A team of surgical experts led by Gregory J. Tiesi, M.D., FACS, FSSO, began implanting hepatic artery infusion pumps in patients at Hackensack Meridian Jersey Shore University Medical Center in June. They are among the first in New Jersey to provide the pump for patients. The Intera 3000 Pump enables leading-edge Hepatic Artery Infusion (HAI) therapy for the treatment of cancers within the liver, including; intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (IHCC, bile duct cancer) and colorectal cancer liver metastases, without the negative side effects seen with systemic chemotherapy.

Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer diagnosed in both men and women each year in the U.S., excluding skin cancer. The liver is the most frequent site of metastatic disease, with at least 25 percent of patients developing colorectal liver metastases during the course of their illness. IHCC is the second most common primary cancer of the liver.

“This state-of-the-art technology provides a highly pinpointed and concentrated treatment option for patients with two conditions; advanced primary liver cancers like IHCC, which have a poor prognosis and are hard to treat and colorectal cancer liver metastases,” said Dr. Tiesi, medical director of Hepatobiliary Surgery at Jersey Shore University Medical Center. “HAI therapy is associated with a higher likelihood of tumor shrinkage, a better chance of tumor removal, reduced risk of the cancer coming back and improved survival. What is equally important is that since the treatment is directed specifically to the liver, patients do not experience the negative side effects or toxicities that accompany chemotherapy like when it is delivered through a vein to the whole body.”

The palm-sized pump is surgically implanted in the abdomen and designed to deliver a continuous flow of chemotherapy directly to the hepatic artery that feeds tumors in the liver. Individuals receiving HAI therapy continue their normal daily activities outside of a hospital with minimal disruption to their lives.

“With Dr. Tiesi’s leadership, I’m proud that we are among the first in New Jersey to provide the HAI pump, enabling our community to stay close to home to receive this type of advanced surgical care and cancer treatment,” said Vito Buccellato, MPA, LNHA, president and chief hospital executive, Jersey Shore University Medical Center.

“This is a great example of Jersey Shore’s leadership in providing leading-edge cancer treatment in Monmouth and Ocean counties,” said Kenneth N. Sable, M.D., MBA, FACEP, regional president, Southern Market, Hackensack Meridian 

 “And another great milestone of innovative cancer care the academic medical center is offering our community.”

Dr. Tiesi is board certified in Complex General Surgical Oncology and General Surgery and has specialized in surgical oncology for nearly a decade. He focuses on treating pancreas, liver, upper gastrointestinal, thyroid and other related cancers. To make an appointment with Dr. Tiesi at his office in HOPE Tower on Jersey Shore University Medical Center’s campus, call 732-776-4470. For more information about the academic medical center, visit 

www.hackensackmeridianhealth.org/en/Locations/jersey-shore-university-medical-center

Articles

Jersey Shore University Medical Center is among the first hospitals in New Jersey to provide the HAI pump, which is offered at few hospitals in the country, enabling the N.J. community to stay close to home for care.



 Cancer Experts at Jersey Shore University Medical Center Implanting First Targeted Liver Tumor Treatment Pumps in Patients

Hackensack MeridianHealth is proud to announce theappointment of thoracic surgeon Faiz Y. Bhora, MD, FACS , as the inaugural Regional Chair ofSurgery for the central region, which includes JFK University Medical Center, Bayshore MedicalCenter, Old Bridge Medical Center and Raritan Bay Medical Center.

Dr. Bhora is an internationally recognized thoracic surgeon, who is an expert at performingcomplex robotic and minimally invasive operations for lung cancer, esophageal cancer,mediastinal tumors and tracheal tumors and stenosis. Prior to joining Hackensack MeridianHealth, he was System Chief of Thoracic Surgery and Director of Thoracic Oncology at NuvanceHealth and Chief of Thoracic and Robotic Surgery in the Mount Sinai Health System.

In addition to providing expert surgical care to patients, Dr. Bhora is actively involved intranslational research- moving basic science discoveries more quickly and efficiently intopractice. Dr. Bhora’s current research is focused on regenerative medicine, including 3-Dbioprinting of the trachea and his research laboratory is considered one of the foremostresearch laboratories in the area of tracheal regeneration. His clinical research focuses oncancer care disparities in lung and esophageal cancer. Dr. Bhora serves as a consultant andscientific advisor to several major biomedical companies and is considered a thought leader insurgical care delivery, surgical innovation, and robotic surgery platforms.

