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  • Gaining mobility and independence through therapy at the Orlando Health Orlando Regional Medical Center Institute for Advanced Rehabilitation

    Among the highest-priority goals for a spinal cord injury patient in rehabilitation are: improving mobility and achieving as much independence in life as possible.

  • Diagnostic Imaging Use During Pregnancy

    Imaging studies are important tools for diagnosing and monitoring certain medical conditions. This holds true also during pregnancy when acute conditions arise and chronic medical issues are exacerbated or monitored.

  • 5 Things Your Radiologist Wants You to Know About Medical Imaging 

    Medical imaging is critical in the diagnostic and treatment process. Imaging studies including X-rays, CT scans, MRIs, PET scans, nuclear medicine and ultrasounds use various technologies to see below the skin's surface. These technologies are an important part of disease detection, monitoring existing conditions and determining treatment response.

  • Do You Have Back Pain? Why Yoga May Help

    If you have back problems, should you only do physical therapy? 

  • 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.

  • Gallbladder: A Tiny Organ with a Big Impact

    It may not grab the spotlight the way the heart and lungs do, but your gallbladder plays a key role in your health. Understanding how this tiny but mighty organ works — and what can happen when it doesn’t — can you help identify potential problems.

  • 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.

  • Promising New Treatment for Advanced Melanoma

    The FDA recently approved treatment for advanced melanoma that could extend survival rates for people battling this late-stage skin cancer.

  • Memory Disorders and the Caregiving Gap: One Woman’s Story

    There’s a growing issue in the U.S. health landscape—the rapid increase in diagnoses of memory disorders. Currently, more than 5.3 million Americans live with Alzheimer’s disease, and that number is projected to swell in the coming years.

  • Vegan Swaps: Making Your Favorite Foods Vegan

    When people think about a vegan diet, they often think about what’s not included, things like chicken, fish, meat, dairy and other animal products. What people often forget is that so many other tasty foods can be added or increased.