Archive for the ‘Osteosarcoma Treatment Centers’ Category

Huntsmans give another $41 million to Huntsman Cancer Institute; donation fills patient with hope

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Posted 23 Apr 2011 — by James Street
Category Finance and Politics of cancer research and treatment, Foundations, genetic research, Human osteosarcoma research, Osteosarcoma Treatment Centers, Research Centers
Published: Friday, April 22, 2011 12:09 a.m. MDT

SALT LAKE CITY — Jon M. and Karen Huntsman gave $41 million in their fight against cancer on Thursday.

The latest donation to the Huntsman Cancer Institute comes on top of $300 million the couple has given to the institute since its founding in 1995.

“Except for my family and faith, there is no cause more important to me than fighting cancer,” Huntsman said in a statement Thursday. “I have committed the rest of my life to doing all I can to support clinical and research efforts to eliminate this disease.”

It’s a message that fills 26-year-old Daniel Hedlund with hope. He’s undergoing treatment of osteosarcoma at the institute. This is the cancer’s second return since his diagnosis three years ago.

“I think of all the good that money will do. Holy cow, how many more people can be treated? How many more research trials can be run because of this one man?” he said.

Hedlund was diagnosed three weeks after his marriage to his wife Melanie. All told, he’s spent 103 nights in the cancer hospital. “My wife’s been at my side for every one of them.”

The beauty of the Huntsman Cancer Institute, he said, is that it provides the latest advances in cancer treatment in an environment that nurtures the body and spirit.

After Hedlund’s diagnosis at age 23, he went to the Huntsman Cancer Institute for a second opinion. “As soon as we were there, we knew it was where I needed to be,” he said.

The institute has a unit that specializes in the treatment of sarcoma, which is a cancer of the bone and soft tissue.

It also has beautifully appointed patient rooms and provides meals in a room service type arrangement. “When you’re taking chemo, your stomach is fickle. Something that sounds good might not sound good in 10 minutes. Jon Huntsman understands that. He caters to that aspect of cancer.”

Much of the money the Huntsmans have contributed to fighting cancer has been invested in the cancer institute and hospital. But the family has also committed resources to hire — and retain — some of the nation’s top researchers and clinicians. Considerable resources have also been devoted to genetic research programs as well as educational and wellness programs for patients.

The HCI has been designated as a National Cancer Institute, meaning it meets the highest standards for cancer care and research. It is also a member of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, a nonprofit alliance of the world’s leading cancer centers.

Hedlund counts Huntsman, a cancer survivor himself, as a hero.

Hedlund recently underwent another round of chemotherapy. He said he knows his odds of survival fall each time the cancer reoccurs but he’s undaunted by statistics.

“Statistics don’t take into account my determination. They don’t take into account my faith. They don’t take into account my will to live. That’s a completely different story,” he said.

When giving the inaugural gift of $10 million to form the cancer institute back in 1993, Huntsman said, “We view this gift as but a down payment to the end objective of whipping this dreaded disease.”

Huntsman has made good on that promise, something that buoys Hedlund’s optimism for the future.

“It gives me hope. It increases the odds they’ll find a cure one day,” he said. “Even if they don’t find a cure, it increases the quality of care I receive right now.”

Huntsman Cancer Institute Milestones

1993: Jon M. and Karen Huntsman donate $10 million to the University of Utah to establish a cancer institute.

1994: HCI receives custodianship of the Utah Population Database, a resource for biomedical researchers that contains health and vital statistics records from several generations of Utah families.

A High Risk Breast Cancer Clinic is established to conduct research into genetic causes of breast cancer.

1995: The Huntsman family pledges $100 million to construct a state-of-the-art cancer center.

1996: HCI breaks ground for a new 231,118-square-foot research, treatment, and education facility.

1997: HCI joins the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, a not-for-profit alliance of the world’s leading cancer centers.

Familial Colon Cancer Clinic established to research genetic causes and inheritance patterns of colon cancer.

1999: HCI building is dedicated; Patient Care Center opens.

2000: Jon M. Huntsman pledges $125 million to fund cancer research and construct the Huntsman Cancer Hospital.

2001: Special Populations Outreach to minority communities established.

Familial Melanoma Research Clinic established to conduct research into genetic causes and inheritance patterns of skin cancer.

2002: Sarcoma Array Research Consortium established to study molecular genetics of rare soft tissue and bone tumors.

Familial Pancreatic Cancer Registry opens, aiming to discover a genetic cause of pancreatic cancer.

2003: National Cancer Institute awards HCI $12.5 million grant to identify colon cancer genes.

