The procedure is called a vascular lymph node transfer (VLNTx), during which, a selection of tissue containing lymph nodes, fat and vessels are moved from one part of the body to another, where the lymph nodes are missing or damaged, causing lymphedema. The most common instances of lymphedema occur as a side effect of breast cancer treatment, where lymph nodes and tissue has been removed and damaged, and lymphatic fluid is unable to drain properly from the patient’s arm; this causes swelling, pain and a feeling of heaviness and can also cause poor skin quality and lesions.

Dr. Klein sees a great deal of breast cancer patients in his daily practice, and many of suffer from lymphedema, which until recently had no cure other than conservative treatment (massage, therapy). Research for better options for his patients led him to the pioneer of the VLNTx, Dr. Carolina Becker, a French surgeon who had been performing the procedure for more than 20 years, however only published her findings sporadically, which is why it’s still unrenowned in most parts of the world.

After training with Dr. Becker in Paris for one week, Dr. Klein felt ready to bring this procedure to Orlando Health and begin developing a comprehensive lymphedema program with Drs. Lee and Feiner. According to Winnie followed the doctors into the operating room as they performed their first of many successful VLNTx procedures, and if you didn’t catch it live, you’re in luck!

Click here to watch Drs. Klein, Lee and Feiner perform their first VLNTx

Click here for a backstory of VLNTx, lymphedema and their first patient

We are excited to have this collaboration to provide leading-edge information on key oncology topics to local physicians and nurse practitioners to help improve patient care in our community. We are approved by the ACGME to provide continuing medical education hours for physician and midlevel participants.

Thursday’s event featured the renowned Martin Makary, MD, MPH, Associate Professor of Surgery at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and Associate Professor of Health Policy & Management at Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health. He is a surgeon, New York Times best-selling author (Unaccountable, What Hospitals Won’t Tell You and How Transparency Can Revolutionize Health Care), and public educator/commentator, with a specific interest in patient safety. He has written for the Wall Street Journal and Newsweek and appeared on multiple national television programs. He is the first surgeon at Johns Hopkins to perform a laparoscopic Whipple, and also did the first laparoscopic pancreas islet transplant in the United States. He serves as the Mark Ravitch Chair of General Surgery at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. In 2009 the American College of Surgery recommended Dr Makary to President Obama as a candidate to be Surgeon General of the United States.

In March, we will welcome Richard David Schulick, MD, MBA, FACS to speak on behalf of  surgical oncology.

If you are a physician and would like to attend one of these special information sessions please contact Ashley via email at Ashley.Pierson@orlandohealth.com by Monday, February 11, 2013.

Dr. Schimp’s oncology team includes award-winning oncologists Dr. Arvind Bakhru, Dr. Nathalie McKenzie and Dr. Anna Priebe, who are known internationally for their exceptional research and innate ability to utilize every available resource, including fellow oncology experts, to defeat cancer.

There is evidence that when taken with standard anti-nausea medications, ginger can be helpful in further reducing or eliminating nausea and vomiting during and after chemotherapy treatments.  Fresh gingerroot is sold in the product section of markets. When purchasing, make sure the root is firm, smooth and free of mold.

Fresh ginger can be stored in the refrigerator for up to three weeks unpeeled. Ginger is also available in several other forms including crystals, candied and pickled. If you are feeling nauseous, I recommend trying some of these teas that utilize fresh gingerroot.

More Information on Teas for Nausea from Caring 4 Cancer

Early in 2012, MD Anderson Cancer Center Orlando developed and launched a pilot lung cancer screening program for people most at risk of developing the lung cancer; this type of screening, announced one year after MD Anderson’s pilot, is now recommended by the American Cancer Society.

The program criteria is based on a study by the National Lung Screening Trial that showed that CT screenings detect lung cancer early and succeeded in cutting lung cancer deaths by 20 percent. The results from this landmark study have now been published in The New England Journal of Medicine, bringing additional attention to the fight against lung cancer.

