With a focus on clinical research, Miami Cancer Institute’s clinical trials benefit patients | Canada News Media
Connect with us

Health

With a focus on clinical research, Miami Cancer Institute’s clinical trials benefit patients

Published

 on

Using novel therapies, physician-investigators at Miami Cancer Institute, part of Baptist Health, are conducting important cutting-edge clinical research in the battle against cancer.

Their hope is that today’s clinical trials will lead to breakthroughs in life-prolonging treatments, and ultimately, cures for some of the most complex and difficult-to-treat cancers. Patients with a variety of cancers — including pancreatic, lung, breast, gynecologic, prostate and brain — are enrolled in approximately 200 open clinical trials at Miami Cancer Institute.

The Institute’s patient-centered and robust clinical research is on par with the best in the nation. And with the recent announcement that Baptist Health and Florida International University will be expanding their academic and research alliance, the Institute’s clinical research capabilities will be strengthened even further through interactions with translational and basic scientists at FIU. Additionally, Miami Cancer Institute’s participation in the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Alliance adds to the quality of its clinical trial portfolio.

“We are working with collaborators all over the globe to design and devise clinical trials that explore new protocols, continue to push drug development forward and provide innovative treatments,” said Manmeet Ahluwalia, M.D., MBA, FASCO, Fernandez Family Foundation Endowed Chair in Cancer Research, deputy director, chief scientific officer and chief of solid tumor medical oncology at Miami Cancer Institute.

Dr. Ahluwalia is the principal investigator for numerous trials and is the recipient of a $3.9 million grant from the National Institutes of Health for his glioblastoma research with Pallavi Tiwari, Ph.D., of the University of Wisconsin. Together, they have developed and evaluated image-based tools to determine the risk of cancer recurrence in brain tumors. The study is an example of the highly innovative use of artificial intelligence to ensure the non-invasive diagnosis of recurrence versus radiation-related adverse effects.

A small sampling of other Miami Cancer Institute trials includes:

  • A study looking at the usefulness of a high-dose radiotherapy known as stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) in treating oligometastatic breast or lung cancer. Led by principal investigator Rupesh Kotecha, M.D.
  • Testing a type of immunotherapy called pembrolizumab in patients with Merkel cell carcinoma after they have had surgery. Led by principal investigator Guilherme Rabinowits, M.D.
  • Incorporating chemoprevention into care for women diagnosed with abnormal cells in the breast that can become cancerous. Led by principal investigator Ana Cristina Sandoval, M.D.
  • A study to determine the maximum tolerated dosage of a novel drug in patients with lymphoid, myeloid or plasma cell malignancies. Led by principal investigator Guenther Koehne, M.D., Ph.D.
  • The use of Stereotactic MRI-guided Adaptive Radiation Therapy (SMART) for inoperable primary or metastatic carcinoma. Led by principal investigator Michael Chuong, M.D.

Recognized as experts in their field, Miami Cancer Institute physician-investigators have had 28 abstracts accepted to the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) annual meeting in Chicago, Ill., in June.

They are presenting outcomes data and findings on novel treatments and diagnostic methods from studies involving brain metastases, bladder cancer, breast cancer, lepomeningeal disease, lung cancer, and glioblastoma, among others. Some 40,000 oncology professionals from around the world attend ASCO to learn about the latest cancer research.

They also presented their latest research at the 2022 American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) annual meeting in San Antonio, Tex., this past October, at the annual meeting of the Society for Neuro-Oncology (SNO), held in November in Tampa, and at the annual meeting of the American Society of Hematology, held in December in New Orleans, La.

The Institute is also at the forefront of the movement to ensure that clinical research is diverse and inclusionary, which is extremely important for a better understanding of how cancer affects people of all ethnicities and socioeconomic backgrounds. In spite of making up one-third of the U.S. population, just 6 to 7 percent of participants in oncology clinical drug trials in the U.S. are Hispanic or Black.

Recently, the Institute’s Executive Director and Chief Medical Officer Leonard Kalman, M.D., established the Center for Equity in Cancer Care & Research, a center led by Dr. Ahluwalia, to identify and decrease disparities in cancer care and to expand the participation of underserved populations in clinical trials. Because of Miami’s geographic location and diverse population, the Institute is unique in that 60 percent of patients participating in its clinical trials are Hispanic. However, there is still a great opportunity to broaden clinical trial enrollment at the Institute to all the populations it serves.

“We are building a brighter future for cancer care, research and healthcare in South Florida,” said Michael J. Zinner, M.D., CEO and executive medical director of Miami Cancer Institute and Baptist Health Cancer Care.

