Mount Sinai Researchers Identify Mechanisms and Potential Biomarkers of Tumor Cell Dormancy

Oncologists have long puzzled over the fact that after cancer treatment, disseminated tumor cells are quick to grow and form secondary tumors in certain organs, while in other organs they metastasize more slowly. Such is the case with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) cells, which remain dormant when lodged in bone marrow but rapidly form tumors when they make their way into the lungs.

(more…)

GI Medical Oncology Practice Recognized by QOPI Certification Program

Mount Sinai’s Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology practice has been recognized by the Quality Oncology Practice Initiative (QOPI®) Certification Program, an affiliate of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO).  The QOPI® Certification Program provides a 3-year certification for outpatient hematology-oncology practices that meet the highest standards for quality cancer care.

QOPI certification signifies that an outpatient oncology practice has met core standards in a variety of areas that affect the quality of patient care, including staff training and education, chemotherapy orders and drug preparation, patient consent and education, safe chemotherapy administration, and monitoring and assessment of patient well-being. Mount Sinai is the first site in Manhattan to receive QOPI-certification.

(more…)

“Music is Medicine” Visits the Mount Sinai Kravis Children’s Hospital

Music is Medicine is a nonprofit run by a team of college students that pairs artists with pediatric patients through uplifting music programs. Through Music is Medicine’s Donate a Song project, artists write and record original songs for seriously-ill children to inspire the patients, share their stories of strength, and contribute to the greater fight against their diseases.

This past summer, Cindy, a 16 year-old girl battling cancer at the Mount Sinai Kravis Children’s Hospital, met artists Sam Tsui and Elle Winter. The artists then went on to produce an original song called “Unsinkable” for Cindy. In the chorus Sam and Elle sing, “My heart’s unsinkable. Never doubt that things will get better. Can you feel the love? I’m never giving up.” Through the song, Sam and Elle motivate Cindy and people everywhere to never give up. At the same time, all proceeds for the song will benefit pediatric oncology research at Mount Sinai.

(more…)

Cancer Researcher Ramon E. Parsons, MD, PhD, Joins Mount Sinai

Ramon E. Parsons, MD, PhD, a highly acclaimed researcher in cancer genetics, has joined Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai as the Ward-Coleman Chair in Cancer, and Chair of the Department of Oncological Sciences.

Dr. Parsons succeeds Stuart Aaronson, MD, Jack and Jane B. Aron Professor, whose significant discoveries in molecular oncology include identifying the first normal function of an oncogene, and its role in growth factor signaling. Dr. Aaronson has been appointed Founding Chair Emeritus of the Department of Oncological Sciences, and will continue to lead his highly funded laboratory at Mount Sinai.

(more…)

Eradicating Cervical Cancer

As an oncologist, I am often confronted with patients with advanced gynecologic malignancies with limited successful options to cure them. The success of treating and curing patients with cancer depends not only on the skills and technologies, it is very much dependent on the patients and the stage of their diseases. Too often, we are not able to detect these malignancies early because we do not know what causes the disease and there are no early detection tests so that by the time a patient is in my office, the disease is at an advanced stage. Cervical cancer, however, is one of the few gynecologic malignancies that we know is caused by the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) that can be detected by a simple pap smear. Furthermore, cervical cancer can be prevented with an HPV vaccination.

(more…)

Pin It on Pinterest