Events

When do your Moles Require a Trip to the Dermatologist?

May 15th, 2013 By Margi McKellar, MS, PA Emory Winship Cancer Institute’s Melanoma Coordinator

Skin Cancer MolesHave you performed your monthly mole check? If not, take time today to do it and put it on your calendar for this day every month! Checking your moles monthly can help you from developing malignant melanoma. The earlier you find suspicious moles or lesions, the better your chances of being cured.

Some helpful tips to examine your moles:

  • Examine your skin after a shower, in good light, in front of a mirror without your clothes on.
  • Make sure to do a thorough, full body inspection. Start with your toes or your face and work your way over every surface of your body. Be sure to also check your scalp, underarms and genitals, parts that could be covered with hair.
  • Look for moles or skin markings that you haven’t noticed before, or areas that have changed in appearance since your last exam. Pay special attention to lesions that bleed or don’t heal.
  • Photos taken over a period of time can be helpful in determining whether a skin marking has changed.
  • Follow the ABC method for examining suspicious markings:
    • A = Asymmetry – do both sides of the mole match? If one side does not match the other, it could indicate melanoma.
    • B= Border – If the border has jagged or irregular edges, see your physician right away.
    • C = Color – Black, red, white and multi-colored moles should be seen by a professional right away. Tan and brown moles are usually ok, but make sure to watch for changes to these moles as well.
  • Diameter – Usually moles should be smaller than the end of a pen.
  • Elevation – moles should be flush with the skin around the mole. If you notice a mole is raised, visit your physician right away.
  • Do what you can to prevent skin cancer. Some ideas:
  • Wear sunscreen in the sun, in all seasons!
  • Wear a hat and sunglasses
  • Avoid tanning salons
  • Try to stay out of the sun between 10am and 3pm

Take action today to protect yourself and your family members!

Chat with Dr. Delman about Skin Cancer:

Skin Cancer Online ChatJoin Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University physician Keith Delman, MD at noon on Wednesday, May 29, 2013 for an online web chat on melanoma and other skin cancers. He will talk about skin cancer prevention and answer questions such as:

-What are signs of melanoma and skin cancer?
-How is melanoma or skin cancer treated?
-What is the latest research on treating these cancers?

Join us for an informative session that could save your life. Register by visiting emoryhealthcare.org/mdchats.

Chat Sign Up

About Margi  McKellar, MS, PA  Emory Winship Cancer Institute’s Melanoma Coordinator

Margi plays a unique role for the team as our Melanoma Coordinator. In this position, she serves as the point of contact for referring physicians and the patients and guides  them from the point of  their initial referral through long-term follow up. She helps our patients use their time efficiently, analyzing patient flow, appointment availability, clinical trial eligibility and ensures that patients see the correct complement of specialist to receive optimal care – medical oncology, surgical oncology, radiation oncology, lymphedema specialists. Margi actively interfaces with our clinical trial nurses to ensure patients have the opportunity to be considered for clinical trials while facilitating prompt screening for these programs. In addition to coordinating the care of patients, she also sees patients in our long-term follow up clinics.

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Winship Cancer Institute, Emory Break Ground on $200+ Million Emory Proton Therapy Center!

May 8th, 2013 By Walter J. Curran Jr., MD

A new era in cancer treatment in Georgia recently began as Emory Healthcare and Winship Cancer Institute broke ground on the first facility in Georgia to offer the most advanced radiation therapy possible – proton beam therapy.

Proton therapy is the next generation of radiation oncology. It uses protons to precisely treat cancerous tumors and minimize radiation to the healthy tissue surrounding the tumor. For certain cancers, and for pediatric cancer patients, it may provide more effective treatment with fewer side effects. This innovative therapy is offered at fewer than a dozen centers in the United States but is available in other countries and more than 110,000 people worldwide have received this FDA-approved therapy.  The Emory facility is being built in partnership with Advanced Particle Therapy, LLC of San Diego, CA.

