By Helen K. Kelley In recent years, immunotherapy – a range of cancer therapies that use the body’s own immune system to attack cancer cells – has gained ground as a weapon for fighting many different forms of the disease. We recently spoke with two Atlanta physicians about the promise and the reality of some immunotherapies. Targeted Therapies Block Growth and Spread of ... Continue Reading
Melanoma
By Helen K. Kelley
Melanoma, typically a malignant tumor associated with skin cancer and the cause of the vast majority of skin cancer deaths, can also occur in the eye or any mucous membrane of the body. While the risk of melanoma increases with age, it is one of the most common cancers found in young adults, particularly young women. Georgia is one of the states with the highest incidence of ... Continue Reading
Interventional Radiology
By Helen K. Kelley Interventional radiologists continue to expand the number of diseases and conditions that can be treated with minimally invasive techniques. Atlanta Medicine recently spoke with two Atlanta-area physicians who are performing some innovative procedures for patients with certain types of cancer, spine fractures, neuropathies and more. Image guidance ... Continue Reading
Molecular Genomics and the Advancement of Lung Cancer Therapy
By Dr. Howard Silverboard Contemporary lung cancer therapy requires an understanding of the molecular composition and biologic activity of individual tumor cells. Advances in laboratory technique, characterization of biomarkers and the identification of genetic alterations have facilitated a transformation in the diagnosis and management of patients with lung ... Continue Reading
Treating Melanoma and Sarcoma
By Helen K. Kelley
According to American Cancer Society statistics, melanoma will account for more than 76,600 cases of skin cancer in 2014. Additionally, more than 12,000 sarcomas, a cancer that develops from certain tissues, will be diagnosed this year. A team of experts who comprise the Northside Hospital Cancer Institute’s Melanoma and Sarcoma Program are providing a full continuum of care ... Continue Reading
Exploring The Efficacy of PSA Testing
By Rajesh Laungani, M.D. FACS From ATLANTA Medicine, 2014, Vol. 85, No. 2 To screen or not to screen, to treat or not to treat. The gold standard for prostate cancer screening is for men to undergo both a digital rectal exam (DRE) and a Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) blood test (Figure 1). The debate on prostate cancer continues to revolve around the efficacy and ... Continue Reading
New Approach Achieves Similar Outcomes to Fully HLA-Matched Conventional Donors
by Asad Bashey, M.D., Ph.D. From ATLANTA Medicine, 2013, Transplantation, Vol. 84, No. 1 Hematopoietic (marrow or peripheral blood stem cell) transplants from allogeneic donors (allo-HCT) can cure several hematological malignancies and some non-malignant diseases of the bone marrow or lymphoid system that are incurable with standard therapies. Traditionally, donors for ... Continue Reading
More Precise Blood Test Outperforms Traditional PSA Screen Test
Martin Sanda, MD, a member of the Winship Cancer Institute, chairman of the Emory Urology Department and internationally recognized prostate cancer scientist, delivered news about better prostate cancer diagnosis, at the American Urological Association’s 2013 Annual Meeting. As corresponding and presenting author of the abstract "Prostate Health Index (phi) for Reducing ... Continue Reading
Liver Transplantation with Curative Intent for Hepatobiliary Malignancies
By Marty Sellers, M.D., F.A.C.S. and Harrison Pollinger D.O., F.A.C.S. From ATLANTA Medicine, 2013, Transplantation, Vol. 84, No. 1 Liver transplantation (LT) has matured to a highly successful treatment option for patients with advanced cirrhosis. More than 50 percent of patients undergoing LT 10 years ago are alive today, and non-LT-related factors are the most common ... Continue Reading
Living Kidney Donation, Paired Kidney Exchange Transplants, and Donor Safety
By Miguel Tan, M.D., MSc, FRCSC and Joshua Wolf, M.D. From ATLANTA Medicine, 2013, Transplantation, Vol. 84, No. 1 Despite significant advances in kidney transplantation outcomes over the last decade, the number of transplants performed remains constrained by the limited number of available kidney donors. Nationally, the number of deceased kidney donors has stagnated ... Continue Reading
Breast Cancer Update
By Colleen Austin, M.D. and Lynn Baxter, M.D. From ATLANTA Medicine, 2012, Women's Health, Vol. 83, No. 1 The diagnosis and management of breast cancer has evolved dramatically since the declaration of the War On Cancer 40 years ago and especially during the past decade. In addition to the developments in diagnosis and treatment, there has been a major paradigm shift in ... Continue Reading
New Clinical Trial to Focus on Stage IV Pancreatic Cancer
The Cancer Center at Northeast Georgia Medical Center (NGMC) is offering a new clinical trial for patients with previously untreated Stage IV pancreatic cancer. All patients enrolled in this clinical trial will receive the standard chemotherapy used to treat pancreatic cancer and some will receive chemotherapy in combination with a novel monoclonal antibody called bavituximab. ... Continue Reading
Moderating the Effects of Obesity on Liver Cancer Progression
A hormone produced by fat cells could be a tool for diagnosing and treating liver cancer, scientists at Emory University School of Medicine have shown. Fat cells secrete a variety of hormones, some of which can have tumor growth-stimulating effects. However, scientists have dubbed adiponectin a “guardian angel” hormone because it appears to protect against the effects of ... Continue Reading
Fighting Cancer by Collecting Biospecimens
Biorepository Alliance of Georgia for Oncology September 2009 Clinicians in Georgia can make an important contribution to cancer research by supporting and advocating for the collection of biospecimens from their patients. When patients undergo surgery to remove a tumor or part of a diseased organ, any specimen not needed by pathologists for diagnosis, can be saved ... Continue Reading
Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemoperfusion
September 2008 Patients in the advanced stages of ovarian cancer have new hope in a technique now offered at Northside Hospital in Atlanta. The hospital has expanded its cancer care program with the addition of hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemoperfusion (HIPEC). Until recently, treatment options for patients with advanced cancer of the ovary included surgery and ... Continue Reading
