At 20 years old, Brescia Dover was ready to take on the world.

She was on her way to achieving her dream of being a professional photographer.

Everything was going according to plan when her dream came to a halt. Brescia was diagnosed with cancer. With her plans for her future pushed aside, Brescia's focus was now on her health and hope.

It's an unexpected chapter facing an increasing number of adolescents and young adults diagnosed with cancer.

Watch: Focus on hope: Brescia's Story

Journalists: Broadcast-quality video (2:19) is in the downloads at the end of this post. Please courtesy: "Mayo Clinic News Network." Read the script.

Brescia's dream

At 4 years old, it was clear Brescia Dover had a flare for creativity. She readily admits she was never one to miss an opportunity to play dress-up, draw pictures, or tell a story.

"Being creative has always been at the core of what I do," she says. Early on she developed a love for photography and videography. Brescia's dream was to pursue a career that allowed her to put her creative energy to work.

After high school Brescia's passion led her to college to study film and media production. She even traveled to Italy to study abroad. After her Italian adventure, Brescia returned to the U.S. to finish college. First, she went to her doctor for her annual checkup.

"I lived a really healthy, balanced lifestyle," says Brescia. "My doctor found swelling on the side of my neck. I hadn't noticed the swelling and didn't have any symptoms." Brescia was sent for an ultrasound followed by a surgical biopsy.

The diagnosis - cancer

The surgical biopsy revealed Brescia had Hodgkin lymphoma, a rare type of blood cancer. "Being diagnosed with cancer at 20 years old was so scary and I wouldn't wish that on any 20-year-old," says Brescia. "I think about the young version of me who just found out she had cancer, and I just wish I could give her a hug."

Hodgkin lymphoma is a type of cancer that begins in the lymphatic system, which is part of the immune system. Brescia says the news came as a shock because she felt healthy and had no family history of cancer. "It felt like there was something I could have done to prevent it, but I learned that there's nothing I could have done," says Brescia.

Being a young adult with cancer

"When I was going through college and diagnosed with cancer it was not what I was expecting," says Brescia. "Being a young adult with cancer was very hard and challenging. It is scary and can be very frightening."

At 20 years old, Brescia falls into a group of patients referred to as adolescents and young adults with cancer. AYA patients are between the ages of 15 and 39. Experts says AYA patients face a distinct set of challenges.

"One of the reasons this age group is so important is based on their life stage; the things they uniquely face, like body image, disruption in school and work, financial challenges, feeling isolation," says Dr. Allison Rosenthal, with the Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Doctor and cancer survivor

Dr. Rosenthal knows firsthand the challenges AYA patients face. She was diagnosed with leukemia during medical school. "I had leukemia in medical school. There were a lot of missed opportunities in my care to recognize the issues that I might face as a 24-year-old woman," explains Dr. Rosenthal.

Putting her experience into action, Dr. Rosenthal championed Mayo Clinic's Adolescent and Young Adults with Cancer program. The program is tailored to meet the unique needs of AYA patients to include medical care, fertility concerns, social and relationship issues, school and work concerns, and the personal and emotional impact of cancer in this age group.

Brescia underwent about four months of chemotherapy treatment under the care of Dr. Rosenthal. "She did a beautiful job of explaining to me what the process was going to look like and what my treatment plan was going to look like. Because I'm so young, she walked me through the whole process," says Brescia.

Cancer-free and focused on the future

After her cancer treatments, Brescia returned to college and got her degree. She the started her own marketing agency providing social media management, videography, photography, and brand development with her personal creative touch. She also celebrated her five-year anniversary of being cancer-free.

"I also have a podcast called the Checkered Jaguar where I get to have incredible conversations with people, share their stories and connect people who may be going through similar challenges that I went through," says Brescia. "We're all in this journey together and just being open and vulnerable with my journey, as challenging as it may be, I feel like it connects me to people all around the world."

If you are someone you know would like to learn more about the Mayo Clinic Adolescent and Young Adults with Cancer Program please click this link or email us at arzayacancerprg@mayo.edu. You can also reach us at 480-574-1341.

Related articles:

• Mayo Clinic Cancer Center launches program for adolescents and young adults
• Meeting the unique needs of adolescents and young adults with cancer
• Adolescent & Young Adult (AYA) Cancer Support Group
• All-Star pitcher Liam Hendriks shares how he closed out cancer at Mayo Clinic in Arizona
• Cancer is tough. Evelyn Owens is tougher
• (VIDEO) Harnessing the power of innovation and a patient’s will to survive
• Jessie’s Journey

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Jessie Milaski was a medic in the U.S. Army's 3^rd Ranger Battalion who served two tours of duty in Afghanistan. After leaving the Army 12 years ago, he worked as a paramedic with local emergency agencies in Florida, a U.S. State Department medic in Somalia and a medic at a field hospital set up in New York City during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Throughout, Milaski worked to support veterans and active-duty military personnel while steadily pursuing his medical education. In 2019, he signed up for a Mayo Clinic Military Medicine course in Phoenix, and that turned a key for him.

"It was the special operations tactical medics course. I came here for five days, and it was phenomenal," he says. "I realized I want to be involved in this — I had no idea how, but I knew this is what I was going to do."

Milaski completed his undergraduate degree in emergency medicine, and in 2021, he applied to the Military Fellowship program at Mayo Clinic in Arizona. He spent two years in the fellowship then applied to medical school at Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine, where he is now in his second year of studies.

