Clinical Notes ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !
CLINICAL NOTES During the first week of May, the Methodist DeBakey Heart & Vascular Center opened a multidisciplinary valve clinic that provides easy access for patients with complex diseases of the cardiac valves. The clinic is led by national experts in diagnostic cardiac imaging, interventional cardiology, robotic procedures and cardiac surgery to provide the best care possible. The clinic also hosts a valve board and maintains a robust clinical database of complex valve disorders to support research and advances in the treatment of cardiac valve disease.
Cardiologist Dr. Stephen Little is director of the new clinic, which streamlines the diagnosis and treatment process for patients by offering a unique coordination of services. ! ! ! !
Surgical oncologist Dr. Shanda Blackmon is studying an investigational drug that may vaccinate people against lung cancer. The vaccine trial is the largest study ever conducted on treatment for lung cancer. As part of the trial, study participants will be injected with a protein that is found in the tumor so that researchers can study whether the patient’s immune system will recognize and destroy cells with this protein. It is hoped that recurrence of cancer will be delayed or prevented. The study drug is called an antigen-specific cancer immunotherapeutic (ASCI). By incorporating a protein specific of the cancer, this drug will use the immune system to fight the cancer. Even after complete removal of a lung tumor and affected lymph nodes, there is still a risk that the cancer will return. This risk is considered to be high enough to require additional treatment, such as chemotherapy, after surgery. However, even with the most aggressive chemotherapy, the cancer returns in many patients. Both patients who receive chemotherapy after surgery and those who receive surgery without chemotherapy will be included in this study. This study will enroll approximately 2,270 subjects worldwide with MAGE-A3 positive non-small cell lung cancer. !
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