| Show Number |
Air Week |
Title |
Program Description |
SHOW #212
|
August 16, 1998 |
Liver Tumor Thermal Ablation |
Liver cancer is one of the deadliest cancers, and often the prognosis is
very poor. Surgical removal of liver tumors is the most effective treatment, but for a
variety of reasons some patients aren't good candidates for that procedure. Now,
researchers are investigating another approach called thermal ablation. In this procedure,
a needle is inserted through the skin directly into the tumor. Radio frequency energy is
transmitted through the needle to the tip, causing it to heat the surrounding tissue,
killing it. Thermal ablation is an outpatient procedure, and can be repeated as often as
necessary. CONTACTS: Myong Covert, Public Affairs, University of Texas Health Science
Center at San Antonio, (210)567-2570, Department of Radiology Clinical Research
Coordinator: Linda Vandervelden, RN, BS, (210)567-5604; American Cancer Society,
(800)ACS-2345, website: www.cancer.org |
| |
|
EVERYDAY BREAKTHROUGHS: Fibronectin |
Preterm delivery is one of the leading causes of infant mortality in the
US, but it is difficult to diagnose and can be difficult to treat. Now, investigators have
discovered a marker that can signal an increased risk for preterm delivery. It's called
fetal fibronectin. Fibronectin is a substance found in high concentrations between the
placenta and the lining of a pregnant woman's uterus. If the placenta is starting to
separate from the uterine wall, the substance will be found in the cervix and vagina.
Presence of fibronectin can be an indicator of labor within 7 to 14 days. If a woman tests
positive, doctors can begin aggressive treatments and activity modification in an effort
to postpone labor, giving the baby more of a chance to develop. CONTACTS: Nancy Kochuk,
UNC Hospitals Marketing & Public Affairs, (919)966-6046; Greg Raybuck, Matria
Healthcare, Inc., (800)456-4060; Adeza Biomedical Corp., (888)PRE-TERM, website: www.adeza.com; American College of Obstetrics &
Gynecology, website: www.acog.com; Interactive Pregnancy
Calendar, website: www.olen.com/baby/ |
| |
|
Tubal Ligation Reversal/Falloposcope |
Tubal ligation is a form of sterilization typically considered to be
permanent. But now, utilizing the latest in microsurgical techniques and specialized
instruments, a doctor in North Carolina is having success reversing tubal ligations, often
leading to pregnancies. The procedure is performed on an outpatient basis, and can usually
expect to resume normal activities within a week. The falloposcope is a new diagnostic
tool for evaluating a woman's fallopian tubes. Fallopian tube abnormalities reportedly
account for 30 to 50% of female infertility. The falloposcope allows the physician to
directly visualize the interior of the fallopian tubes with a real time, high resolution
video image. CONTACTS: Chapel Hill Fertility Center, Gary S. Berger, MD, Julia Smith, RN,
(919)968-4656, websites: www.citysearch.com/rdu/chfertilityctr,
www.inciid.org/berger.html; InterNational
Council on Infertility Information Dissemination, (520)544-9548, website: www.inciid.org |
| |
|
Questionable Medical Devices |
Another in our continuing series of visits to the Museum of Questionable
Medical Devices in Minneapolis, curated by collector and enthusiast Bob McCoy. We
occasionally feature McCoy showing us some of the more unusual and interesting pieces in
his renowned collection. CONTACT: Bob McCoy, (612)379-4046, website: www.mtn.org/~quack/ |
SHOW #213
|
August 23, 1998 |
Lung Volume Reduction (Emphysema) |
In patients with emphysema, the alveoli or air sacs in the lungs break
down, causing the lungs to lose their elasticity and over-inflate, making breathing
progressively more difficult. Treatment options are relatively few - drugs and exercise
can help, and in some cases lung transplant is indicated, but of course that procedure is
risky, and donor lungs are scarce. Now, an operation called lung volume reduction can
offer another alternative. In this surgery, damaged parts of the lungs are removed,
reducing volume by 20-30%. This has the effect of returning some of the lungs' elasticity,
making it easier to breathe. The operation is not a cure, but can provide significant
relief. A major study is now underway to assess the procedure's long-term value. CONTACTS:
Joni Westerhouse, Director for Medical Communications, Washington University (St. Louis),
(314)286-0120; National Emphysema Foundation, (203)852-1009, website: www.emphysemafoundation.org; American Lung
Association, (800)LUNG-USA, website: www.lungusa.org |
| |
|
BREAKTHROUGH PROFILES: Dr. Thomas Starzl |
Dr. Starzl is one of the pioneers in the field of organ transplantation.
He and his team at the University of Colorado performed the world's first liver transplant
in 1963. Later, he moved to the University of Pittsburgh, which under his leadership has
become one of the most active and innovative centers for transplantation research and
innovation. He has championed the cause of new anti-rejection drugs, such as cyclosporine
in the 1970's and FK-506 in the 80's. He and his colleagues at Pittsburgh have more
recently discovered the phenomenon known as chimerism, is which cells from the donated
organ migrate into the recipient's body, and vice versa. This has allowed some transplant
recipients to successfully wean themselves from anti-rejection medication. SEE ALSO our
story on chimerism in the Program Summary for Show #127, Week of October 10, 1997.
