2010-2011 U.S. News & World Report “Best Hospitals” List

This week, U.S. News & World Report issued its 2010-2011 rankings of the best U.S. hospitals for adults. The University of Texas, M.D. Anderson Cancer Center is rated #1 in cancer treatment, and Johns Hopkins is rated #1 in gynecology and #1 overall based upon all medical specialties.

If you would like more information regarding the 2010-2011 U.S. News & World Report best U.S. hospital rankings, click here. To better understand how U.S. News & World Report ranked the hospitals in each specialty, read Best Hospitals 2010-11: The Methodology, written by U.S. News & World Report’s Avery Comarow.  If you would like to review the current U.S. News & World Report America’s Best Children’s Hospitals list, click here.

Top 10 U.S. Hospitals: Cancer	Top 10 U.S. Hospitals: Gynecology	Top 10 U.S. Hospitals (highest scores in at least six medical specialties)
1. Univ. of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas	Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, Maryland	Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, Maryland
2. Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York	Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota	Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota
3. Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota	Brigham and Women’s Hospital,Boston, Massachusetts	Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
4. Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, Maryland	Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH	Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio
5. University of Washington Medical Center, Seattle, Washington	Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts	Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, Los Angeles
6. Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts	Magee-Womens Hospital of Univ. of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania	New York-Presbyterian Univ. Hospital of Columbia & Cornell, New York, New York
7. Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts	Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina	Univ. of California, San Francisco (UCSF) Medical Center
8. Univ. of California, San Francisco (UCSF) Medical Center	Univ. of California, San Francisco (UCSF) Medical Center	Barnes-Jewish Hospital/Washington University, St. Louis
9. Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio	New York-Presbyterian Univ. Hospital of Columbia & Cornell, New York, New York	Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
10. Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, Los Angeles	Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York	Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina

MAGP2 Gene Expression Signature: A Potential Ovarian Cancer Personalized Treatment Target

A multi-institutional study has identified a potential personalized treatment target for the most common form of ovarian cancer. In the December 8 issue of Cancer Cell, the research team describes finding that a gene called MAGP2 – not previously associated with any type of cancer – was overexpressed in papillary serous ovarian tumors of patients who died more quickly. They also found evidence suggesting possible mechanisms by which MAGP2 may promote tumor growth.

A multi-institutional study has identified a potential personalized treatment target for the most common form of ovarian cancer. In the December 8 issue of Cancer Cell, the research team describes finding that a gene called MAGP2 (microfibril-associated glycoprotein 2) – not previously associated with any type of cancer – was overexpressed in papillary serous ovarian tumors of patients who died more quickly. They also found evidence suggesting possible mechanisms by which MAGP2 may promote tumor growth.

Michael Birrer, MD, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School; Director GYN/Medical Oncology, Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital

“Ovarian cancer is typically diagnosed at an advanced stage when it is incurable, and the same treatments have been used for virtually all patients,” says Michael Birrer, MD, PhD, director of medical gynecologic oncology in the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) Cancer Center, and the study’s corresponding author. “Previous research from my lab indicated that different types and grades of ovarian tumors should be treated differently, and this paper now shows that even papillary serous tumors have differences that impact patient prognosis.” Birrer was with the National Institutes of Health when this study began but later joined the MGH Cancer Center.

The fifth most common malignancy among U.S. women, ovarian cancer is expected to cause approximately 15,000 deaths during 2009. Accounting for 60 percent of ovarian cancers, papillary serous tumors are typically diagnosed after spreading beyond the ovaries. The tumors typically return after initial treatment with surgery and chemotherapy, but while some patients die a few months after diagnosis, others may survive five years or longer while receiving treatment.

To search for genes expressed at different levels in ovarian cancer patients with different survival histories, which could be targets for new treatments, the researchers conducted whole-genome profiling of tissue samples that had been microdissected – reducing the presence of non-tumor cells – from 53 advanced papillary serous ovarian cancer tumors. Of 16 genes that appeared to have tumor-associated expression levels, MAGP2 had the strongest correlation with reduced patient survival.

