News | DirectConnect | 2010 | 2010-08-20

August 20, 2010

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August 20, 2010

Announcements

Tumor Profiling Service Launched

I am pleased to announce that the Smilow Cancer Hospital Tumor Profiling Lab is open and accepting patient samples for analysis. This is a major step forward in our ability to provide our physicians and patients with access to personalized medicine with information about predicted tumor response to treatment. The lab is currently capable of high throughput genotyping of tumors for 60 mutations, with an initial focus on EGFR, KRAS, BRAF, NRAS, PIK3CA, and PTEN genes, and will increase the number of genes and mutations analyzed over time. Ultimately, the lab will offer full sequence analysis of tumor genomes for all patients treated at Smilow Cancer Hospital.

Led by Jeffrey Sklar, MD, PhD, the lab consists of a senior PhD staff member who is responsible for the daily lab operations, a pathologist to oversee clinical matters associated with the laboratory, and a lab technician who performs most of the test procedures. The technology in the lab uses a TaqMan array system to amplify DNA from tissue samples and simultaneously interrogate that DNA for the presence of mutations, in a single, closed-tube step. New assays now being developed will increase the lab's ability to test for additional mutations in the near future.

The lab is presently concentrating on lung, melanoma, and colon tumor samples and will expand its services to other types of tumors beginning on November 1. Physicians interested in ordering the test for a patient should complete a requisition available through YNHH Pathology Services.

Stacey Stein Joins Yale Cancer Center

Please join me in welcoming Stacey Stein, MD to Yale Cancer Center and Smilow Cancer Hospital. Stacey specializes in the treatment of gastrointestinal malignancies and joins us from NYU Medical Center. She has been appointed as an Assistant Professor in Medical Oncology and will be a member of the Gastrointestinal Cancers Program.

Dosimetry Assessment Now Available for Thyroid Cancer

Patients who require a high dose of Iodine-131 for thyroid cancer treatment are now able to receive a dosimetry assessment to determine the maximum dose they can tolerate in order to avoid potential long-term complications from treatment, such as leukemia or pulmonary fibrosis. Dosimetry assessments improve patient safety and are only available in Connecticut at Smilow Cancer Hospital. Patients at high risk for long-term complications from treatment include those who are scheduled for high-dose therapies (>400 mCi), patients with compromised renal functions or widespread metastatic disease, and elderly patients. David Cheng, MD, PhD, Chief of Nuclear Medicine, directs the program, and patients are seen in the Nuclear Medicine Section on the 2nd floor of Smilow Cancer Hospital. The service also offers a Nuclear Medicine Consultation Clinic on Tuesday afternoons at YPB.

For more information on the Dosimetry Assessment, or to refer a patient for consultation, please contact the Nuclear Medicine Service at (203) 200-5610.

Research in the News

Cancer's 'Addiction' Spurs New Treatment Hopes

Cancer can call upon a bewildering array of genetic tricks to wreak havoc, but Yale researchers, led by Frank Slack, PhD, Director of the Yale Cancer Center Cancer Genetics Research Program, show that the disease can become dependant upon a tiny gene that allows it to adapt and proliferate. The identification of such an "oncogene addiction" within a tumor means that researchers have a potentially new and valuable therapeutic target with the potential to cripple the deadly disease.

Lung Cancer Patients Receiving Palliative Care had Improved Quality of Life, Extended Survival

Integrating palliative care early in the treatment of patients with advanced lung cancer not only improved their mood and quality of life, it also extended their lives. In the August 19 New England Journal of Medicine, investigators report that patients with metastatic non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who received early palliative care along with standard treatment lived more than two months longer than patients receiving standard care only. Metastatic NSCLC is difficult to treat, and patients typically are expected to survive less than one year. Dr. Thomas Lynch is senior author on the paper, which documents the results of a research study done at the Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center.
Learn More >>

Ancient Chinese Herbal Recipe Eases Side Effects of Chemotherapy

A combination of Chinese herbs in use for more than 1,800 years reduced the gastrointestinal side effects of chemotherapy in mice, while actually enhancing the effects of the cancer treatment, Yale Cancer Center researchers report. The formula used in the experiment consists of four herbs, called PHY906, and is based on a herbal recipe called Huang Qin Tang, used historically to treat nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. Yung-Chi Cheng, PhD, Professor of Pharmacology and Co-Director of the Yale Cancer Center Developmental Therapeutics Program, is a leading expert on Chinese Herbal therapies and senior author on the paper.

