Jefferson Researchers Identify Critical Marker of Response to Gemcitabine in Pancreatic Cancer
(Published 6-1-2009) A protein related to aggressive cancers can actually improve the efficacy of gemcitabine at treating pancreatic cancer, according to a Priority Report in Cancer Research, published by researchers at Thomas Jefferson University.

Type of Connection Procedure after Pancreatic Surgery Influenced Rate of Pancreatic Fistula
(Published 5-1-2009) After surgery to remove the head of the pancreas, invagination of the pancreas into the small intestine resulted in a lower rate of pancreatic fistula, according to researchers at the Jefferson Pancreas, Biliary and Related Cancer Center. The research was published in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons. It was performed as a randomized trial – the gold standard for studies.

MST An Herbal Extract Inhibits the Development of Pancreatic Cancer
(Published 4-22-2009) An herb recently found to kill pancreatic cancer cells also appears to inhibit development of pancreatic cancer as a result of its anti-inflammatory properties, according to researchers from the Kimmel Cancer Center at Jefferson. The data were presented at the AACR 100th Annual Meeting 2009 in Denver. (Abstract #494)

Vitamin K and Sorafenib Combination Demonstrated Anti-Tumor Effects in Pancreas Cancer and Hepatocellular Carcinoma
(Published 4-22-2009) A combination of sorafenib and vitamin K had an effect in vitro on both human pancreas cancer and hepatocellular carcinoma, according to researchers from the Kimmel Cancer Center at Jefferson. Data from the two studies were presented at the AACR 100th Annual Meeting 2009 in Denver. (Abstract #5470 and #5483)

Jefferson Scientists Deliver Toxic Genes to Effectively Kill Pancreatic Cancer Cells
(Published 9-23-2008) A research team, led by investigators at the Department of Surgery at Jefferson Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University and the Kimmel Cancer Center at Jefferson, has achieved a substantial “kill” of pancreatic cancer cells by using nanoparticles to successfully deliver a deadly diphtheria toxin gene. The findings – set to be published in the October issue of Cancer Biology & Therapy – reflect the first time this unique strategy has been tested in pancreatic cancer cells, and the success seen offers promise for future pre-clinical animal studies, and possibly, a new clinical approach.

Michel Haddad, M.D., Joins the Department of Surgery at Jefferson
(Published 9-4-2008) Michel Haddad, M.D., recently joined the Department of Surgery at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital. He was also named an assistant professor of Surgery at Jefferson Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University. Dr. Haddad specializes in cardiac surgery and critical care medicine.

Niels D. Martin, M.D., Joins the Department of Surgery at Jefferson
(Published 9-4-2008) Niels Douglas Martin, M.D., recently joined the Department of Surgery at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, and was also named an assistant professor in Surgery at Jefferson Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University. He specializes in Acute Care Surgery, which encompasses Trauma Surgery, General Surgery and Surgical Critical Care.

Jay S. Jenoff, M.D., Joins the Department of Surgery at Jefferson
(Published 8-21-2008) Jay S. Jenoff, M.D., recently joined the Department of Surgery at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, and was also named an assistant professor of Surgery at Jefferson Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University. He specializes in trauma surgery, general surgery, and surgical critical care.

Kristin Brill, M.D., Joins the Department of Surgery at Jefferson
(Published 8-21-2008) Kristin Brill, M.D., F.A.C.S., recently joined the Department of Surgery at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, and was also named an instructor of Surgery at Jefferson Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University. Dr. Brill specializes in the surgical treatment of benign and malignant breast conditions.

Benny Weksler, M.D., Joins the Department of Surgery at Jefferson
(Published 8-13-2008) Benny Weksler, M.D., an accomplished thoracic surgeon, recently joined the Department of Surgery at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, and was also named an assistant professor at Jefferson Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University. Dr. Weksler specializes in thoracic surgical oncology, especially procedures for lung and esophageal cancer, as well as several different types of minimally invasive chest procedures.

Jefferson Surgeon Elected President of Association of Program Directors for Colon and Rectal Surgery
(Published 6-9-2008) Gerald A. Isenberg, M.D., director of Undergraduate Education in the Department of Surgery, and associate professor of Surgery at Jefferson Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University has been elected president of the Association of Program Directors for Colon and Rectal Surgery. He will serve a three-year term.