Proton therapy may be most beneficial for patients with cancerous our benign tumors in certain anatomic areas, including  the brain, prostate, liver, esophagus, head and neck and the base-of-skull.  It’s also  beneficial for treating children because of the risk to growth and developmental from conventional radiation.  Studies in children have shown that proton therapy minimizes damage to healthy tissues and produces fewer side effects.

The Emory Proton Therapy Center will enable Winship researchers  to continue studying the benefits of proton therapy, with the goal of producing better outcomes for our patients.  At Winship we constantly seek out the most effective treatment available, and for many of our patients, proton therapy is that treatment.

As Georgia’s only National Cancer Institute designated cancer center, Winship is committed to cancer research projects which improve our patients’ lives.

About Dr. Curran

Walter J. Curran, Jr. was appointed Executive Director of the Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University in September 2009. He joined Emory in January 2008, as the Lawrence W. Davis Professor and Chair of Radiation Oncology and Chief Medical Officer of the Winship Cancer Institute.

Dr. Curran, who is a Georgia Cancer Coalition Distinguished Cancer Scholar, has been a principal investigator on several National Cancer Institute (NCI) grants and is considered an international expert in the management of patients with locally advanced lung cancer and malignant brain tumors. He has led several landmark clinical and translational trials in both areas and is responsible for defining a universally adopted staging system for patients with malignant glioma. He serves as the Founding Secretary/Treasurer of the Coalition of Cancer Cooperative Groups and a Board Member of the Georgia Center for Oncology Research and Education (Ga CORE). Dr. Curran is the only individual currently serving as director of an NCI-designated cancer center and as group chairman of an NCI-supported cancer cooperative group, the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group.

Dr. Curran is a Fellow in the American College of Radiology and has been awarded honorary memberships in the European Society of Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology and the Canadian Association of Radiation Oncology. In 2006, he was named the leading radiation oncologist/cancer researcher in a peer survey by the journal Medical Imaging. Under Dr. Curran’s leadership Emory’s Radiation Oncology Department has been recently selected as a “Top Five Radiation Therapy Centers to Watch in 2009” by Imaging Technology News. Dr. Curran ranked among the top 10 principal investigators in terms of overall NCI funding in 2010 and among the top 20 principal investigators in overall NIH funding in 2010.

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Prepare Yourself for Summer – Join us for a Web Chat on Melanoma & Other Skin Cancers

May 6th, 2013 By Winship Cancer Institute

Skin Cancer Online ChatIf not caught early, melanoma is the deadliest of all skin cancers. One-in-fifty Americans has a lifetime risk of developing melanoma. It develops from changes to the DNA of skin cells, which can happen when skin is over-exposured to ultraviolet light from the sun or from extended tanning bed use. Also, certain viruses can cause DNA changes that lead to skin cancer.

To prepare yourself and your family for the summer and protect yourself from any form of skin cancer, join Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University physician, Keith Delman, MD, Wednesday, May 29th for an online web chat at 12 noon.

Dr. Delman will be able to answer questions such as:

  • How to prevent melanoma and skin cancer
  • What causes skin cancer and melanoma
  • Signs of melanoma and skin cancer
  • Treatment options for melanoma and skin cancer
  • The latest research on the horizon
Chat Sign Up
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Colon Cancer Prevention Begins with Education and Screenings!

February 22nd, 2013 By Winship Cancer Institute

Colon Cancer Online ChatScreening tests like the colonoscopy often find polyps in the colon that can be removed before they turn to cancer. Regular screening also helps find cancer in an early stage, when it is very treatable! According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), regular colon cancer screenings for everyone over the age of 50 would prevent about 60% of deaths from the disease!

The CDC also states that of cancers affecting both men and women, colorectal cancer (cancer of the colon and rectum) is the second leading cancer killer in the United States. It affects men and women of all different ethnicities and races and is most often found after the age of 50. Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University highly recommends that men and women at average risk for developing colon cancer get regularly screened for the disease.

