Philadelphia Magazine Top Doctors 2008
(Published 04-25-2008, Phillymag.com) Philadelphia Magazine’s Top Doctors issue features a guide to health care in the Philadelphia
area. The comprehensive list features top local doctors and a list of Centers of Excellence, featuring hospitals to go to
for the finest care in different specialties, a new addition this year.
46 Jefferson doctors were featured, as well as hospital appearances in 24 categories in the Centers of Excellence list, selected
for the very highest level of expertise. Dr. Paul DiMuzio, of endovascular surgery, is featured on the magazine’s cover.
The magazine is available at Philadelphia-area newsstands for the month of May as well in an online full-list version, complete
with a searchable database, at PhillyMag.com.
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Philadelphia Magazine
New Drug Duo Helps Cut Colon Cancer Risk
(Published 4-14-08, Washingtonpost.com) A new drug duo might help prevent colorectal cancer, and the powerful new cancer drug
Sutent may slow the progression of liver cancer. So conclude two studies presented Monday at the American Association for
Cancer Research annual meeting in San Diego.
In a third report, researchers from the Kimmel Cancer Center at Jefferson in Philadelphia found that blood pressure-lowering
drugs called angiotensin receptor blockers appear to retard pancreatic cancer cell growth and cause malignant cells to die.
This type of drug is able to inhibit the function of the hormone angiotensin II in the pancreas. The same receptor is found
in pancreatic cancer cells. In laboratory experiments, the researchers found that the drug was able to block the production
of a growth factor called VEGF, which helps spur the growth of tumor blood vessels.
"This is really exciting because the role of this receptor has never been known," lead researcher Dr. Hwyda Arafat said. "The
exciting thing is that this receptor already has so many available pharmaceutical blockers on the market." Ultimately, the
group hopes to be able to test these agents in human trials, she said.
Department of Surgery
Media Coverage
Washingtonpost.com
Austin American-Statesman
HealthDay News
Your Guide to Cancer Treatment
(Published 4-11-08, Philadelphia Daily News) "It's different when it's you," said breast-cancer patient Dorothy Hall, of South
Philadelphia. Since 1991, Hall has been standing strong alongside her mother, Dorothy Sworob, as she toughed out four bouts
of metastatic breast cancer. Originally given just two months, 83-year-old Sworob has now outlived her grim prognosis by more
than 16 years.
Today, Hall is toughing out her own case of breast cancer: a lump that had already spread to one lymph node by the time she
discovered it while lifting some pots in her garden. She has had a lumpectomy, chemotherapy and radiation, which is scheduled
to end today.
Despite an overall survival rate that has climbed to 66 percent, cancer is still the disease that scares people most, said
Dr. Richard Wender, chairman of family and community medicine at Thomas Jefferson University and immediate past president
of the American Cancer Society.
If you or someone you love is grappling with the disease - the American Cancer Society estimates that 70,110 Pennsylvanians
will be diagnosed this year - Wender said it's important to know that times have changed. "We've turned the tide. Death rates
are coming down. They peaked in 1991, and they've been coming down since."
Heroes who are fighting colorectal cancer
DR. EDITH MITCHELL: Crusading physician
In her medical practice at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, Mitchell specializes in colorectal and other digestive cancers,
plus breast cancer. Nationally, she's a leader in the crusade to figure out why black patients' survival rates are lower than
white patients' -- and to fix that.
Heroes who are fighting prostate cancer
DR. MICHAEL LISANTI: Lab leader
Lisanti, a researcher at Jefferson's Kimmel Cancer Center, has won global acclaim for some breakthrough discoveries about
how prostate-cancer cells operate. He's also making strides in breast- cancer research.
Family and Community Medicine
Medical Oncology
Cancer Biology
Urology
Media Coverage
Philadelphia Daily News
Philadelphia Daily News
Philadelphia Daily News
Key Protein Limits Damage of Heart Attack
(Published 3-28-08, Washingtonpost.com) A signaling protein called Gi plays a critical role in protecting the heart during
a heart attack, say researchers at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia.
It was already known that Gi increased activity in a failing heart, but it wasn't clear whether the protein was helping the
heart adapt to damage or if it actually caused more heart cells to die.
In this study, published in the March 18 issue of Circulation, the researchers created mice that lacked a working Gi gene,
simulated a heart attack, and then restored blood flow to the heart. These mice suffered more heart damage than mice with
a normally functioning Gi gene.
"It appears that in this setting, Gi is an important protective mechanism," said Walter Koch, Ph.D., professor of medicine
and director of the Center for Translational Medicine at Jefferson.
"The heart wants to activate Gi and attempt to protect cardiac myocytes from dying. We found that in this acute setting, heart
attacks are bigger when Gi is blocked."
Department of Medicine
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Washington Post
Austin American-Statesman
HealthDay News
Radiation Beams Hit Hard-to-Reach Brain, Spine Tumors
(Published 3-27-08, Courier-Post) Advanced radiation technology is helping doctors cure tumors they couldn't treat before,
usually because the tumors were in hard-to-reach locations such as the brain and spine.
This technology, called shaped beam surgery, molds radiation beams to fit the exact size and shape of a tumor. Doctors can
program the device to target a very specific location in the body. Shaped beam surgery was updated and ready for use in 2004,
but is still only available at a handful of medical centers and hospitals nationwide including Thomas Jefferson University
Hospital in Philadelphia.
"We can sterilize tumors without affecting the normal tissues next to it," says David Andrews, neurosurgeon and director of
the division of Neuro-oncologic Neurosurgery and Stereotactic Radiosurgery at Jefferson. "It increases the therapeutical index.
Usually, to keep the normal tissue happy, the tumor isn't getting enough radiation, but with shaped beam surgery we can use
a much higher dose of radiation because it is targeting a very precise location."
Department of Neurological Surgery
Media Coverage
Courier-Post
Had an Aneurysm? Stop Smoking
(Published: 3-24-08, Philadelphia Inquirer) A history of smoking raises the chance that an aneurysm can recur.
Smoking is a known risk factor for the development and rupture of a cerebral brain aneurysm - a weak, ballooning spot in a
blood vessel in the brain. Now, researchers from Thomas Jefferson Hospital, Drexel University and elsewhere have found that
a history of smoking increases the chance an aneurysm will reoccur after the treatment they examined.
