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  • Researchers Discover Possible Vaccine to Treat Gonorrhea

    Despite significant advancements in medicine, we still haven’t yet found a vaccine for gonorrhea, a sexually transmitted disease (STD) that affects millions of people globally. However, a recent study may provide more hope that we’re close to getting there.

  • Exploring Options to Treat Advanced Shoulder Arthritis

    About 50 million Americans have been diagnosed with arthritis, a disease that causes pain and inflammation in the joints. Many of these patients have pain in the shoulder. I recommend gentle stretches, physical therapy and oral medications as first-line treatment. For some patients, shoulder replacement surgery may be an effective way to relieve pain when medicine and other treatments do not work.

  • About HPV and cervical cancer, and why the vaccine has an age limit

    It’s a fact that most adults who have been sexually active have been exposed to human papillomavirus (HPV), with as many as 20 million Americans estimated to be infected with the genital form of the virus. It is estimated that as many as 75 percent of the reproductive-age population has been infected with one or more types of genital HPV, and up to 5.5 million new infections occur each year. However, in many cases, the body fights off the infection without you ever knowing it was there. Other times, it can cause more serious problems.

    How can HPV affect me?

    HPV is the leading cause of cervical cancer today. It can also cause other cancers, such as vulvar, vaginal, penile and anal, and some strains have been shown to cause genital warts. While there are more than 130 different subtypes of HPV, the majority of HPV-related cancers are caused by HPV subtypes 16 and 18. Spread through sexual contact, HPV is the most common sexually transmitted infection worldwide.

    How can I protect myself from HPV?

    Using condoms during sex and limiting your number of sexual partners can decrease the risk of acquiring HPV. Additionally, there are also two vaccines that protect against HPV.

  • New pilot study shows promising results for early detection of ovarian and endometrial cancers

    There have been some exciting developments for effective ovarian and endometrial cancer screening tests.

  • The big whoop: Who needs to get the pertussis vaccine? Learn the facts to protect your family

    What's the big whoop?

    Pertussis, also known as whooping cough, is a contagious disease that affects the lungs of the body. In adults, the disease doesn’t produce much of a response and in fact an adult might not even know he or she has contracted the disease. However, if an infant contracts pertussis, the result is much more serious and can even be fatal. Initially infants with pertussis may have a runny nose or congestion, sneezing, a mild fever and cough. Eventually the coughing can progress into fits that make it difficult for the baby to breathe. Also, the infant could get pneumonia if it contracts pertussis. At least 50 percent of infants who are less than one year of age that contract pertussis end up needing to go to the hospital for treatment.

  • Breast Reconstruction After Mastectomy: Advantages of the DIEP Flap Procedure

    The past decade has ushered in major technical advancements in autologous breast reconstruction, which is done using a patient’s own tissue. The most common techniques include the use of skin, muscle, fat, or artificial implants to reconstruct the breast. The use of abdominal skin and fat has gained in popularity, offering patients a more natural look and feel, similar to that of the natural breast. Other advantages of using a patient’s own tissue in reconstruction includes: the avoidance of artificial breast implants, the body contouring that comes with removal of excess abdominal fat, and the possibility of restoring sensation to the new breasts.

  • Success Story: Follow-up to the first vascularized lymph node transfer surgery in Florida

    When Jean Hutchinson was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2011, she took it in stride and moved forward with the necessary treatment to beat the disease. After undergoing surgery and radiation, she breathed a sigh of relief and was ready to put cancer behind her. Then one day she looked in the mirror and noticed her right arm looked a little puffy.

  • Personal Prescriptions: Clinical trial explores new targets for treating advanced breast cancer

    Breast cancer is the most common cancer affecting women in the United States and worldwide. When diagnosed early, it has more than a 90% cure rate. Yet, even when breast cancer spreads outside the breast and becomes metastatic, women may survive many years on effective therapy. When deciding how to treat breast cancer, the breast profile, or “phenotype,” guides oncologists to select the treatment options most likely to control the cancer and maybe even get rid of it altogether.

    So how do we do that?

    Currently, we determine the phenotype by measurement of the presence or absence of Estrogen Receptor, Progesterone Receptor, and the Her2neu growth factor receptor on cancer cells.  Scientists are also studying other biologic features of cancer cells to look for new “targets” to improve therapy. For patients suffering from metastatic breast cancer that is Estrogen Receptor or Progesterone Receptor positive, our standard of care is to initiate estrogen-blocking or estrogen-lowering treatment called “endocrine therapy.” If the cancer is life threatening, or vital organ function is being compromised, then chemotherapy is often initiated first to get control of the cancer, followed by endocrine therapy.  Examples of endocrine therapy include tamoxifen, aromatase inhibitors, ovarian suppression, fulvestrant and a new drug on the market, everolimus.  In 2012, the FDA approved everolimus (a drug that blocks a critical pathway in cancer cells) after research and clinical trials showed a significant improvement in the response to the combination of exemestane plus everolimus, versus using exemestane alone. This drug is now used for women with advanced estrogen receptor positive breast cancer.

    A new clinical trial at UF Health Cancer Center at Orlando Health

    We have just started a new clinical trial (research study) at UF Health Cancer Center at Orlando Health that explores another target, the PI3K pathway. PI3K stands for phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase. This is an important enzyme in normal cells that regulates multiple functions of cells. It appears to play a critical role in the crossroads of the intricate molecular messaging that occurs in cancer cells. In this clinical trial, we are testing BKM120, an oral medication that targets the PI3K pathway. This trial will look at whether or not this oral medication, combined with fulvestrant (another cancer fighting medication), may help to combat a patient's cancer.

    Women are eligible for the trial if they:

    Are 18 years or older with a biopsy proven diagnosis of breast cancer and tumor tissue available for special studies. Have inoperable locally advanced or metastatic breast cancer Have Estrogen Receptor or Progesterone Receptor positive phenotype and are Her2neu receptor negative Are postmenopausal Have been treated with aromatase inhibitors (anastrazole, letrozole, or exemustane) and their disease has progressed or recurred Have adequate liver function, good control of blood sugar, and adequate heart function without irregular heart rhythm Have not received more than one type of chemotherapy for metastatic disease and do not have symptoms from central nervous system metastases Do not have significant psychiatric disorder, major depression, major anxiety, or thoughts of suicidePatients who choose to enter clinical trials are given complete information regarding the details of the trial, the safety issues, and the opportunity to withdraw from the trial at any time without consequences. The process of educating patients so that they can decide whether to participate is called the “informed consent process.” Federal guidelines spell out the process for entering patients on clinical trials, the FDA approves and receives reports about the trial, a Safety Committee monitors trial safety, and Institutional Review Boards oversee the protection of the rights and welfare of research patients.

    My Personal Prescription:

    If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with cancer, ask your consultant about available clinical trials and your eligibility.

  • Travel Vaccinations 101: Things to Know Before you Go

    Vaccinations are a highly debated topic among parents and travelers alike. Getting immunized against potential diseases when you are traveling the world is an individual decision that you need to make with the help of a travel medicine professional.

  • Ovarian cancer study reveals most women don't get adequate treatment from the start

    While many surgeons may operate on a pelvic mass, a certain type of surgeon – a gynecologic oncologist - is specially trained to handle what may be found to be ovarian cancer. A study recently presented at the Society of Gynecologic Oncology (SGO) conference in Los Angeles showed that most women do not get appropriate care when found to have an ovarian mass, and this can lessen their chance of survival.