March is national awareness month for colorectal cancer. To learn more about how to prevent your risk of colon cancer join us on March 12, 2013 at 12 noon EST, for a live web chat with a Winship expert on colorectal cancer. Dr. El-Rayes will answer your questions about preventing colorectal cancer, and tell you about Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University’s approach to diagnosing and treating it. Some of the questions he can answer:

  • What is colon cancer?
  • How important is colon cancer screening?
  • What are the symptoms of colon cancer?
  • What are the risk factors of colon cancer?
  • Can inflammatory bowel disease cause colon cancer?
  • Do gender, ethnicity, race, obesity, environment and/or social status impact colon cancer risk?
  • Does exercise help prevent colon cancer?
  • Do polyps increase colon cancer risk?
  • Does a family history of colon cancer increase my risk?
  • What is Emory’s approach to colon cancer treatment and care?
  • What new colon cancer research is on the horizon?

About Dr. El – Rayes:
Dr. El-Rayes, Colon Cancer SpecialistDr. El- Rayes is an Associate Professor of Medicine at Emory University School of Medicine, the Director of the GI Oncology Translational Research Program and the Medical Director of the Clinical Trials Office at Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University.

Dr. El-Rayes completed his medical school at the American University of Beirut (AUB). He subsequently joined the internal medicine residency program at Wayne State University. After completion of the residency, he joined the hematology oncology fellowship program at the Karmanos Cancer Institute, Wayne State University. He then joined faculty as an Assistant Professor in the area of GI oncology. During this time, he was involved in translational research focused on pancreatic cancer. Dr. El-Rayes joined Emory University in September 2009 as the director of the GI Oncology program. He is designated as a Distinguished Cancer Scholar by the Georgia Cancer Coalition. Dr. El-Rayes is currently the medical director of the Clinical Trials Office.

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PSA Screening for Prostate Cancer: A Healthy Debate

January 18th, 2013 By Winship Cancer Institute

Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death among American men. In 2013, nearly 250,000 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer and more than 32,000 men will die from prostate cancer across the United States. In Georgia, it is estimated that 7,360 men will be diagnosed and 1,080 will die.  With alarming statistics such as these, we want every advantage possible in our fight with this disease.

Over the last few years, the topic of PSA testing as a screening tool for prostate cancer has been under heavy debate in the medical community. PSA (prostate specific antigen) is a protein produced by the prostate gland and its levels can be measured by a simple blood test.  A higher number could indicate prostate cancer, but the test doesn’t differentiate between an aggressive, fast-growing cancer, and one that is so slow-growing it wouldn’t threaten a man’s life.

On January 8, Emory University School of Medicine’s Department of Medicine Grand Rounds took on an unusual format: a debate between Otis Brawley, MD and John Petros, MD on the validity of PSA testing as a prostate cancer screening tool.

Dr. Otis Brawley

Dr. Otis Brawley

Dr. Otis Brawley is a professor of hematology and medical oncology and chief medical officer for the American Cancer Society. He kicked off the debate asserting that research demonstrates PSA testing to be unreliable, possibly leading to too many diagnoses and unnecessary treatment for prostate cancer.

Dr. John Petros

Dr. John Petros

Dr. John Petros is a professor of urology who treats prostate cancer patients, and he argues that after looking at other studies (more details below), the PSA test is a tool that has helped save lives by detecting prostate cancer in its early stages.

Less than a year ago, a “grade D” rating for PSA screening was issued by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, stating that PSA testing offers more harm than good due to complications from PSA-test-driven treatment such as incontinence and blood clots. Despite not ruling out its use, Dr. Brawley is in agreement with the assessment of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force and says he’s not convinced the PSA test saves lives. As he puts it, “Pretend you are offered the choice of taking a pill that will double the risk of prostate cancer diagnosis from 10 to 20 percent, but could decrease risk of prostate cancer death by one fifth: from 3 to 2.4 percent. [...] Do you feel lucky?” Brawley quipped.