2004: Huntsman Cancer Hospital opens, featuring first full-field digital mammography unit, first PET/CT imaging unit, and first facial prosthetics lab in the Intermountain West.

2005: HCI and Intermountain Healthcare join forces to create the Huntsman-Intermountain Cancer Care Program, opening research opportunities to advance cancer care.

2006: Cancer Clinical Research Database established.

2007: Cancer Center member Mario Capecchi, PhD., wins Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine for gene targeting research.

Utah Blood and Marrow Transplant and Myeloma Program opens, combining clinical research with patient care to offer a unique and promising approach to the treatment of multiple myeloma.

2008: Major hospital expansion begins.

HCI and Intermountain Healthcare Cancer Services announce research alliance that links records found in the Utah Population Database to IHC medical records.

2009: Jon M. and Karen Huntsman establish five Presidential Professorships in Cancer Research to commemorate HCI’s 10th anniversary.

2010: The National Cancer Institute renews HCI’s designation as a Cancer Center; the only such designation in the Intermountain West.

HCI is awarded $12.2 million to identify and test new ways to prevent, detect and treat colon cancer.

2011: Pediatric Late Effects Clinic established, the first in the Intermountain West to treat adult survivors of childhood cancer.

Huntsman Cancer Hospital Expansion opens.

Source: Huntsman Cancer Institute

Email: marjorie@desnews.com

UCI’s Dr. Bang H. Hoang, colleagues recognized for bone cancer research

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Posted 11 Mar 2011 — by James Street
Category Lung Metastases, Metastases, Osteosarcoma, Osteosarcoma Treatment Centers

March 11th, 2011

UC Irvine’s Dr. Bang H. Hoang and colleagues have been presented the 2011 Kappa Delta Ann Doner Vaughan Award for their work advancing the understanding of how bone cancer spreads.

The award, which comes with a $20,000 grant, was announced at the recent American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons annual meeting. Since 1950, it has been considered one of the most prestigious honors bestowed by the AAOS and the Orthopaedic Research Society.

“Osteosarcoma is an aggressive cancerous bone tumor that appears primarily in children and is prone to spread from its primary location,” said Hoang, a surgeon and researcher at UC Irvine’s Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center. “By understanding and explaining the underlying mechanisms for tumor progression, we hope eventually to develop therapies benefiting patients with sarcomas that are currently untreatable.”

Though osteosarcoma can be treated in 60 percent to 70 percent of patients, the five-year survival rate for those who relapse is only 20 percent. With no significant change in bone cancer survival rates for the past two decades, Hoang sought to understand how inhibiting the Wnt pathway – a network of proteins linked to the progression of cancer – might suppress tumor growth and metastasis.

This work is reflected in his study, “Toward Novel Therapeutic Intervention for Osteosarcoma: Clinical Implications of the Wnt Pathway,” co-authored by UC Irvine Drs. Yi Guo and Xiaolin Zi, as well as former UC Irvine Dr. Randall F. Holcombe.

Provided by University of California – Irvine

Radio-Guided Surgery A Safe And Simple Way To Remove Potentially Cancerous Nodules In The Lung

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Posted 03 Mar 2011 — by James Street
Category Lung Metastases, Metastases, Osteosarcoma Treatment Centers, Surgery, Thoracic Surgery

28 Feb 2011

Using tiny spheres of radioactive liquid to guide surgeons as they remove potentially cancerous material in the lungs is safe and more effective than other techniques, Italian researchers report at the European Multidisciplinary Conference in Thoracic Oncology (EMCTO), 24-26 February 2011, Lugano, Switzerland.

Dr Luca Bertolaccini, Dr Alberto Terzi and colleagues from Santa Croce e Carle Hospital in Cuneo, Italy, studied a technique known as radio-guided surgery in 19 patients. Each of the patients had been found to have ‘single pulmonary nodules’ in their lungs.

Single pulmonary nodules are solitary abnormalities in the lungs that are smaller than 3 cm in diameter. Improvements in scanning techniques such as computed tomography mean that these very small nodules are becoming more commonly found.

If such nodules are found to be malignant, then surgical treatment to remove them should be undertaken immediately, Dr Bertolaccini said. “The problem is that such lesions are usually peripheral, making bronchoscopic approaches to diagnosis unsuccessful, while the accuracy of CT-guided biopsy is hindered by the small diameter and by the patient’s respiratory movements during the exam.”

“Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) is nowadays the procedure of choice if we want to surgically biopsy and remove peripheral lung nodules. However, the use of VATS is limited by the difficulty in localizing small, deep, or non-solid lung nodules where direct finger palpation may not be possible during surgery.”