Traditional Herbal Medicine Kills Pancreatic Cancer Cells, Jefferson Researchers Report
(Published 5-19-2008) An herb used in traditional medicine by many Middle Eastern countries may help in the fight against pancreatic cancer, one of the most difficult cancers to treat. Researchers at the Kimmel Cancer at Jefferson in Philadelphia have found that thymoquinone, an extract of nigella sativa seed oil, blocked pancreatic cancer cell growth and killed the cells by enhancing the process of programmed cell death.

Blood Pressure Drugs Halt Pancreatic Cancer Cell Growth, Jefferson Researchers Find
(Published 4-14-2008) Researchers at the Kimmel Cancer Center at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia are inching closer to understanding how common blood pressure medications might help prevent the spread of pancreatic cancer. They have found in the laboratory that one type of pressure-lowering drug called an angiotensin receptor blocker inhibits pancreatic cancer cell growth and causes cell death.

Jefferson Scientists’ Discovery May Help Explain Smoking-Pancreatic Cancer Link
(Published 4-13-2008) If lung cancer and heart disease aren't bad enough, cigarette smokers are also at higher risk for developing, among other things, pancreatic cancer. Now, researchers at the Kimmel Cancer Center at Jefferson in Philadelphia have preliminary evidence indicating one possible reason why. Data being presented April 13, 2008 during the Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research shows that they have found that nicotine in cigarettes increases the production of a protein that is known to promote cancer cell survival, invasion and spread.

Jefferson, PanCAN Holding Program April 5 to Help Patients, Families and Public Learn More About Pancreatic Cancer
(Published 4-2-2008) New imaging techniques, improved early detection and screening of high-risk groups, and new therapies on the horizon have begun to change the way pancreatic cancer is viewed. It's against this background that Thomas Jefferson University, Jefferson's Kimmel Cancer Center and the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network (PanCan), a national advocacy organization, are sponsoring a pancreatic cancer symposium on Saturday, April 5, 2008 on the Jefferson campus. The program will be held in the Dorrance H. Hamilton Building, 1001 Locust Street, beginning at 9 a.m. It is free to the public.

Jefferson Transplant Specialist Cataldo Doria, M.D., Ph.D., Elected to American College of Surgeons
(Published 2-12-2008) Cataldo Doria, M.D, Ph.D., director of the Division of Transplantation at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, and associate professor of Surgery at Jefferson Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University, has become a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons (ACS). Convocation ceremonies took place at the College’s 93rd annual Clinical Congress, which were held last fall in New Orleans.

Jefferson Specialists Perform High Tech Surgery to Safely Remove up to 75 Percent of Cancerous Livers
(Published 1-15-2008) Transplant surgeons at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia are using a new method called “bloodless” liver resection to safely remove up to 75 percent of the largest organ in the human body. The technique is improving patients’ odds and cutting recovery time in half.

Jefferon Scientists Find Protein Helps Pancreatic Cancer Cells Hide from Immune System, Allowing Spread
(Published 1-10-2008) A protein that helps prevent a woman’s body from rejecting a fetus may also play an important role in enabling pancreatic cancer cells to evade detection by the immune system, allowing them to spread in the body.

New Jefferson Center Will Focus on Pancreatic, Biliary and Related Cancers
(Published 11-9-2007) A new center at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital now offers a multidisciplinary approach to diagnosis and treatment of pancreatic, biliary tract and other related cancers. The Jefferson Center for Pancreatic, Biliary and Related Cancers will provide patients with a focused approach to pancreatic cancer and other diseases of the pancreas, bile ducts, liver, stomach and other related upper abdominal organs.

Jefferson Scientists Find Protein May Play a Key Role in Development of Deadly Form of Pancreatic Cancer
(Published 10-11-2007) A tumor-blocking protein previously implicated in prostate and breast cancer development may also be behind the most aggressive type of pancreatic cancer. Researchers at the Kimmel Cancer Center at Jefferson in Philadelphia have discovered that the protein pp32 – which normally applies the brakes on a cancer-causing gene – is missing in an aggressive form of pancreatic cancer. Though the work is preliminary, the scientists say, the absent protein could eventually become a marker for the disease and a potential drug target.