 

Source link

Continue Reading

Health

How many Nova Scotians are on the doctor wait-list? Number hit 160,000 in June

Published

 on

 

HALIFAX – The Nova Scotia government says it could be months before it reveals how many people are on the wait-list for a family doctor.

The head of the province’s health authority told reporters Wednesday that the government won’t release updated data until the 160,000 people who were on the wait-list in June are contacted to verify whether they still need primary care.

Karen Oldfield said Nova Scotia Health is working on validating the primary care wait-list data before posting new numbers, and that work may take a matter of months. The most recent public wait-list figures are from June 1, when 160,234 people, or about 16 per cent of the population, were on it.

“It’s going to take time to make 160,000 calls,” Oldfield said. “We are not talking weeks, we are talking months.”

The interim CEO and president of Nova Scotia Health said people on the list are being asked where they live, whether they still need a family doctor, and to give an update on their health.

A spokesperson with the province’s Health Department says the government and its health authority are “working hard” to turn the wait-list registry into a useful tool, adding that the data will be shared once it is validated.

Nova Scotia’s NDP are calling on Premier Tim Houston to immediately release statistics on how many people are looking for a family doctor. On Tuesday, the NDP introduced a bill that would require the health minister to make the number public every month.

“It is unacceptable for the list to be more than three months out of date,” NDP Leader Claudia Chender said Tuesday.

Chender said releasing this data regularly is vital so Nova Scotians can track the government’s progress on its main 2021 campaign promise: fixing health care.

The number of people in need of a family doctor has more than doubled between the 2021 summer election campaign and June 2024. Since September 2021 about 300 doctors have been added to the provincial health system, the Health Department said.

“We’ll know if Tim Houston is keeping his 2021 election promise to fix health care when Nova Scotians are attached to primary care,” Chender said.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 11, 2024.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

Source link

Continue Reading

Health

Newfoundland and Labrador monitoring rise in whooping cough cases: medical officer

Published

 on

 

ST. JOHN’S, N.L. – Newfoundland and Labrador‘s chief medical officer is monitoring the rise of whooping cough infections across the province as cases of the highly contagious disease continue to grow across Canada.

Dr. Janice Fitzgerald says that so far this year, the province has recorded 230 confirmed cases of the vaccine-preventable respiratory tract infection, also known as pertussis.

Late last month, Quebec reported more than 11,000 cases during the same time period, while Ontario counted 470 cases, well above the five-year average of 98. In Quebec, the majority of patients are between the ages of 10 and 14.

Meanwhile, New Brunswick has declared a whooping cough outbreak across the province. A total of 141 cases were reported by last month, exceeding the five-year average of 34.

The disease can lead to severe complications among vulnerable populations including infants, who are at the highest risk of suffering from complications like pneumonia and seizures. Symptoms may start with a runny nose, mild fever and cough, then progress to severe coughing accompanied by a distinctive “whooping” sound during inhalation.

“The public, especially pregnant people and those in close contact with infants, are encouraged to be aware of symptoms related to pertussis and to ensure vaccinations are up to date,” Newfoundland and Labrador’s Health Department said in a statement.

Whooping cough can be treated with antibiotics, but vaccination is the most effective way to control the spread of the disease. As a result, the province has expanded immunization efforts this school year. While booster doses are already offered in Grade 9, the vaccine is now being offered to Grade 8 students as well.

Public health officials say whooping cough is a cyclical disease that increases every two to five or six years.

Meanwhile, New Brunswick’s acting chief medical officer of health expects the current case count to get worse before tapering off.

A rise in whooping cough cases has also been reported in the United States and elsewhere. The Pan American Health Organization issued an alert in July encouraging countries to ramp up their surveillance and vaccination coverage.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 10, 2024.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

Source link

Continue Reading

Health

Bizarre Sunlight Loophole Melts Belly Fat Fast!

Published

 on

Product Name: Bizarre Sunlight Loophole Melts Belly Fat Fast!

Click here to get Bizarre Sunlight Loophole Melts Belly Fat Fast! at discounted price while it’s still available…

 

All orders are protected by SSL encryption – the highest industry standard for online security from trusted vendors.

Bizarre Sunlight Loophole Melts Belly Fat Fast! is backed with a 60 Day No Questions Asked Money Back Guarantee. If within the first 60 days of receipt you are not satisfied with Wake Up Lean™, you can request a refund by sending an email to the address given inside the product and we will immediately refund your entire purchase price, with no questions asked.

(more…)

Continue Reading

Trending

Exit mobile version