Category Archives: genetics

Syracuse University student died at a Carrier Dome basketball game – and lived to tell about it

Posted on March 13, 2017 by

February 4 was “pretty much a typical morning” for Alex McMillan, 20, an economics major at Syracuse University. An alto sax player, McMillan would be at the noon basketball game against Virginia as part of the Sour Sitrus Society. He … Continue reading →

Posted in emergency medicine/trauma, genetics, health care, heart/cardiovascular, patient story | Tagged , , | 3 Comments

Scientists explore genetic roots of rare blood cancer

Posted on March 10, 2017 by

Scientists at Upstate have made progress in understanding the cause of a rare blood cancer called myelofibrosis, and they hope to learn how to block the disease’s progression. Professor of pharmacology Golam Mohi, PhD, has been studying the life-threatening disorder, … Continue reading →

Posted in cancer, genetics, research | Tagged

Revealing research: Kidney tumor analysis helps decipher proteins’ role in cancer development

Posted on March 9, 2017 by

BY AMBER SMITH Some of the tumors Gennady Bratslavsky, MD, removes from patients’ kidneys are no bigger than olives. Some are the size of watermelons. Since July 2014, many have ended up in the laboratory of Bratslavsky’s research partner, Mehdi … Continue reading →

Posted in cancer, genetics, kidney/renal/nephrology, research, urology | Tagged ,

Did you know? The scientist who discovered genetically inherited breast cancer visited Upstate

Posted on March 7, 2017 by

In 1990, her laboratory zeroed in on chromosome 17q21 to prove that breast cancer is genetically inherited in some families. The scientists working with Mary-Claire King, PhD, called this particular genetic mutation BRCA1. Soon after, another mutation, called BRCA2, was … Continue reading →

Posted in cancer, genetics, health care, history, research, women's health/gynecology | Tagged , , ,

Personal plan: Her team crafted the best way to fight her pancreatic cancer

Posted on December 12, 2016 by

BY AMBER SMITH A tumor quietly growing in Gail Brehm’s pancreas invaded her stomach and surrounding soft tissues. Eventually the mass began pressing on a nerve. Brehm, 63, a retired postal worker in Auburn, felt that pain in her lower … Continue reading →

Posted in cancer, genetics, health care, HealthLink on Air, illness, liver/ gallbladder/ pancreas, medical imaging/radiology, pancreas/liver/gallbladder/bile ducts, patient story, surgery | Tagged , , , , , , , , ,

What might $50,000 help discover?

Posted on December 7, 2016 by

  BY AMBER SMITH Scientists think big, and long term. They measure progress incrementally, knowing that solutions are often years, decades, centuries in the making. Such dedication can bring society closer to finding cures for cancer, ways to prevent the … Continue reading →

Posted in bones/joints/orthopedics, cancer, drugs/medications/pharmacy, genetics, health care, illness, medical imaging/radiology, research, surgery, technology, urology, women's health/gynecology | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Have you seen the summer issue of Cancer Care magazine?

Posted on August 12, 2016 by

Welcome to Cancer Care magazine’s summer 2016 issue. Medical student Ogochukwu Ezeoke, smiling from our cover, aspires to a career in cancer research, and like many scientists she’s intrigued with the idea of using a patient’s immune system to fight … Continue reading →

Posted in bioethics & humanities, bones/joints/orthopedics, brain/spine/neurosurgery, cancer, dermatology/skin care, genetics, health care, history, kidney/renal/nephrology, research, surgery, urology, women's health/gynecology

Breast cancer gene also increases risk of prostate cancer

Posted on August 11, 2016 by

BY AMBER SMITH Although prostate cancer is the most common cancer diagnosed in men in the United States, the disease kills fewer than 3 percent of those diagnosed. It typically grows slowly, becoming deadly after it metastasizes, or spreads beyond … Continue reading →

Posted in cancer, genetics, health care, HealthLink on Air, illness, men's health, prevention/preventive medicine, public health, research, urology, women's health/gynecology

Experiences with cancer point medical student toward career in immunotherapy research

Posted on August 9, 2016 by

BY JIM McKEEVER Ogochukwu Ezeoke is excited about advances in cancer treatment, especially the idea of using a patient’s immune system to fight disease. Many breakthrough drug approvals in the past year have been immunotherapy medications, and the first-year medical … Continue reading →

Posted in cancer, drugs/medications/pharmacy, genetics, health care, health careers, medical student, research

Immune therapy: Training the body’s immune system to kill cancer

Posted on August 8, 2016 by

BY AMBER SMITH Rarely does a primary tumor kill. In cancer, death is more typical after the cancer spreads, or metastasizes. Upstate’s William Kerr, PhD, is a pediatric cancer researcher focused on making the immune system better at killing cancer. … Continue reading →

Posted in cancer, genetics, health care, HealthLink on Air, international health care, medical student, research