The study looked at records of 110 patients who underwent coil embolization, in which a tiny coil implanted at the weak spot
becomes covered by a blood clot, thus blocking off the aneurysm. After an average of 24 months, tests showed that the aneurysm
was again bulging in 14 men and 32 women. Of these 46 patients, 35 - 76 percent - had a history of smoking. The study, which
appears in the April issue of the Journal of Neurosurgery, was too small to detect whether patients who quit smoking after
coil embolization reduced their risk of aneurysm recurrence.
Department of Neurological Surgery
Media Coverage:
Philadelphia Inquirer
Reuters Health
MedPage Today
How much savings in daylight saving?
(Published 3-8-08, Philadelphia Inquirer) It’s the second year of a national experiment to save energy with an earlier start
for daylight saving time. The theory: If we're awake for more of the daylight, we’ll have the lights on for less time. So
if we start it sooner - four weeks earlier this year - we might save even more.
One thing researchers do know, on the other hand, is how the time shift affects one of our most primal regulatory systems:
the body clock. There’s an impact whether we “spring forward” on the first Sunday in April or, as we do this year, on the
second Sunday in March, said George Brainard, a professor of neurology at Jefferson Medical College.
The annual switch has the potential to affect our bodies in two ways, said Brainard, a leading expert on the impacts of light
on the body's daily rhythms. First, many people, rather than curtailing their waking activities, will simply lose an hour
of sleep tonight, he said.
Second, some people may experience mild forms of the sort of malaise that comes with jet lag, Brainard said. That’s because
our physiological clocks take their cues from sunlight, via special cells in the eye. These cells relay messages to the brain
about when to adjust hormone levels and rev up the body for the day's activity. “Light is such a powerful stimulus, even though
it's often below our level of consciousness,” Brainard said.
Department of Neurology
Media Coverage
Philadelphia Inquirer
Better Test for Colon Cancer Spread
(2-29-08, 6ABC) The nation’s colon cancer experts met today at the Kimmel Cancer Center at Jefferson to exchange information
on the latest advances in therapy and imaging. One major step forward discussed today is a new test being developed to determine
how far colon cancer has spread.
Dr. Scott Waldman, a clinical pharmacologist and one of the developers, says the test looks for a protein called GCC that
is a marker for colon cancer. If GCC shows up in lymph nodes at the cancer site, doctors know whether chemotherapy is needed
or not.
“If you have disease that’s confined to the intestine, typically you don’t need treatment with chemotherapy.”
Dr. Waldman says this new test is much more sensitive than what’s used now. He notes, “While a pathologist's eye can detect
1 cancer cell in 200 normal cells, this test can detect as little as 1 cancer cell in 1 to 10 million normal cells.”
Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics
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6 ABC
Migraine Relief
(Published: 2-19-08, CBS 3) Migraine sufferers know how debilitating the pain can be. For some, the pain is almost never ending.
But now there is hope as new devices are hitting a nerve and putting a stop to the agony.
"We now have a new treatment for somebody whom nothing has ever helped in the past," said Dr. Stephen Silberstein, Director
of Thomas Jefferson University's Headache Center. He is overseeing a study looking at using nerve stimulators to end migraines.
Jefferson Headache Center
Department of Neurology
Media Coverage
CBS 3
Weighty Evidence
(Published: 02-16-2008, Science News) Obesity’s link to cancer should come as no surprise. Signs of that relationship began
to emerge two decades ago. In the late 1980s, laboratory researchers found connections between cancer and insulin—one of the
major hormones that responds to obesity. While the findings got little attention then, today at least a half-dozen companies
are developing cancer drugs that interfere with the hormone's cousin—insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1).
If clinical trials find that dampening IGF-1 shrinks tumors in cancer patients, scientists will have not only a new kind of
cancer drug but also a new source of insight into the interplay between body weight, metabolism, and cancer.
In the late 1980s, laboratory researchers demonstrated that IGF-1 might have a role in cancer. Tumor cells were found to contain
the IGF-1 receptor. In 1989, experiments with mice showed that blocking the receptor with an antibody could stop tumor growth.
“A cancer cell has to have the IGF-1 receptor,” says Renato Baserga of the Kimmel Cancer Center at Thomas Jefferson University
in Philadelphia, one of the field’s pioneers. “If not, it cannot grow.”
Department of Cancer Biology
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Science News
Environmentally Friendly Headache
(Published: 2-7-08, CBS 3) We depend on lighting, it's everywhere. Now new age, energy efficient light is all the rage.
It helps the environment and can save you money. Being green is in.But light is a known migraine trigger, and the new energy
efficient light bulbs emit a different kind of light. "I'm beginning to hear more people complain. Everybody has a different
sensitivity," said Dr. Stephen Silberstein, a headache specialist at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital.
Jefferson Headache Center
Department of Neurology
Media Coverage
CBS3
Grow Your Own Replacement Parts
(Published: 2-6-08, CBS News) About 98,000 people are on a waiting list for transplants right now. Many of them will die
before they get one. Now, a new generation of researchers is changing that, one cell at a time. CBS News, in the first in
a two-part series on the innovative field of regenerative medicine, reports on a clinical trial at Thomas Jefferson University
Hospital in Philadelphia, a patient got a bladder transplant -with a new bladder grown from her own cells.
Department of Urology
Media Coverage
CBS News
CBS 3
Sinus Buster
(Published: 2-1-08, CBS 3) Dr. William Young of Jefferson University Hospital's Headache Center, discusses how a sinus
spray containing peppermint and capsacin, may help stop migraines.
Jefferson Headache Center
Department of Neurology
Media Coverage
CBS 3
Major Headache? Seven Common Migraine Triggers
(Published: 1-23-08, ABCNews.com) Dr. Steven Silberstein, director of the Jefferson Headache Center, discusses some of the
common triggers for migraines, with ABC News.
