BREAKING NEWS!!!
FYI---Papanicolaou Corps---June—July, 2008
(Source--UM Marketing Dept)
The Papanicolaou Corps proudly presented UM/Sylvester Director W. Jarrard Goodwin, MD, F.A.C.C., a check for $4.15 million at the annual donor luncheon.
Clinical trials offer hope when existing medical treatments fail. Trials look to explore ways to improve the comfort and quality of cancer patients. EmergingMed is a for profit company that connects patients with cutting edge clinical trials. UM/Sylvester uses the EmergingMed service.
New research shows that exercise during the teen years, starting as young as age 12, can help protect girls from breast cancer when they are grown.
It is important to know your family health history. Women who have a sister with breast cancer are at high risk throughout their lives, especially those in their 20’s and 30’s.
A chemical reaction in genes that control breast cancer, called methylation, provides a molecular clock that could one day help researchers more accurately determine a women’s risk for developing breast cancer.
George Attia, MD, director of the Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility reports details how genetic fingerprinting can find the most viable embryo in a batch, increasing the odds of success for in vitro fertilization with just one implant. This will revolutionize the practice of IVF and will improve pregnancy rates as well as eliminate complications.
While research suggests that moderate alcohol consumption may have health benefits, heavy drinking increases blood pressure, stiffens blood vessels and causes more rigid heart muscles in men and enlarged hearts in women.
For the first time, more than half of all insured Americans are taking prescription medicines regularly for chronic health problems.
A Spanish study finds that a daily aspirin, taken at bedtime, can control hypertension.
Italian researchers have found that breathing slowly and listening to quiet rhythmic music can help lower your blood pressure.
Cancer survivor and Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong is calling on Congress to renew the nation’s war on cancer.
Consuming large amounts of acrylamide, a chemical found in French fries, snacks and coffee appears to raise the risk of kidney cancer.
Eckard Podack, MD, professor and chairman of the Department of Microbiology and Immunology who has developed a lung cancer vaccine has discussed the increasing growth of the biotech industry in South Florida, despite the overall downturn in the economy. Firms in Florida are actively looking for venture capital.
UM/Sylvester's Well Being/ Well conference was attended by over 650 people and enthusiastically received. The focus was getting people to be more proactive in their own health care. Dr. Deepak Chopra, guest speaker, eloquently discussed the Mind/Body theory of fighting disease. "Believe in the diagnosis but not in the prognosis."
Studies are being done on women who take an aspirin every day to determine if they lower their risk of developing the most common form of breast cancer by 16 percent.
Early use of antibiotics can reverse the damage caused by H. Pylori a common stomach infection. If left untreated this may cause gastric cancer.
A biomarker can spot which lesions are likely to progress and become prostate cancer. This could help men with precancerous lesions avoid unnecessary needle biopsies.
Variant forms of a gene called EGFR increases or decreases survival in someone with colon cancer depending on their gender.
Camillo Ricordi, MD, scientific director of the Diabetes Research Institute, is the chair of a multi-site, international study testing new approaches to transplanting clusters of insulin-producing islets in adults with difficult to control type 1 diabetes. The major goal of this study is to develop therapies in type 1 diabetes patients that will replace the insulin producing cells destroyed by the anti-immune process. This will eliminate the need for insulin injections. Clinical trials will take place and approval is needed by the FDA.
Jesus Gomez, MD, oral and maxillofacial surgeon, and Robert Marx, MD, professor of surgery and chief of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, successfully removed a 12 pound tumor from the face of a young Vietnamese girl. The teenager has a good chance of a normal life.
There have been remarkable advances in survival rates for most cancer patients over the past 20 years. However, survival rates have gone down for patients between 15 and 39 years.
Firefighters face higher than average risks of several types of cancer.
Mark S. Soloway, MD, professor and chairman of urology and leader of the Prostate, Bladder and Kidney Site Disease Group at UM/Sylvester, has been awarded a Presidential Citation at this year’s annual gathering of the American Urological Association. The award is given to someone who has significantly impacted the treatment of urological disorders.
There are some promising drugs being used to treat brain cancer today which will lead to a substantial improvement in survival over the next five years. Avastin seems to shrink tumors and a new pill, Temodar, is showing promise. A “vaccine” which aims to train patient’s immune system to attack the tumor is in experimental stage.
Researchers have developed new reagents, or antibodies, that recognize pancreatic cancer as
well as gastrointestinal cancers. This important discovery may one day lead to earlier detection and treatment.
There is "favorable" long term survival long-term survival after childhood acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Therapeutic improvements are contributing to an increasing population of adults who were treated formerly for childhood cancer.
A study conducted by David Fishbain, MD, professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, found that 1 in 20 patients in pain have had the urge to kill their doctor.
A discussion on international healthcare mentioned that the Miller School and Jackson Memorial Hospital are assets in attracting companies to Miami as well as attracting tourism.
The 72 million Americans who have high blood pressure should own a home monitor and do regular pressure checks, according to the American Heart Association.
Federal health officials will begin monitoring prescription drug by millions of Medicare participants in an effort to identify potential safety problems.
Lifestyle changes such as diet and exercise for people at high risk for developing diabetes, when followed for six years, can actually delay the development of diabetes for 14 years after the programs end.
A hefty dose of so-called “good” bacteria found in yogurts and supplements, help adult gastric-bypass patients lose even more weight.
Japanese researchers say daily use of the drug, pirfenidone, improved the lung function and lengthened the survival of patients with the illness called idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF).
Robert S. Kirsner, MD, PhD, vice chairman of the Department of Dermatology and Cutaneous Surgery, at the Miller School of Medicine, spoke at the Pap Corp Presidents meeting last month and discussed melanoma. Living in the “sun belt” puts us at greater risk to this disease and we must protect our skin with sunscreen at all times, as well as get regular checkups. Melanoma can be genetic or acquired and can cause other cancers, such as lymphoma. Exposure at an early age increases the risk; therefore children should always use sun block. Even dark skinned people can be at risk and should get check ups. Dermatologists can use a dermatoscope or a computer picture if they suspect a lesion. We can help by inspecting our own bodies and letting our doctors know if we see suspicious spots. Sun protective clothing can also help and school playgrounds should be covered with canopies. Low dosage aspirin and CQ10 can help prevent skin cancer.
The acquisition of the private University of Miami Hospital is a great accomplishment for the Miller School of Medicine. It will pave the way for the launch of a powerful brand in educated health care called UHealth—the new University of Miami Health System. UHealth is an 800 person, multi-specialty academic group practice made up of some of the best minds in medicine. The UHealth and UM Hospital master plan will ultimately raise the level of care among all hospitals in South Florida.
University of Miami Health System includes the new full-service hospital, Bascom Palmer Eye Institute and the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center. Additionally, the school has a physician practice in Kendall and has opened physician practices and the newly expanded UM/Sylvester at Deerfield. There are medical practices in Palm Beach County as well as the Miller School’s regional campus on the Boca Raton main campus of Florida Atlantic University. The University of Miami School of Medicine will continue to be affiliated with Jackson Memorial Hospital and deliver top care in all specialties.
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