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Monoclonal antibody stud&for
ovarian cancer under way at MCG
A monoclonal antibody
that prompts the immune
system to target wayward
ovarian cancer cells roam
ing the body may help
forestall cancer recur
rence, according to a
Medical College of Geor
gia gynecologic oncolo
gist.
“When you look at a
treatment target, you
need to have one that is
fairly common,”said Dr.
Sharad Ghamande, a
principal investigator on
the study. “The tumor
marker CA 125, the tar
get of this monoclonal
antibody OvaßexO, is
expressed in about 90
percent of ovarian cancer
cells in patients with
advanced disease. The
theory here is to make an
antibody to CA 125 that
will attach to ovarian
cancer cells and cause the
cells to be attacked and
destroyed by the immune
system to keep them from
growing.”
The goal is for the ther
apy to be used as an
adjunct to standard ther
apy - which is surgically
removing the tumor fol
lowed by chemotherapy -
to help improve survival
rates and quality of life
for women diagnosed
with advanced disease.
~~Qvarian cancer is fortu
nately rare. but often
deadly because it typical
ly is found in late stages,
The CSRA laces u!:
to save babies with
Walk America
Put on your walking shoes
CSRA! March of Dimes Walk
America, the oldest walking
event in the country is right
around the corner. On Satur
day, April 24 more than 500
walkers of all ages, races reli
gions and backgrounds will
converge for one common
passion — to raise money for
the March of Dime. A festive
event with music and fun
activities for both children and
adults, Walk America is a day
of immeasurable commitment
and hope.
Returning for its 34th year’s
Walk American has an ambi
tious goal of $90,000. Georgia
is one of the top March of
Dimes chapters in the country
raising 6.1 million last year?
And the amazing part is that in
Georgia, 88 cents of every dol
lar raised goes toward its mis
sion of saving babies!
In an effort to create an
awareness of how serious and
Child abuse workshop
Reaching a More Unified
Approach to Child Abuse will
be the topic at a workshop to
be held at the University
Hospital Auditorium, 1 p.m.
-4: 30 p.m. on May 6.
Presenters include Dr. Peter
Lyons and Amy Gaylor.
Peter Lyons, Ph.D. is an
assistant professor in the
School of Social Work at
stage three or four, after
it has spread. The disease
tends to be asymptomatic
until later stages plus
there is no good screen
ing test, such as the Pap
smear that screens for
cervical cancer. ;
Although patients with
advanced disease often
initially respond well to
treatment, the disease fre
quently recurs within two
years; five-year survival
rates for advanced disease
hover at about 30 to 35
percent. “When you have
no evidence of disease,
why do women come
back with cancer in two
years?” Dr. Ghamande
said. “They obviously
still have some cells float
ing around in their
body.”
In an attempt to
improve survival rates
and ideally kill those
wandering cells, some
patients already opt for
an additional year of
chemotherapy after they
have been declared dis
ease free; some evidence
suggests this additional
treatment can at least
delay relapse. “But it’s
hard to get people to take
an - additional year of
chemotherapy when there
is no obvious target, plus,
over a period of time,
chemotherapy side effects
can be significant,” Dr.’
Ghamande said. “Many
patients elect to do noth
wide spread a problem prema
wure birth is, the March of
Dimes has launched a five
year, $75 million research, and
awareness and education cam
paign to help American fami
lies have healthier babies.
Campaign goals are to increase
public awareness of the prob
lems of prematurity to at least
60 percent (currendy at 35
percent while decreasing the
rate of preterm birth in the
US. by 15 percent by 2007,
which means 70,000 fewer
preterm babies per year.
The Southeast Georgia
Divisions honorary prematu
tity chair is Thomas G. Reilly
Account Executive, Amica
Mutual Insurance Company.
A long time March of Dimes
volunteer, Mr. Reilly is aware
of the effects of prematurity on
babies and made a personal
commitment to helping the
March of Dimes raise aware
ness about premature birth.
