Moffitt Momentum eNewsletter | Moffitt Cancer Center

Women with cancer have a reassuring place to turn at the newly opened Center for Women’s Oncology at Moffitt Cancer Center, located right in the Tampa Bay area. The Center provides state-of-the-art care in an elegant, warm and caring environment.

“The medical specialists and staff at The Center for Women’s Oncology understand that for a woman diagnosed with gynecologic or breast cancer her journey begins with a myriad of questions and concerns,” says Johnathan Lancaster, M.D., Ph.D., director of The Center for Women’s Oncology and chair of the Department of Women’s Oncology at Moffitt. “We are here to treat the whole woman, not just a particular disease,” says Dr. Lancaster.

Women at high risk for cancer can be followed with a specialist in one of the specialty clinics, which range from the Familial Breast and Ovarian Cancer Clinic for women who carry the BRCA1 or BRCA 2 gene mutation to a Diagnostic Breast Clinic for women who have had a suspicious mammogram and need a surgical consultation.

Personalized Care Is Based In Science
Scientific discoveries are translated into clinical trials at Moffitt that test new therapies that could become the lifesaving drugs of tomorrow. Physician-scientists at Moffitt go a step further through a comprehensive approach to cancer called Moffitt Total Cancer Care™. Total Cancer Care combines information technology, 21st century science and clinical care that can be “personalized” by matching the right patient to the right treatment.

“We clearly need to find better treatments for some cancers,” says Dr. Lancaster. “Our responsibility is to develop and test new approaches to treating cancers.”

Treating Ovarian Cancer Is Based On Genetic Makeup
Of the many clinical trials ongoing at The Center for Women’s Oncology at Moffitt, a growing number are rooted in the concept of personalized medicine. In one such compelling trial, Dr. Lancaster and Robert Wenham, M.D., a member of Moffitt’s Gynecologic Oncology Program, are conducting a study that for the first time enrolls ovarian cancer patients who will have their chemotherapy regimen selected based on the genetic “fingerprint” of their cancer.

The study uses genetic expression signatures from the patient’s tumor as a biomarker to select chemotherapy. Researchers take a biopsy of the tumor, extract its genetic material, place the material on a gene chip, and create a personalized fingerprint to predict the tumor’s response to different anticancer agents.

“We aim to eventually identify a molecular pathway or biomarker of resistance — the Achilles’ heel of the tumor cell — and then switch off that pathway and improve treatment response rates,” says Dr. Lancaster.

Drs. Lancaster and Wenham say this concept of cancer care constitutes a new paradigm shift in medicine that moves away from the “one-size-fits-all” approach. Personalized medicine, they add, is a tool that allows researchers and clinicians to develop interventions that will provide the maximum benefit for each individual patient.

Breast Surgery Trials Are Designed To Improve Quality Of Life
Christine Laronga, M.D., interim leader of Moffitt’s Don & Erika Wallace Comprehensive Breast Program, is investigating whether liposuction can permanently reduce the amount of lymphedema experienced by women following breast surgery. Arm lymphedema is a condition occurring in 20 percent of women treated for breast cancer. This permanent swelling of the arm affects patient quality of life. Dr. Laronga also is developing a nipple-sparing mastectomy study. The nipple areola disk usually is removed when a mastectomy is performed. “This study is designed to allow preservation of the nipple areola disk during mastectomy with immediate reconstruction in a select group of women,” says Dr. Laronga.

Susan Minton, DO, of Moffitt’s Breast Cancer Program, is examining drug combinations to treat metastatic breast cancer. She is evaluating response rates and toxicity of a combination of vorinostat and tamoxifen in a phase II trial for patients with advanced breast cancer who have failed previous antihormonal therapy. Tamoxifen interferes with the female hormone estrogen, which can promote the development of breast cancer. Vorinostat is a compound that inhibits the activity of histone deacetylases, or HDACs, proteins that are modified in cancer cells and that affect cell cycle activity.

Moffitt also is studying the use of immunotherapy in the treatment of breast cancer. “We are opening a phase I/II trial funded by the National Cancer Institute for metastatic breast cancer patients combining a dendritic-cell vaccine targeting mutant p53 plus a novel immunomodulator 1-methyl-D-tryptophan (1-MT),” says Hatem Soliman, M.D., a member of Moffitt’s Breast Program. “It is thought that 1-MT may enhance the ability of the body’s immune system to respond to the vaccine and kill cancer cells.”