Dr. Bhora is passionate about resident and medical student education. He has mentored over150 residents (several of whom are now thoracic surgeons), 15 post-doctoral fellows and over300 medical students. He continues to mentor thoracic surgeons both in the United States andinternationally.

Dr. Bhora also provides leadershipat a national level to the thoracic surgicalcommunity, as president of the New York General Thoracic Surgical Club (NYGTSC) and pastpresident of the Eastern Cardiothoracic Surgical Society (ECTSS). He is listed annually in themost prestigious best doctor lists such as Castle Connolly America’s Top Doctors, America’s TopSurgeons for Cancer, andNY Magazine Top Doctors.

Dr. Bhora earned his medical degree at Aga Khan University in Pakistan and completed aresidency in general surgery at George Washington University Hospital and thoracic surgeryfellowship at UCLA Medical Center, and an additional fellowship in thoracic surgical oncologyat the University of Pennsylvania Medical Center. He is Board Certified in Thoracic and CardiacSurgery.

“I am thrilled to join Hackensack Meridian Health,” said Dr. Bhora. “The opportunity to be apart of the finest health system in New Jersey with a new and innovative affiliated medicalschool was a big draw. The central region of New Jersey has a need for the highest quality ofsurgical care, and we have bold plans to transform both the quality and breadth of surgicalprograms that we will offer to our patients. This, in addition to starting a surgical residencyprogram and helping transform JFK University Medical Center into a true tertiary andquaternary hospital was the impetus for me to join the Hackensack Meridian Team and anopportunity impossible to turn down.”

“Hackensack Meridian Health is a regional leader in high quality surgical care provided byexperts who are skilled in the latest minimally invasive and robotic techniques,” said Todd Way,president, central market, Hackensack Meridian Health. “We are delighted to welcome asurgeon with the expertise and renown as Dr. Bhora as our inaugural Regional Chair of Surgeryand look forward to his leadership to expand our academic footprint as well as access to thelatest surgical techniques and technologies to promote outstanding surgical outcomes for thecommunities we serve.”

Hackensack Meridian Health is a leading not-for-profit health care organization that is thelargest, most comprehensive and truly integrated health care network in New Jersey, offering acomplete range of medical services, innovative research and life-enhancing care. The networkhas 18 hospitals and more than 500 patient care locations, which include ambulatory carecenters, surgery centers, home health services, long-term care and assisted living communities,ambulance services, lifesaving air medical transportation, rehabilitation centers, urgent carecenters, physician practice locations, and a fitness and wellness center. With more than 35,000team members and 7,000 physicians, Hackensack Meridian Health is a distinguished leader inhealth care philanthropy and committed to the health and well-being of communitiesthroughout New Jersey.

The network’s notable distinctions include having more U.S. News-ranked hospitals than anyother health system in New Jersey, as ranked by U.S. News & World Report, 2022-23.Hackensack University Medical Center is nationally-ranked by U.S. News & World Report infour specialties, more than any other hospital in New Jersey. Joseph M. Sanzari Children’sHospital at Hackensack University Medical Center, and K. Hovnanian Children’s Hospital atJersey Shore University Medical Center, are ranked #1 in the state and top 20 in theMid-Atlantic Region by U.S. News & World Report’s 2022-23 Best Children’s Hospital Report.Additionally, their combined nephrology program ranks in the top 50 in the United States. Tolearn more, visitwww.hackensackmeridianhealth.org.

Expert in minimally invasive and robotic surgery will expand access to new technology and advancesurgical research in Central New Jersey.

Hackensack Meridian Health Appoints Internationally Renowned Thoracic Surgeon Faiz Y. Bhora, MD, FACS, as Central Region Chair of Surgery

Results from the Thinking and Living with Cancer Study (TLC) showed that the development of sleep disturbances during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic increased symptoms of depression and anxiety among older women, but the findings did not differ between women who survived breast cancer and women without cancer. It is the first study to assess sleep disturbances and mental health outcomes among cancer survivors during the pandemic.