To counterpoint Dr. Brawley’s assertion, Dr. Petros cited the National Cancer Institute’s epidemiology data, which indicates the rate of metastatic prostate cancer has substantially dropped over the last few decades due to prostate cancer being diagnosed earlier on. Dr. Petros also discussed research conducted in Sweden and Austria, which shows significant drops in prostate cancer-related mortality as a result of PSA testing.

Despite their differing views on the validity and use of PSA testing as a prostate cancer screening tool, there are five things Dr. Brawley and Dr. Petros agree on:

  1. The PLCO study, a NCI-sponsored randomized clinical trial to examine the effects of screening on cancer-related mortality, was flawed. In particular, the “control” arm had a substantial rate of PSA testing.
  2.  Brawley said: “Some cancers that are detected early do not pose a threat and do not need to be treated.” Similarly, Petros said: “Prostate cancer can be low risk if safely observed, but high risk forms are lethal. We need to focus on cancers that matter.”
  3. PSA testing should be performed in the context of a physician-patient relationship, with men making an informed decision about the value of the information they will receive and the associated risks.
  4. Vans in supermarket parking lots – more broadly, community- or employer-based screening  — are not the ideal setting for PSA testing.
  5. Biomarkers that are better than PSA alone are needed. Brawley said: “We need a 2013 definition of prostate cancer, informed by genomics, rather than going by what Virchow decided prostate cancer looks like under the microscope 160 years ago.”

In regards to the last point, Dr. Petros added that more sophisticated tests than PSA have already been developed. The prostate health index, which measure levels for three types of PSA and is also more cancer-specific is a good example. Research is currently being conducted at Emory by Carlos Moreno and Dr. Petros to help further this goal. To build on the research they’ve already performed around a panel of biomarkers that can predict prostate cancer outcomes after prostatectomy, Moreno and Dr. Petros will seek to evaluate in coming months whether the same biomarkers could be useful on prostate biopsy samples. The results of this research are expected to help inform treatment option decision making regarding the use of surgery versus radiation.

For now, Petros is an advocate of initiating a conversation about PSA screening with patients 50 and older, or younger if they are at risk for the disease. He believes the decision to have routine PSA testing, follow-up tests and prostate cancer treatments, is a very individualized process.

“It comes down to, what do you tell the man standing in front of you?” he said. “You have to consider where they are in life and what their goals are, and that varies with every man.”

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On November 15 – Commit to Quit

November 8th, 2012 By Winship Cancer Institute

Great American Smokeout - Quit Smoking November 15You’ve heard the health tips a million times: exercise regularly, eat a healthy, balanced diet, and limit alcohol consumption. And the most frequently recommended tip to improve overall health and prevent disease? Don’t smoke.

Tobacco use continues to hold the top seat as the single greatest preventable cause of disease and premature death in America. It’s evidence like that which prompts Emory Healthcare, the Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University, and the American Cancer Society to take action towards improving awareness around the importance of quitting smoking for the 45 million Americans who still smoke cigarettes and the 15 million Americans who smoke cigars or pipes.

Each year, the American Cancer Society hosts its Great American Smokeout event to create a way to encourage current smokers to set a date, as a group, to quit. This year’s Great American Smokeout takes place on November 15, 2012, and we want to encourage those members of our community who smoke or use tobacco products to take an important step in owning their health by joining others who will choose to make November 15 their quit date.

Quitting is not easy and there’s no single approach that works for everyone, but there is help. If you are trying to quit smoking, know that you have the support of the Emory community and hundreds of individuals like you who have been through it. Carla Berg, PhD, assistant professor at Emory’s Rollins School of Public Health and an expert on smoking behaviors, says most people make multiple attempts to quit before being successful, “but every time you try, you’re one step closer to actually quitting. And if you quit by age 30, research shows you’ll have the same life expectancy as someone who’s never smoked.”