Department of Neurology
Jefferson Headache Center
Media Coverage
ABCNews.com
Implant to Fight Epilepsy
(Published: 1-20-08, 6 ABC) Drugs developed in recent years have been a big help in controlling epileptic seizures. But what
if something could forecast, and largely stop, those seizures? That's the promise of a device now in tests at Jefferson Hospital
for Neuroscience.
Jefferson Comprehensive Epilepsy Center
Department of Neurology
Department of Neurological Surgery
Media Coverage
6 ABC
Jefferson Scientists Make Progress Studying Cancer Gene
(Published 1-19-08, KYW Newsradio) Scientists in Philadelphia are making progress in understanding a group of genes known
to predict which cancer tumors will be aggressive and likely to spread.
Dr. Steven McMahon, associate professor of Cancer Biology at Jefferson Medical College and Jeffersonbs Kimmel Cancer Center,
says that understanding what genes do can help scientists treat or cure cancers. His group has been studying one gene which
is part of a sequence of 11 known to predict which tumors will be aggressive and spread quickly. His group discovered that
the gene makes an enzyme.
Within a few years we might have very specific drugs that attack the activity of this enzyme and turn it off in those forms
of cancer that are highly aggressive and prone to relapse and metastasize.
Cancer Biology
Media Coverage
KYW Newsradio
Sleep Apnea Surgery
(Published 1-14-08, Ivanhoe) Imagine waking up not once or twice, but dozens, or even hundreds of times overnight. People
who suffer from sleep apnea may not remember the sudden awakenings, but they still take a serious toll on their health. "We
know that people with sleep apnea have a higher mortality rate than people who do not have sleep apnea," says Karl Doghramji,
M.D., Medical Director of Jefferson Sleep Disorder Center in Philadelphia, Penn.
Sleep Disorders Center
Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior
Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine
Media Coverage
Ivanhoe TV
ABC 12 (Michigan)
Competence and Capacity in Alzheimer's Disease
(Published 1-11-08, Legal Intelligencer) Dr. Barry W. Rovner, director of clinical Alzheimerbs disease research at the Farber
Institute for Neurosciences at Thomas Jefferson University, discusses how to assess whether a person with Alzheimer's disease
have sufficient capacity, or competence, to execute legal documents.
Currently, five million people in the United States have AD and their number will triple in the next three decades. This will
confront lawyers with frequent questions about their clients' competence regarding testamentary capacity, powers of attorney,
guardianship, contracts and financial management.
Farber Institute for Neurosciences
Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior
Department of Neurology
Media Coverage
Legal Intelligencer
Jefferson Specialists Perform High Tech Surgery to Safely Remove up to 75 Percent of Cancerous Livers
New surgical tools spare transfusion, cut recovery time in half
(Published 1-10-08, Ivanhoe) Transplant surgeons at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital (TJUH) are using a new method called
“bloodless” liver resection to safely remove up to 75 percent of the largest organ inside the human body. The technique is
improving patients’ odds and cutting recovery time in half.
Cataldo Doria, M.D., Ph.D., director of the Division of Transplantation at TJUH, and associate professor of Surgery at Jefferson
Medical College, has performed hundreds of liver procedures. But his two newest surgical tools are making an amazing difference
for patients with localized liver cancer and other liver diseases.
Dr. Doria removed 60 percent of patient Beng Lin's liver using the new technique. Lin was up and walking around 24 hours
after surgery.
"I guess I consider myself one of the lucky ones," Lin says.
Doctors say he had such a speedy recovery because he lost virtually no blood during the procedure. Instead of using a scalpel
to cut the liver tissue, Dr. Doria is now using a new device called a cavitational ultrasonic surgical aspirator, or CUSA,
to aspirate or suck out diseased liver cells. Another surgeon follows immediately with a second tool called a TissueLink.
Hot, sterile water flows through the tip of this probe and seals the blood vessels upon contact.
Six months after surgery, Lin is cancer-free and feeling better than ever.
Click on the links below for more information on the procedure and new surgical tools being used at Jefferson.
View the video
Media Coverage
Ivanhoe Broadcast News
WPTV-TV (West Palm Beach, FL)
MSNBC.com
USAToday Online
News 8 Austin
Research Yields Clues to Recurrent Prostate Cancer
(Published 01-02-08, HealthDay) Cancer researchers have identified a link between a cellular signaling protein and the hormone
androgen that could play a role in hormone-resistant prostate cancer.
According to researchers at Jefferson’s Kimmel Cancer Center in Philadelphia, the protein Stat5 is turned on in almost all
recurrent prostate cancers that are resistant to hormone therapy. Writing in the January issue of Cancer Research, the researchers
also reported that Stat5 could work with cellular receptors for the hormone androgen in cases of recurrent prostate cancer.
“These findings validate Stat5 as a potential drug target in prostate cancer, and in particular, in a form of prostate cancer
for which there are no effective therapies,” said Marja Nevalainen, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor of cancer biology.
Cancer Biology
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HealthDay
Washington Post
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
UPI
Pain Management
(Published 01-01-08, ABCNews.com) Eugene Viscusi, M.D., Director of Acute Pain Management Services, Thomas Jefferson University
Hospital, is featured this month on ABC News' web site project "On Call," responding to questions about common pain problems
and how to treat them.
Department of Anesthesiology
Media Coverage
ABCNews.com
ABCNews.com
Reading Hospital surgeons applaud robotic assistant
(Published 12-27-07, Reading Eagle) The newest member of Reading Hospital's surgical team has never worn scrubs, attended
college or graduated from medical school. The hospital has joined a growing list of hospitals worldwide to acquire a surgical
robot called daVinci to help surgeons work. The machine's $1.5 million base price puts robotics surgery out of financial reach
for many hospitals, said Dr. Costas D. Lallas, assistant professor of oncology at the Kimmel Cancer Center at Thomas Jefferson
University Hospital in Philadelphia. Lallas has been training Reading Hospital surgeons how to use the daVinci machine.
Department of Urology
Kimmel Cancer Center
Media Coverage
Reading Eagle
Maintaining Routine Can Chase Holiday Blues Away
(Published 12-22-07, U.S.News & World Report) While the Christmas season is a time of joy and celebration for many, it can
trigger holiday blues in some people. If you are prone to holiday blues, there are things you can do to help prevent them,
says Dr. Rajnish Mago, director of the Mood Disorders Program at the Jefferson Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University
in Philadelphia.
Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior
Media Coverage
U.S.News & World Report
Washington Post
Tips to Cure the Holiday Blues
(Published 12-20-07, NBC 10) For many, the holidays mean pure happiness, but too often the holiday blues take over and put
those festive feelings on hold. But there are coping tips that doctors said can make a difference. Dr. Rajnish Mago, director
of the mood disorders program at Thomas Jefferson University, said maintaining a routine is crucial. "Meaning they wake up,
go to bed and eat at reasonably regular times and they are less likely to get depressed because the biorhythm in the brain
remains more stable," Dr. Mago said.
Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior
Media Coverage
NBC 10
Targeted cancer drug poses heart risk
(Published 12-17-07, Philadelphia Inquirer) Another powerful new targeted cancer drug has been found to damage the heart,
prompting researchers to urge that all patients be closely monitored for high blood pressure and heart failure. Pfizer’s Sutent,
approved a year ago to treat a rare stomach cancer and advanced kidney cancer, is the latest in the growing arsenal of molecular-based
therapies that may cause collateral damage. Last year, a small increased risk of heart failure was linked to Gleevec, which
treats a type of leukemia.
“It’s still fair to say many of these agents are less toxic than traditional cancer drugs. They really have revolutionized
the treatment of some cancers,” said Thomas Force, M.D., James C. Wilson Professor of Medicine in the Center for Translational
Medicine and the Division of Cardiology at Jefferson Medical College, who coauthored the new Sutent study and led the earlier
work on Gleevec. “It appears that much of this [toxicity] is reversible if treated promptly.”
Department of Medicine
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Philadelphia Inquirer
HealthDay
Theheart.org/WebMD
Reuters
Boston Globe
Austin American-Statesman
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Advancing on MS: New Drugs and Hopes for a Vaccine
(Published 12-17-07, Philadelphia Inquirer) Barely 15 years ago, doctors could do nothing to change the course of multiple
sclerosis, the disabling neurological disease that strikes in the prime of adulthood. Today, six drugs are approved to decrease
the periodic immune attacks that underlie MS, another six are in final human testing, and dozens more are in development.
Researchers have zeroed in on genetic and environmental risk factors; a common virus may play a role in activating the disease.
And the ultimate goal - regrowing damaged nerves - is no longer a pipe dream. "I think a regeneration process may be available
in the next five to 10 years," said Abdolmohamad Rostami, chair of neurology at Thomas Jefferson University, where researchers
have partially reversed nerve damage in mice. "I'm very optimistic."
Department of Neurology
Media Coverage
Philadelphia Inquirer
Blowing Smoke. In wake of major pot bust, local hospitals say they haven't seen the so-called marijuana "overdoses."
(Published: 12-06-2007, City Paper) When police seized more than $1.4 million in drugs from a City Avenue penthouse last
week, they boasted about the 16 pounds of a potent marijuana strain known as "AK47" that, according to Narcotics Chief Inspector
William Blackburn, put people in the emergency room with overdoses.
Of the hospitals City Paper contacted — Jefferson, St. Joseph's and Penn — none have recorded any cases of marijuana overdose
within the past few months. There are people treated for the effects of marijuana, which, according to Jefferson toxicologist
Paul Kolecki, are limited to increased heart rate and panic attacks, but overdoses are basically impossible.
Department of Emergency Medicine
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City Paper
A Spanking Good Idea?
(Published: 11-15-2007, Jewish Exponent) Spare the rod, spoil the child ... This is going to hurt me more than it hurts you.
So goes an old saying, and a more modern one, about the practice of punishing children by spanking them. But another school
of thought states that spanking is cruel treatment and unnecessary punishment, and that there are other, saner ways to correct
children that don't involve hitting and putting hands on them in a threatening fashion -- calmer ways that achieve the desired
results. Harris Rabinovich, a senior child psychiatrist at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia, said that
some principles set up to raise children are fairly straightforward. "Corporeal punishment is not acceptable since it's negative
reinforcement, not positive reinforcement."
Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior
Media Coverage
Jewish Exponent
Feeling SAD Lately?
(Published: 11-09-2007, Philadelphia Magazine) If leaving the office to sunless skies has you feeling tired and glum, you
may be dealing with a form of seasonal depression.You wake up, it's dark. You leave work, it's dark. It's only 6 p.m. and
you're ready to head home and crawl under the covers. If over the last few weeks you've noticed yourself morphing from your
stay-up-till-dawn summer self to your winter-hibernation, don't-bother- me-I'll-growl-like-an- angry-bear alter ego, you may
be struggling with seasonal affective disorder (SAD). A form of depression, SAD affects those who react negatively to the
dwindling amount of sunlight and the frigid temps of the fall and winter months.
No matter how low you go, feeling better may be as easy as flicking on a switch. "If you're able to hold your job and do normal
activities, but feel a little more tired and sluggish, you might be responsive to light therapy," says George C. Brainard,
Ph.D., director of the Light Research Program and Professor of Neurology at Thomas Jefferson University. Although antidepressants
have also been proven to help SAD sufferers as well, light therapy is the first approach to treating this seasonal slump.
Department of Neurology
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Philadelphia Magazine
Spinal Stem Cells Offer Hope Against Back Pain
(Published: 11-01-2007, WashingtonPost.com) As spinal discs degenerate, cells are lost, and there's a decrease is the ability
to produce water-binding molecules called proteoglycans. Water absorbs force on the spine. The loss of proteoglycans can result
in disc damage and pain. For the first time, researchers have found stem cells within the intervertebral discs of the human
spine. They say it may someday be possible to use these stem cells to help repair degenerating discs in order to treat neck
and lower back pain. "Our next step is to activate these disc stem cells and get them to repopulate the disc and make proteoglycans
and restore the water binding," researcher Irving Shapiro, Ph.D., professor of orthopedic surgery at Jefferson Medical College
in Philadelphia.