Using radio-guided surgery appears to overcome these problems, the researchers found. First they inserted a needle into the lung to reach the lesion or the lung tissue surrounding it. A CT scan carried out while the needle was in place confirmed its exact position.

Next, they injected a solution of 0.3 ml of microspheres of human albumin serum labeled with Technetium (99mTc), an element that is often used for medical tests. After injection, they used another CT scan and a technique called gamma scintigraphy –which visualizes the gamma radiation being emitted by the radioactive isotope– to confirm precise staining of the nodule.

During surgery to remove the nodule, the researchers used a gamma detector probe to ensure they had removed all the radio-labeled tissue.

The researchers found that the technique was able to localize nodules in all 19 patients. On average it took 6 minutes to detect the nodule with the gamma probe.

Further analysis of the tissue that had been removed showed that it was a primary lung cancer in 8 cases, and a secondary lesion in 4 cases. The remaining 7 patients were found to have benign nodules. There were no complications during or after surgery.

This study shows that radio-guided surgery is a safe and simple technique for localizing single pulmonary nodules, Dr Terzi said. “Radio-guided thoracoscopy seems to be an effective procedure with fewer complications and failures than other techniques.”

Commenting on the study, Dr Eric Lim, Consultant Thoracic Surgeon, Royal Brompton Hospital and Senior Lecturer, National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College, London, who was not involved in the study, said: “Dr Bertolaccini reports an innovative method to localize nodules that can be difficult for the surgeon to identify during routine surgery.”

“This technology supports the current practice of video-assisted thoracoscopic lung resection as surgeons continuously strive to reduce incision size, pain and length of stay to increase the acceptability of surgery for lung cancer,” said Dr Lim.

Source:
Vanessa Pavinato
European Society for Medical Oncology

Article URL: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/217657.php

Main News Category: Cancer / Oncology

Also Appears In:  Lung Cancer,  Radiology / Nuclear Medicine,

Matthew Steensma, M.D., took a circuitous path to find his niche in orthopedic oncology

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Posted 06 Feb 2011 — by James Street
Category Osteosarcoma, Osteosarcoma Specialists, Osteosarcoma Treatment Centers, Research Centers

By: Billie Noakes
Saturday, February 05, 2011

Dr. Steensma represents a unique professional alliance between Spectrum Health, the Van Andel Research Institute and Michigan State University College of Human Medicine.

Matthew Steensma, M.D., received his medical degree from Wayne State University School of Medicine. He completed his internship and residency at Grand Rapids Medical Education Research Center/Michigan State University and was fellowship trained in musculoskeletal surgical oncology at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York. While at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, Dr. Steensma was subspecialty trained in surgical and clinical treatment of sarcomas and other orthopedic-associated malignancies. He has special interest in treating musculoskeletal tumors of the extremities, pelvis and spine.

“I intended to practice family medicine because I value the long-term relationships that develop in that type of practice,” says Dr. Steensma. “As I progressed through my medical training, though, I discovered a love for surgery, and then, I was drawn to basic scientific research.”

Last fall, Dr. Steensma was hired as part of a professional alliance between Spectrum Health, the Van Andel Research Institute (VARI) and Michigan State University College of Human Medicine (MSU). As a result, he can satisfy all three of his interests.

He is in medical practice as part of the Spectrum Health Medical Group (SHMG); his orthopedic oncology practice is located in the Lemmon-Holton Cancer Pavilion and within the pediatric orthopedic services unit of the Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital.

He is also an associate scientific investigator at VARI, where he heads the Laboratory of Musculoskeletal Oncology within the Center for Skeletal Disease Research (CSDR) directed by Bart Williams, Ph.D. CSDR is the home of the Translational Orthopaedics Research Program.

Dr. Steensma also is an assistant professor in the department of surgery at MSU.

“West Michigan is evolving into a nationally known center for clinical and academic excellence, owing to the strength of this three-way alliance,” points out Dr. Steensma. “There are very few places in the country where clinician scientists like myself can be well-supported at the outset of their employment, but the institutional support here from all three partners is robust. Joining the SHMG opened the door to an excellent environment, offering world-class scientific mentorship through VARI and the MSU College of Human Medicine, and an extremely high volume of musculoskeletal tumor patients through the Spectrum Health system. This combination will support the development of a nationally recognized program in orthopedic oncology for tumor treatment and research.”
Challenging Field

Dr. Steensma notes that orthopedic oncology is a vibrant and rich field, full of challenges.

Sarcoma is a rare form of cancer that develops in the connective tissue, such as muscles or bones.