CONTACT: Lisa Rossi, News Bureau, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, (412)647-3555 |
| |
|
Cartilage Transplantation (Carticel) |
A new procedure called Carticel has recently been approved for the repair
of damaged knee cartilage. First, a sample of a patient's own healthy cartilage is
extracted and sent to a facility in Massachusetts. There, the tissue is bathed in enzymes
and broken down to the cellular level. Those cells are then grown and multiplied into a
quantity suitable for reimplantation at the site of the knee damage. Our bodies themselves
are for the most part incapable of regenerating cartilage cells. Once the reimplantation
has taken place, a lengthy period of rehabilitation begins, which gives the transplant the
opportunity to "take," eventually replacing the damaged cartilage and restoring
functionality. CONTACTS: Kathi Ovnic, Public Affairs, Emory University Woodruff Health
Sciences Center, (404)727-5686, website: www.emory.edu/WHSC/;
Genzyme Corporation, Scott Gregg, (617)761-8923, website: www.genzyme.com;
American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, website: www.aaos.org/wordhtml/pat_educ/knee2.htm
|
| |
|
Questionable Medical Devices |
Another in our continuing series of visits to the Museum of Questionable
Medical Devices in Minneapolis, curated by collector and enthusiast Bob McCoy. We
occasionally feature McCoy showing us some of the more unusual and interesting pieces in
his renowned collection. CONTACT: Bob McCoy, (612)379-4046, website: www.mtn.org/~quack/ |
SHOW #214
|
August 30, 1998 |
Breast Reconstruction |
Recent advances in surgical techniques have improved the aesthetic and
functional outcome of breast reconstruction, in which a breast is rebuilt from other
tissues following a mastectomy for breast cancer. One of these, the TRAM (transverse
rectus abdominus myocutaneous) flap technique is the most complex of the common
procedures, but is being used more and more because results have been so dramatic. Among
its advantages are that the breast can usually be given proper contour without a breast
implant, donor scars that are low on the front of the body, and the fact that women with
large abdomens get a "tummy tuck" as part of the procedure. Increasingly, the
plastic surgeon is being included from the outset in the team of specialists who design
and carry out a comprehensive treatment plan for the breast cancer patient. CONTACTS:
Medical College of Virginia: Mandy Setliff, (804)828-4504, Linda Anderson, (804)828-5378,
Dr. Andrea Pozez, plastic surgeon, (804)828-3037, Breast Health Center, (804)826-5116,
website: www.views.vcu.edu/mcv/MasseyBreast.html;
National Cancer Institute, websites: cancernet.nci.nih.gov,
rex.nci.nih.gov, Cancer Information Service,
(800)4-CANCER (800-422-6237); American Cancer Society, (800)ACS-2345 Breast Cancer Network
website: www.cancer.org/bcn/bcn.html |
| |
|
EVERYDAY BREAKTHROUGHS: Angio Advance |
Balloon angioplasty to clear a blockage in the coronary artery is an
increasingly common procedure, and now two innovations being tested could make the
patient's hospital stay shorter and more comfortable. In balloon angioplasty, a catheter
is inserted into the patient's leg. Up to now, patients would have to spend days in the
hospital, including 24 hours flat on their backs, to prevent bleeding at the thigh
puncture site. But the two artery closing devices being tested both allow patients to stay
upright during recovery, and appear to allow shorter hospital stays. CONTACT: Steve
Kraushaar, Public Affairs, Washington University, (314)286-1020, website: www.wustl.edu |
| |
|
Schizophrenia |
A new generation of drugs, known as atypical anti-psychotics, has ushered
in a whole new era in the treatment of schizophrenia. Many individuals given these
compounds have shown dramatic improvement, with fewer and milder side effects than the
older antipsychotics. Now, Dr. Jeffrey Lieberman of the University of North Carolina, one
of the world's foremost researchers on psychosis and schizophrenia, is conducting a
clinical trial called the FIRST study to assess whether the atypical antipsychotics can
stop the progression of schizophrenia in patients with new onset of psychosis. The theory
is that early intervention and aggressive treatment, typically in the teens, when first
episodes are often experienced, can improve long term outcomes for those patients.
CONTACTS: Nancy Kochuk, UNC Hospitals Marketing & Public Relations, (919)966-3366,
Janet Kazmer, FIRST Study, (919)966-9587; National Alliance for the Mentally Ill,
(703)524-7600, website: www.nami.org; The Schizophrenia
Homepage, website: www.schizophrenia.com |
| |
|
BREAKTHROUGH PROFILES: M. Devin Galligan |
Brain cancer survivor M. Devin Galligan was diagnosed at age 24 with a
malignant brain tumor. Within weeks he underwent an awake craniotomy (see Show #105), and
now is undergoing chemotherapy. In November 1997, he fulfilled a lifelong dream and ran in
the New York Marathon, at the same time raising money to support brain cancer research at
Vanderbilt University. He has also written brochures for other adults scheduled to have
neurosurgery. CONTACT: John Howser, Medical Director, Vanderbilt University Medical Center
News and Public Affairs, (615)322-4747 |
|
