July 28, 2015
The Salgi Esophageal Cancer Research Foundation has issued its first round of funding for esophageal cancer research earlier this month.
The foundation awarded program director, Dr. Carlos Minacapelli and Rutgers Robert Wood Johnston Medical School grant funding.
In 2011, The Salgi Esophageal Cancer Research Foundation was established to raise awareness, encourage early detection and to fund research of esophageal cancer. Since 2011, the foundation has both raised awareness and encouraged the importance of earliest possible detection throughout New England, across the United States and internationally.
“The Salgi Esophageal Cancer Research Foundation is excited to be a part of Dr. Minacapelli’s and Rutger’s research efforts in honor of all the brave men and women who were affected by esophageal cancer and to hopefully reduce incidence and improve outcomes for individuals in the future” President of the foundation stated.
The Salgi Esophageal Cancer Research Foundation would like to thank all of our supporters and donors who believe in this mission and who make these accomplishments possible. However, this is just the beginning. We received many other research requests that we were unable to fund at this time. We need to continue our efforts to fundraise so that we may continue to fund research.
Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease, also known as GERD or acid reflux disease, of which the most common symptom is chronic heartburn, is one of the primary risk factors associated with esophageal cancer. Other risk factors include obesity, poor nutrition and smoking. With over a 600% increase in the past decades, esophageal cancer is among the fastest growing and deadliest cancers in the United States and western world.
Currently, there are no standard or routine screenings to detect esophageal cancer in earlier stages. Symptoms, such as difficulty swallowing, typically appear once the cancer has become advanced and the overall five-year survival rate is only 17.5%. Despite its rapid increase and poor prognosis, esophageal cancer receives very little awareness and research funding.
To make a tax-deductible donation to The Salgi Esophageal Cancer Research Foundation, please visit: SALGI.org/donate.
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June 2, 2015
The Salgi Esophageal Cancer Research Foundation would like to congratulate our Vice President for receiving a Rising Star Award from NonProfit PRO’s 2015 Nonprofit Professionals of the Year.
This achievement was featured in NonProfit PRO’s May 2015 issue which featured the 2015 Nonprofit Professionals of the Year Awards. Below is an excerpt from the magazine.
“Due to our Vice President’s social media and Internet optimization efforts, we have been able to connect with people across the United States, Canada, Australia, Philippines, India, Egypt and the United Kingdom. As a newer nonprofit with very limited funds, she has utilized low to no-cost marketing avenues to bring our message to the masses. Through social media, Google Ad Grants, our website, email newsletters, blogs, print, mailings and so much more, we have been fortunate enough to not only survive these hard times in our first years, but thrive with the promise of better times.”
– President, The Salgi Esophageal Cancer Research Foundation
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May 26, 2015
New research by scientists at the University of Maryland School of Medicine has found that esophageal cancer patients treated with proton therapy experienced significantly less toxic side effects than patients treated with older radiation therapies.
Working with colleagues at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota and the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Dallas, Texas, Michael Chuong, MD, an assistant professor of radiation oncology at the school, compared two kinds of X-ray radiation with proton therapy, an innovative, precise approach that targets tumors while minimizing harm to surrounding tissues.
The researchers looked at nearly 600 patients and found that proton therapy resulted in a significantly lower number of side effects, including nausea, blood abnormalities and loss of appetite. The results were presented on May 22 at the annual conference of the Particle Therapy Cooperative Group, held in San Diego.
“This evidence underscores the precision of proton therapy, and how it can really make a difference in cancer patients’ lives,” said Dr. Chuong.
Patients with esophageal cancer can suffer a range of side effects, including nausea, fatigue, lack of appetite, blood abnormalities and lung and heart problems. Proton therapy did not make a difference in all of these side effects, but had significant effects on several.
The results have particular relevance for the University of Maryland School of Medicine; this fall the school will open the Maryland Proton Treatment Center (MPTC). The center will provide one of the newest and highly precise forms of radiation therapy available, pencil beam scanning (PBS), which targets tumors while significantly decreasing radiation doses to healthy tissue. This technique can precisely direct radiation to the most difficult-to-reach tumors.
The National Association for Proton Therapy proton-therapy.org
Proton therapy is just one of several new methods for treating cancer. Others include:
- Selective Internal Radiation Therapy, a precision modality for treating patients with particularly difficult-to-remove tumors involving the liver such as those from colorectal cancers;
- Gammapod, a new, high-precision, noninvasive method of treating early-stage breast cancer;
- Thermal Therapies, the use of “heat” in treating a broad spectrum of malignancies.