Further analysis confirmed that MAGP2 expression was elevated in another group of malignant ovarian cancer tumors but not in normal tissue. MAGP2 gene expression was also reduced in patients whose tumors responded to chemotherapy. Recombinant expression of MAGP2 in samples of the endothelial cells that line blood vessels caused the cells to migrate and invade normal tissue.  In addition, MAGP2 gene overexpression increased microvessel density — a measurement used to determine the extent of tumor angiogenesis. The latter two observations suggest a potential role for MAGP2 gene overexpression in the growth of an ovarian cancer tumor’s blood supply.

“By confirming that different ovarian tumors have distinctive gene signatures that can predict patient prognosis, this study marks the beginning of individualized care for ovarian cancer,” says Birrer, a professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School. “MAGP2 and the biochemical pathways it contributes to are definitely targets for new types of therapies, and we plan to pursue several strategies to interfere with tumor-associated pathways. But first we need to validate these findings in samples from patients treated in clinical trials.”

About The Study

Co-lead authors of the Cancer Cell paper are Samuel Mok, M.D., M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, and Tomas Bonome, National Cancer Institute (NCI). Additional co-authors are Kwong-Kowk Wong, M.D. Anderson; Vinod Vathipadiekal, Aaron Bell, Howard Donninger, Laurent Ozbun, Goli Samimi, John Brady, Mike Randonovich, Cindy Pise-Masison, and Carl Barrett, NCI; Michael Johnson, Dong-Choon Park, William Welch and Ross Berkowitz, Brigham and Women’s Hospital; Ke Hao and Wing Wong, Harvard School of Public Health; and Daniel Yip, University of South Florida. The study was supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health, the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund and the National Cancer Institute.

About Massachusetts General Hospital

Massachusetts General Hospital, established in 1811, is the original and largest teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School. The MGH conducts the largest hospital-based research program in the United States, with an annual research budget of more than $600 million and major research centers in AIDS, cardiovascular research, cancer, computational and integrative biology, cutaneous biology, human genetics, medical imaging, neurodegenerative disorders, regenerative medicine, systems biology, transplantation biology and photomedicine.

Sources:

• Possible ovarian cancer treatment target identified – Genetic signature associated with poor prognosis could lead to improved therapies, Press Release, Massachusetts General Hospital (via EurekAlert), December 8, 2009.

• Mok SC, Bonome T, Vathipadiekal V, Bell A, Johnson ME, Wong KK, et. al. A gene signature predictive for outcome in advanced ovarian cancer identifies a survival factor: microfibril-associated glycoprotein 2. Cancer Cell. 2009 Dec 8;16(6):521-32. PubMed PMID: 19962670.

• Farley J, Ozbun LL, Birrer MJ. Genomic analysis of epithelial ovarian cancer. Cell Res. 2008 May;18(5):538-48. Review. PubMed PMID: 18427574.

2009-2010 U.S. News & World Report Best U.S. Hospital Rankings

Today, U.S. News & World Report issued its 2009-2010 rankings of the best U.S. hospitals for adults. The University of Texas, M.D. Anderson Cancer Center is rated #1 in cancer treatment; Brigham and Women’s Hospital is rated #1 in gynecology; and Johns Hopkins is rated #1 overall based upon all medical specialties.

If you would like more information regarding the 2009-2010 U.S. News & World Report best U.S. hospital rankings, click here. To better understand how U.S. News & World Report ranked the hospitals in each specialty, read America’s Best Hospitals: Here’s How We Selected Them – Deaths, reputation, and patient safety were among the factors the rankings took into account, written by U.S. News & World Report’s Avery Comarow.  If you would like to review the current U.S. News & World Report America’s Best Children’s Hospitals list, click here.