Department of Orthopedic Surgery
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WashingtonPost.com
USNews.com
HealthDay.com
Researchers: Hot Spices May Soothe Pain
(Published: 10-29-2007, Associated Press) Devil's Revenge. Spontaneous Combustion. Hot sauces have names like that for a
reason. Now scientists are testing if the stuff that makes the sauces so savage can tame the pain of surgery. Doctors are
dripping the chemical that gives chili peppers their fire directly into open wounds during knee replacement and a few other
highly painful operations. Enter Anesiva's specially purified capsaicin, called Adlea. Experiments are under way involving
several hundred patients undergoing various surgeries, including knee and hip replacements. There's a huge need for better
surgical pain relief," says Dr. Eugene Viscusi, director of acute pain management at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia.
Department of Anesthesiology
Media Coverage
Associated Press
Jefferson Doctor Preserving Hips
(Published: 10-24-2007, NBC 10 News) A Philadelphia doctor is one of just a few in the country preserving hips instead of
replacing them. Doctors say hip replacement is a good procedure, but for young people who don't yet have full-blown arthritis
preserving the joint may be a better option. Javad Parvizi, M.D., is the only specialist in the region performing two new
types of surgeries that treat hip pain and loss of mobility, while preserving the patient's native joint.
Orthopaedic Surgery
Media Coverage
NBC-10 (WCAU-TV)
CBS-3 (KYW-TV)
Expanding - and Unifying Jefferson's New Medical Building is designed to train many Disciplines
(Published: 10-19-2007, Philadelphia Inquirer) Thomas Jefferson University unveiled a new $60 million medical classroom building
and grassy plaza yesterday that it says will form the heart of its campus, foster interdisciplinary learning, and invigorate
a key city neighborhood. The new building, named after Dorrance H. Hamilton, a longtime board member who donated $25 million
for the project, is loaded with simulation settings designed to train teams of doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and occupational
and physical therapists.
Thomas Jefferson University
Jefferson Medical College
Jefferson College of Health Professions
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Philadelphia Inquirer
philly.com
Fox Philadelphia (Ch. 29)
Philadelphia Business Journal
A “Smart Bra” to Find Breast Cancer
(Published: 10-12-2007, ABC.com) Researchers in the United Kingdom say they are moving closer to a prototype for a “smart
bra” that can detect breast cancer. The device incorporates a series of microwave antennae to detect temperature changes in
the breast that point to early stage breast cancer.
The concept is known as thermography, the detection of subtle temperature changes within the breast. Spot elevations in temperature
could denote an increase in blood flow to a developing tumor. But while thermography has been studied as a possible way to
detect cancer, its accuracy is questionable.
“First of all, there are benign growths and nonmalignant inflammatory changes, which also increase blood flow,” said Anne
Rosenberg M.D., clinical professor of Surgery at Jefferson Medical College.
“Thermography has been around for 20 years, but has not yet been sensitive or specific enough to replace traditional imaging,
such as mammography,” Rosenberg said. “This technique of using microwave antennae to pick up and record temperature changes
in the breast, with an alarm if the threshold is exceeded, would need to be validated in a clinical trial to determine whether
it is sensitive or specific with regard to identifying cancers and since not all of these temperature changes will be due
to a cancer.”
Department of Surgery
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ABC NEWS
ABC New York
ABC Houston
New study raises doubts. Annual physicals worth it?
(Published 10-02-07) As a young physician, Mary Ann Forciea was taught to give patients an annual physical exam that included
a chest X-ray. Now 58, the internist shudders to think how many healthy patients were exposed to yearly chest radiation before
doctors concluded that it was pointless and possibly harmful.
These days, doctors are questioning whether the annual physical exam itself is an outdated ritual that wastes time and money.
In the Annals of Internal Medicine, Johns Hopkins University researchers said routine physicals were justified because they
increased the chance that patients would get Pap smears, cholesterol tests, and colon-cancer screening. The exams also reduce
patients' worry about their health.
Some physicians are looking at completely different approaches. At Thomas Jefferson University, researchers increased colon-cancer
screening rates simply by sending information and reminders to appropriate patients. The doctors didn't require patients to
come in for a visit first.
"Does all preventive care have to be delivered in a practice setting?" asked Ron Myers, Ph.D., professor of medical oncology
at Jefferson Medical College and an epidemiologist and colon cancer researcher who led the Jefferson study. "Maybe the role
of the physician could be to link patients to the services they need."
Medical Oncology
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Philadelphia Inquirer
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
HealthDay
Ivanhoe Newswire
Medscape
New Procedure Could Improve Bladders in Spinal Cord Patients
(Published 10-1-07) Urologists at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital are studying a procedure that could improve the bladder
control of adults with spinal cord injuries.
Department of Urology
Media Coverage
KYW Newsradio 1060AM
Trauma Surgeon Pankaj H. Patel M.D., Joins Thomas Jefferson University Hospital
(Published 10/01/2007) Surgeon Pankaj H. Patel, M.D., FACS, who specializes in trauma and general surgery, has joined the
Department of Surgery of Thomas Jefferson University Hospital. He has also been named assistant professor of Surgery, Jefferson
Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University.
Department of Surgery
Division of Acute Care Surgery
Michael J. Vergare named interim dean at Jeff
(Published 9-26-07) Michael J. Vergare has been named interim dean of Jefferson Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University.
He is currently chairman of the department of psychiatry and human behavior. Vergare will succeed Thomas Nasca, who is leaving
to become chief executive officer and executive director of the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education in Chicago.
An expert in geriatric and administrative psychiatry, Vergare will also temporarily be senior vice president for academic
affairs at Thomas Jefferson University.
Jefferson Medical College
Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior
Media Coverage:
Philadelphia Inquirer
New Vitality for Ailing Hips
(Published: 09-07-07) Doctors in the Delaware Valley are offering a new alternative to hip replacement, one aimed at younger,
athletic Baby Boomers who have worn their joints out too soon. The process is called hip resurfacing. Late last year, the
surgery was introduced in the United States and today the results are extremely positive. William Hozack, M.D., Director of
Joint Services at the Rothman Institute at Jefferson, and professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at Thomas Jefferson University,
has performed hip resurfacing on over 25 patients. Like many of them, 45 year old Chuck Foley's activities were severely limited
before surgery. But after the bone preserving procedure, Mr. Foley regained the ability to practice tae-kwon-doe, even kicking
his foot through wooden boards.
