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Take one more step in the fight against breast cancer… We are looking for women to participate in a research study who have regular mammograms or who have recently been diagnosed with breast cancer. If you know of someone who is interested and falls into these categories, please pass on this information. If you agree to participate…
And we may also collect a sample of:
Following the clinical visit, you will be given a take-home questionnaire. The questionnaire should take approximately 2 hours to complete. The questions asked fall into the following general categories:
Who we are… If you have questions or would like more information, call Wendy McKenzie, Project Coordinator, 434-1628. The MicroArray Reader Nearly 20 years ago, respected physician and USC medical professor E.J. "Billy" Dennis had a vision that was ahead of its time. As he worked daily at Richland Memorial Hospital with gynecological cancer patients, he saw the critical role that genetics would play in the prevention and treatment of disease and he established a genetics counseling program through the USC School of Medicine that today ranks as the top program in the Southeast. Dr. Dennis recognized that wielding the traditional arsenal of cancer treatment weapons was not enough; rather, it was necessary to understand cancer development at the gene level in order to effectively alter its course. Yet development of the tools necessary for that type of sophisticated research was years away. Those tools have now arrived. In July 2001, the South Carolina Cancer Center research division took a quantum leap in technological sophistication when it acquired a DNA microarray reader, a five-laser Packard BioChip Technologies array scanner. With this highly advanced "gene microscope" plus analysis software for the huge amount of data generated, genetic research can be conducted in a manner that gives Cancer Center researchers a better picture of simultaneous interactions among thousands of genes. The full potential of the new microarray technology will be realized over the next several years as Cancer Center investigators move from research to clinical trials to clinical application. Eventually, the technology will enhance cancer treatment by enabling therapy to be individually targeted to a genetic "fingerprint" that characterizes specific types of cells and classes of tumors. This is known as gene expression profiling. A major new thrust of cancer research is the identification of disease-specific biochemical alterations that can be utilized as biomarkers for early disease intervention, as prognostic factors of disease progression, or as targets for drug development. Using gene expression profiling methodology, the focus is on characterizing cells by analyzing the levels of expressed genes or proteins. Fabricated microscope slides contain arrays of thousands of human genes. Called "gene chips," they are utilized to obtain a pattern of the expressed genes in cancer cells from tumors that appear clinically similar. Already there are specific research applications identified by Cancer Center researchers in the areas of breast, cervical and colon cancer, among others. Jointly funded by the Cancer Center, USC School of Medicine and a grant from the E. J. Dennis Memorial Fund, the microarray reader represents an investment of $167,050. The instrument is housed in the Cancer Center's translational research laboratory on the Palmetto Richland campus, and is operated and maintained by Cancer Center research staff. Enhancing the value of the equipment will be ten computer-networked sites at various research facilities throughout the university. The equipment also will be made available to USC graduate and undergraduate students for research. The acquisition of the microarray equipment is yet another example of the community support demonstrated for the Cancer Center as a true research partnership between Palmetto Health and the University of South Carolina. Ultimately, the Cancer Center's goal is to house a comprehensive microarray core laboratory and dedicated technician, thereby enabling the production on site of DNA gene chips specifically for in-house research projects. With appropriate vision and adequate funding, Billy Dennis' dream will continue to be realized, and patients with cancer will continue to benefit. HER - 2/neu- Gynecological Oncology Research The Cancer Genetic Laboratory in the USC School of Medicine's Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology has been conducting research on HER-2/neu in ovarian, breast, endometrial and colon cancers since 1995. The technology developed, is called fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), and is highly accurate and reproducible in assessing gene amplification in both freshly obtained core biopsy and surgical paraffin-embedded biopsy samples. FISH analysis of these samples is now regularly conducted to identify patients who are HER-2 positive and therefore a candidate for aggressive treatment with HERCEPTIN. The Laboratory is now engaged in identifying other molecular cytogenetic markers for use in cancer prognosis and treatment such as the oncogenes c-myc and cyclin D as well as the tumor suppressor, p53.
