Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center reviews top cancer stories

Apr 5 2010

Johns Hopkins Surgeons Offer Scarless Surgery to Head and Neck Cancer Patients
Surgeon Jeremy Richmon, M.D., at Johns Hopkins is using robotic assistance to cut away tumors of the tongue and tonsils. Conventional surgery leaves disfiguring neck and jaw scars, but the robotic procedure leaves no scar except for inside the mouth, and he says, patients retain good function of speech and swallowing.
Video of Richmon discussing the procedure: http://bit.ly/aJPEUx

Science of the Invisible: Genomic Sequencing Technology Reveals Inner Workings of Cancer Cells
What is taking so long? It is a question frequently asked by a weary public that hears almost daily of new cancer discoveries yet continues to live in a world where cancer remains one of the deadliest diseases. The answer, say experts, is technology. Cancer is a disease of many broken parts, and these parts, contained within the DNA of a cell, are so small they cannot be seen with the best of microscopes. But a new technology called next generation sequencing is now allowing researchers to see inside the cancer cell in a way not possible before. When, in the past, it could take decades of research to identify just one cancer-related gene, with next generation sequencing, this can now be completed in months. Writer and editor Valerie Mehl explores how this technology is changing the landscape of cancer discoveries and reveals how scientists including mathematicians and particle physicists are helping to decode the information.
Promise and Progress Magazine article: http://bit.ly/asNeDw

Johns Hopkins Chosen to Lead Regional Efforts in $3.8 Million Grant to Improve Minority Access to Clinical Trials
A $3.8 million grant from the National Institutes of Health will fund five institutions for research focused on minority recruitment and retention in cancer clinical trials. Racial and ethnic minorities are at higher risk of developing certain types of cancer and die from these cancers at a greater rate because of late-stage detection. Researchers at Johns Hopkins and principal investigators at the University of Minnesota, University of Alabama at Birmingham, M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, and the University of California, Davis will examine the barriers that minorities face in participating in clinical trials.
Video of Johns Hopkins cancer disparities researcher Jean Ford, M.D., discussing the grant: http://bit.ly/dhrRHr

Podcast: Kimmel Cancer Center Director William Nelson Reviews Top Cancer Stories
William Nelson, M.D., Ph.D., director of the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center, discusses top stories in medical journals, news media, and cancer meetings in Cancer News Review, a monthly podcast. Recent topics include pediatric palliative care, genome sequencing, and a heat sensor for detecting melanoma. Subscribe to the podcast to get Nelson's point of view on current cancer research topics.
Cancer News Review Podcast: http://bit.ly/cL07K