Jefferson Surgery Chair Co-Authors Pancreatic Cancer Guide for Patients and Caregivers
(Published 10-4-2007) A new guide on pancreatic cancer, co-authored by the chair of Surgery at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, offers a better understanding to patients and caregivers of the unique challenges associated with a diagnosis of pancreatic cancer.

Jefferson to Re-Broadcast Breast Reconstruction Surgical Webcast for Breast Cancer Awareness Month
(Published 10-2-2007) As part of Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October, Thomas Jefferson University Hospital is re-airing its webcast on one of the most often performed breast reconstruction surgical procedures, using muscle tissue from a patient's back. The webcast, featuring Jefferson breast cancer surgeons performing immediate breast reconstruction after mastectomy, can be seen at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, October 18 at: http://www.jeffersonhospital.org/webcast

Trauma Surgeon Pankaj H. Patel M.D., Joins Thomas Jefferson University Hospital
(Published 10-1-2007) Surgeon Pankaj H. Patel, M.D., FACS, who specializes in trauma and general surgery, has joined the Department of Surgery of Thomas Jefferson University Hospital. He has also been named assistant professor of Surgery, Jefferson Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University.


Whipple Webcast at Jefferson Highlights Innovative Surgical Treatment for Pancreatic Cancer
(Published 8-27-2007) Thomas Jefferson University Hospital this will host a webcast featuring a mini-Whipple procedure (pylorus preserving pancreaticoduodenectomy) used to treat pancreatic cancer. The webcast, which will feature an actual procedure and panel discussion by the Jefferson Pancreatic Cancer and Related Diseases Team, is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. ET on Tuesday, September 18.
Replay now available at: http://www.or-live.com/jeffersonhospital/1857


Jefferson Scientist’s Patent Dramatically Improves DNA Analysis
(Published 7-16-2007) A basic scientist in the Department of Surgery at Jefferson Medical College and the Kimmel Cancer Center at Jefferson has shared a patent on what may someday be a ubiquitous tool in DNA analysis. The discovery could have a range of applications, from forensics to cloning to bioterrorism.

Jefferson Receives Medicare Approval for its Advanced Heart Failure and Cardiac Transplant Center
(Published 7-2-2007) The Advanced Heart Failure and Cardiac Transplant Center at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital has become one of only 96 adult and six pediatric heart transplant centers in the nation approved by Medicare.

Trial Supports Use of Marker to Predict How Pancreatic Cancer Patients Do After Surgery, Jefferson Surgeon Finds
(Published 6-22-2007) A team of researchers, led by surgeons at the Kimmel Cancer Center at Jefferson in Philadelphia, has found further evidence supporting the ability of a protein to predict how well a patient with advanced pancreatic cancer will do after surgery, chemotherapy and radiation. The levels of the protein CA 19-9 in the blood can be used to determine the need for further therapy, they say.

Jefferson Scientist Awarded Prestigious ACS Grant to Study Use of Blood Pressure Drugs Against Cancer
(Published 6-6-2007) In 2006, researcher Hwyda Arafat, M.D., Ph.D., reported that common blood pressure medications might help block the spread of pancreatic cancer. Now, Dr. Arafat, assistant professor of surgery at Jefferson Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University and at the Kimmel Cancer Center at Jefferson in Philadelphia, has been awarded a prestigious Research Scholar Grant from the American Cancer Society (ACS) to continue that work.

Pancreatic Surgery Riskier for Obese Patients, Jefferson Surgeon Finds
(Published 5-30-2007) Obesity may contribute to a greater likelihood of post-operative complications for patients having pancreatic surgery, a surgeon at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital has found.

Surgeons at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital are First in Pennsylvania to Implant Jarvik 2000 Heart Assist System in Heart Failure Patient
(Published 3-23-2007) On Monday morning, March 19, cardiac surgeons Scott Silvestry, M.D. and Linda Bogar, M.D. at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital opened the chest of a 55-year-old man suffering from chronic heart failure and implanted a Jarvik 2000 Heart Assist System to save his life. The Advanced Heart Failure and Cardiac Transplant team at Jefferson University Hospital is the first in the state to implant the new device.