Department of Orthopaedic Surgery
Media Coverage:
WPVI-TV (6-ABC)
New Migraine Help for Women
(Published: 08-16-2007, 6ABC) An FDA decision is expected that would allow the drug Frova to become the first to prevent
the migraines that come with a woman's monthly cycle. Headache experts said during a migraine attack the nerves on the surface
of the brain are overly excited. One of the triggers is hormonal that's why more women than men suffer from these debilitating
headaches. And many women, like Jennine Fabioneri, get the worst migraines with their periods. Jennine helped Dr. Stephen
Silberstein of the Jefferson Headache Center test the migraine medication Frova in a whole new way. Instead of waiting for
the menstrual migraine to hit Jennine and other women took a double dose of Frova a couple days before their period and then
regular daily doses for the next five or six days.
Jefferson Headache Center
Department of Neurology
Media Coverage:
6ABC
Consulting may prevent depression after vision loss
(Published: 08-16-2007, Scientific American) Patients with age-related macular degeneration, a frequent cause of vision loss
in the elderly, are less likely to develop depressive disorders in the short-term if they're taught problem-solving skills,
new study findings suggest. However, the benefits don't seem to be maintained over time. Age-related macular degeneration
often leads to "irreversible vision loss, disability, and depression," write Dr. Barry W. Rovner, of Jefferson Medical College,
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and colleagues. However, depression in these patients is rarely diagnosed or treated in during
visits to the eye doctor.
Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior
Geriatric Psychiatry Program
Media Coverage:
Scientific American
Jefferson Medical School Holds ''White Coat Ceremony'' for Freshmen
(Published: 08-10-2007, KYW Newsradio) Thomas Jefferson University medical school's annual "donning of the white coats" took
place Friday morning in center city Philadelphia: first year medical students were initiated into their journey toward becoming
physicians. Jefferson Medical College dean Tom Nasca says the doctors' white coat symbolizes hard work and trust.
Jefferson Medical College
Media Coverage:
KYW Newsradio 1060AM
Lending Support
(Published: 08/07/07, Reading Eagle) Nancy Graffius of Muhlenberg Township, who was diagnosed with an acoustic neuroma in
1994, and was treated at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia, leads a group in Berks County to help others
with the same problem.
Department of Neurological Surgery
Media Coverage:
Reading Eagle
A 3-D View of the Brain
(Published: 08-06-2007, Technology Review) Researchers at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, in Philadelphia, have developed
software that integrates data from multiple imaging technologies to create an interactive 3-D map of the brain. The enhanced
visualization gives neurosurgeons a much clearer picture of the spatial relationship of a patient's brain structures than
is possible with any single imaging methods. In doing so, it could serve as an advanced guide for surgical procedures, such
as brain-tumor removal and epilepsy surgery.
Department of Radiology
Department of Neurosurgery
Department of Neurology
Media Coverage:
Technology Review
Jeff Docs On The Hunt For A Revolutionary Epilepsy Helper
(Published: 08-03-2007, Evening Bulletin) "My condition has made me so limited," Ronnie Gorelick confided, although she's
a mother, wife, artist, teacher and exercise buff. She ran her fingers across her very short hair, tilting her head slightly
to the side. "You can barely tell it's there. It's just a tiny bump. Here, feel it," she half-whispered, still sounding amazed,
though she's probably felt it a hundred times.
It is virtually unnoticeable, but feeling that "tiny bump" on her head leaves no mistaking that there is something quite alien
lying just beneath her skin, something that might give this woman, who has suffered with epilepsy since she was 17, her first
chance to live seizure-free in about 40 years. In May, Gorelick became Thomas Jefferson University Hospital's first patient
to receive the Responsive Neurostimulator System (RNS) implant. She is part of a nationwide study of the new device that may
be capable of predicting and preventing epileptic seizures, which are caused by unusual electrical activity in the brain.
Department of Neurological Surgery
Jefferson Comprehensive Epilepsy Center
Department of Neurology
Media Coverage:
Evening Bulletin
Brain electrode stimulates new life
(Published: 08-02-2007, The Philadelphia Inquirer) Six years after he was mugged while walking home one night -- beaten and
kicked and left for dead, with his skull partway caved in -- a man regained the ability to talk, chew and swallow after slender
electrodes were implanted deep in his brain. The operation described in the new study -- the first such implant in a minimally
conscious patient -- could offer hope for the families of untold thousands who have similar brain injuries. The results are
encouraging, said Ashwini Sharan, a neurosurgeon at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital who was not involved with the study.
Doctors have long told families that there is no effective treatment for brain injuries, he said.
Department of Neurological Surgery
Jefferson Comprehensive Epilepsy Center
Media Coverage:
The Philadelphia Inquirer
Miami Herald
Detroit Free Press
Kansas City Star
Hormones Might Help Treat Colon Cancer
(Published: 08-01-07) A Hormone deficiency is a prime cause of colon cancer, which means that it may be possible to treat
the disease with hormone replacement therapy, a new study suggests.
In experiments with mice, a team at the Kimmel Cancer Center at Jefferson focused on GCC (guanylyl cyclase C), a protein receptor
on the surface of intestinal epithelial cells. They looked specifically at two hormones, guanylin and uroguanylin, which regulate
the growth of intestinal epithelial cells. Reporting in the Aug. 1 issue of Gastroenterology, the researchers found that GCC
helped suppress colon tumor formation in mice.
Study author Scott Waldman, M.D., Ph.D., professor and chair of pharmacology and experimental therapeutics at Jefferson Medical
College, noted that early in colon cancer development, the hormones guanylin and uroguanylin are "lost" and not expressed.
This disrupts the activity of GCC. The finding "converts colon cancer from a genetic disease, which is the way we've all thought
about it, to a disease of hormone insufficiency," Waldman said. "Not only does this give a new paradigm in how we think about
the disease, but it give us a new paradigm for treating the disease -- that is, by hormone replacement therapy."
Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics
Washingtonpost.com
FOX TV 29
Austin American-Statesman
HealthDay
UPI
S.J. Faces: Dr. Yoogoo Kang
(Published: 07-29-2007, Courier Post) Dr. Yoogoo Kang, a Thomas Jefferson University anesthesiologist, was recently honored
by the International Liver Transplant Society, a group he helped found in 1990 while he was working in Pittsburgh. Kang, 61,
of Moorestown was born in South Korea and graduated from Seoul National University School of Medicine in 1971. Today, he serves
on Jefferson's liver transplant team.
Department of Anesthesiology
Liver/Bile Duct/Pancreas Surgery
Courier-Post (NJ)
New brain implant may stop seizures
(Published: 07-27-2007, UPI) A stimulator being tested in a U.S. multicenter trial can target specific areas of the brain
and may be prevent epileptic seizures before they start. "The exciting thing about this device is that, unlike other stimulators
on the market, it only sends electricity to a specific area of the brain and only when it is needed," said Christopher Skidmore,
M.D.. head of study site at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia.
Jefferson Comprehensive Epilepsy Center
Department of Neurology
Department of Neurological Surgery
Media Coverage:
UPI
A salon with a heart, Philly style
(Published: 07-19-2007, The Philadelphia Daily News) YOU KNOW the old Katharine Hepburn film, "The Philadelphia Story"? It's
about a socialite who goes through mayhem while preparing for her wedding at her parents' posh Main Line estate.
It's a great movie. But the title has always bugged me, since there doesn't seem to be much "Philadelphia" in the high-society
tale it tells. A more fitting Philadelphia Story, to me, is the real-life one that Wendy Weinstein has been writing for the
past 20 years.
In 1987, Wendy opened her own salon, called Ground Zero. This was pre-9/11, when the term innocently meant "where an explosion
occurs," which Wendy thought was a cool way to describe the high-energy vibe she wanted the salon to embody. For a while,
Ground Zero was a one-chair shop in the grungy basement of a Powelton Village apartment building. But Wendy soon hired one
assistant, then another, until she had a staff whose backgrounds were a lot like hers.
This Saturday, Wendy is celebrating Ground Zero's 20th anniversary with a gigantic, Philly-style party that will double as
a fundraiser for Thomas Jefferson University Hospital's new breast-care center.
Jefferson Breast Care Center
CancerCare at Jefferson
Media Coverage:
Philadelphia Daily News
Jefferson doctor advances DNA analysis
(Published 07-19-07, UPI) Jefferson Medical College and Johns Hopkins University scientists have shared a U.S. patent on
what might someday become a ubiquitous tool in DNA analysis.
Jonathan Brody, Ph.D., assistant professor of surgery at Jefferson Medical College, and a colleague developed a process that
makes a DNA separation technique called electrophoresis five times faster and less expensive than now possible.
“It turns out that all of the buffers people have been using for 30 years have been the wrong choice,” Dr. Brody said, because
the standard method is more expensive and takes longer.
Surgery
Media Coverage:
UPI
KYW 1060
Hospitals aid quest for sleep
(Published: 07-18-2007, Philadelphia Business Journal) Thomas Jefferson University Hospital has moved its 29-year-old sleep
disorders center into a new $1.6 million home that combines the latest in diagnostic technology with the amenities of a five-star
hotel. "One of the unique features we have is every room has individual temperature controls," said Dr. Karl Doghramji, director
of the center. "Every room is also insulated for sound. That's important because we get a lot of people who snore very loudly."
Sleep Disorders Center
Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior
Department of Medicine
Media Coverage:
Philadelphia Business Journal
A link between race and breast cancer
(Published: 07-10-2007, The Philadelphia Inquirer) Medical oncologists Edith Mitchell, M.D., and Gloria Morris, M.D., both
at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, analyzed breast cancer tumors in more than 2,000 patients. They found that African
American women are more likely to suffer a particularly aggressive and drug-resistant type of breast cancer than are Caucasians.
The findings, to appear in the journal Cancer, are in line with other recent studies, and may help explain a paradox: African American women are less likely than Caucasian
women to get breast cancer, and yet they are significantly more likely to die from the disease. Some of this can be attributed
to black women's lack of access to good screening. “That gap is being closed,” Dr. Mitchell said, “but the gap in mortality
is still widening.”
The researchers hope to use what they have learned to help develop newer drugs to target the more deadly tumors.
Medical Oncology
Media Coverage:
The Philadelphia Inquirer
Dallas Morning News
Newsday
UPI
Physicians skeptical of statin news
(Published: 07-10-2007, News Journal) A report in a New Zealand medical journal suggesting a possible link between statin
drugs and Lou Gehrig's disease needs more study, cardiologists say, before they would consider cutting back on prescribing
the popular cholesterol reducers. "I'm not hearing anything that's going to make me not use them because they've had such
a beneficial impact on patients," said Dr. Matthew DeCaro, director of the coronary care unit at Thomas Jefferson University
Hospital in Philadelphia, about an analysis published last month in the journal Drug Safety.
Department of Medicine
Division of Cardiology
HeartCARE at Jefferson
Media Coverage:
News Journal (DE)
Ground Zero Salon Celebrates 20 Years with Fundraiser
(Published: 07-07-2007, KYW Newsradio) A beauty salon owner is hosting a ball to help launch a new breast care center at
Thomas Jefferson University hospital. Wendy Weinstein of Ground Zero Salons in Philadelphia says the party's at 1425 Arch
Street. And that everyone is invited:
"First and foremost let's just say that it's a big party, so we have a band that's coming in from Chicago. We have a fashion
show with Eagles Cheerleaders and we're going to have fun at doing what we do best which is charity work and all the money
goes to Jefferson Hospital."
BreastCare at Jefferson
Media Coverage:
KYW Newsradio 1060AM
Help Wanted- NOW!
(Published: 07-03-2007, Imaging Economics) The radiologist shortage continues, and it is not going to get better in the foreseeable
future. Professor Vijay Rao, MD, FACR, of Jefferson Medical College and other industry experts discuss the causes of the shortage
and what can be done to fill in the gaps and, with time, fill those empty slots.
