NASHVILLE, TN (WSMV) - A Middle Tennessee woman is fighting a rare form of breast cancer with a game-changing treatment program. Several years ago, Kim Alexander was diagnosed with HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer. "Your life turns upside down. It's surreal. It's horrific. It's hard to get your mind around it. I just remember being frozen," she said. Although she tried several treatments, nothing seemed to work. "We had done several clinical trials. There just wasn't anything else," Alexander said. Then, in December 2010, she began receiving treatment at Sarah Cannon Cancer Center in Nashville with a new targeted therapy called Kadcyla. Dr. Denise Yardley says instead of delivering cancer-fighting chemicals to the entire body, this treatment seeks out the cancer cells to deliver targeted treatment. "It spares the patient from a lot of side effects from the other chemotherapy that don't have that delivery to the cancer cell," Yardley said. After Alexander started the treatment, she got a surprising progress report from her doctor. See the original post: Kadcyla treatment helps Middle TN woman fight breast cancer … Continue reading →

Doctors should urgently lower and stabilise the blood pressure of stroke patients, according to Australian research that could lead to treatment changes around the world. The greater the variation in blood pressure within the first week, the more likely the patient is to die or suffer major disability, says research leader Professor Craig Anderson of The George Institute and the University of Sydney. The research, published in The Lancet medical journal, suggest it is important not only to rapidly and urgently reduce blood pressure in stroke patients, but also to ensure the blood pressure is smooth and sustained for several days. 'Blood pressure monitoring should be frequent throughout the patient's stay in hospital,' said Prof Anderson. He cautioned doctors against being 'falsely reassured' by a few normal blood pressure readings among a wide fluctuations. The research was important because it showed the role of fluctuating blood pressure in triggering a brain haemorrhage stroke, said Prof Anderson. This meant current treatment methods should change. Dr Erin Lalor, CEO of the National Stroke Foundation, said the research could have a huge impact on the quality of life of stroke survivors. 'Stroke is a leading cause of disability in Australia and changes peoples … Continue reading →

Mercy Hospital has earned a new, upgraded certification as a comprehensive stroke center, becoming the first hospital in the region to be so designated by the Joint Commission accrediting organization. The designation from the Joint Commission reflects advances in stroke treatment and identifies stroke centers with state-of-the-art equipment, staff and training to offer complex procedures 24 hours a day. You have to be able to treat the most complex cases, said Holly Bowser, vice president of neurosciences for Catholic Health. The accreditation sets standards and best practices, Bowser said. So far, three hospitals in New York State, including South Buffalos Mercy Hospital, have gained the Joint Commissions higher comprehensive certification. The stroke program for Kaleida Health which in 2012 consolidated its heart, stroke and vascular care services into the Gates Vascular Institute on the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus is accredited by a different organization, Det Norske Veritas Healthcare Inc., or DNV. Kaleida Health expects DNV to survey its stroke program, one of the busiest in the state, later this month as part of Kaleidas effort to gain DNVs certification as a comprehensive stroke center. Catholic Health and Kaleida Health compete for stroke patients and, like other facilities nationwide, use accreditation … Continue reading →

Mercy Hospital has earned a new, upgraded certification as a comprehensive stroke center, becoming the first hospital in the region to be so designated by the Joint Commission accrediting organization. The designation from the Joint Commission reflects advances in stroke treatment and identifies stroke centers with state-of-the-art equipment, staff and training to offer complex procedures 24 hours a day. You have to be able to treat the most complex cases, said Holly Bowser, vice president of neurosciences for Catholic Health. The accreditation sets standards and best practices, Bowser said. So far, three hospitals in New York State, including South Buffalos Mercy Hospital, have gained the Joint Commissions higher comprehensive certification. The stroke program for Kaleida Health which in 2012 consolidated its heart, stroke and vascular care services into the Gates Vascular Institute on the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus is accredited by a different organization, Det Norske Veritas Healthcare Inc., or DNV. Kaleida Health expects DNV to survey its stroke program, one of the busiest in the state, later this month as part of Kaleidas effort to gain DNVs certification as a comprehensive stroke center. Catholic Health and Kaleida Health compete for stroke patients and, like other facilities nationwide, use accreditation … Continue reading →

DOCTORS should urgently lower and stabilise the blood pressure of stroke patients, according to Australian research that could lead to treatment changes around the world. The greater the variation in blood pressure within the first week, the more likely the patient is to die or suffer major disability, says research leader Professor Craig Anderson of The George Institute and the University of Sydney. The research, published in The Lancet medical journal, suggest it is important not only to rapidly and urgently reduce blood pressure in stroke patients, but also to ensure the blood pressure is smooth and sustained for several days. "Blood pressure monitoring should be frequent throughout the patient's stay in hospital," said Prof Anderson. He cautioned doctors against being "falsely reassured" by a few normal blood pressure readings among a wide fluctuations. The research was important because it showed the role of fluctuating blood pressure in triggering a brain haemorrhage stroke, said Prof Anderson. This meant current treatment methods should change. Dr Erin Lalor, CEO of the National Stroke Foundation, said the research could have a huge impact on the quality of life of stroke survivors. "Stroke is a leading cause of disability in Australia and changes peoples … Continue reading →

CINCINNATI, Feb. 13 (UPI) -- Four-of-five U.S. adults live within an hour's drive of a hospital to treat stroke, but very few received tPA, a drug that reduces disability, researchers say. Lead author Dr. Opeolu Adeoye, associate professor of emergency medicine and neurosurgery at the University of Cincinnati, said of the more than 370,000 Medicare stroke claims for 2011 that researchers examined, 4 percent received tPA, a drug that can reduce disability if given intravenously within 3 to 4 hours after the first stroke symptoms, and 0.5 percent had endovascular therapy to reopen clogged arteries. "If a patient suspects they are having a stroke, they need to call 911 immediately and get to the nearest stroke center as soon as possible, which might mean bypassing another hospital that isn't set up to deliver the necessary therapy," Adeoye said in a statement. "We strongly suggest that patients go to the hospital by ambulance, that they or whoever is with them ask to go to a stroke center and ask for tPA." The study found 81 percent of U.S. adults live with an hour's drive of a hospital capable of administering tPA; 66 percent had access to a primary stroke center; and … Continue reading →

PUBLIC RELEASE DATE: 13-Feb-2014 Contact: Carrie Thacker carrie.thacker@heart.org 214-706-1665 American Heart Association Four out of five people in the United States live within an hour's drive of a hospital equipped to treat acute stroke yet very few get recommended treatment, according to research presented at the American Stroke Association's International Stroke Conference 2014. Of the more than 370,000 Medicare stroke claims for 2011 that researchers examined: These treatments are most likely available at designated stroke centers, where a team of providers are trained to quickly diagnose and treat strokes. "If a patient suspects they are having a stroke, they need to call 9-1-1 immediately and get to the nearest stroke center as soon as possible, which might mean bypassing another hospital that isn't set up to deliver the necessary therapy," said Opeolu Adeoye, M.D., M.S., the study's lead author and associate professor of emergency medicine and neurosurgery at the University of Cincinnati. "We strongly suggest that patients go to the hospital by ambulance, that they or whoever is with them ask to go to a stroke center and ask for tPA." The study found that within an hour's driving time: Within an hour by air: In 2011, 60 percent of … Continue reading →