Thomas Jefferson University Hospitals Ranked Best in Philadelphia for Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation in 2008 Survey by U.S.
News & World Report
(Published 7-18-2008) Thomas Jefferson University Hospitals has again been ranked as the top hospital in Philadelphia for
orthopaedics and rehabilitation medicine by U.S. News & World Report in their 2008 Best Hospitals survey. This ranking translates
into the 15th best hospital in the nation for orthopaedic surgery and the 12th best in the U.S. for rehabilitation medicine.
Jefferson Researchers Show Antibody to Breast Cancer-Secreted Protein Blocks Metastasis
(Published 7-8-2008) Scientists at the Kimmel Cancer Center at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia have made a key
discovery about the mechanism of breast cancer metastasis, the process by which cancer spreads. Focusing on a gene dubbed
"Dachshund," or DACH1, they are beginning to pinpoint new therapeutic targets to halt the spread of cancer.
Different Type of Colon Cancer Vaccine Reduces Disease Spread, Jefferson Scientists Show
(Published 6-24-2008) Taking advantage of the fact that the intestines have a separate immune system from the rest of the
body, scientists at the Kimmel Cancer Center at Jefferson in Philadelphia have found a way to immunize mice against the development
of metastatic disease.
Jefferson Researchers Boost Immune “Killer Cells,” Increase Antibody Effectiveness Against Cancer
(Published 4-18-2007) Researchers at the Kimmel Cancer Center at Jefferson in Philadelphia have devised a novel method to
expand the number of immune system “natural killer (NK)” cells from blood cells outside the body. They have found that adding
such cells to anti-cancer therapies involving monoclonal antibody drugs is more effective in killing cancer cells, and perhaps
someday may improve treatments.
PA Breast Cancer Coalition to Give Awards to Scientists at Kimmel Cancer Center at Jefferson
(Published 3-22-2007) The Pennsylvania Breast Cancer Coalition (PBCC) will recognize three researchers from the Kimmel Cancer
Center at Jefferson who have been selected to receive grants through the Income Tax Check-Off for breast cancer research.
Jefferson Scientists Uncover Gene Mutation that Cuts Colon Polyps, May Suppress Cancer
(Published 3-21-2007)Cancer biologists at the Kimmel Cancer Center at Jefferson have found a gene mutation that can dramatically
reduce the number of colon polyps that develop, and in turn, potentially cut the risk of cancer.
Chemotherapy Resistance Testing Needs to Be Studied, Jefferson Lung Cancer Surgeon Contends
(Published 3-16-2007) A study led by a lung cancer surgeon at Jefferson Medical College suggests that oncologists should take
more advantage of laboratory tests that have the potential to help determine a lung cancer patient’s resistance to chemotherapy
drugs. All too often, patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) are given standard chemotherapy drugs after surgery
in a “hit or miss” fashion, without doctors knowing which drugs might have better chances than others to help treat the tumor.
Steps should be taken to validate such resistance tests in clinical trials.
Featured in the Media
Study considers benefits of aggressive treatment for prostate cancer
(Published 12/13/2006, Philly.com) Study considers benefits of aggressive treatment for prostate cancer For years, doctors
have urged older men with early-stage, low-risk prostate cancer to "watch and wait" - skip treatment until tests showed the
cancer was growing aggressively. Now, a new study suggests a significant benefit from treating men over 65 surgically or with
radiation therapy. The study was published in the current issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
"The bottom line of these studies is that . . . there is no one right way to treat prostate cancer," said Leonard Gomella,
chairman of the department of urology at Thomas Jefferson University. Gomella, a surgeon who cares for many men with the disease,
said that a decision to actively treat versus waiting to see if the cancer progresses is intensely individual for patients
and their families.
Media Coverage:
Philly.com
Miami Herald
Mercury News
Kansas City News
Charlotte News
Jefferson Scientists Find Tumor Suppressor Gene Also Protects Against Pre-Cancerous Development
(Published 11-2-06) Cell biologists at the Kimmel Cancer Center at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia have provided
further evidence that a gene thought to play a role in suppressing tumors actually can protect against the development of
pre-cancerous cell growth as well. The researchers say that the gene, caveolin-1 (Cav-1), which they found in two major types
of breast cells, could be a potential target for future drugs aimed at preventing breast cancer.