And no matter what your age, your health improves every day you’re not smoking. It’s never too late to quit.

When it comes to tobacco-use, there are no hypotheticals. Smoking cigarettes causes cancer, heart disease, lung disease and stroke. As an academic medical center, we are constantly searching for treatments and cures for disease, and we are just as passionately committed to disease prevention. To that end, Emory has implemented our own tobacco-free policy to promote and support the health of our patients, families, staff and community. As of September 1, 2012, the Emory family—including the Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University and Emory Healthcare—is a tobacco-free organization.

We ask that on November 15, 2012, you join us. We ask that you commit to quitting; commit to your health; commit to a better life.

If you have suggestions to share with our readers that have helped you or a loved one quit, please share them in the comments below. For more information and support resources related to quitting and the Great American Smokeout, visit the American Cancer Society’s website.

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The Winship Win the Fight 5K – Why Did We Run?

October 15th, 2012 By Tara Humphries

For loved ones, the future, survival, or for camaraderie—these are just a few of the reasons over 2,900 participants chose to participate in the 2nd annual Winship Win the Fight 5K run this past Saturday, October 13, 2012. With perfect weather and a motivated crowd at McDonough Park in Atlanta, it could not have been a better day for participants to join the fun in support of the fight against cancer. Those in attendance agreed, you could feel the energy in the air of the motivated participants who’s individual answers to the thematic question of the race, “Why do I run?” may have been very different, but together, were all moving forward in support of the health of cancer patients and survivors alike.

The Winship Win the Fight 5K supports advances in cancer research, treatment, and patient care at the Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University in Atlanta, GA.  Winship is Georgia’s only National Center Institute-Designated Cancer Center.

This year, a running total of $375,000 was raised, but the fight’s not over! If you would like to join the 2,900 supporters who ran for a cause last Saturday, you can still donate today. Let’s make that number grow and play our own role in helping others win the fight against cancer.

You can check out some shots from this year’s Winship 5K race at McDonough Park below, and if you were there with us, tell us in the comments below why you decided to run and what you enjoyed most about the event!

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Breast Cancer Awareness Month Events in Atlanta

October 4th, 2012 By Emory Cancer Care

Breast Cancer Awareness MonthThe American Cancer Society estimates that a total of 229,060 new cases of breast cancer will be diagnosed in both men and women in 2012. In honor of October’s Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Emory Healthcare and the Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University have partnered with organizations across Atlanta to host events and help raise awareness around breast cancer throughout the month. A detailed listing of events is below:

Be the Boss of You Breast Cancer Trail Ride 
Description: Breast Cancer Research Fundraiser
Date: Saturday, October 6, 2012
Details: Registration opens at 8 AM; Ride begins at 10 AM

Winship Win the Fight 5K
Description: 5K Walk/Run and Tot Trot
Date: Saturday, October 13, 2012
Details: Warm-up- 8:10 AM, Race begins- 8:30 AM, Tot Trot- 9:30 AM
Registration: General online registration www.winship5k.kintera.org. Make sure to join the Emory Breast Center’s team, “The Hooter Helpers.”

Breast Cancer Web Chat
Description: Join Heather Pinkerton, RN, BSN, OCN and Nurse Navigator for the Emory Breast Centers, as she hosts a live web chat on Breast Cancer.
Date: Tuesday, October 16, 2012
Details: 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM
Registration: To register, please visit www.emoryhealthcare.org/mdchats.

