Archive for the ‘Lung Cancer’ category

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10K Raised for The Revlon Run/Walk by The Farber Center Team

May 3rd, 2011

Saturday morning we completed our first Revlon Run Walk for Women as The Farber Center Team and raised $10,000.

The Run/Walk is co-sponsored by the Entertainment Industry Foundation, so celebrities always kick off the race with motivational speeches. This year’s guests included Keesha Cole, Jessica Alba, Jimmy Fallon, Nate Berkus and Doctor Oz.

(L-R) Nate Berkus,Jessica Alba,Dr. Mehmet Oz, Jessica Biel and Jimmy Fallon attend the 14th annual Entertainment Industry Foundation Revlon Run/Walk for Women on April 30, 2011 in New York City.

The Revlon Run always starts in Times Square and ends in Central Park. Money raised from the New York event will help support local New York-based cancer organizations including: The Actors’ Fund, Albert Einstein Cancer Center, Cancer Care, Gilda’s Club NYC, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship, Ovarian Cancer National Alliance, William F. Ryan Community Health Center, EIF’s Women’s Cancer Programs.

Dr. Marnee Spierer, Marina Higgins, Dr. Leonard Farber

(L-R) Dr. Marnee Spierer, Team Captain Marina Higgins, Dr. Leonard Farber

Here is more coverage of the Revlon Run/Walk: Fox News Coverage

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Posted in Breast Cancer, Cervical Cancer, Lung Cancer, Pancreatic Cancer, Prostate Cancer, Skin Cancer, Uncategorized

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The Farber Center Walks for Cancer

April 18th, 2011

Marina Higgins VP Argo Real Estate

On April 30th, The Farber Center Team lead by our patient Marina, will walk for the 14th Annual Industry Foundation Revlon Run/Walk in New York City.
The EIF Revlon Run Walk was created in 1994 through the committed and collective efforts of the Entertainment Industry Foundation, Lilly Tartikoff and Ronald O. Perelman. The EIF Revlon Run/Walk for Women has grown to become one of the nation’s largest 5K fundraising events. To date, the Run/Walks (in Los Angeles and New York) have distributed over $60 million for cancer research, treatment, counseling and outreach programs. Thanks in part to these funds, new treatments are being developed and lives are being saved.

Your donation will help fund important research into the cause and cure of women’s cancers, prevention, education and support service programs.

So please donate if you can. Here is the link: DONATE

Team t-shirt by our friend Dan McClure: his email:dan@eastcoastsportswear.com

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Posted in Breast Cancer, Cervical Cancer, Colorectal Cancer, Lung Cancer, Pancreatic Cancer, Prostate Cancer, Skin Cancer

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Radiosurgery at The Farber Center

March 22nd, 2011

The only Elekta Infinity in NYC

Like CyberKnife, Elekta is the only other radiation system to use Monte Carlo based dose calculations. The Monte Carlo Based dose calculation is the most accurate statistical method of mathematical and physics-based calculations. What this means for the patients is the most accurate way of knowing the dose you plan on delivering and the dose they will actually receive. With Elekta Infinity and Monte Carlo calculations we can now perform optimal radiosurgery.

Radiosurgery is a non-invasive alternative to surgery for the treatment of both cancerous and non-cancerous tumors anywhere in the body, including the prostate, lung, brain, spine, liver, pancreas and kidney. The treatment – which delivers beams of high dose radiation to tumors with extreme accuracy – offers new hope to patients worldwide.

3 TO 5 DAY TREATMENT FOR LUNG PATIENTS:

Stereotactic Body Radiosurgery (SRS) and Radiotherapy (SBRT) as an alternative to lung cancer surgery and has yielded very high cure rates. These techniques present elderly patients, patients with severe lung disease, patients who refuse surgery, patients with severe heart disease, and other patients with poor health a curative alternative to lung cancer surgery. Stereotactic body radiosurgery not surgery at all. SRS and SBRT lung cancer treatment is an outpatient procedure that is performed in no more than five treatment visits to The Farber Center. SRS and SBRT are painless and patients can continue their daily activities without difficulty. They utilizes multiple tightly conformed radiation beams converging at the lung tumor. A specially designed body frame immobilizes the patient and decreases the movement of the lung tumor due to breathing. With this technology, very little lung receives radiation. The low volume of lung exposed to radiation allows very high doses to be given to the lung tumor leading to cure rates comparable to surgery. Because of the low volume lung exposure SRS and SBRT haev a low risk of long term lung complications in the treatment of lung cancer.
SRS and SBRT are promising new technologies for stage one lung cancer. Lung cancer surgery remains the gold standard. SRS and SBRT are used for patients who could not tolerate lung cancer surgery or would rather not have the lung cancer surgery.

Who is a Candidate for Stereotactic Body Radiosurgery/Radiotherapy Lung Cancer Treatment?