Jefferson Scientists Show “Dachshund” Gene Reverts Cancer Genes to Normal, Predicts Breast Cancer Prognosis
(Published 10-31-06) Scientists at the Kimmel Cancer Center at Thomas Jefferson University have shown that the activity of
a gene that commandeers other cancer-causing genes, returning them to normal, can predict the prognosis of an individual with
breast cancer.
Featured in the Media
Jefferson Breast Cancer Experts Live on NBC10
(Published 10-17-06, NBC10) Tuesday, NBC 10's HealthWatch team set up a live phone bank from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. to address breast
cancer awareness. The phone bank was manned by six leading experts from Jefferson who answered callers' questions.
Media Coverage:
NBC10
Jefferson Offers a Free Program on Breast Health
(Published 10-11-06) Join Thomas Jefferson University Hospital and the Philadelphia Eagles at a free educational program about
breast health on Tuesday, October 24. The session will be held at the Katz Jewish Community Center, Cherry Hill, from 6 to
8 p.m.
Featured in the Media
Birds Breast Cancer Campaign a Worthy Effort
(Published 9-25-06, Philadelphia Daily News) It was a sobering probability equation.
"There are 16 women in this room" Dr. Richard Pestell of the Kimmel Cancer Center at Jefferson told a group of reporters vesterday
at the NovaCare Complex. "And one in eight will get breast cancer, so two women in this room will get breast cancer before
they are 85."
Media Coverage:
Philadelphia Daily News<<br /> Philadelphia Inquirer
Comcast Sportsnet
phillyburbs.com
Jefferson Scientists Explain Cancer Cell Metabolism Changes
(Published 8-25-06) Scientists at Jefferson Medical College and the Kimmel Cancer Center at Thomas Jefferson University in
Philadelphia have found how a gene can cause a shift in the cancer cell's metabolism, changing its focus from energy production
to proliferation. The findings, they say, may point to new therapeutic strategies against cancer.
Featured in the Media
Pomegranates show promise as cancer fighter
(Published 8-22-06, News Journal) With its exotic visual appeal and ties to the lore of just about every major religion, the
pomegranate has long captured people's imagination. It has been associated with protection, fertility and healing. It even
might have been the fateful fruit in the Garden of Eden that led to Adam and Eve's expulsion from paradise. With that kind
of history -- and a recent entree into the world of the trendy as an ingredient in cocktails and cuisine -- it's little wonder
that the pomegranate is now being looked to for its potential health benefits.
A UCLA study in the July issue of Clinical Cancer Research found that drinking antioxidant-rich pomegranate juice slowed the
progression of prostate cancer. Dr. Costas Lallas, assistant professor of urology at Jefferson Medical College of Thomas Jefferson
University, in Philadelphia, said the study was well-constructed, despite being funded by POM Wonderful juice -- the leader
of the commercial pomegranate parade. Still, Lallas will not change the way he advises patients.
Media Coverage:
News Journal
Jefferson Researchers Find New Potential Drug Targets for Metastatic Breast Cancer
(Published 7-31-06) Cyclin D1, a gene that promotes the development of breast cancer, is providing clues to how breast cancer
spreads, or metastasizes, in the body. By getting a better understanding of the complicated routes by which cancer cells move
about, researchers at the Kimmel Cancer Center at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia are finding new potential targets
for drugs.
Multidisciplinary Brain Tumor Center Opens at Jefferson’s Kimmel Cancer Center
(Published 7-28-06) Taking advantage of a 12-year history of providing the most innovative treatment for patients with brain
tumors, physicians in three departments of the Kimmel Cancer Center at Thomas Jefferson University and Thomas Jefferson University
Hospital have joined together to expand the service.