Center Helps Patients Enjoy Full Lives
The Center for Women’s Oncology is dedicated to caring for the whole woman and helping to ensure each patient enjoys the best quality of life. In addition to providing the most modern treatments, the center offers programs to help women enjoy a full life, including:

Moffitt has been on the forefront of developing innovations in oncology and offers patients in The Center for Women’s Oncology the latest technological options. For more information about The Center for Women’s Oncology at Moffitt, you may call 813-745-6300 or visit www.MOFFITT.org/womens.

Patient Testimonial:

Can I Get A Witness? By D. Shenell Reed
Breast cancer doesn’t consider your race, religion or culture when it strikes. Hearing the words “you have breast cancer” can be devastating. But with highly skilled health care professionals standing against it, women who are diagnosed, and even those who aren’t, are in a better position to fight back. They don’t have to fight alone — there is a program that helps.

Through The Witness Project®, breast cancer survivors Ethel Harris and Pat DuPar, along with Linda Paige, senior community outreach worker with The Witness Project at Moffitt, and other volunteers, encourage women to cope with fears of breast cancer, ease anxiety and dispel myths. They also stress the dire need for women to do breast self exams.

The Witness Project is a national breast and cervical cancer education program with 19 sites in 16 states. The Moffitt program got started in 2003. It was established to increase awareness, knowledge, access to screening, and early detection among African-American women in an effort to reduce cancer mortality and morbidity. Because of its faith-based nature, The Witness Project conducts its programs primarily in churches. Health disparities that plague our nation make it necessary for the project to transcend the African-American community and reach other minorities.

I sat down with Linda, Pat and Ethel to talk with them about breast cancer and asked them why they want to testify about early detection. Their comments (a few of them excerpted below) proved to be interesting.

In many minority communities, talking about cancer can be a challenge. How do you get the women to open up about breast cancer?

Ethel: Well, when they see us standing in front of them, automatically we form a bond. Here is somebody who looks like you, and whom you might even know, boldly telling you she has breast cancer and discussing the path her life took.

Pat: Each testimony is different. I’m an 11-year survivor. I had a bilateral mastectomy. I found out that I had breast cancer at the same time in both breasts, so I wound up losing both breasts, and that’s rare. Look at me. I’m vibrant, I’m beautiful. I’m alive — in 11 years. So, when they see us standing there, women of color, even those who have not done self examinations are encouraged to do so. We tell them about early detection being so important.

What kind of impact do you think The Witness Project is having on our community?

Pat: I think the education we share through the different forums — churches, community centers, anywhere you can get a group of women, and we can speak out — has the most impact. The education is phenomenal. The testimonies of people who’ve gone through it — you can’t replace that.

Ethel: I think that’s the biggest thing we have going for us. The fact that we have so many different testimonies. We’re a diverse group — different ages, different backgrounds. We just tell it like it is. We’ll gladly share with anybody who wants to call us. Because some women are timid about sharing in a group, we allow them to call us at home. We spread education as much as we can.

Pat: The major issue for me is to dispel all the myths. There are a lot of myths in minority communities.

Linda: The education provides the various ways women have found lumps. It gives them a broad range of things to look for in their breasts. And we’ve been approached by women who say ‘I need to talk with you — I have found something and I wanted to ignore it. But seeing you here talking about it and telling me about survivorship, I want to go to my doctor and see what’s going on with my body.’

Linda: I want to say one thing. This keeps coming back to me: breast self-awareness. One woman in the group had a mammogram in October and found a lump in January. Had she waited until the next October and not have been aware of her breasts, who knows what stage her cancer could have been in by the next October?

Pat: I feel that this is something I should be doing, having been blessed to be an “another year” survivor. That’s what I enjoy most — being able to give something encouraging back to women. Some Saturdays I think “What? I gotta go where?” But I get up and go.

Ethel: We all feel obligated to give back. I never knew that I would look forward to taking a part in our Witness Project on a Saturday. No matter what you have to do on a Saturday, you have to go. I might save one person in that group or encourage one person to go get a mammogram. And if we’ve done that we feel that we’re making much progress.

If you would like to learn more about The Witness Project, call Linda Paige at 813-745-4304. If you would like to donate to The Witness Project or any cancer health disparities project, please contact the Moffitt Foundation at 813-745-1403.