Winship at the Y
Description: Join members of the Winship Cancer Institute Breast Team along with representatives from the American Cancer  Society and Metro Atlanta YMCA to discuss the latest in screening, diagnosis, treatment and  prevention of Breast Cancer.
Date: Tuesday, October 16, 2012
Details: 9-11 a.m., Summit Family YMCA, Newnan, GA;  1 – 3 p.m., Carl Saunders Family YMCA, Atlanta, GA; 5-7 p.m., Ed Isakson Family YMCA, Alpharetta, GA.
Registration: Not required

National Breast Reconstruction Awareness Day
Description: Research shows that 7 out of 10 women are not aware of their breast reconstruction options following mastectomy. Do you know your options? Ask your health care provider about reconstruction today!
Date: Tuesday, October 16, 2012
Details: 9-11 a.m., Summit Family YMCA, Newnan, GA;  1 – 3 p.m., Carl Saunders Family YMCA, Atlanta, GA; 5-7 p.m., Ed Isakson Family YMCA, Alpharetta, GA.
Registration: Not required

National Mammography Day
Description: The third Friday in October each year is National Mam-mography Day, first proclaimed by President Clinton in 1993. On this day, and throughout the month, women are encouraged to make a mammography appointment. In celebration light refreshment tables will be set up at both the Clifton and Midtown Breast Imaging Center Lobbies.
Date: Friday, October 19.2012
Registration: To schedule an appointment, call (404) 778-PINK (7465).

Ready, Set, Pink!
Description: Join Bloomingdales and representatives from Winship Cancer Institute for a fall fashion presentation and complimentary skincare consultations by Lancôme. 10% of all purchases go to Winship and the fight against breast cancer.
Date: Tuesday, October 23, 2012
Details: 11:00 a.m. at Bloomingdales at Lenox Square, Level 2, The New View
Registration: RSVP by October 18 by calling 404-778-1769 or emailing winshipevents@emory.edu

Clinical Breast Exams (for Emory Employees only)
Description:  Free Clinical Breast Exams for Emory Employees.
Date: Tuesday, October 23, 2012
Location: 2nd Floor East Clinic
Start Time: 4:30 PM – 6:30 PM
Registration: To register for the event, call (404) 778-PINK (7465)

Extended & Weekend Hours
Description:  The Emory Breast Center is offering extended and weekend hours for women needing a screening mammogram.
Dates & Details: - Extended Hours: Tuesday, October 23 – Thursday, October 25; 7:30 AM to 7:00 PM at the Emory Breast Center on Clifton Campus.
Saturday Hours: October 27; 8:00 AM- 3:00 PM at Emory University Hospital Midtown
Registration: To schedule an appointment, call (404) 778-PINK (7465). Standard rates apply.

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Get All Your Breast Cancer Questions Answered Live & Online!

September 25th, 2012 By Emory Breast Center

Breast Cancer Online ChatThe American Cancer Society estimates that in 2012, a total of 229,060 new cases of breast cancer will be diagnosed in both men and women. In honor of October’s Breast Cancer Awareness Month and to help our community get their questions answered, we are hosting an online chat on the topic of breast cancer.

Join Heather Pinkerton, RN, BSN, OCN and Nurse Navigator for the Emory Breast Center, on Tuesday, October 16, 2012 to get all of your questions on breast cancer—ranging from diagnosis, to treatment, to survivorship—answered.

Date: Tuesday, October 16, 2012
Time: 12 noon – 1:00 pm EST
Chat Leader: Heather Pinkerton, RN, BSN, OCN and Nurse Navigator for the Emory Breast Center
Chat Topic: Breast Cancer Diagnosis

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Join Us for a Web Chat on Cancer Survivorship & Intimacy

July 17th, 2012 By Emory Cancer Care

Cancer Survivorship & IntimacyDon’t miss it! Up next in our series of Live Chats for cancer survivors and their families, we will focus on the topic of intimacy. Cancer treatments can wreak havoc on body and mind, thus impacting how we feel about affection and intimacy.

Alice Mullins from Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University’s survivorship program will lead a discussion on this very important and often under-addressed topic.

Cancer Survivorship & Intimacy Web Chat Details:

Date: Wednesday, July 18, 2012
Time: 12:00 (noon) – 1:00 pm EST
Host: Alice Mullins, Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University Survivorship Program
Topic: Cancer Survivorship – Intimacy TRANSCRIPT

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