Featured in the Media
Study: Cancer Risk Not Higher For Women With Breast Implants
Statistics show there has been a 460 percent increase in breast augmentation in the last nine years. But new research out
of a local university hospital found that women with implants do not need to worry that their implants will increase their
risk of getting cancer.
Many women with breast augmentation or implants worry about breast cancer, but a new study from Thomas Jefferson University
Hospital had several reassuring findings.
Media Coverage:
NBC10
CBS3
Thomas Jefferson University Hospital Ranked Best Hospital in Philadelphia for Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation Medicine by
U.S.News & World Report
(Published 7-10-06) U.S.News & World Report this year also ranked Jefferson University Hospital as among the best in the nation in six other specialties – cancer; digestive
disorders; ear, nose and throat; endocrinology; kidney disease; and urology.
Featured in the Media
Mammogram Doesn't Catch All Breast Cancer Forms
(Published 6-27-06, NBC10) Mary Elmer is a nurse practitioner and even she was puzzled about some strange symptoms with her
breast.
"My symptoms were a swelling in my left breast. I also noticed a rash and I had itchiness to the skin on that side," Elmer
said.
Elmer was diagnosed with stage-three inflammatory breast cancer.
"I was told that it was an aggressive form of cancer, so I knew I needed to develop a plan with the help of my doctors to
treat it and beat it," Elmer said.
Inflammatory breast cancer doesn't usually have a lump. Its findings are so subtle that on a mammogram it might be difficult
to see.
Breast surgeon Anne Rosenberg said inflammatory cancer involves the lymphatic system.
Media Coverage:
NBC10
Featured in the Media
No age limit for pancreatic cancer
(Published 6-13-06, UPI) Records of pancreatic surgery performed over the last 35 years at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore
indicate there need be no age limit on the surgery.
Pancreatic-cancer surgeon Dr. Charles J. Yeo, chairman of surgery at Jefferson Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University
and Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia, examined records of nearly 2,700 cases of the standard operation
for pancreatic disease, including cancer.
Media Coverage:
UPI
Semior Journal.com
Jefferson Scientists Identify Gene Mutation Potentially Involved in Breast Cancer Initiation(Published 5-31-06) Researchers at Jefferson Medical College and the Kimmel Cancer Center at Thomas Jefferson University in
Philadelphia and at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York have found evidence suggesting that a mutation in
a gene that normally helps block the formation of breast tumors could play a role in the initiation of a major form of breast
cancer. Featured in the Media
Doctors Perform Brain Surgery Through Nose
(5-23-06, NBC10) Physicians at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital performed brain surgery Tuesday using some of the newest
technology around.
The doctors removed a tumor from a patient without making an external incision in his head or face. They removed a pituitary
tumor through the patient's nose.
Media Coverage:
NBC10
Live on the Web Tomorrow -- Jefferson Surgeons Perform Leading Edge Minimally Invasive Surgery to Remove Pituitary Tumor(Published 5-22-06) Jefferson will host a webcast featuring the newest approach for the removal of pituitary tumors – minimally
invasive endoscopic pituitary surgery. Viewers will also be able to ask questions online of the surgical team during the surgery.
Procedure for Patients at Risk for Esophageal Cancer being studied at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital(Published 5-19-06) A new nonsurgical procedure for people who suffer from Barrett’s Esophagus is being studied at Thomas
Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia.
Featured in the Media
Balancing Painful Swelling With a Desire to Exercise
(Published 5-18-06, New York Times) For almost 20 years, the prevailing wisdom among most doctors has been that breast cancer
survivors at risk of contracting lymphedema — a debilitating, irreversible swelling of one or both arms — should avoid most
upper-body exercise or lifting anything heavier than five pounds. For many women, the stern warnings meant they could not
shop for groceries or even carry their children. Running and walking were safe, but anything that taxed the arms was considered
dangerous.
Women living with lymphedema received the same advice because of the concern that stressing their upper bodies would exacerbate
their swelling, pain and stiffness.
But a study at the University of Minnesota that was released this week contradicts decades of restrictions. It found that
slow, progressive weight training did not increase the onset of lymphedema in breast cancer survivors who had had lymph nodes
removed, nor did it worsen the symptoms of longtime sufferers.