Award Honors Cervical Cancer Researcher Why are some women more likely than others to develop cervical cancer? That question is an important one for South Carolina, which ranks eighth among the 50 states in cervical cancer mortality. That question, and others about this disease, is likely to be answered by research being conducted by Associate Professor of Pathology Lucia Pirisi-Creek, M.D., the recipient of the 2000 School of Medicine Faculty Research Award. It is the second time Pirisi-Creek has received the award, which she shared with her husband, faculty colleague, and research partner, Dr. Kim Creek, in 1996. Pirisi-Creek has been engaged in cancer research since she was a medical student in Italy and in cervical cancer research in particular since she was a postdoctoral fellow at the National Cancer Institute. However, she was not aware of South Carolina’s high cervical cancer death rate when she and Creek came to USC in 1987. The ominous numbers in her adopted state have provided further impetus to her work, she says. "At the time, we kept hearing that doctors were seeing a lot of cervical cancer, but there were no reliable population data," Pirisi-Creek recalls. She set up a laboratory to study human papillomavirus (HPV), a genital infection linked with cervical cancer. While focusing primarily on basic research, she also began partnering with Dr. Ann Coker of the School of Public Health in epidemiological studies of HPV and cervical cancer in South Carolina. It is those studies which have produced the first solid data on the incidence of HPV infection and its relationship to cervical cancer in the state. In her own laboratory, Pirisi-Creek was successful in developing the first in vitro research model demonstrating the process by which the HPV virus causes normal genital cells to become immortalized (the early stage of progression to cancer cells). The model enables her and her colleagues to study the various stages in the transformation process and the factors involved. An early observation was that levels of the receptor for a specific growth factor, epidermal growth factor (EGF), are much higher in transformed cells than in normal cells. Pursuing the relationship between EGF receptor levels and the ability of HPV to transform cells, Pirisi-Creek’s group has, over the past five years, linked increases in receptor levels with the E6 protein, a product of the HPV virus. "Sometimes the increase happens with E6 alone, and sometimes it doesn’t," she says, however. "There is an intrinsic difference in individual response to E6." While currently two abnormal Pap smears slate a woman for colposcopy, an expensive and anxiety-producing procedure, only a small percentage of patients with abnormal Pap smears are truly at risk for cervical cancer. If Pirisi-Creek’s in vitro findings hold for the human population, they may indicate a biomarker for susceptibility to cervical cancer which would enable physicians to target colposcopy to only those patients likely to develop the disease. Pirisi-Creek’s next five-year National Cancer Institute-sponsored project involves analyzing individual human clinical samples to better understand the relationship between basic levels of EGF receptors and susceptibility to HPV transformation in vitro. If these additional studies confirm the evidence for biomarkers seen to date, clinical trials may not be very far in the future. Other more recent molecular biological studies of HPV are leading Pirisi-Creek into the realm of research on another killer of women, breast cancer. Observations of the role of another growth factor, transforming growth factor alpha (TGF@), in HPV transformation may have important implications for treatment of the most aggressive, drug-resistant breast tumors. A new grant from the U.S. Army is funding continuation of this investigation. Pirisi-Creek has attracted more than grant funding to South Carolina. In January, 1999, she was chief organizer of the 17th International Papillomavirus Conference, held in Charleston. The conference attracted 645 scientists and clinicians from 39 countries and produced important information on both detection and prevention of this virus linked to cervical cancer. With a warmth and generosity of spirit that recall her native Italy, Pirisi-Creek reaches out to others. She is an ardent participant in the national research peer review process, mentoring younger colleagues in the field just as she nurtures graduate and undergraduate honors students at USC. With the same glow with which she talks of sharing her love of music and dance with her children, Pirisi-Creek speaks of sharing her dedication to research with her students. "They come to your lab green and naive. It’s a thrill to see them leave as scientists." Carol Smith