PA Breast Cancer Coalition to Give Awards to Scientists at Kimmel Cancer Center at Jefferson
(Published 3-22-2007) The Pennsylvania Breast Cancer Coalition (PBCC) will recognize three researchers from the Kimmel Cancer Center at Jefferson who have been selected to receive grants through the Income Tax Check-Off for breast cancer research.


Chemotherapy Resistance Testing Needs to Be Studied, Jefferson Lung Cancer Surgeon Contends
(Published 3-16-2007) A study led by a lung cancer surgeon at Jefferson Medical College suggests that oncologists should take more advantage of laboratory tests that have the potential to help determine a lung cancer patient’s resistance to chemotherapy drugs. All too often, patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) are given standard chemotherapy drugs after surgery in a “hit or miss” fashion, without doctors knowing which drugs might have better chances than others to help treat the tumor. Steps should be taken to validate such resistance tests in clinical trials.

Jefferson’s New Aortic Center Provides Most Advanced Technologies for Treatment of Aortic Aneurysms
(Published 1-23-2007) Thomas Jefferson University Hospital has opened a new center that will provide patients access to the most advanced technologies available in the treatment of aortic aneurysms, dissections and other maladies anywhere in the body. The Aortic Center at Jefferson is made up of a multidisciplinary team of surgical and medical specialists focused on preoperative and postoperative care, making for a strong blend of surgical expertise, technology and quality bedside care.

The Gross Clinic Goes on View at Philadelphia Museum of Art on Friday, January 5, as Fundraising Continues
(Published 1-5-2007) Thomas Eakins’ 1875 masterpiece, The Gross Clinic, goes on public view at 4 p.m. today at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and in early March will hang at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. It is on loan to the Museum from Thomas Jefferson University until it is sold later this month by the University to the Museum and the Academy, which have joined in an extraordinary ongoing fundraising effort.


Pancreatic Cancer Surgery Five-Year Survivors 65 and Up Live Nearly as Long As Anyone
(Published 1-5-2007) A new study shows that pancreatic cancer patients 65 or older who live at least five years after surgery have nearly as good a chance as anyone else to live another five years.

Jefferson Chair of Surgery Honored by Hellenic Medical Society of New York
(Published 12-21-2006) Charles J.Yeo, M.D., Samuel D.Gross Professor and Chair of Surgery at Jefferson Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University, recently received the 2006 Distinguished Physician Award from the Hellenic Medical Society of New York.

Jefferson Chair of Surgery’s Latest Book Considered Essential Medical Reference
(Published 12-14-2006) Charles J.Yeo, M.D., Samuel D. Gross Professor and Chair of Surgery at Jefferson Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University, has authored the latest (sixth) edition of Shackelford’s Surgery of the Alimentary Tract, considered to be an essential reference for general surgeons, surgical residents and gastroenterologists, with a special focus on alimentary tract diseases.

Blood Pressure Drugs Could Help Halt Pancreatic Cancer Spread, Jefferson Researchers Find
(Published 12-8-2006) Common blood pressure medications might help block the spread of pancreatic cancer, researchers at the Kimmel Cancer Center at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia have found. The scientists showed in laboratory studies that two types of pressure-lowering drugs – ACE inhibitors and AT1R blockers – may help reduce the development of tumor-feeding blood vessels, a process called angiogenesis. Such drugs, they say, may become part of a novel strategy to control the growth and spread of cancer.

Thomas Jefferson University Trustees Agree To Sale of The Gross Clinic
(Published 11-11-2006) The National Gallery of Art and Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art Agree To Buy Iconic Thomas Eakins Work For Joint Display.

Francis E. Rosato, 72, pioneering Jefferson surgeon and teacher
(Published 10-24-06, Philadelphia Inquirer) Francis E. Rosato, 72, chairman of surgery at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital who performed the region's first liver transplant in 1984, died of blood cancer Wednesday at home in Gladwyne.

"Known as a surgeon's surgeon, Frank was revered by the more than 300 surgeons he trained. They often asked his advice in difficult surgical procedures years after leaving Jefferson," said James W. Fox IV, professor and chief of reconstructive surgery at Jefferson.