Academy Award–winning actress and ovarian cancer survivor Kathy Bates spoke at Memorial Sloan-Kettering in observance of National Cancer Survivors Day.
Cancer survivors from Memorial Sloan-Kettering gathered in observance of National Cancer Survivors Day to celebrate milestones in their cancer journey. Events were held at Memorial Sloan-Kettering’s New York and suburban outpatient treatment centers throughout June. Several local outlets covered the events, including Rye Patch and Basking Ridge Patch.
Immigrant Health and Cancer Disparities Service Chief Francesca Gany discussed a survey that found that many doctors with limited Spanish-speaking skills continue to discuss medical care with patients without the use of an interpreter. Dr. Gany said it is OK for doctors to use less-advanced language skills to build a rapport with patients, as long as an interpreter is present.
Leukemia Service Chief Martin Tallman talked about myelodysplastic syndrome, a rare blood disorder, after Good Morning America host Robin Roberts announced that she was diagnosed with the disease. Dr. Tallman also discussed the condition in MSNBC.com.
Memorial Sloan-Kettering ranked number 11 among the top 50 pediatric cancer hospitals in U.S. News & World Report’s annual Best Children’s Hospitals issue. The New York Daily News reported on the rankings.
Epidemiologist and physician Peter Bach authored an essay opining that many doctors will ignore current recommendations to screen for cancer less often and continue to practice as they have been.
Breast Cancer Medicine Service Chief Clifford Hudis commented on data released at the American Society of Clinical Oncology’s Annual Meeting that showed that an experimental new drug called TDM-1 delayed the progression of breast cancer with significantly fewer side effects than traditional chemotherapy. Dr. Hudis was also quoted in ABCNews.com, and medical oncologist Shanu Modi discussed the data in Bloomberg.
Data released at the American Society of Clinical Oncology’s Annual Meeting showed that an experimental new drug, known as an anti-PD-1 treatment, shrunk tumors in patients with several cancers by boosting the body’s own immune system. Immunologist James Allison, whose pioneering work contributed to the first FDA-approved immunotherapy drug ipilimumab (Yervoy™), was quoted. Thoracic Oncology Service Chief Mark Kris also commented on the data in CNN.com and medical oncologist Jedd Wolchok was quoted in Nature.
Epidemiologist and physician Peter Bach explored the growing concern about overtesting and overtreating patients due to increased recognition of risks and side effects.
Medical oncologist Yelena Janjigian was interviewed about her patient, Red Hook movie producer Angelica Strong, who is organizing fundraisers to raise awareness and funds for stomach cancer.
Plastic surgeon Andrea Pusic discussed some women’s initial aversion to breast reconstruction at the beginning of treatment. Only about a third of women undergo immediate breast reconstruction after mastectomy, according to a 2011 analysis in the Annals of Surgical Oncology, with 11.5 percent delaying reconstructive surgery for months or years, and more than half of patients foregoing it altogether.
A study led by molecular epidemiologist Helena Furberg reported the discovery of a gene that predicts smoking behavior. Dr. Furberg noted that the next research step would be to see if currently available smoking cessation medications would work differently in people who carry these genes.
Breast Cancer Medicine Chief Clifford Hudis commented on the connection between obesity and breast cancer risk in postmenopausal women. Cancer researchers believe fat tissue becomes a major source of estrogen, which causes certain types of tumors in the breast to grow.
In collaboration with the American College of Chest Physicians and the American Society of Clinical Oncology, epidemiologist and physician Peter Bach led an effort to develop clinical guidelines for lung cancer screening in smokers. Published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, the guidelines were widely covered by mainstream media, including the Associated Press, Bloomberg, and HealthDay News.
Survivorship Initiative Director Mary McCabe commented on the importance of cancer survivorship programs. She said these programs ensure that cancer survivors receive proper follow-up care and teach survivors how to communicate their needs to their healthcare team.
Medical oncologist Robert Motzer discussed encouraging findings from a phase III study he led comparing the safety and efficacy of two kidney cancer drugs. Dr. Motzer’s team found that patients taking the investigational drug tivozanib were half as likely to need a break from the medication due to side effects as patients taking sorafenib (Nexavar®).
Michel Sadelain, Center for Cell Engineering Director, discussed the burgeoning field of adoptive cell transfer (ACT) as a treatment for cancer. Dr. Sadelain, who is involved in several ACT trials at Memorial Sloan-Kettering, notes that interest in these types of cell-based therapies is growing, but serious hurdles must be overcome if any form of ACT is to become widely available.