, published in the journal Cancer Medicine, was led by researchers from Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center and included collaborators from Hackensack Meridian John Theurer Cancer Center (JTCC), a part of Georgetown Lombardi, along with other investigators.

“The pandemic has significantly changed our lives with many studies showing effects on sleep, which itself is related to a wide range of physical and mental health outcomes. Our findings show that breast cancer survivors did not experience worse effects of sleep disturbance on mental health during the early phase of the pandemic compared to others. It was unexpected, but welcome, news,” said lead author Traci N. Bethea, PhD, Assistant Professor in the Office of Minority Health and Health Disparities Research and the Cancer Prevention and Control Program at Georgetown Lombardi.

"We were surprised but at the same time, we weren't surprised because someone who had been diagnosed with breast cancer may have learned coping mechanisms and received support that was already in place when the pandemic began," explained medical oncologist Deena M.A. Graham, MD, who led JTCC's participation in the study.

Breast cancer survivors tend to experience worse sleep than the general population, as well as reporting more depression and anxiety symptoms. TLC is a longitudinal study of breast cancer survivors aged 60 and older and matched controls without cancer who are completing annual assessments over a 5-year period. For this analysis, symptoms of depression and anxiety and reports of restless sleep were compared between 242 breast cancer survivors and 158 controls who were surveyed from May-September 2020.

There was an increase in sleep disturbances and symptoms of depression and anxiety during the pandemic, but survivors and controls did not differ in the magnitude of change. Nearly 1 in 4 participants (22.3%) reported experiencing sleep disturbances during this time, including new restless sleep in 10% of survivors and 13.5% of controls. Symptoms of depression and anxiety significantly increased during the pandemic among women reporting restless sleep, but there were no differences in these findings between survivors and controls.

"Many patients who have been affected by cancer came into the pandemic already having had their lives changed by the diagnosis of an illness," added Dr. Graham.

“Given how a cancer diagnosis and cancer treatment can disrupt a patient’s life and sometimes lead to social isolation, cancer survivors may have been more resilient or more prepared to adapt at the onset of the pandemic due to their cancer journey,” said Dr. Bethea.

The study's results may also inform the future care of patients. The investigators concluded that clinical and public health programs serving older adults should include surveillance of sleep disturbances during the pandemic to detect and treat worsening mental health. "This study provides a platform upon which we can examine new issues facing women who have been diagnosed with breast cancer," noted Dr. Graham. "The fact that our patients were able and willing to participate and provide us with this information will allow us to better meet the needs of all patients going forward."

Results from the Thinking and Living with Cancer Study showed that the development of sleep disturbances during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic increased symptoms of depression and anxiety among older women, but the findings did not differ between women who survived breast cancer and women without cancer.

Study Shows Sleep Disturbances During the Pandemic Were Similar between Breast Cancer Survivors and Healthy Controls

 in Hackensack has treated the first patient in the country with an investigational new drug for relapsed glioblastoma and other anaplastic gliomas, according to a Monday announcement from the hospital.

Glioblastoma is one of the most aggressive forms of brain cancer, which often recurs despite standard treatments such as chemotherapy and radiation. Survival beyond five years is rare, and new treatments are gravely needed.

The new treatment, DSP-0390, has not been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, nor has its safety and efficacy been established. It is an investigational new agent developed by Cambridge, Massachusetts-based 

 that acts as an inhibitor of emopamil-binding protein, a molecule in cholesterol biosynthesis.

“Our bodies need cholesterol to build healthy cells and for those cells to signal one another,” said Dr. Samuel Goldlust, medical director of neuro-oncology. “But GBM cells can force the production of cholesterol into overdrive, leading to tumor growth and blocking EPB may inhibit this growth.”

This multicenter, global Phase 1/2 study is planned to enroll 70 patients at five brain tumor centers in the U.S. and Japan.

“Clinical trials in GBM have taught us that traditional treatments are not enough to defeat this challenging tumor,” said Dr. George Kaptain, director of neurosurgical oncology. “It is a privilege to be able to offer our patients streamlined access to novel, investigational molecularly targeted therapies like DSP-0390 in our ongoing pursuit of treatments to help maximize survival and minimize side effects.”