Top 10 U.S. Hospitals: Cancer	Top 10 U.S. Hospitals: Gynecology	Top 10 U.S. Hospitals (highest scores in at least six medical specialties)
1. Univ. of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas	Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts	Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, Maryland
2. Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York	Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, Maryland	Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota
3. Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, Maryland	Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota	Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, Los Angeles
4. Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota	Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina	Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio
5. Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts	Univ. of California, San Francisco (UCSF) Medical Center	Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
6. University of Washington Medical Center, Seattle, Washington	Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio	New York-Presbyterian Univ. Hospital of Columbia & Cornell, New York, New York
7. Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts	Magee-Womens Hospital of Univ. of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania	Univ. of California, San Francisco (UCSF) Medical Center
8. Univ. of California, San Francisco (UCSF) Medical Center	New York-Presbyterian Univ. Hospital of Columbia & Cornell, New York, New York	Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
9. Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina	Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts	Barnes-Jewish Hospital/Washington University, St. Louis
10. Stanford Hospital and Clinics, Stanford, California	Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, Los Angeles	Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts

Patty Franchi Flaherty Loses Battle to Ovarian Cancer, But Deserves a Long Standing Ovation

It is with deep regret that I must inform you that, Patty Franchi Flaherty, founder of the nonprofit organization Ovations for the Cure of Ovarian Cancer, peacefully succumbed to her nine-year battle with the disease on August 18, 2008, surrounded by friends and family. She was 53 years old. Patty was a legendary ovarian cancer advocate, who spoke for ovarian cancer survivors that lacked a voice. Inspired by the death of her mother from ovarian cancer nearly 35 years ago and driven by her personal struggle, she founded the Natick-based nonprofit Ovations for the Cure in 2005. The organization has since comforted countless women and donated over $1 million to various ovarian cancer research programs at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Brigham and Women’s Hospital, including the world-renowned Desensitization Program, through fundraising programs such as the annual Stuart Weitzman Fashion Show.

It is with deep regret that I must inform you that, Patty Franchi Flaherty, founder of the nonprofit organization Ovations for the Cure of Ovarian Cancer (Ovations For the Cure), peacefully succumbed to her nine-year battle with the disease on August 18, 2008, surrounded by friends and family. She was 53 years old. Patty was a legendary ovarian cancer advocate, who spoke for ovarian cancer survivors that lacked a voice.

Inspired by the death of her mother from ovarian cancer nearly 35 years ago and driven by her personal struggle, she founded the Natick-based nonprofit Ovations for the Cure in 2005. The organization has since comforted countless women and donated over $1 million to various ovarian cancer research programs at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Brigham and Women’s Hospital, including the world-renowned Desensitization Program, through fundraising programs such as the annual Stuart Weitzman Fashion Show.

We provide below a bylined article about Patty Franchi Flaherty that was graciously provided to us by Ovations For the Cure. If you would like to learn more about the warnings signs and symptoms of ovarian cancer, CLICK HERE (Ovarian Cancer Symptoms Consensus Statement (Adobe Reader PDF Document)

“Patty Franchi Flaherty loses battle to ovarian cancer

Patty Franchi Flaherty, Founder of Ovations For the Cure of Ovarian Cancer (February 26, 1955 – August 18, 2008)

Natick, MA (August 19, 2008) – Patty Franchi Flaherty, Founder and President of Ovations for the Cure, lost her courageous 9-year battle with ovarian cancer and died peacefully at home on August 18, 2008, surrounded by family and friends.

Patty was a native of Weston who graduated from Bentley College in Waltham. Afterward, she joined Natick-based Franchi Management Company, Inc., where she worked as General Manager for over 30 years overseeing all business operations. She was also a long-standing trustee at Boston’s Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

Diagnosed with ovarian cancer in early 1999, Patty lived 9 years before succumbing to the same disease that took her mother Madeline’s life 25 years earlier. After a promising remission, the cancer resurfaced in 2005. Frustrated by how little ovarian cancer diagnosis and treatment had changed in a quarter-century, Patty was certain that she wasn’t alone in her fight with ovarian cancer or in her frustration over medical insufficiencies. She was determined to help improve the odds for all ovarian cancer patients.

In early 2006, Patty co-hosted the Stuart Weitzman Fashion Show and Luncheon as a fundraiser. Proceeds from the show helped fund the Madeline Franchi Ovarian Cancer Research Fund at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Then, with the help and support of her dearest friends, Patty launched a non-profit organization called Ovations for the Cure to fuel other research initiatives around the country and actively change the face of ovarian cancer.