The study also validates what a handful of experts have practiced for years. Dr. Anne Rosenberg, a breast surgeon at Jefferson
Medical College in Philadelphia, said that she has found that patients who vigorously exercise their upper bodies do not necessarily
have adverse effects.
Media Coverage:
New York Times
Director of Kimmel Cancer Center at Jefferson to Celebrate with Cancer Survivors at Annual Event(Published 5-10-06) Richard G. Pestell, M.D., Ph.D., Director of the Kimmel Cancer Center at Jefferson, will be the keynote
speaker at Kimmel’s seventh annual “Celebration of Life” on May 24, 2006. The event will be held from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. in
the Bluemle Life Sciences Building, on campus of Thomas Jefferson University, 233 S. 10th St., Philadelphia.
Noted Cell Biologist Michael P. Lisanti, M.D., Ph.D., Brings Wide-Ranging Expertise to Kimmel Cancer Center at Jefferson15th most frequently cited in biochemistry and biology in the last decade
(Published 5-5-06) With the recent arrival of renowned cell biologist Michael P. Lisanti, M.D., Ph.D., the Kimmel Cancer Center
at Jefferson in Philadelphia can lay claim to the 15th most cited scientist in biochemistry and biology in the scientific
literature in the last decade. Few cell biologists can point to research with such wide-reaching implications as Dr. Lisanti,
who is an expert in the field of caveolae and caveolin proteins, which play roles in the development of cancer, atherosclerosis,
diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease and muscular dystrophy.
“To Make a Difference in Someone’s Life”
(Published 5-1-06) Inspired by her family, her life experiences, her faith and nurse-heroine novels, Nurse Rae Fierro found
her niche in mid-career when she decided to pursue what turned out to be her true life’s work, focused on breast health patients
at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital. Featured in the Media
Jefferson reports advance in fighting cancer
(Published 4-4-06, Philadelphia Inquirer) Scientists at Jefferson Medical College and Jefferson’s Kimmel Cancer Center report
discovering how an enzyme produced by colorectal cancer cells helps them break free and spread to lung, liver and other tissues
in the body. This discovery could possibly lead to new anti-metastasis drugs that work by blocking this enzyme, called matrix
metalloproteinase 9 or MMP-9.
GianMario Pitari, M.D., Ph. D., assistant professor of pharmacology and experimental therapeutics at Jefferson Medical College
and his group reported that in colorectal tumors, not only do cancer cells produce an excessive amount of the enzyme, but
they seem to trigger excessive production by normal stromal cells as well. When the enzyme is blocked, the process is interrupted,
and cancer cannot migrate to other tissue.
Dr. Pitari’s report is in the March 15th issue of Clinical Cancer Research.
Media Coverage:
Philadelphia Inquirer
TimesLeader.com
CentreDaily.com
Featured in the Media
Advances in medicine: New treatments benefit enlarged prostate(Published 4-4-06, News Journal) An enlarged prostate is par for the course among men of middle age and older. And for decades,
surgical removal of the prostate has been the treatment of choice when the condition starts causing problems with urination.
Medical technologies using microwaves and lasers have been introduced in recent years, allowing for less invasive ways to
treat blockage of the urethra caused by the growing prostate.
Enlargement of the prostate, or benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), occurs in about half of men in their 60s and as many as
90 percent in their 70s and 80s. The enlarged prostate can constrict the urethra, which channels urine from the bladder and
out of the body. When this occurs, pressure on the bladder can increase the urge to urinate, even when there's little fluid.
Eventually, the bladder can lose its ability to empty itself entirely. The risk for infection also increases without treatment.
Before medications for BPH were introduced in the early 1990s, about 80 percent to 90 percent of enlarged prostates were treated
by removing the prostate through transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP), said Dr. Leonard Gomella, chair of urology
at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital. Now, with medications and noninvasive alternatives, that number has decreased to
around 20 percent, he said.
