Adult Services, Cancer

Oropharyngeal cancer case study: Robotic-assisted tongue base resection

The patient A 75-year-old male presented with a left neck mass, referred by his community otolaryngologist. The patient reported a history of sleep apnea, cough and recurrent upper respiratory infections. Imaging and fine needle aspiration of the neck mass confirmed p16 positive squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). Positron emission tomography (PET)/CT demonstrated a hypermetabolic left level…

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Adult Services, Cancer

Cancer care disparities in Kentucky

Kentucky leads the nation in cases of lung cancer. Cancer patients in our region also experience barriers to care and racial disparities in care. Cancer incidence in Kentucky is very high compared with other states, but lung cancer is far and away the most prevalent here. We have a 55% higher lung cancer rate than…

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Cancer, Womens

Monica H. Vetter, M.D., brings expertise in treating gynecologic malignancies and robotic-assisted surgery

Monica H. Vetter, M.D., board-certified gynecologic oncologist at Norton Cancer Institute in Louisville, brings not only expertise in treating all types of gynecologic malignancies through a variety of techniques, including surgery and chemotherapy, but a deeply rooted passion as well. Native Kentuckian passionate about serving women in her home state As a Louisville native, Dr….

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Adult Services, Cancer

Clinical trial for HER2-positive metastatic colorectal cancer shows promising result

The patient A 55-year-old woman developed increasing difficulties with constipation and abdominal discomfort over the course of several weeks. She then developed nausea with vomiting. She was found to have an obstructing colon cancer with multiple metastases to the liver and lung. After resection of her primary tumor, she required chemotherapy to treat her metastatic…

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Adult Services, Cancer

Lumps in the neck are typically harmless, but sometimes can be cause for further investigation. Here’s what providers should know.

A painless lump on the side of the neck can have many causes, including benign conditions, infections or more serious diseases. Most commonly, swollen lymph nodes are the result of  infection. Less commonly, it can be cancer. “Benign causes of a painless mass or neck swelling can include thyroid nodules, swelling of a saliva gland…

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Adult Services, Cancer

Norton Cancer Institute enrolling patients for gotistobart (ONC-392) Phase 3 trial

Norton Cancer Institute is enrolling metastatic lung cancer patients in a Phase 3 clinical trial to test a promising new anti-CLTA-4 antibody, gotistobart (ONC-392). The study will test whether gotistobart is more effective than the chemotherapy agent docetaxel in prolonging life in patients with metastatic, non-small cell lung cancer whose disease progressed on anti-PD-1/PD-L1 antibody…

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Adult Services, Cancer

Diagnosing early stage lung cancer with robotic bronchoscopy lung nodule biopsy

The patient A 67-year-old woman with a past medical history of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and emphysema presented with a spiculated right upper-lobe nodule that was previously 8 millimeters in size on CT scan of the lung. In six months, it had increased in size to 1.1 centimeters. The challenge The lung nodule was small,…

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Adult Services, Cancer

Lung cancer screening guidelines

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force updated its lung cancer screening guidelines in 2021 to include younger patients and those who smoked less than the previous recommendation. The current USPSTF lung cancer screening guidelines are for adults between ages 50 and 80 who have a 20-pack-year smoking history and currently smoke or have quit within…

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Adult Services, Cancer, Health Equity

Late-stage lung cancer diagnoses weigh heavily on the socially disadvantaged

As a medical oncologist at Norton Cancer Institute, I’ve seen remarkable advances in how we treat lung cancer. Lung cancers caught early can now often be successfully treated. Unfortunately, Kentucky has a massive lung cancer problem. We have the highest rate of lung cancer in the nation, and we rank 45th among the 49 states…

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Adult Services, Cancer, Gastroenterology

Updates in screening and treatment of leading gastrointestinal cancers

“Gastrointestinal cancers can occur anywhere from the esophagus to the rectum. This includes cancers of the esophagus, stomach, small intestine, colon, rectum and anus, as well as the bile duct, pancreas and liver,” said Robert C.G. Martin, M.D., Ph.D., surgical oncologist with Norton Cancer Institute. “They include the second- and third-deadliest cancers in the United…

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Adult Services, Cancer, Research

Natural killer cell leukemia trial underway

A human Phase 1 immunotherapy clinical trial is underway using natural killer cells, or NK cells, to target relapsed or refractory acute myeloid leukemia. Acute myeloid leukemia patients who have exhausted other treatment options are potential candidates for the trial, ClinicalTrials.gov ID NCT05470140. The trial uses cytokine-reprogrammed, non-engineered, “off-the-shelf” NK cells from a healthy donor….

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Adult Services, Cancer

When to consider genetic testing for breast cancer

At some point in their life, 1 in 8 women will develop breast cancer. Approximately 20% of breast cancer cases are familial, affecting two or more women in the same family, usually at a later age. An estimated 5% to 10% of breast cancers are caused by a genetic mutation, called hereditary breast cancer. Red…

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