MD Anderson – Orlando was the first in Central Florida to offer this type of lung cancer screening program that targets at-risk individuals such as smokers and former smokers, in hopes of catching signs of cancer early and improving survival rates. Based on the data collected by MD Anderson – Orlando over the last year, the screenings are doing just that:

• Of the patients screened as part of the program at MD Anderson – Orlando, nearly one-third, or 31 percent, had positive test results where nodules were found in their lungs
• Those patients are now under close surveillance at our lung nodule clinic and approximately 6 percent have begun treatment for lung cancer
• Also, MD Anderson – Orlando’s screenings help smokers kick the habit: more than a third of those screened quit smoking as a result of the experience
• All of the individuals screened will continue to be monitored closely for signs of cancer

Lung cancer accounts for more deaths than any other cancer in the U.S. This year, it is estimated that over 18,000 Floridians will be diagnosed with lung cancer. Each year over 222,000 people nationwide will be diagnosed with lung cancer and approximately 157,000 will die from the disease.

In an effort to encourage at-risk individuals to participate in the pilot, MD Anderson – Orlando has offered the CT scans at a discounted rate of $375, hundreds of dollars cheaper than the average $1,500 for a CT scan. People eligible for this program are those over the age of 55 who have smoked one pack a day for 30 years or more.

Read more about this recommendation by the American Cancer Society

Call 321-843-7780 or visit www.mdacco.com/lungscreening for more information or to schedule your appointment today.

You may think of gelatin as a children’s dessert with little nutritional value. However, this recipe quick and easy recipe provides a great way to add some protein and calories to your diet with very little chewing and easy swallowing. Add a dollop of whipped cream, layer flavors & colors, or use candy molds for a variety of fun shapes & sizes.

Dry mouth (Xerostomia) occurs when the salivary glands in your mouth are not able to make enough saliva to keep your mouth moist. Some people may experience xerostomia during radiation therapy to the head and neck area, chemotherapy, from damage to nerves in the head and neck, or while taking certain medications for high blood pressure and depression. Dry mouth may also be a symptom of diseases such as diabetes, Parkinson’s, Sjögrens syndrome and HIV/AIDS.

Find the recipe at Caring4Cancer

Oncology dietitian Dawn Napoli: The ABCs of cancer prevention

In addition to educating themselves about the symptoms, McKenzie explains that it is imperative for women to see their gynecologist regularly each year, and immediately after experiencing symptoms. In her blog, Dr. McKenzie outlines risk factors for ovarian cancer and the ongoing development of test combinations to detect presence of the disease early, while there’s still a chance for a cure.  Read Nathalie’s Full Article

New TV Show Highlights Those Who Overcome Cancer, Health Scares, Trauma and Adversity to Live Extraordinary Lives

MD Anderson Cancer Center Orlando is partnering with Bolder Broadcasting, producers of Growing Bolder, and WKMG Local 6 to launch “Surviving & Thriving,” a new television show that tells the stories of those who not only survive life’s most serious setbacks but actually thrive in the aftermath.

“Nearly every family in our community has been touched by cancer or another type of health challenge,” says Mark Roh, M.D., president of MD Anderson – Orlando. “It’s important that they know they are not alone in this fight and that there is reason for great optimism as they fight their disease and as they embark on life as a survivor. This new show delivers that message loud and clear.”

WKMG Local 6 will air a “Surviving & Thriving” special each quarter for the next year. The first 60-minute episode airs in prime time on Friday, Dec. 21 at 9 p.m. Wendy Chioji, a longtime Central Florida anchor and breast cancer survivor who recently completed the Ironman World Championship triathlon in Kona, Hawaii, is the show host. The first show includes stories on Bobbie Wolgemuth, a stage IV ovarian cancer survivor and breast cancer survivor, Julie Tharp, Both credit their team of doctors at MD Anderson – Orlando with saving their life.

“Through a series of what I call miracles, I got to Dr. Veronica Schimp at MD Anderson and I’m so grateful for her,” Wolgemuth says.

Dr. Veronica Schimp, Gynecologic Oncologist

“One of the mottos for MD Anderson is to pay it forward,” Dr. Schimp says. “It is about a group of people who are really invested in taking care of human beings and making sure we provide the best care we can, whether that’s emotional support to social services to the most cutting-edge surgical care and the best medications we can provide, the smart drugs, traditional chemotherapy, clinical trials — it takes all of those people to make it work.”

To share your stories of  “Surviving & Thriving,” visit: survivingandthriving.tv

View Dawn’s segment