Patients with stage one non-small cell lung cancer who are unwilling or unable to undergo lung cancer surgery are candidates for SRS/SBRT. Typically patients are unable or unwilling to undergo lung cancer surgery because of older age or poor general health. Stage one non small lung cancer is categorized as a lung tumor with the histology of non small cell (squamous cell, large cell, adenocarcinoma) and no spread to the lymph nodes. In most circumstances, the patient has a needle biopsy demonstrated the histology. Patients must also have a PET scan that demonstrates no lymph node involvement.

5 DAY TREATMENT FOR PROSTATE PATIENTS:
Stereotactic radiosurgery/radiotherapy are highly successful alternative cancer treatment methods performed as an outpatient procedure and given over the course of five (5) days. Because it is non-invasive, there are fewer risks for complications. Prostate Radiosurgery/Radiotherapy at The Farber Center involves no hormone therapy, a high rate of erectile function preservation and no fiducial markers (fiducial markers are gold seeds or stainless steel screws that are implanted in and/or around a soft tissue tumor, or within the bony spine, to act as a radiologic landmark, to define the target lesion’s position).

Who is a Candidate for Stereotactic Body Radiosurgery/Radiotherapy Prostate Cancer Treatment? Stereotactic radiosurgery, or stereotactic radiotherapy, is a technique that shows great promise in the treatment of early stage prostate cancer.

Please feel free to call 212 300-0663 to speak with Dr. Farber regarding stereotactic radiosurgery and radiotherapy. He would be happy to answer any questions. Or, you can email any questions to lafarbermd@thefarbercenter.com. We can easily obtain patients films and records for review if necessary.

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Posted in Lung Cancer, Prostate Cancer, Uncategorized

Co-Payment Help for Cancer Patients

February 28th, 2011

The CancerCare Co-Payment Assistance Foundation is a not-for-profit organization established in 2007 to address the needs of individuals who cannot afford their insurance co-payments to cover the cost of medications for treating cancer.

WHO IS ELIGIBLE?
The CancerCare Co-Payment Assistance Foundation takes into account a person’s financial and insurance situation when determining who is eligible for assistance.

The criteria used to determine if you are eligible are:

Financial Information
Individuals or families with incomes of up to four times the federal poverty level may qualify. See the poverty level chart below. The Foundation may also consider the cost of living in your particular city or state.

Diagnosis and Treatment
You must be diagnosed with one of the cancer types that the Foundation covers. This is a listing of diagnoses they currently cover:
Breast Cancer
Colon or Colorectal Cancer
Gastric Cancer
Glioblastoma
Head and Neck Cancer
Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer
Pancreatic Cancer
Prostate Cancer
Renal Cell Cancer

Your diagnosis must be verified by a doctor. Your doctor must complete and sign their physician verification form.
You must receive treatment dispensed in the United States, and the medication that you are taking must be approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for cancer.

Insurance Coverage
You must be covered by private insurance or an employer-sponsored health plan, —or—
Have Medicare Part B, Medicare Part D, Medicare Supplementary Health Insurance (“Medigap”) or Medicare Advantage Plan
If you are uninsured (do not have any insurance or medical plan that covers prescription medication) you are not eligible for co-payment assistance; however, we encourage you to contact us so that we can refer you to other organizations or patient assistance programs.
The Foundation grants assistance on a first-come, first-served basis, to the extent that funding is available.

HOW IT WORKS
Step 1: Apply
Call 1-866-55-COPAY to determine if you are eligible and begin the application process.
Step 2: Award Determination
They will send you a form to complete and return.
They will send you a form that your doctor will need to complete and return.
If approved, you will receive an Award Determination letter by mail with instructions for accessing your award.

Important Note: The Foundation will only send an application form to you after you call 1-866-552-6729 to speak with one of their specialists so that they can determine if you are eligible to apply.

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Posted in Breast Cancer, Cervical Cancer, Colorectal Cancer, Lung Cancer, Pancreatic Cancer, Prostate Cancer, Skin Cancer

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Connect with family and friends during a health challenge

January 31st, 2011


When you find yourself diagnosed with an illness, your family and friends can be a pillar of strength.

People going through cancer treatments should never have to go it alone. Throughout the process, family members need to stay strong.

Unfortunately, contracting a secondary illness while fighting cancer can seriously hurt your ability to fight the disease. So when you are unable to go meet friends or be with family, you can be open and honest about why, and still connect in a personal way.

CaringBridge websites offer a personal and private space to communicate and show support, saving time and emotional energy when health matters most. The websites are easy to create and use. Authors add health updates and photos to share their story while visitors leave messages of love, hope and compassion in the guestbook.