Notables

Maria Wasko, RN

has been awarded the

Oncology Research Cluster Award for Clinical Excellence at Smilow Cancer Hospital

. Maria was nominated by Jacqueline Dean, along with four of the patients she regularly cares for, for her outstanding preceptor skills, for being a mentor to her colleagues, her collaborative relationship with the care team, and for implementation of evidenced-based care. Her patients praised her clinical skills, compassion, empathy, positive attitude, and great bedside manner. Maria has worked in oncology care for 15 years and has been at Yale since April 2008.

Oncology Nursing Certification Corporation Recognizes Smilow Nurses

The Smilow Cancer Hospital Infusion Center 7 and Hematology Day Hospital have been recognized with a plaque from the Oncology Nursing Certification Corporation for having more than 50% of their nursing staff certified in oncology nursing. Certification validates that these nurses possess the specialized knowledge and experience to provide competent oncology care.

Nurses being recognized include:

Diane Dirzius, RN, OCN

Colleen Earley, RN, OCN

Maureen McGlennon, RN, OCN

Rose Mixon, RN, OCN

Joan Moore, APRN, AOCN

Laura Nemec, RN, OCN

Lee Piccirillo, RN, OCN

Erin Schuling, RN, OCN

Smilow Update

Outpatient Physical Therapy Now Available

The YNHH Department of Rehabilitation Services is now providing outpatient physical therapy services for a wide range of oncology treatment-related needs, including lymphedema, shoulder problems after surgery for breast cancer, and neck, shoulder, and jaw issues related to surgery for cancers of the head and neck. The staff also assists patients who may be deconditioned from surgery or treatment by providing them with a progressive exercise program to help regain strength and endurance.

Each patient receives an individualized treatment plan after an evaluation, which may include manual therapy, exercise, and instruction on home-based programs. For more information about the physical therapy services, or to refer a patient, please call Lou Friedman, PT or Susan Goszewski at (203) 200-6811.

Funding Opportunities

Leslie H. Warner Postdoctoral Fellowships

Yale Cancer Center announces a competition for The Leslie H. Warner Postdoctoral Fellowships to be awarded for one year commencing November 1, 2010 to fellows conducting cancer research in the laboratory of a Yale Cancer Center member. The Fellowships will support innovative basic, translational, clinical, or population-based cancer research. Preference will be given to applicants in early phases of postdoctoral training. Up to four applications will be funded.

Application Deadline:
Wednesday, September 15, 2010 at 4:00 PM

Information and application materials may be obtained by email from Jan Zulkeski.

Connecticut Department of Public Health

The State of Connecticut Department of Public Health is seeking proposals from public and private organizations and community-based agencies to provide cancer survivorship care educational programs for cancer care providers and survivors.

Hope Funds for Cancer Research

The Hope Funds for Cancer Research is pleased to announce a request for research proposals for postdoctoral fellows working in oncology. These 2-3 year fellowships will be awarded to postdoctoral scientists commencing in 2011.

Fellowships will be awarded to scientists who propose to work on highly innovative research projects that challenge the traditional paradigms of understanding the causes, mechanisms, progression, disease markers, or risk factors of the most difficult-to-treat cancers, including pancreatic, lung, liver, sarcomas, esophageal, brain, gastric, and ovarian cancers.

Application Deadline: September 17, 2010 at 5:00 PM

The ASCO Cancer Foundation Improving Cancer Care Grant, funded by Susan G. Komen for the Cure

The Improving Cancer Care Grant will provide funding for research studies that implement and evaluate new ways to solve major problems in quality of, access to, and delivery of health care. Proposals must be focused on developing solutions to current problems, not just describing disparities in care that currently exist. Project Proposals must be research-focused, with specific aims and hypotheses, not a request for support of a program. Proposals are not required to focus on breast cancer, but the study findings must have general applicability to breast cancer care.

A required letter of intent is due September 1, 2010.

Recent Publications

OncomiR addiction in an in vivo model of microRNA-21-induced pre-B-cell lymphoma.

Medina PP, Nolde M, Slack FJ.
Nature. 2010 Aug 8.
Read More >>

Early Palliative Care for Patients with Metastatic Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer.

Temel JS, Greer JA, Muzikansky MA, Gallagher ER, Admane S, Jackson VA, Dahlin CM, Blinderman CD, Jacobsen J, Pirl WF, Billings JA, Lynch TJ.
N Engl J Med. 2010 Aug 19;363:733-742.
Read More >>

Noninvasive assessment of dermal carotenoids as a biomarker of fruit and vegetable intake?