Media Coverage:
News Journal
Jefferson’s pioneering Genitourinary Cancer Program Marks 10th anniversary as national modelRenowned specialists from Jefferson and other top institutions to speak at dinner symposium Thursday, April 6
(Published 3-22-06) As one of the first multidisciplinary programs in the United States for patients with genitourinary malignancies,
The Genitourinary (GU) Cancer Program at the Kimmel Cancer Center at Jefferson in Philadelphia will celebrate its 10th anniversary
in April. The Jefferson GU program has evaluated and treated 5,000 patients and, today, serves as a recognized successful
model for the trend in the multidisciplinary approach to GU cancer treatment across the nation.
At Jefferson HealthCARE-Voorhees: Meet Vince Papale, former Philadelphia Eagle, and his colon cancer specialists from Thomas
Jefferson University Hospital(Published 3-14-06) Vince Papale, a former Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver who beat the odds to become the oldest rookie
in NFL history, will share his inspiring life story -- including his triumphant battle with colorectal cancer -- at Jefferson
HealthCARE-Voorhees, on Wednesday, March 29 from 5:30 to 8 p.m.
High Blood Sugar Sets Off Cellular Cascade Leading to Diabetic Retinopathy
Study in Cell Implicates Role of Glucose Metabolism in Angiogenesis
(Published 3-13-06) It is becoming increasingly clear that angiogenesis – the process by which blood vessels form to nourish
cell growth in tumors – plays vital roles in the development of a number of diseases, including cancer and diabetes. In a
recent issue of Cell, a leading scientific journal, a team of scientists including Richard G. Pestell, M.D., Ph.D., director
of the Kimmel Cancer Center at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, has shown a clearer path for the role of high
glucose levels in angiogenesis, and in turn, diabetic retinopathy. Featured in the Media
Breast Cancer Patients Might Not Always Need Lymph Nodes Removed(Published 2-28-06, NBC10) There are advances in breast cancer treatment that are leaving women whole.
In the past, women with breast cancer worried whether they would need a lumpectomy or mastectomy. A lumpectomy is surgery
to take out a lump. A mastectomy removes the entire breast.
These days, when breast cancer is found early with mammograms, many breasts can be spared. In fact, doctors are even able
to save more women from surgery to remove the lymph nodes under their arms. That kind of surgery can lead to some very difficult
complications.
"If the sentinel node can be found and if it is negative, it spares women from having the rest of the axilary nodes removed
-- the nodes under the arm. If the nodes were not removed, it would be very rare for patients to get a fat arm, known as lymphedema
or increased likelihood of infection of the arm," said Dr. Gordon Schwartz, a breast surgeon at Jefferson University Hospital.
Media Coverage:
NBC10
Improved detection, better therapies mean higher survival rates for patients with pancreatic cancerJefferson Conference Feb. 24, 2006 Highlights Latest Treatments, Clinical Trials, Vaccine Research
(Published 2-23-06) On Friday, February 24, 2006, pancreatic cancer experts from around the country will gather at the Kimmel
Cancer Center at Jefferson to discuss the latest in surgery, animal models, clinical trials, treatments and immunotherapy
at this year’s Scientific and Clinical Update on Pancreatic Cancer.
Are You at Risk for Breast Cancer?(Published 2-6-06) Learn what your risk is for breast cancer. Attend a free seminar at Thomas Jefferson University sponsored
by the division of Genetic and Preventive Medicine.
Featured in the Media
Cancer Care Across the U.S.
(Published 1-26-06, ABC News) The ABC News invited cancer centers and hospitals around the country to provide summaries of
their programs or research aimed at helping cancer patients deal with the emotional factors of their disease. These summaries
are designed to help cancer patients and their loved ones identify resources or programs in their city that might be helpful
and to provide a look at what is being offered around the country.