John Theurer Cancer Center at Hackensack University Medical Center in Hackensack has treated the first patient in the country with an investigational new drug for relapsed glioblastoma and other anaplastic gliomas.

John Theurer Cancer Center Treats First Patient in U.S. With Investigational Drug for Brain Cancer

Investigators from Hackensack University Medical Center’s John Theurer Cancer Center confirmed that cryopreserved stem cells collected before a first stem cell transplant to treat multiple myeloma are just as viable and potent for use in a second "salvage" transplant up to 20 years later when a patient experiences a relapse of the disease. The study, published in the Journal of Transplantation and Cellular Therapy, is the first to compare outcomes of initial and salvage transplants in the same patients.

Multiple myeloma is a cancer of the bone marrow, and autologous stem cell transplantation—the collection of a patient's own stem cells from their bloodstream before chemotherapy, which are given back after chemotherapy to rebuild the blood-forming system—is a commonly used treatment. Multiple myeloma often comes back despite initial treatment, but it may not be for several years. For this reason, treatment guidelines recommend that enough stem cells are collected before the first transplant to support two transplants. The cells are frozen and stored in a vapor-phase liquid nitrogen refrigerator for storage below -150°C.

The study investigators assessed outcomes in 89 patients who received an initial stem cell transplant for multiple myeloma as well as a salvage transplant for relapsed disease at John Theurer Cancer Center between 2000 and 2021. The median period of time between the initial collection of the cells and the salvage transplant was 5.4 years, with some patients not receiving the second transplant until up to 19.7 years later. The researchers found that the amount of time it took for patients' bodies to rebuild their levels of neutrophils (white blood cells) and platelets (blood-clotting cells) was not significantly different between the first and salvage transplants.

"This study shows, for the first time in the same group of patients from a single institution, that it is safe to store stem cells for a very prolonged period of time while maintaining their viability and potency," explained Ronit Slotky, PhD, director of the Cell Therapies Manufacturing Facility at John Theurer Cancer Center and one of the study's lead authors. "You can infuse them into a patient with relapsed multiple myeloma up to 20 years later and they are still effective."

"Until now, data on stem cell transplantation outcomes after long-term storage have been limited. Our long and distinguished history of leadership in the field of bone marrow and stem cell transplantation and our high volumes of multiple myeloma patients have enabled us to report the first study demonstrating these outcomes in the same group of patients," said André Goy, MD, MS, chairman and executive director of John Theurer Cancer Center. "We are very proud to give patients with multiple myeloma and their providers confidence in the effectiveness of this approach."

“This publication was the result of the hard work and dedication of Dr. Slotky and her team,” said Scott Rowley, MD, FACP, Member, Stem Cell Transplantation and Cellular Therapy Program and medical director, Cell Therapies Manufacturing Facility, John Theurer Cancer Center. “This manuscript is a great accomplishment for our department and we are very proud to receive this recognition by the publisher.”

“This research is immediately beneficial to patients in our network, and also those across the world,” said Ihor Sawczuk, M.D., FACS, the chief research officer and president of Hackensack Meridian 

’s Northern Region. “This kind of dedicated, thorough science saves and improves lives, and is an example of why we are always looking for ways to keep getting better.”

Investigators from Hackensack University Medical Center’s John Theurer Cancer Center confirm that cryopreserved stem cells collected before a first stem cell transplant to treat multiple myeloma are just as viable and potent for use in a second "salvage" transplant 20 years later.

Hackensack Meridian John Theurer Cancer Center

Articles

Cancer Experts at Jersey Shore University Medical Center Implanting First Targeted Liver Tumor Treatment Pumps in Patients

Hackensack Meridian Health Appoints Internationally Renowned Thoracic Surgeon Faiz Y. Bhora, MD, FACS, as Central Region Chair of Surgery

Study Shows Sleep Disturbances During the Pandemic Were Similar between Breast Cancer Survivors and Healthy Controls

John Theurer Cancer Center Treats First Patient in U.S. With Investigational Drug for Brain Cancer

John Theurer Cancer Center Investigators Confirm that Preserved Stem Cells Are Safe and Effective for Multiple Myeloma Treatment Up to 20 Years Later