Approximately 2.1% of men and women in the United State will be diagnosed with melanoma in their lifetime, with about 4% of cases metastatic at diagnosis.1 Approximately 40%-60% of metastatic melanomas have a BRAF mutation2, and this, along with checkpoint inhibitor therapy, have dramatically changed the survival rates of metastatic melanoma. Choice of therapy depends on ... Continue Reading
Immunotherapy in Cutaneous Melanoma
Cutaneous melanoma is a disease in which neoplastic (cancer) cells form in the melanocytic cells, arising in the epidermis of our largest organ, the skin. The American Cancer Society estimates that about 99,780 new melanomas will be diagnosed in 2022 (57,180 in men and 42,600 in women).1,2 While the rates of melanoma have been increasing over the last few decades, this has ... Continue Reading
Prostate Cancer Screening in Black Men
By Earl Stewart Jr., MD
In May of this year, the results of a new population-based analysis performed by research at the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California (USC) were released showing that from 2004 to 2018, there has been an increased incidence of metastatic prostate cancer in men of all ages, especially in men ages 75 and older. For years, we’ve been encouraged in ... Continue Reading
Melanoma: Working with your dermatopathologist for a precise and accurate diagnosis
By Melinda R. Mohr, MD
The gold standard for melanoma diagnosis is routine histopathology with hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) stains. For clear-cut cases of melanoma, this alone is sufficient. However, as in all things in medicine, there are cases that fall within the gray zone. Is it an atypical nevus or is it melanoma? This is a question encountered on a daily basis in the practice of ... Continue Reading
Immunotherapy in Lung Cancer
By Ioana Bonta, MD
The tantalizing idea of harnessing the immune system to fight cancer has fascinated researchers and clinicians equally for many years. The belief that the body possesses natural defenses to combat cancer existed for a long time, with multiple anecdotal reports of tumors miraculously shrinking, either spontaneously or after an infectious episode. The link between the immune ... Continue Reading
Cancer
By Helen K. Kelley
Atlanta-area physicians are at the forefront of groundbreaking cancer treatments that draw patients from all over the country. Cutting-edge Therapies for Brain Tumors in Children When Dr. Tobey MacDonald was recruited by Dr. Bill Woods to join the Pediatric Brain Cancer Program at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta in 2009, he was astounded by the fact that no such program ... Continue Reading
Immunotherapy
By Helen K. Kelley In recent years, immunotherapy – a range of cancer therapies that use the body’s own immune system to attack cancer cells – has gained ground as a weapon for fighting many different forms of the disease. We recently spoke with two Atlanta physicians about the promise and the reality of some immunotherapies. Targeted Therapies Block Growth and ... Continue Reading
Melanoma
By Helen K. Kelley
Melanoma, typically a malignant tumor associated with skin cancer and the cause of the vast majority of skin cancer deaths, can also occur in the eye or any mucous membrane of the body. While the risk of melanoma increases with age, it is one of the most common cancers found in young adults, particularly young women. Georgia is one of the states with the highest incidence of ... Continue Reading
Interventional Radiology
By Helen K. Kelley Interventional radiologists continue to expand the number of diseases and conditions that can be treated with minimally invasive techniques. Atlanta Medicine recently spoke with two Atlanta-area physicians who are performing some innovative procedures for patients with certain types of cancer, spine fractures, neuropathies and more. Image guidance ... Continue Reading
Molecular Genomics and the Advancement of Lung Cancer Therapy
By Dr. Howard Silverboard Contemporary lung cancer therapy requires an understanding of the molecular composition and biologic activity of individual tumor cells. Advances in laboratory technique, characterization of biomarkers and the identification of genetic alterations have facilitated a transformation in the diagnosis and management of patients with lung ... Continue Reading
Treating Melanoma and Sarcoma
By Helen K. Kelley
According to American Cancer Society statistics, melanoma will account for more than 76,600 cases of skin cancer in 2014. Additionally, more than 12,000 sarcomas, a cancer that develops from certain tissues, will be diagnosed this year. A team of experts who comprise the Northside Hospital Cancer Institute’s Melanoma and Sarcoma Program are providing a full continuum of ... Continue Reading
Exploring The Efficacy of PSA Testing
By Rajesh Laungani, M.D. FACS From ATLANTA Medicine, 2014, Vol. 85, No. 2 To screen or not to screen, to treat or not to treat. The gold standard for prostate cancer screening is for men to undergo both a digital rectal exam (DRE) and a Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) blood test (Figure 1). The debate on prostate cancer continues to revolve around the efficacy and ... Continue Reading
New Approach Achieves Similar Outcomes to Fully HLA-Matched Conventional Donors
by Asad Bashey, M.D., Ph.D. From ATLANTA Medicine, 2013, Transplantation, Vol. 84, No. 1 Hematopoietic (marrow or peripheral blood stem cell) transplants from allogeneic donors (allo-HCT) can cure several hematological malignancies and some non-malignant diseases of the bone marrow or lymphoid system that are incurable with standard therapies. Traditionally, donors for ... Continue Reading
More Precise Blood Test Outperforms Traditional PSA Screen Test
Martin Sanda, MD, a member of the Winship Cancer Institute, chairman of the Emory Urology Department and internationally recognized prostate cancer scientist, delivered news about better prostate cancer diagnosis, at the American Urological Association’s 2013 Annual Meeting. As corresponding and presenting author of the abstract "Prostate Health Index (phi) for Reducing ... Continue Reading
Liver Transplantation with Curative Intent for Hepatobiliary Malignancies
By Marty Sellers, M.D., F.A.C.S. and Harrison Pollinger D.O., F.A.C.S. From ATLANTA Medicine, 2013, Transplantation, Vol. 84, No. 1 Liver transplantation (LT) has matured to a highly successful treatment option for patients with advanced cirrhosis. More than 50 percent of patients undergoing LT 10 years ago are alive today, and non-LT-related factors are the most common ... Continue Reading