Media Coverage:
ABC News
Surgical Oncologist Eugene P. Kennedy, M.D., Joins Department of Surgery, Thomas Jefferson University Hospital(Published 1-23-06) Surgical oncologist Eugene P. Kennedy, M.D., has joined the Department of Surgery of Thomas Jefferson
University Hospital, Philadelphia. He has also been named assistant professor of surgery, Jefferson Medical College of Thomas
Jefferson University. Featured in the Media
Best of the best
(Published 1-6-06, Medical Imaging) Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, Philadelphia has been ranked among the top ten hospitals
in the United States in the field of radiology by Medical Imaging, a leading national magazine.
The Medical Imaging Industry Top 10 also ranked six Jefferson University Hospital specialists--the only experts in Philadelphia
to be among the honorees. Jefferson University Hospital was ranked third in the nation for radiological services. In addition,
several of Jefferson’s experts were ranked number one in their categories.
Media Coverage:
Medical Imaging
Kimmel Cancer Center at Jefferson hosts 2006 series of workshops to help cancer patients(Published 12-16-05) Kimmel Cancer Center at Jefferson to Host Series of workshops for men, women, breast cancer, and family
related topics.
Live Webcast Will Give Close-up View of Robotic Surgery for Prostate Cancer Offered by Jefferson’s Multidisciplinary Urologic
Cancer Team(Published 11-23-05) Two forms of high technology will join together this January to allow the public and physicians to view
a less invasive surgery for prostate cancer from the comfort of their home or office. Thomas Jefferson University Hospital
will host a live webcast of a radical laparoscopic prostatectomy, on Thursday, January 19, 2006, at 4:30 p.m., using a futuristic,
state-of-the art robotic technology, called the daVinci ® System. The webcast can be viewed at
www.jeffersonhospital.org/webcast.
Jefferson and Delaware Researchers Combine Tiny Nanotubes and Antibodies to Detect Cancer
(Published 11-17-2005) By coating the surfaces of tiny carbon nanotubes with monoclonal antibodies, biochemists and engineers
at Jefferson Medical College and the University of Delaware have teamed up to detect cancer cells in a tiny drop of water.
The work is aimed at developing nanotube-based biosensors that can spot cancer cells circulating in the blood from a treated
tumor that has returned or from a new cancer.
A New Class of Radioprotective Drugs? Jefferson Researchers Find Nanoparticle Shows Promise in Reducing Radiation Side Effects(Published 11-15-2005) Using transparent zebrafish embryos, researchers at Jefferson Medical College have shown that a microscopic
nanoparticle can help fend off damage to normal tissue from radiation. The nanoparticle, a soccer ball-shaped, hollow, carbon-based
structure known as a fullerene, acts like an “oxygen sink,” binding to dangerous oxygen radicals produced by radiation.
Robotic Surgery Latest Treatment Option for Prostate Cancer Offered by Jefferson’s Multidisciplinary Urologic Cancer Team
(11-7-05) Newer technological advances now make it possible for the internationally recognized urologic specialists at Thomas
Jefferson University Hospital to offer another advance in less invasive laparoscopic prostatectomy. The latest tool in their
hands is a futuristic, state-of-the art robotic technology, called the daVinci ® System, that allows them to perform a less
invasive, laparoscopic radical prostatectomy, by using a small, thin tube with a scope on the tip to see inside the body and
remove prostate tissue. Featured in the Media
Noted Georgetown Physician-Scientist Richard G. Pestell, M.D., Ph.D., Named Director of the Kimmel Cancer Center at Jefferson(Published 11-3-05, Philadelphia Inquirer) The announcement that Georgetown physician-scientist Richard G. Pestell, M.D.,
Ph.D., has been named Director of the Kimmel Cancer Center at Jefferson has been reported extensively by national and regional
news media including the Associated Press, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Philadelphia Daily News and Philadelphia Business Journal.
Media Coverage:
Philadelphia Inquirer
Associated Press
Philadelphia Daily News
Philadelphia Business Journal
Wilkes-Barre Times Leader
Pennlive.com
Noted Georgetown Physician-Scientist Richard G. Pestell, M.D., Ph.D., Named Director of the Kimmel Cancer Center at Jefferson(Published 11-3-05) Richard G. Pestell, M.D., Ph.D., an internationally renowned expert in oncology and endocrinology, has
been named director of the Kimmel Cancer Center at Jefferson in Philadelphia. The announcement was made today by Thomas Jefferson
University President Robert L. Barchi, M.D., Ph.D.