In the 9 years she lived with ovarian cancer, Patty Franchi Flaherty turned a very personal crusade into a meaningful legacy for all women facing the disease. Thanks to Patty, women can now share information the likes of which her mother never had, and have hope where before there had been none. In just over 3 years’ time, Patty led Ovations’ growth from a lingering idea to a thriving organization-with momentum that continues to build across North America.

In July of 2008, The Savings Bank Life Insurance Company of Massachusetts awarded Patty its highest community honor, the prestigious Brandeis Award, which Patty’s husband Paul accepted on her behalf. The award pays homage to [U.S. Supreme Court] Justice Louis Brandeis and his defense of the rights of individuals, and was given to Patty in recognition of her innovation, bravery, and commitment to furthering the research and awareness of ovarian cancer.

Known for her unshakable determination, Patty turned her mission to beat ovarian cancer into a nationwide entity. In so doing, she created a living legacy of hope for everyone who faces the disease. Patty’s personal contributions to the fight against ovarian cancer have earned her a champion’s status in the hearts of those she has forever touched.

Creating a brighter future

Compared with other diseases making headlines today, ovarian cancer is far from attention-grabbing. Its foremost symptoms are so common and nonspecific that they are often mistaken for something else, if not ignored. Meanwhile, early detection methods are still in their infancy and late-stage diagnosis makes for only a limited number of successfully treated patients. Perhaps most surprisingly, ovarian cancer has the highest mortality rate of all gynecologic cancers.

Contributing to the high mortality rates of ovarian cancer is the lack of accurate screening and clear symptoms. As a result, only 19 percent of cases are detected before the cancer has spread beyond the ovaries, when treatment options are limited.

‘Ovarian cancer is often misunderstood, misinterpreted, and unfortunately misdiagnosed,’ said Dr. Ursula Matulonis, attending physician at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Brigham and Women’s Hospital and medical advisor to Ovations for the Cure.

‘In an effort to overcome this silent killer, Ovations for the Cure is dedicated to supporting cancer research centers to find accurate and early detection screenings. If caught in the early stages of diagnosis, ovarian cancer patients have a 90 percent chance of survival beyond five years and increased odds of beating the disease,’ Matulonis added. ‘Ovations for the Cure has helped change the dynamics of the medical profession by contributing valuable research funds for detection and treatment while educating women on its subtle symptoms.’

Today, Ovations continues to help make miracles possible for all women with ovarian cancer by shedding light on a disease that is still full of darkness. They have launched an aggressive ovarian cancer educational program, distributing awareness brochures to more than 3,000 physicians’ offices across the nation. Additionally, the development of their television and radio public service announcements outlining ovarian cancer symptoms has helped women identify the disease before it spreads to advanced stages. By spring of 2008, Ovations had already dedicated nearly one million dollars to ovarian cancer initiatives through the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, City of Hope Hospital in L.A., and the University of Pennsylvania.

From loss to legacy

‘Patty started Ovations for the Cure with the idea of saving women from this horrible disease,’ said Debbie Soprano, one of Patty’s closest friends and first Executive Director of Ovations for the Cure. ‘While she could not save herself, her everlasting optimism and spirit will forever lead the fight against ovarian cancer until we find a cure.’

Patty Franchi Flaherty may have lost her own battle against ovarian cancer, yet through Ovations for the Cure, she’ll continue to help thousands of women to win the war. For more information about ovarian cancer visit www.ovationsforthecure.org”

About Ovations for the Cure

The Ovations for the Cure Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, is dedicated to the relentless pursuit of a cure for ovarian cancer. Ovations for the Cure has donated over $1 million to various ovarian cancer research initiatives such as the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Children’s Hospital Boston, City of Hope, University of Pennsylvania, and Brigham and Women’s Hospital. The Foundation spreads awareness of the most deadly gynecological disease through national events including the renowned Happy Feet Program, fashion shows with celebrity designers Stuart Weitzman and Carmen Marc Valvo, regional golf outings, 5k runs/walks, and various other initiatives. For more information about Ovations, please visit www.ovationsforthecure.org.

