons and other physicians in a webcast: Colorectal Cancer – The facts can
save lives – that alerts the community about colon cancer, the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United
States. Surgeons at Jefferson Hospital offer surgical options for colorectal cancer resulting in excellent cure rates while
preserving normal gastrointestinal function. Log on to www.Jefferson.Hospital.org/webcast
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Gastroenterologists and radiologists at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital are combining two sophisticated technologies
— ultrasound and endoscopy — to improve cancer staging for gastrointestinal (GI) and rectal cancers.
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Surgeons at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital are using a technique to “melt” away cancerous liver tumors. The technique,
called radiofrequency interstitial tumor ablation, promises faster, more specific treatment with fewer side effects and shorter
hospital stays than with standard therapies.
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Gynecologic
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Jefferson Hospital has been ranked among America’s best for gynecologic care by U.S.News & World Report.
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Jefferson’s gynecologic oncologists are members of the Kimmel Cancer Center at Jefferson and often collaborate with other
cancer specialists, especially radiation oncologists. The Division of Gynecologic Oncology members participate as Principal
Investigators with the Gynecologic Oncology Group (GOG), the national cooperative research organization for investigating
new therapeutic approaches.
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In a vaccine technology pioneered by Jefferson scientists Jefferson physician researchers have achieved some positive results
in testing of an ovarian cancer vaccine made from a patient’s own cancer cells.
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Head and Neck
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Jefferson Hospital has been ranked among the nation’s best for ear, nose and throat care by U.S.News & World Report.
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Jefferson Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgeons and Neurosurgeons are performing minimally invasive cranial base surgery and
endoscopic neurosurgery to effectively treat many cranial base and intracranial pathologies previously requiring lengthy invasive
procedures. Improved visualization and access to these difficult lesions have enabled improved resection, preservation of
function, decreased postoperative morbidity, decreased hospital stay and fewer complications. It also allows for improved
revision surgery as well as an opportunity to monitor the skull base for recurrences post-operatively. This minimally invasive
strategy through the nasal passages and sinus cavities requires no external incisions, and patients can often be discharged
within days. The program draws upon the collaboration of a multidisciplinary team effort of neurosurgeons, otolaryngologists,
radiologists, oncologists, radiation oncologists, anesthesiologists, internal medicine physicians, endocrinologists, ophthalmologists,
nurses and rehabilitation medicine specialists. The program utilizes state of the art technology including image guided surgery,
CT/MRI fusion, new instrumentation, and tandem surgery collaboration with Neurosurgery and Otolaryngology – Head & Neck Surgery
and is involved in the development of novel skull base reconstruction techniques and endoscopic instrumentation. A strong
interdepartmental collaboration, initiated by Neurosurgery and Otolaryngology, coupled with tremendous case volume and experience
have made the Jefferson program a leader in the field.
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Jefferson’s Department of Otolaryngology — Head and Neck Surgery is a center for excellence for the management of head and
neck cancer bringing a multidisciplinary approach including radiation therapy, chemotherapy and surgery to the management
of this disease.
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Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy, an innovative radiation therapy at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital promises more
precise treatment for hard-to-reach cancers of the head and neck, spine and several other locations.
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Ophthalmology
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U.S.News & World Report ranked Wills Eye Hospital, Thomas Jefferson University Hospital’s Department of Ophthalmology, as
among the best in the nation for Ophthalmology care for the 17th year in a row.
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Wills Eye Hospital has the largest ocular oncology department in the U.S. and receives patients from around the world.
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Pancreas
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Jefferson Hospital’s Department of Surgery is now led by a renowned pancreatic cancer surgeon, a member of the Kimmel Cancer
Center at Jefferson, who has performed more than 650 Whipple procedures to successfully treat pancreatic cancer with outstanding
results.
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Surgical oncologists are making important treatment advances for all of the following cancers – breast, melanoma, lung, upper
gastrointestinal, pancreas, hepatobiliary, colorectal, and sarcoma. Jefferson also has one of the area’s busiest pancreatic
transplantation programs.
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Prostate
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Radiologists and urologists at the Jefferson Prostate Diagnostic Center are revolutionizing the detection of prostate cancer
with ultrasound technology that localizes the cancer site within the prostate using microbubbles to detect blood flow in the
prostate.
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Jeff’s Department of Urology is the oldest and largest urologic laparoscopy program in the region and the first to perform
laparoscopic radical prostatectomy. It has recently added robotic-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy as a treatment
option. To view this procedure, visit www.JeffersonHospital.org/webcast
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Jeff urologists established the innovative multidisciplinary GU Cancer Center in the Kimmel Cancer Center at Jefferson in
1996 that has served as the model for other centers across the U.S.
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Jefferson urologists and radiologists conducted the first large-scale U.S. clinical trial to learn whether ultrasound combined
with a contrast agent can improve prostate cancer detection.
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Jefferson urologists are one of a limited number of centers in the U.S. testing a revolutionary new way to treat prostate
cancer without surgery using focused ultrasound waves.
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Patients with bladder problems find relief with a sacral neuro stimulator, for which a Jefferson urologist is a training resource
for other physicians nationwide.
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By Richard G. Pestell, M.D., Ph.D., director of the Kimmel Cancer Center