Featured in the Media
Breast Cancer Treatment(Published 10-18-05, CBS3(Ch.3)) Medical Reporter Stephanie Stahl tells us about a study underway at a local hospital that
is using special breathing technology to keep patients safer during radiation.
Breast cancer patient Ann-Marie Turner is getting ready to undergo radiation treatment with a new breathing device at Thomas
Jefferson University Hospital.
"You go up for what they call deep breathing and you have to hold your breath for 20-seconds," said Turner.
Turner is testing the active breath coordinator. It helps her hold her breath during radiation to prevent healthy tissues
from being damaged.
"Their chest expands and it actually pushes their breast away from their heart, so therefore the heart doesn't get radiation,"
described Dr. Rani Anne. Dr. Anne, an oncologist at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, says if the heart is affected it
can increase a woman's risk for heart attack.
That is why being able to target only the breast, with the help of the new breathing technique, is very exciting.
Media Coverage:
CBS3(Ch.3)
Featured in the Media
Radiation Damage Reduced(Published 10-11-05, The Intelligencer) Many cancer patients will risk almost anything to stop the disease - including healthy
tissue. That is the predicament with radiation therapy, where surrounding normal cells are exposed to the same radiation levels
as cancerous tumor cells.
That could change, thanks to Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy, which the medical community describes as the most significant
technological breakthrough in cancer treatment in 30 years.
The use of such advanced technology is why continued medical community oversight in necessary, said Walter Curran Jr., M.D.,
professor and chair of radiation oncology at Jefferson Medical College and clinical director of the Kimmel Cancer Center at
Jefferson. He chairs the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group, a national cancer study research group based in Philadelphia.
IMRT is not the same at every center offering it, Curran said. Patients should seek places where doctors have a lot of experience
with it.
Media Coverage:
The Intelligencer
Breast Biopsies(Published 10-3-05, 6ABC (Ch.6)) Thousands of times every year in this area, women undergo biopsies for lumps found in their
breasts. Most will be diagnosed as "benign," and that's a great relief. But "benign" isn't always the end of the story in
"Beating the Odds of Breast Cancer."
About a third of all women who get the diagnosis of a "benign" lump still face a higher risk, according to a new study by
the Mayo Clinic. It all depends what pathologists see in the cells under the microscope. If the cells are non-proliferative,
meaning they aren't growing, there's only a slight risk. If they are "proliferative," or growing, the risk goes up, depending
on family history. The most worrisome group are those whose cells are "proliferative, with atypia."
Breast Surgeon Anne Rosenberg, M.D., of Thonas Jefferson Univ. Hospital says, "When you look at the cell itself, it doesn't
look completely normal. it's not so abnormal that you call it a cancer cell, but it's not normal."
That triples the chance of cancer within 15 years. For Robin, that's meant some tough decisions, including whether to have
a preventive mastectomy.
Media Coverage:
6ABC (Ch.6)
Johns Hopkins surgeon will take over department at Jefferson(Published 9-30-05, Philadelphia Business Journal) A leading pancreatic cancer surgeon from Johns Hopkins Hospital is leaving
the Baltimore medical center to become surgery department chairman at Jefferson Medical College and Thomas Jefferson University
Hospital.
Dr. Charles J. Yeo, chief of the division of general and gastrointestinal surgery at Hopkins, will begin Oct. 1.
Yeo is an internationally known pancreas specialist who has performed more than 600 "Whipple" surgical procedures -- among
the largest number for any doctor in the country -- to remove pancreatic tumors.
Media Coverage:
Philadelphia Business Journal
East Bay Business Times
Pacific Business News
(Published 3-22-2007) The Pennsylvania Breast Cancer Coalition (PBCC) will recognize three researchers from the Kimmel Cancer
Center at Jefferson who have been selected to receive grants through the Income Tax Check-Off for breast cancer research.