Department of Radiology
Media Coverage:
Imaging Economics
Pancreatic cancer marker predicts outcome
(Published: 06-26-2007, UPI) A protein can predict how well a patient with advanced pancreatic cancer will do after surgery,
chemotherapy and radiation, says a U.S. study. Dr. Adam Berger, of Jefferson Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University,
in Philadelphia, found further evidence supporting the ability of protein CA 19-9 to predict how well a patient with advanced
pancreatic cancer will do after therapy. The researchers examined CA 19-9 levels and the survival of 385 patients with advanced
pancreatic cancer who were treated with surgery and subsequent chemotherapy and radiation.
Department of Surgery
Media Coverage:
UPI
Forbes.com
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Possible Migraine Relief
(Published: 06-13-2007, CBS3) About 21 million women suffer from migraines. Over half of them have menstrual migraines, which
can strike every month.
Now a new treatment is helping to prevent those kinds of headaches. According to Jefferson University Hospital headache specialist
Dr. Stephen Silberstein, it's usually taken at the onset of a migraine. "What it does, is it goes to those inflamed nerve
endings and keeps them from being activated," Dr. Silberstein.
Jefferson Headache Center
Department of Neurology
Media Coverage:
CBS3
Obesity adds to post-op pancreatic risk
(Published: 06-05-2007, UPI) Obesity may contribute to a greater likelihood of post-operative complications for patients
having pancreatic surgery, U.S. researchers found. The study of 202 pancreatic surgeries from 2000 to 2005 indicates obese
patients had an increased time on the operating table, blood loss, length of hospital stay and rate of serious complications
compared to normal weight individuals, according to Dr. Adam Berger, of Jefferson Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University
in Philadelphia.
Department of Surgery
PANCREATIC CANCER AND RELATED DISEASES PROGRAM
Media Coverage:
UPI
Earth Times
Doctor's Guid e
Race And Breast Cancer
(Published: 06-04-2007, CBS 3) A recent study has shown that African American women are more likely to die from breast cancer
than Caucasian women. The new study blames socio-economic difference because African American women have less access to health
care. "It was disheartening news, but not surprising," said Dr. Anita Wilkes, a radiologist at Thomas Jefferson University
Hospital.
Department of Radiology
BreastCare at Jefferson
Media Coverage:
CBS
5K Walk/Run in Philadelphia Raises Money for Stroke Research
(Published: 06-03-2007, KYW Newsradio) It's a medical condition commonly associated with the elderly, but younger people
can suffer the devastating effects of a stroke too. On Sunday, hundreds of people will participate in the 5K 'Strides for
Stroke' walk in Center City. Thomas Jefferson University Hospital neurologist and stroke specialist Dr. Rodney Bell says age
is still a factor, but age doesn't necessarily mean an older age.
Department of Neurology
Acute Stroke Center at Jefferson
Media Coverage:
KYW Newsradio 1060AM
The Changing Science of Pain
(Published: 05-28-2007, Newsweek) Millions of aging boomers and the latest generation of wounded soldiers hope the secrets
of our most enduring medical foe can finally be unlocked.
Some of the most promising pain treatments of the past decade have turned out to be disappointments. Studies of some radiofrequency
therapies show they work no better than placebos. Spinal-fusion surgery, a recent review found, has "no acceptable evidence"
to support it There's not even any "single drug or technology alone" that can treat all the types of pain, says Eugene Viscusi,
director of acute-pain management at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia. Most people need two or three therapies
in combination
Department of Anesthesiology
Media Coverage:
Newsweek
Helmet Boxing' Dominates Internet Video Sites
(Published: 05-23-2007, CBS3) There is a dangerous new trend gaining popularity among teens and internet video sites called
"helmet boxing." This new sport can be seen on video sites all over the internet, and parents are concerned.In helmet boxing,
kids wear any type of helmet they can get their hands on, and the only rule is to go for your opponents head. Doctors believe
that this activity could cause lifelong damage. "Going to the point of unconsciousness is particularly disturbing," said Dr.
Joseph Tracy of the Jefferson Comprehensive Epilepsy Center.
Department of Neurology
Department of Radiology
Jefferson Comprehensive Epilepsy Center
Media Coverage:
CBS3
Robotic Procedure Improves Survival for Prostate Cancer Patients
(Published: 05-22-2007, Washington Post) Using robotic technology to perform laparoscopic radical prostatectomy (LRP) surgery
may improve survival rates for prostate cancer patients, a new study suggests.
Prostatectomy involves removal of the prostate gland and some of the surrounding tissue.
Urologic oncologists at the Genitourinary Cancer Center at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, in Philadelphia, compared
50 men who had robotic assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy (RALP) and 197 men who had conventional LRP.
Department of Urology
CancerCare at Jefferson
Media Coverage:
Washington Post
Austin American-Statesman (Tx.)
HealthCentral
Courier-Post (South Jersey)
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Missing Mammograms
(Published: 05-14-2007, CBS3) A growing number of women are risking their lives by not getting screened for breast cancer.
A new study from the American Cancer Society found too many women are skipping the annual screening. Radiologist Dr. Annina
Wilkes of Thomas Jefferson University Hospital said while researchers aren't sure why women are skipping mammograms there
are a few theories.
Department of Radiology
CancerCare at Jefferson
Media Coverage:
CBS3
Migraines and Heart Defects
(Published: 05-07-2007, 6ABC) The heart & brain may be connected in an unexpected way. And researchers at Thomas Jefferson
University Hospital are seeking volunteers to help them study the connection.
Headache specialist Dr. Stephen Silberstein, and cardiologist Dr. David Fischman are studying whether a small heart defect
could be the cause of some peoples' migraines.
Department of Neurology
Department of Medicine
Jefferson Headache Center
Jefferson Heart Institute
Media Coverage:
6ABC
Drug reduces work productivity lost to migraines
(Published: 05-03-2007, Reuters) Preventive treatment with topiramate (Topamax) is associated with a reduction in lost productivity
due to migraines, researchers report.
Using data from two trials, Dr. Jennifer H. Lofland, of Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, and colleagues examined
whether topiramate use was associated with improved workplace productivity among patients with migraine headaches.
Patients included in the trials had a physician diagnosis of migraine and experienced 3 to 12 migraines per month. As part
of the trials, the subjects completed a 5-item survey for each migraine attack, which includ