Here's some good advicefrom a survivor Husband-and-wife cancer researchers Joan Cunningham, PhD, and Michael Wargovich, PhD, know firsthand just how much you can do to lower your odds of dying from cancer. Dr. Wargovich's specialty is cancer prevention. Dr. Cunningham is a recent breast cancer survivor. "By doing a few basic things, you can lower your risk significantly," says Dr. Cunningham, an assistant professor at the South Carolina Cancer Center and the University of South Carolina School of Public Health in Columbia. According to the Washington, DC_based American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR), 60 to 70% of all cancer cases are directly linked to lifestyle factors you can control, such as what you eat and whether you exercise or smoke. While researchers don't know all the factors that contribute to the other 30 to 40% of the cases, they do know that if you get cancer, you can boost your odds of surviving it if you're diagnosed early. And to a certain extent, you have some control there too. You can get regular mammograms and other screening tests that catch cancer early, when it's most treatable. Do just 1 thing! Promise a kid you'll quit smoking. Smoking boosts your risks of cancers of the mouth, throat, larynx, esophagus, kidney, bladder, lung, colon, cervix, skin, and, perhaps, ovaries. You're more likely to give it up if you tell a child in your life that you're going to quit, because you won't want to let that kid down. "Most kids know how hazardous smoking is, and they worry about loved ones who smoke," says Michael Thun, MD, head of epidemiological research for the Atlanta-based American Cancer Society. Together, pick a quit date, and decide how you'll chart your successes. Dr. Thun's sister, a 40-year smoker, quit after his children sent her a calendar and stickers to mark each day that she was smoke-free. Get screened-and re-screened. Know when you're due for screening tests, and ask your doctor for them. If your results are negative, but you still think something's wrong, ask for repeat tests, advise Joan Cunningham, PhD, of the South Carolina Cancer Center in Columbia, and Michael Wargovich, PhD, who is director of basic research at the center. Sometimes, screens can yield "false-negatives," results that suggest that nothing's wrong when something actually is. (There are false-positives too.) After feeling something suspicious in her breast, Dr. Cunningham had a mammogram and ultrasound that showed nothing amiss. "A few months later, I really felt something wrong," she recalls. A second ultrasound detected cancer, catching it early. Two years after surgery, Dr. Cunningham is cancer-free. Hike to the store for broccoli-raisin salad. Regular exercise and eating fewer fatty foods and more fruits and vegetables are linked to a lower risk of cancer. For one thing, they can help you lose weight: Obesity can increase your risks of breast, cervical, endometrial, ovarian, gallbladder, colon, and prostate cancers. Plant-based foods are not only low in calories, they're also high in cancer-fighting compounds. The American Institute for Cancer Research suggests you eat at least five servings a day, though some studies are suggesting that more9 or 10are better. If the thought of all those vegetables isn't making your mouth water, you need some new recipes. "Look for Mediterranean, Indian, Chinese, and other ethnic cookbooks; they include wonderful recipes for vegetables," says Dr. Thun. What the Experts Do "We're not paragons of virtue when it comes to doing what we should to lower our risks of cancer," says Joan Cunningham, PhD, a breast cancer survivor who, like her husband, Michael Wargovich, PhD, is a cancer researcher. "But we try to do certain basic things." Things such as eating plenty of fruits and vegetables and brown rice. Meat occasionally makes an appearance on the Cunningham/Wargovich table. But fish and tofu are regulars. Drs. Cunningham and Wargovich also make a habit of walking at least 2 miles a day. Often, they'll make the trip an integral part of the day's itinerary by, say, walking rather than driving to the local Barnes and Noble. Just as important, the two never miss a cancer screening. Eating well and exercising can lower your risks of cancer, they note, but to date, no one knows how to eliminate the risk altogether. Eat To Beat Cancer Recipe This main dish salad makes a great carry-along lunch. Simply drain the dressing, toss with a little shredded cheese, and scoop into a pita pocket. 1 c chickpeas, rinsed and drained Place all the ingredients in a serving bowl, and toss to mix. Makes 4 servings Variation: Combine chopped fresh red bell pepper, carrots, cucumbers, and scallions with lemon juice and salt. The payoff: a great source of cancer-fighting vitamins A and C, and potassium. per serving 121 cal, 4 g pro, 17 g carb, 5 g fat, 1 g sat. fat, 0 mg chol, 5 g fiber, 366 mg sodium Republished with permission of Prevention magazine. Undergraduate Summer Research Internship
In operation since 1993, more then 200 students have participated in the PH-USC sponsored program. SCCC Research Awards
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