“While I have expertise in the treatment of sarcomas, I also treat metastatic disease in adults, as well as benign musculoskeletal tumors,” says Dr. Steensma. “The scope of the Spectrum Health system and its partnerships with regional and local hospitals is wide-ranging, so the referral base in West Michigan is large enough to support a clinical program in orthopedic oncology.”

Dr. Steensma also sees pediatric patients in alliance with the SHMG pediatric orthopedic physicians at Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital.

Traditionally, says Dr. Steensma, advances in his field have been slow due in part to simple economics.

“Sarcomas are rare diseases,” he reminds, “and the allocation of research funding often follows the incidence of a particular cancer. The number of scientists and clinicians involved in sarcoma research is low for the same reason.

“Happily, with the formation of the medical alliance in West Michigan, we now have significant resources dedicated to sarcoma research and an excellent opportunity to advance the treatment options for this disease.”
Advances

As with all research, future advances will rely in part on past successes in a variety of disciplines.

“Treatment for musculoskeletal tumors has been performed in West Michigan for many years,” says Dr. Steensma, “and Spectrum Health, in conjunction with its institutional partners, has developed strong clinical programs for the treatment of sarcoma and other related musculoskeletal tumors.

“With the support of the Spectrum Health Medical Group, I am building on that foundation of successful clinical programs here, adding my own expertise in limb salvage surgery and complex tumor resection, and reconstruction procedures of the pelvis and spine.”

Dr. Steensma points out that advances in several fields have helped in every aspect of his practice.

“The development of sophisticated imaging techniques means we can perform more precise tumor resections than ever before, sparing the greatest amount of nondiseased tissue,” says Dr. Steensma.

“Radiation therapy has evolved, as well, in term of its specificity and technologists’ ability to limit toxicity to normal tissue. In the absence of this adjuvant therapy, many highly complex sarcomas would be deemed unresectable.

“Chemotherapy, too, continues to develop rapidly, and certain subtypes of sarcoma have experienced dramatic changes in management thanks to the successful application of targeted chemotherapeutic agents.”

In musculoskeletal oncology, particularly for bone tumors, a limb often needs to be reconstructed after a tumor is removed. Dr. Steensma notes that advances in implant design have made these procedures more durable and lowered complication rates, particularly in procedures for pediatric limb salvage.

“The performance of these highly technical cancer surgeries requires a substantial level of teamwork to make them succeed,” says Dr. Steensma. “The care coordination between health care institutions in West Michigan, and the multidisciplinary approach that is ingrained in the SHMG and Spectrum Health system as a whole, are equally important advances in raising the bar on patient care.”
Looking Ahead

As important as these advances are, Dr. Steensma says there is still room for improvement.

“For some types of cancers, treatment of metastatic disease has changed considerably, offering patients improved quality of life and extending longevity,” he states. “These advances are beginning to change how we think about surgical treatment for metastatic disease, in particular.

“During my career, I would like to see a meaningful advance in the medical treatment of osteosarcoma, particularly as it relates to the survival of patients with metastatic disease.”

While his specialty lies in treating benign and malignant tumors of the extremities, pelvis and spine, Dr. Steensma has a program of translational research that is tied into his clinical practice, offering his patients an opportunity to advance the understanding and treatment of their disease.

“Patients can contribute to the development of that understanding and treatment by participating in trials and translational research efforts,” describes Dr. Steensma.

“I’m not sure that many people are aware that West Michigan has been home to an extremely high level of orthopedic care for decades,” he points out, “but the truth is that the practice environment in West Michigan is becoming more sophisticated every year, offering clinical services and research opportunities that rival programs typically found only at large university or academic centers.

“It is a privilege to be part of this developing alliance and the team that continues to build on this excellent reputation and brings the most advanced procedures to our neighbors.”

For more information about the orthopedic oncology program at Spectrum Health, please contact Dr. Steensma’s office at (616) 486-5961. Dr. Steensma is part of the Spectrum Heath Medical Group, and his office is located in the Lemmon-Holton Cancer Pavilion, 145 Michigan Ave., NE, Ste. 4400 MC 215, Grand Rapids, MI 49503.

MD News Year End 2010, West Michigan

Lombardi research teams hone in on treatments for osteosarcoma and Ewing’s sarcoma

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Posted 21 Jan 2011 — by James Street
Category Antiagiogenesis, Dog Osteosarcoma, Finance and Politics of cancer research and treatment, genetic research, Human osteosarcoma research, Local Recurrence, Lung Metastases, Molecular Osteosarcoma Studies, Osteosarcoma, Osteosarcoma Outcomes, Osteosarcoma Treatment Centers

Washington, DC – Most cancers arise from the epithelium, the tissue that lines the body and the organs, but sarcomas come from connective tissue cells, like the bones. At Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, research have engaged in a full-court press to develop new therapies to treat osteosarcoma and Ewing’s sarcoma, the two most common bone tumors in children, adolescents and young adults.