“I’m Strongs to the Finish, ‘Cause I Eats Me Spinach”* — Popeye May Have It Right When It Comes to Ovarian Cancer Prevention

“Brigham and Women’s Study Finds Eating a Flavonoid-Rich Diet Helps Women Decrease Risk of Ovarian Cancer –Findings from the Nurses’ Health Study

Boston, MA – New research out of the Channing Laboratory at Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH) reports that frequent consumption of foods containing the flavonoid kaempferol, including non-herbal tea and broccoli, was associated with a reduced risk of ovarian cancer. The researchers also found a decreased risk in women who consumed large amounts of the flavonoid luteolin, which is found in foods such as carrots, peppers and cabbage. These findings appear in the November 15, 2007 issue of the International Journal of Cancer.

‘This is good news because there are few lifestyle factors known to reduce a woman’s risk of ovarian cancer,’ said first author Margaret Gates, ScD, who is a research fellow at BWH. “Although additional research is needed, these findings suggest that consuming a diet rich in flavonoids may be protective.”

The causes of ovarian cancer are not well understood. What is known is the earlier the disease is found and treated, the better the chance for recovery; however, the majority of cases are diagnosed at an advanced (metastasized) stage after the cancer has spread beyond the ovaries. According to the National Cancer Institute, the 5-year relative survival rate for women diagnosed with localized ovarian cancer is 92.4 percent. Unfortunately, this number drops to 29.8 percent if the cancer has already metastasized.

In this first prospective study to look at the association between these flavonoids and ovarian cancer risk, Gates and colleagues calculated intake of the flavonoids myricetin, kaempferol, quercetin, luteolin and apigenin among 66,940 women enrolled in the Nurses’ Health Study. In this population, 347 cases of epithelial ovarian cancer were diagnosed between 1984 and 2002.

Although total intake of these five common dietary flavonoids was not clearly beneficial, the researchers found a 40 percent reduction in ovarian cancer risk among the women with the highest kaempferol intake, compared to women with the lowest intake. They also found a 34 percent reduction in the risk of ovarian cancer among women with the highest intake of luteolin, compared to women with the lowest intake.

‘In this population of women, consumption of non-herbal tea and broccoli provided the best defense against ovarian cancer,’ concluded Gates, who is also a research fellow at the Harvard School of Public Health. ‘Other flavonoid-rich foods, such as onions, beans and kale, may also decrease ovarian cancer risk, but the number of women who frequently consumed these foods was not large enough to clearly evaluate these associations. More research is needed.’

The National Cancer Institute funded this research.”

[Quoted Source: “Brigham and Women's Study Finds Eating a Flavonoid-Rich Diet Helps Women Decrease Risk of Ovarian Cancer -- Findings from the Nurses' Health Study,” Brigham and Women's Hospital Press Release, dated November 13, 2007 (citing findings from “A prospective study of dietary flavonoid intake and incidence of epithelial ovarian cancer;” Gates, M.A. et. al.; International Journal of Cancer, Volume 121, Issue 10, Pages 2225 - 2232 (November 15, 2007))].

Comment: In addition to spinach, foods richest in kaempferol include tea (nonherbal), onions, curly kale, leeks, broccoli, and blueberries.

* In 1933, Max and Dave Fleischer’s Fleischer Studios adapted Thimble Theatre characters into a series of Popeye the Sailor theatrical cartoon shorts for Paramount Pictures. These cartoons proved to be among the most popular of the 1930s, and the Fleischers-and later Paramount’s own Famous Studios-continued production through 1957. Since then, Popeye has appeared in comic books, television cartoons, a 1980 live-action film (Popeye, directed by Robert Altman), arcade and video games, and hundreds of advertisements and peripheral products.

Early references to spinach in the Fleischer cartoons and subsequently in further stories of Popeye are attributed to the publication of a study which, because of a misprint, attributed to spinach ten times its actual iron content. The error was discovered in the 1930s but not widely publicized until T.J. Hamblin wrote about it in the British Medical Journal in 1981. Until that time, the popularity of Popeye helped boost sales of the leafy vegetable 33% in the U.S.