No one likes to sit on the sidelines, but being honest about why you’re doing so will help keep your friends and family close. To see how it works click here: CaringBridge

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Posted in Breast Cancer, Cervical Cancer, Colorectal Cancer, Lung Cancer, Pancreatic Cancer, Prostate Cancer, Renderings, Skin Cancer, Uncategorized

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Who is deciding where you get your radiation treatment ?

January 14th, 2011

Did you know you can choose where you get your radiation cancer treatment?

Let me tell you two stories. Their names have been changed to protect their identity. The first story is about Mary Higgins.
 Mary Higgins is a timid, slightly grayed 55-year-old working mother of two teenage boys, who was just diagnosed with breast cancer. She was recently seen at a NYC hospital by a breast surgeon who after a work up performed a lumpectomy as part of her breast conservation treatment. Mary did not need chemotherapy but was told that she needed a radiation oncology evaluation. She was referred to the radiation oncologist at that same NYC hospital.
 Mary went home and called to schedule her appointment with the hospital radiation oncologist and was given an appointment for the following week. Being nervous and having to sit for a week with no answers, Mary got on her computer and Googled breast cancer treatment. That is how she found The Farber Center. Mary called us asked if she could come in on her own or did she need her doctor to request a consult. We told Mary she can schedule an appointment and we will take care of the rest. We saw Mary the same day. When Mary arrived she walked into what seemed like a spa and was “blown away” by the experience. Mary was greeted by Vivian, our patient concierge, who took her coat, got her a beverage, and held her hand through all the paperwork. After Mary’s consult and a tour of the facility, she was angry that she was not sent here first by her physician. Mary felt that going into a hospital every day for several weeks was just a reminder that she was sick. She asked why wouldn’t her physician have sent her here first.
The reality is hospitals are businesses and they put pressure on the physicians to refer within the hospital.

There are some physicians, particularly urologist, that only send to centers with whom they have a relationship (click for article)

Let me tell you about Bob: 
Bob Wright is a physically fit 60-year-old father of two teenage girls and a son in college. Bob was just diagnosed with prostate cancer and was sent to the Upper East Side to a radiation center with whom his urologist has a “relationship”. Bob went for his radiation oncology consult on the upper east side. He was told his treatment would be everyday for nine weeks. Bob lives in the Village and works downtown and got on the Internet thinking, “there has to be something closer to me.” Bob went on Yahoo and Googled prostate cancer treatment and found The Farber Center. He called us and scheduled a consultation. After his consultation, Bob realized that the Upper East Side center did not treat with cone beam CT (which is considered the best type of image guided radiation treatment for prostate cancer). Bob was upset. He was sent to this other center, which was farther away from his office and home, and offered less than state-of-the-art treatment. He asked if his urologist knew of us. The answer was yes, and in fact, the physicians at The Farber Center went out of their way to drop off information on the center and introduce themselves prior to Bob’s visit with them.

GET A SECOND OPINION FROM AN INDEPENDENT PHYSICIAN. ASK YOUR DOCTOR. It’s YOUR LIFE. It’s your choice. EXERCISE YOUR RIGHT TO CHOOSE!

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Posted in Breast Cancer, Lung Cancer, Prostate Cancer

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Tribeca Citizen Covers The Farber Center

December 14th, 2010

I had the great pleasure to meet Erik Torkells the other day. Erik is the founder of Tribeca Citizen which is a website dedicated to all things Tribeca. Erik got the idea for Tribeca Citizen after he quit his job in the summer of 2008. He lived in the neighborhood since 2003, but after taking Howard ( his pug), on much longer walks with his new found time, he discovered he had all sorts of questions: What was filming on Duane Street? What will that huge new Frank Gehry building look like? What is David Bouley up to now? When he couldn’t find a website with the answers, he began to envision one.

Erik discovered us on one of those walks and decided that everyone should know that there was an amazing alternative for cancer patients in need of radiation therapy. Please Click here to read the story www.tribecacitizen.com.

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Posted in Breast Cancer, Cervical Cancer, Colorectal Cancer, Lung Cancer, Pancreatic Cancer, Prostate Cancer, Skin Cancer, Uncategorized

Lung Cancer Treatment

November 15th, 2010

Both small cell and non-small cell lung cancers are frequently treated with radiation therapy, which is often combined with chemotherapy, surgery or both. More than half of those diagnosed with non-small cell lung cancer will receive radiation therapy at some time during their treatment. Depending upon the type and stage of your lung cancer, radiation therapy may be used:

After surgery – To treat cancer cells that might remain after surgery
Before surgery – To decrease the size of tumor to make surgery more effective
To cure cancer – With small tumors, in patients that are unable to have surgery, location of a tumor
To treat lung cancer – Both locally, such as nearby lymph nodes, and to other parts such as the brain
To treat symptoms – Such as shortness of breath, pain
For prevention – In small cell lung cancer, radiation therapy to the brain is sometimes given to kill any microscopic cells that have spread to the brain but are not detected by scans. )

What we do differently at The Farber Center for Radiation Oncology:

CT Simulation:
We have the largest Bore CT Simulator in the radiation market which allows us to plan with an unobstrutive field of view and allows patients more comfort and reproducibility.