Cancer Treatment Quiz:

Cancer Answers:

Q&A: The Facts About Women’s Cancers

A: Cervical cancer is a malignant tumor of the cervix, or neck of the uterus. Most cervical cancers are caused by an infection by the human papilloma virus that can lead to precancerous changes (dysplasia) in some women. If undetected or untreated, dysplasia can develop over several years into an invasive cancer that can spread to nearby and distant tissues. Dysplasia can be detected by Pap smear screening.

A: Possible signs of cervical cancer include vaginal bleeding and pelvic pain. Other conditions may cause the same symptoms. A doctor should be consulted if any of the following problems occur: vaginal bleeding, unusual vaginal discharge, pelvic pain or pain during sexual intercourse.

A: In reference to the use of laparoscopy in endometrial cancer (cancer of the layer of tissue that lines the uterus), this technique is used in certain patients. Some factors that are considered in the decision process include: general medical condition, prior surgical history, how large the uterus is, the specific uterine histology, patient body characteristics, and/or any evidence of disease outside the uterus.

Symptom Checker: Common Ovarian Cancer Symptoms

Ovarian cancer symptoms can be vague and often are mistaken for other, more common conditions, according to the American Cancer Society (ACS). Women with ovarian cancer are more likely to have symptoms if the disease has spread beyond the ovaries, but symptoms also can be caused by early-stage disease.

The ACS recommends that a woman see a physician, preferably a gynecologist, if she experiences these symptoms almost daily for more than a few weeks.

Moffitt Morsels – Healthy Recipes For Healthy Living

Toasted Whole Wheat Pita Wedges:

Serve these with Lite Hummus Dip or with another healthy dip or spread.

Ingredients:

Ingredients: 2 whole wheat pita breads (6 inches)
Olive oil spray
2 Tbsp. Parmesan cheese

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Separate halves of each pita bread, then cut each half into 8 wedges. On large baking sheet, place wedges in single layer. Spray lightly with olive oil. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake for 15 minutes.

Nutritional Information:

Makes 4 servings. Per serving: 97 calories, 2 g total fat (<1 g saturated fat), 18 g carbohydrates, 4 g protein, 2 g dietary fiber, 217 mg sodium

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Lite Hummus Dip:

Ingredients:

1 can (15 oz.) chick peas, rinsed and drained
1-2 cloves finely minced garlic (or to taste)
1 Tbsp. sesame tahini
6-8 Tbsp. reduced sodium vegetable broth or water
1-2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp. extra virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Hot pepper sauce (optional)
Paprika

Instructions:

In blender or food processor, place peas, garlic, tahini, broth or water, lemon juice and oil. Blend on high speed until mixture is smooth. Add salt, pepper and hot pepper sauce to taste, if desired. Pour mixture into serving bowl. Dust lightly with paprika. Serve with cut-up raw vegetables and pita bread.

Nutritional Information:

Makes 1 ¼ cups. Per 2 tablespoons: 50 calories, 2 g fat (<1 g saturated fat), 7 g carbohydrate,2 g protein, 2 g dietary fiber, 195 mg sodium.

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Fruity Iced Tea:

Ingredients:

6 cups water
1 cinnamon stick
1 tsp. whole cloves
6 black tea bags
3-4 cups apricot or peach nectar
Sugar or honey, to taste (optional)

Instructions:

In large saucepan, simmer water, cinnamon stick and cloves 15 minutes, covered. Turn off heat. Add tea bags. Steep 2-5 minutes, depending on the strength you prefer. Remove tea bags. Add apricot nectar. Add sugar or honey, if desired. Strain to remove spices. Refrigerate until cold.

Nutritional Information:

Makes 9 servings. Per serving: 47 calories, 0 g total fat (0 g. saturated fat), 12 g carbohydrates, <1 g protein, <1 g dietary fiber, 3 mg sodium.

Recipe Source:
American Institute for Cancer Research

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Moffitt Momentum

Table of Contents

The Center For Women’s Oncology Redefines Treatment

Patient Testimonial:

Cancer Treatment Quiz:

Cancer Answers:

Q&A: The Facts About Women’s Cancers

Symptom Checker: Common Ovarian Cancer Symptoms

Moffitt Morsels – Healthy Recipes For Healthy Living