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April 2005 Monthly Health Topic The Strauss Oncology Center was started over twenty-five years ago as a unique entity in a community hospital to promote the research and treatment of cancer. We have participated in regional, national and industrial studies throughout this time. We presently are participating in clinical research through the University of Chicago Section of Hematology and Oncology along with drug company sponsored programs. Drs. Stuart Krauss and Keith Shulman head up the center and the research program. They are both Board Certified and have over 40 years of combined experience in their specialty. In addition we have Oncology Certified nurses and a research team to complement the care of our patients. As a result, our cancer program consistently maintains a high ranking by the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer. New Cancer Treatments Director of Medical Oncology, Weiss Memorial Hospital Weiss Oncology Center Weiss Memorial Hospital Phone: (773) 564-5030 Fax: (773) 564-5021 Email: skrauss@weisshospital.com
Weiss Oncology Center Phone: (773) 564-5030 Fax: (773) 564-5021 Email: kshulman@weisshospital.com
The treatment of Cancer has seen exciting changes take place in the past couple of years. The standard of treatment for many years has consisted of surgery, radiation and chemotherapy. Recently, standard therapy has been expanded by the addition of “targeted therapy.”
By breaking down the cancer cells, scientists have been able to find what components of these cells cause malignant transformation, growth, death and the ability to spread (metastasis) to other parts of the body. These components have been “targeted” by new agents to help arrest and kill the cancer cells, and prevent them from spreading.
The first two agents to be released by the FDA were Gleevec and Herceptin. Gleevec is what is called a Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor. It blocks a specific pathway in the formation of chronic Myelogenous Leukemia, allowing the majority of patients to achieve a complete remission by taking one pill per day. Herceptin is in a class of Monoclonal Antibodies, which targets a growth receptor in Breast Cancer cells, preventing the cell from growing and leading to the death of the cells that carry this receptor.
More recently, three other growth receptor inhibitors have been released by the FDA. Iressa and Tarceva act on a different receptor than Herceptin in the treatment of lung cancer. The third drug called Erbitux has shown success in treating colon cancer.
To stop the spread of cancer cells, a drug called Avastin blocks the growth of blood vessels both to “starve” cancer cells of their nutrients and block the pathways to the cells spreading. This drug presently has been released for the treatment of colon cancer therapy, but it has also shown promise in other diseases, such as kidney cancer and lung cancer.
Along these same lines, numerous new agents are now being studied that combine these types of therapies to block cancer cells at various pathways at one time. These drugs not only show benefit when used alone; many, when combined with traditional chemotherapy and radiation therapy, significantly increase the survival of patients versus “standard therapies.”
These new therapies have become an integral part of the treatments used in the Oncology Center today. We will continue to participate in national studies with these agents to improve the treatments of the future.
For further information on clinical trials and studies, contact The Strauss Oncology research center at (773) 564-5041 or pkotowsk@weisshospital.com. To schedule an appointment to see Dr. Krauss or Dr. Shulman for their opinion on what programs are available to help with your care, please call The Strauss Oncology Center at (773) 564-5030. |
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