The treatment works well for many kinds of tumors, including those found in the brain, esophagus, lung, head and neck, prostate, liver, spinal cord and gastrointestinal system. It is also an important option for children with cancer and is expected to become an important option for some types of breast cancer. While most cancer patients are well served with today’s state-of-the-art radiation therapy technology, up to 30 percent are expected to have a greater benefit from the new form of targeted proton beam therapy.
This post is based on information provided by University of Maryland.
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March 26, 2015
By Liz Janetschek | The ASCO Post. March 25, 2015, Volume 6, Issue 5
The information contained in this Clinical Trials Resource Guide includes actively recruiting observational, interventional, phase I, phase II, and phase III clinical studies for patients with newly diagnosed or recurrent esophageal cancer. All of the studies are listed on the National Institutes of Health website at ClinicalTrials.gov.
Read the full article, “Clinical Trials Actively Recruiting Patients With Esophageal Cancer,” The ASCO Post.
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January 28, 2014
Upper gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopy
During this procedure, a doctor uses an endoscope to see the upper GI tract which consists of the esophagus, stomach and the first part of the small intestine. An endoscope is a lightweight, flexible, hollow instrument equipped with a lens which allows the doctor to see these internal parts. Examining the esophagus, the doctor is looking for any abnormalities; inflammation, areas which have been irritated, abnormal growths or cancer. The procedure is generally preformed while a patient is under sedation. Sedation is not required for all patients as some receive minimal to no sedation. Doctors utilize endoscopy procedures to also detect ulcers, abnormal growths in the stomach or first part of small intestines, bowel obstructions or hiatal hernias. There are small risks associated with an endoscopy such as bleeding, tissue infection and tears in the gastrointestinal tract. These are rare instances, the Mayo Clinic reports that the latter occurs in about three to five out of every 10,000 upper endoscopies.
X-Ray
Also, known as a barium swallow or esophagram, is an upper gastroentestional series of X-rays used to examine the esophagus for any abnormal conditions. This test requires patient to drink a thick liquid that temporarily coats the lining of the esophagus. This will highlight the lining of the esophagus clearly on the X-rays to help better detect any abnormality.
Biopsy
If during an endoscopy, doctors finds any suspicious tissue, they will use an endoscope (defined above) passed down the throat into the esophagus to collect a sample of the tissue. This tissue sample is then sent to a laboratory which will look for cancer cells.
Talk to your doctor if you experience heartburn more than twice a week, as that can be a symptom of Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD), which is one of the major risk factor for esophageal cancer. Patients who experience GERD symptoms for more than five years and have other risk factors associated with esophageal cancer, such as being overweight or smoking, are at an elevated risk of developing esophageal cancer.
Unfortunately, esophageal cancer is often detected late because symptoms do not occur until the cancer has progressed.
This is why we stress the importance of speaking to your doctor about your frequent GERD symptoms and discuss the different ways in which they can be controlled. For many, lifestyle changes, such as monitoring food and beverage ‘reflux triggers’ and losing weight, can help alleviate acid reflux. (Click here to read more tips on how to manage acid reflux.)
Too often, esophageal cancer is diagnosed at advanced and/or incurable stages due to the late onset of symptoms. This makes the cancer difficult if not impossible to treat and often results in 80% of patients diagnosed with esophageal cancer dying within the first year.
Let’s work together to change the statistics regarding esophageal cancer. If you are experiencing frequent acid reflux, consult your doctor and be sure to also share this message with your family and friends. Click on the share buttons below to spread the word and save lives!
Gastro.net.au
MayoClinic
American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy
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Posted by salgiblogs
November 5, 2013
Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) is among a handful of risk factors associated with the development of esophageal cancer. Many experience heartburn, with too many experiencing heartburn on a regular basis. If not treated properly, heartburn can be very damaging, leading to a number of diseases, including esophageal cancer.
November is ‘GERD Awareness Month’! Our friends at The Miriam Hospital published an article regarding GERD and “What you need to know!”
Brett Kalmowitz, MD, gastroenterologist at Rhode Island Hospital and The Miriam Hospital says: “Heartburn or acid indigestion is the most common symptom of GERD.” Kalmowitz further explains that “heartburn is a burning chest pain that begins behind the breastbone and moves upward to the neck and throat. It can last as long as two hours and is often worse after meals. Lying down or bending over after a meal can also contribute to heartburn.”
Raising awareness for GERD is such an important step in the fight against esophageal cancer. Remember to share this post with your friends, family and social media sites, too! Use the links at the bottom to post, tweet, email and pin directly from this page.
To read The Miriam Hospital’s full article, Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD), click here.
photo courtesy of: chop.edu
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