Mayne ST, Cartmel B, Scarmo S, Lin H, Leffell DJ, Welch E, Ermakov I, Bhosale P, Bernstein PS, Gellermann W.
Am J Clin Nutr. 2010 Aug 4.
Read More >>

Polymer nanoparticles containing tumor lysates as antigen delivery vehicles for dendritic cell-based anti-tumor immunotherapy.

Prasad S, Cody V, Saucier-Sawyer JK, Saltzman WM, Sasaki CT, Edelson RL, Birchall MA, Hanlon DJ.
Nanomedicine. 2010 Aug 5.
Read More >>

Errors in Delivery of Cancer Genetic Services: Implications for Practice

Brierley KL, Campfield D, Ducaine W, Dohany L, Donenberg T, Shannon K, Schwartz R, Matloff ET.
Connecticut Medicine, 2010 Aug:74(7):413-23.
Not Available Online

Epidemiological and clinical studies of nutrition.

Gibson TM, Ferrucci LM, Tangrea JA, Schatzkin A.
Semin Oncol. 2010 Jun;37(3):282-96.
Read More >>

hI-con1, a factor VII-IgGFc chimeric protein targeting tissue factor for immunotherapy of uterine serous papillary carcinoma.

Cocco E, Hu Z, Richter CE, Bellone S, Casagrande F, Bellone M, Todeschini P, Krikun G, Silasi DA, Azodi M, Schwartz PE, Rutherford TJ, Buza N, Pecorelli S, Lockwood CJ, Santin AD.
Br J Cancer. 2010 Aug 10.
Read More >>

Impact of Biochemical Recurrence in Prostate Cancer Among US Veterans.

Uchio EM, Aslan M, Wells CK, Calderone J, Concato J.
Arch Intern Med. 2010 Aug 9;170(15):1390-5.
Read More >>

Identification of chemicals and their metabolites from PHY906, a Chinese medicine formulation, in the plasma of a patient treated with irinotecan and PHY906 using liquid chromatography/tandem mass Spectrometry (LC/MS/MS).

Zhang W, Saif MW, Dutschman GE, Li X, Lam W, Bussom S, Jiang Z, Ye M, Chu E, Cheng YC.
J Chromatogr A. 2010 Jul 21.
Read More >>

Axitinib: The evidence of its potential in the treatment of advanced thyroid cancer.

Deshpande HA, Gettinger S, Sosa JA.
Core Evid. 2010 Jun 15;4:43-8.
Read More >>

Inside Yale Cancer Center

Personal Perspective with Dan Boffa

YaleCares

Read the August issue online.

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Cancer Bytes

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Yale Cancer Center Grand Rounds

Video presentations from Yale Cancer Center members are now available online.

DirectConnect Archives

Events

August 20; 1:00 PM

Neuro-Oncology Tumor Board

August 20; 3:00 PM

Hematology/Leukemia Tumor Board

August 22; 6:00 PM

Yale Cancer Center Answers

Research for Novel Ovarian Cancer Treatments

Gil Mor, MD, PhD

August 23; 7:30 AM

Thoracic Tumor Board

August 23; 3:30 PM

Head and Neck Tumor Board

ENT Conference Room

August 24; 8:30 AM

Lymphoma/Stem Cell Meeting

August 24; 4:00 PM

Gastrointestinal Tumor Board

August 24; 4:00 PM

Gynecologic Oncology Conference

621 EP 2nd Floor

August 25; 12:00 PM

Research and Design Clinics: Yale Center for Analytical Sciences

August 25; 4:30 PM

Family Caregiver Support Group

Smilow Cancer Hospital

August 25; 4:30 PM

Breast Tumor Board

August 26; 7:30 AM

Melanoma Tumor Board

August 26; 4:00 PM

Pediatric Tumor Board

646 EP 2nd Floor

August 29; 6:00 PM

Yale Cancer Center Answers

Genetic Counseling

Ellen Matloff, MS

September 7; 12:00 PM

Yale Cancer Center Grand Rounds

Modeling Tumor Heterogeneity in Malignant Melanoma

Marcus Bosenberg, MD,PhD

Yale Center for Analytical Sciences: Bringing Biostatistics Under One Umbrella

Peter Peduzzi, PhD

Submissions

Please submit your recent publication and grant announcements to:

Renee Gaudette

Director, Public Affairs and Marketing

renee.gaudette@yale.edu

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