At the AACR 101st Annual Meeting 2010, they offer new molecular insights into the translocation that causes Ewing’s sarcoma, a genetic exchange between chromosomes that results in a fused gene that produces an oncogenic protein. These findings, coupled with use of sophisticated drug design technology, have led to identification of three new targets for potential treatment of this rare cancer. Additionally, researchers have identified two small molecules that have the potential to prevent or treat spread of osteosarcoma, a very aggressive cancer. (Embargoes listed with each abstract summary that follows).

“Scientific studies in the past decade identified very promising molecular targets that play a major role in tumor progression and invasion. With the help of a multidisciplinary team of scientists at Lombardi, we are now focusing on developing small molecules that can hit these targets,” says Aykut Üren, M.D., assistant professor in the Department of Oncology at Lombardi. “With this truly translational experimental approach, we may be able to optimize our small molecules for clinical trials in the near future.”

Original article: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2010-04/gumc-lrt040710.php

Physician Biography:Robert G. Maki, MD, PhD

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Posted 14 Nov 2010 — by James Street
Category Osteosarcoma Specialists, Osteosarcoma Treatment Centers

Physician Biography
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Robert G. Maki, MD, PhD

From Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Institute, New York: Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

Robert G. Maki
Robert G. Maki, MD, PhD

I am a medical oncologist and co-leader of the adult Sarcoma Disease Management Team. I have a special interest in new therapies for the treatment of soft tissue and bone sarcomas. My attention is focused on new drugs to treat metastatic disease. In particular, I am investigating new drugs to attack novel molecular targets for this rare and varied group of well over 50 types of cancer that arises from connective tissues. I am also trying to develop vaccines and other forms of immunological therapy against sarcomas to “teach” the immune system to attack tumor cells but not normal cells.

Phone
212-639-5720

Education
MD, Cornell University Medical College; PhD, Cornell University Graduate School of Medical Sciences

Residencies
Brigham and Women’s Hospital

Fellowships
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

Board Certifications
Internal Medicine; Medical Oncology

Clinical Expertise
Sarcomas of Soft Tissue and Bone; Gastrointestinal Cancers

Department & Service

Bone Cancer Treatments – Complementary and Alternative Medicine Therapies

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Posted 09 Oct 2010 — by James Street
Category Osteosarcoma Treatment Centers

Learn More About Bone Cancer Treatment: Chat with Us | Email Us

Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is comprised of a diverse group of healing philosophies, approaches and therapies. The experts at Cancer Treatment Centers of America (CTCA) use complementary and alternative medicine therapies as supportive therapies to complement your conventional bone cancer treatments such as surgery, radiation therapy and chemotherapy.

The following list includes some of the complementary bone cancer treatment options available at CTCA:

Complementary & Alternative Bone Cancer Treatment Options

Concomitant tumour resistance in patients with osteosarcoma. A clue to a new therapeutic strategy

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Posted 11 Aug 2010 — by James Street
Category Molecular, Molecular Osteosarcoma Studies, Osteosarcoma Treatment Centers

J Bone Joint Surg Br. 2004 Jan;86(1):143-7.

Kaya M, Wada T, Nagoya S, Kawaguchi S, Isu K, Yamashita T.

Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Sapporo Medical University School of Medicine, S-1, W-16, Chuo-ku, Sapporo 060-8543, Hokkaido, Japan.

Abstract

Concomitant tumour resistance (CTR) is a unique phenomenon in which animals harbouring large primary tumours are resistant to the growth of smaller metastatic tumours by systemic angiogenic suppression.

To examine this clinically, in ten patients with osteosarcoma, we investigated the effects of removal of the primary tumour on the development of pulmonary metastases, the systemic angiogenesis-inducing ability and the serum levels of several angiogenesis modulators.

We found that removal of the primary tumour significantly elevated systemic angiogenesis-inducing ability in five patients who had post-operative recurrence of the tumour.

Post-operative elevation of the angiogenesis-induced ability was suppressed by the addition of an angiogenic inhibitor, endostatin.

Also, primary removal of the tumour decreased the serum levels of vascular endothelial growth factor and endostatin.

These findings suggest, for the first time, the presence of CTR in patients with osteosarcoma for whom post-operative antiangiogenic therapy may be used to prevent the post-operative progression of micrometastases.

PMID: 14765882 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] Free Article