Treatment planning:
We are the first and only in NY to offer the same state-of-the-art system used by renowned MD Anderson’s BrainSuite. Anatom-e combines the best anatomic atlas’, the best papers that define standards of care, and treatment guidelines with CT scans. This allows our radiation oncologist a second check in developing a precise plan that avoids potential anatomical structures that if treated could cause side effects. We are also part of a research collaboration that allows us access and participation in ongoing protocols.

Treatment:
We are the first and only in NYC to offer Elekta VMAT technology. Using real-time 3D imaging that helps conform the radiation beams to the shape of your tumor. This next- generation therapy allows the radiation to be delivered only to the intended area, allowing clinical staff to spare more surrounding healthy tissue and better avoid nearby critical anatomy. To further ensure accuracy, CT and 3D imaging allows staff to quickly and safely verify tumor position prior to treatment. Sophisticated monitoring tools further enhance precision by monitoring treatment in real-time to ensure that the dose is delivered as precisely as the radiation oncologist prescribes it. The flexibility to deliver treatments in uninterrupted rotations of the linear accelerator allows for faster treatment times (as little as two minutes per day).

Elekta Infinity with VMAT technology

The Environment:
From the moment you walk into The Farber Center, your tension begins to melt away. We are Manhattan’s first freestanding radiation oncology treatment center completely conceived with your comfort and well-being in mind. Here you can relax by the fireplace, slip into a plush robe in your own private dressing room, and take in the peaceful calm of our beautiful flora aquarium. To us, the tranquility of a spa-like setting is part of your healing process. But the real comfort of being at The Farber Center is knowing that you’re treated by Ivy League-trained physicians with the most advanced radiation technology, which means faster treatment, fewer side effects, and a greater potential for cure.

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Posted in Lung Cancer

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Cancer Fundraiser

June 29th, 2010

The Farber Center for Radiation Oncology

Presents

ROCKS AGAINST CANCER

A Fundraising Event for Entertainment Industry Foundation
benefiting EIF Cancer Programs.

Thursday, Sept 16th 7pm to 11pm

BLACK TIE ROCK & ROLL STYLE!

To purchase tickets or donate click here: Rocks Against Cancer Tickets

The event will take place at the Angel Orensanz Foundation for the Arts, situated on 172 Norfolk Street in the former Ansche Chesed Synagogue, the venue boasts superbly maintained mid-19th century architecture.

The lounge-style space will feature cocktails and food as well as performances by The Rotten Hill Gang, a six-piece band from London fronted by Mick Jones of The Clash. Eclectic Method featuring London natives Jonny Wilson, Ian Edgar and Geoff Gamlen – who helped pioneer the emerging art of audio-visual mixing since first cutting U2’s Mysterious Ways music video with the Beastie Boys’ Intergalactic as an experiment back in 2002 will close out the night.

The event also includes a silent auction of jewelry by Stephen Webster—three-time winner of the “British Luxury Jeweller of the Year” award and 2008 winner of “UK Jewellery Brand of the Year”—including specially designed bracelets supporting the fight against cancer with net proceeds benefiting EIF’s Cancer programs. Webster is widely known as the jeweler to the stars; his celebrity client list includes Madonna, Elizabeth Taylor, Jennifer Lopez, Kim Cattrall, and Christina Aguilera among others.

Some of EIF’s cancer programs include: Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C), Woman’s Cancer Research Fund, Brains on Bikes, Right Action for Woman, and the National Colorectal Research Alliance

If you are arriving from out of town please contact the Smyth – part of the Thompson Hotels at 85 West Broadway phone: 212.587.7000. We have reserved rooms at a special rate under the group name Rocks Against Cancer.

A special thanks to our current sponsors at the time this blog went out: Stephen Webster, Matthew Robbins Desings, Svendka, Warren Tricomi, and Elekta Inc.

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Posted in Breast Cancer, Cervical Cancer, Colorectal Cancer, Lung Cancer, Pancreatic Cancer, Prostate Cancer, Renderings, Skin Cancer, Uncategorized

Drug shows effect on lung cancer tumors

November 16th, 2009

mouseOne in five people with lung cancer has small-cell lung cancer. Previous research has shown that these tumor cells grow faster because they are fueled by a growth hormone called FGF-2. As a result the disease has a poor long-term survival rate because the tumors spread quickly.
A study published this week in the journal Cancer Research, examined a drug called PD173074 which blocks the receptor that FGF-2 uses to attach to tumor cells. When given to mice with the disease, the drug eliminated tumors in 50% of cases.

to read more about this study please go to Cancer Research

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Posted in Lung Cancer

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