Georgia State University and
serves as director of the
school’s Child Welfare Train
ing Program. He worked for
20 years as a front-line social
worker, supervisor, adminis
trator and teacher in child
protection and child welfare
agencies in the United King
dom, Canada, and the Unit
ed States. :
ing.”
The new study, which
will enroll about 350
patients nationwide who
have CA 125-positive
tumors that have
responded to chemother
apy, instead offers mono
clonal antibody therapy
at that juncture. The new
therapy has been shown
to have comparatively few
side effects, including
flulike symptoms and
localized irritation at the
infusion site.
As part of the study
protocol, half the patients
will receive the new ther
apy and half will receive a
placebo. “Most patients
opt for no additional
treatment at this point so
even those who receive a
placebo will have received
today’s treatment stan
dard,” Dr. Ghamande
said. “On the other hand,
if they are randomized to
the monoclonal antibody
arm, then there is a hope
they will do better.”
Participants will receive
three initial doses as half
hour infusions monthly,
then receive infusions
every three months for
two years and be followed
for a total of five years.
Immune response also
will be monitored.
Earlier clinical studies
of this first monoclonal
antibody for CA 125 have
shown the therapy to be
safe and provide longer
Launched in 1970, Walk
America is the largest fundrais
er for the March of Dimes and
the oldest walking event in the
county. It takes place in nearly
1,500 locations across the
nation on the last weekend in
April. Ninety percent of all
revenues are derived from
employee donations.
The March of Dimes is a
national voluntary health
agency whose mission is to
improve the health of babies
by preventing birth defects
and infant mortality. Founded
in 1938, the March of Dimes
funds programs of research,
community services educa
tion, and advocacy to save
babies. For more information
about Walk America, the walk
that has been saving babies for
33 years, please call 1-(800)
525- Walk (9255). Corporate
sponsor and walk forms are
also available online.
Amy Gaylor, LMSW is the
director of the Child Advoca
cy Center in Augusta and
also serves on the Board of
Directors for Children’s
Advocacy Centers of Geor
gia. She has chaired the
Augusta Judicial Circuit
Multi-disciplinary Case
Review Team for the last
three years.
AUGUSTA FOCUS
disease-free intervals for
those with advanced dis
ease, which can translate
into better long-term sur
vival, Dr. Ghamande
said.
“If patients who get
OvaßexO are in remis
sion for longer periods of
time, this could become
frontline therapy along
with chemotherapy,” he
said. “Hopefully, we will
get some answers, because
right now, there is no
proven immune therapy
or molecular therapy like
this.”
Dr. Michael S. Macfee,
chief of the MCG Section
of Gynecologic Oncolo
gy, is a co-investigator on
the study.
For more information,
call study coordinator
Nora McClendon at
(706) 721-5557. The
study is sponsored by
Altaßex Corp.
The Medical College of
Georgia is the state’s
health sciences university
and includes the Schools
of Allied Health Sciences,
Dentistry, Graduate
Studies, Medicine and
Nursing, the MCG Med
ical Center and the Chil
dren’s Medical Center.
Please visit our website at
htep://www.mcg .edu.
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has contributed to the fact that since 1984, more women have died of heart
disease than men In fact, 93 percent of the women right here o
the CSRA have at keast ane rsk‘faé'tor for heart deease So UL important
that women learn the fiympwm‘; of a heart attack and know that certain
cytmptoms like back pain, jaw pain, h‘ug‘ue and nausea are commaon to them
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Sne reace awareness of heart disease It's called Wormen's Haumdur}t.sgz- =
learn more talk © your physician or call 706/828-1818 (local) or
1 18681601-2828 (toll-free) and request a Women's Heart Advantage
Information Kit C : ‘ ;
- LISTEN TO YOUR HEART BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE.
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Dr. Sharad Ghamande, gynecologic oncologist, is
enrolling women who have had ovarian cancer in a
study of a new monocional antibody that may help
reduce disease recurrence.
April 22, 2004
11A