"Attending the Military Medicine course in 2019 was the epitome of medical education for me," Milaski says. "I loved everything about it and my goal was to attend medical school. I never thought someone like me would actually get into a place like Mayo Clinic."

Fellowship program offers veterans a pathway to medical education and clinical practice

Milaski credits the Military Medicine fellowship program with the opportunity for veterans such as himself to gain the training and experience needed to prepare for medical careers in the civilian world, while continuing to serve the military community.

"For me, the fellowship was a vital bridge between my military experience and the academic rigor of medical school," he says. "It helped me transition from hands-on, operational medicine to a more evidence-based, academic approach. Teaching during the fellowship solidified my understanding of medical concepts and gave me a greater appreciation for the educational process. Most importantly, it gave me the confidence to apply to Mayo Clinic for medical school."

Since 2019, the fellowship program, which serves the enterprise with a home base in Arizona, has provided recently retired special operations medical personnel the opportunity to expand their clinical and medical education skills. The fellowship prepares an individual to become an independent educator in military medicine and can be a pathway to medical school or other training. Advancing existing competencies and skills while developing new ones is a key education priority at Mayo Clinic.

"The fellows ensure that what we teach is relevant and aligned with the needs of military medical personnel," says Pierre Noel, M.D., Military Medicine medical director and a retired U.S. Air Force lieutenant colonel.

The fellowship program, which is funded by the Leona Helmsley Foundation, is in keeping with Mayo Clinic's historical commitment to supporting U.S. military personnel and their training, says Melissa Barr, Military Medicine administrator. "The journey from military service to medical school at Mayo Clinic embodies the deep-rooted tradition of excellence that not only defines Mayo Clinic, but also our Military Medicine program."

Military Medicine currently has two fellows, who serve from one to 2 ½ years. Information on the program is available online or by contacting Elizabeth Adado, Military Medicine program manager.

"Jessie’s story is a testament to how the values of service, education, and leadership converge at Mayo Clinic," Barr says.

Veterans Day honors those who served and sacrificed for America

Milaski, 36, grew up in a small town in New York state and attended community college after he graduated from high school in 2006. He was the first in his family to attend college. "But I didn't have a focus or goal," he says. "I didn't have a lot of money, and I felt directionless."

He enlisted in the Army in 2008 and was stationed at Fort Benning (now Fort Moore) in Georgia as a medic in the 3^rd Ranger Battalion of the 75^th Ranger Regiment, which has a storied history tracing back to World War II. "I picked the medic job out of the blue. No one in my family had been in the medical field, but I talked with a few people, and I knew I wanted to be a soldier but help people, too. Early on, I said I wanted to keep doing medicine and go to medical school eventually."

After leaving the Army in 2012, he worked at a variety of medical-related jobs and served in the National Guard for three years. It was the experience at Mayo Clinic in 2019 that began to bring all the puzzle pieces together. "When the fellowship opportunity at Mayo came up, I knew I had to take the leap," he says. "It was a whirlwind — moving across the country with only a month's notice during a pandemic — but I've always found that growth comes from putting myself in uncomfortable situations."

At Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine in Arizona, he's focused on anesthesia and critical care. "It's the perfect next step to apply the skills I developed as a Special Operations Medic, where quick decision-making and high-stakes interventions were essential," he says. He's hopeful that his medical studies lead one day to a staff position at Mayo Clinic in Arizona.

On Veterans Day, he plans to attend the observance at the Mayo Clinic Scottsdale campus before going to class.

"For me, Veterans Day is about honoring those who dedicated part of their lives to serving our nation. The military community has shaped who I am today, and as a future physician, my goal is to continue giving back to that community."

The post Former Army Ranger found his path to medical school through Mayo Clinic’s Military Medicine program appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

The findings, published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation, open a new therapeutic avenue for treating pancreatitis by halting the breakdown of triglycerides.

"This discovery not only provides a deeper understanding of the mechanisms behind triglyceride-induced organ damage in pancreatitis but also offers a promising strategy to improve patient outcomes," says senior author Vijay Singh, M.D., a gastroenterologist at Mayo Clinic's campus in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Acute pancreatitis is a common gastrointestinal disorder that leads to approximately 275,000 hospital admissions annually in the U.S. alone.  An estimated 30% of patients with acute pancreatitis have a form of the disease marked by high levels of triglycerides.

Patients with hypertriglyceridemia-associated acute pancreatitis have a higher risk of persistent organ failure and severe pancreatitis, which often requires life support, prolongs hospitalization and increases mortality rates. Despite these severe outcomes, the mechanisms driving this form of acute pancreatitis have remained unclear until now.

In this study, the researchers analyzed triglyceride and fatty acid levels in blood samples from 269 patients with acute pancreatitis. They found that patients with very high triglycerides had more severe disease and higher levels of fatty acids.

In addition, they did experiments in preclinical models to see how metabolizing triglycerides into fatty acids affected organ health. In animals, this process led to organ failure, which could be prevented by blocking an enzyme called lipase, which plays a crucial role in triglyceride metabolism.

The finding could inform new ways to manage triglyceride elevation during pancreatitis. Current treatments, such as the use of the blood thinner heparin to reduce triglycerides, have shown minimal benefit in reducing organ damage or the severity of pancreatitis. Heparin works by breaking down triglycerides, but this process does not significantly improve patient outcomes.

Mayo Clinic researchers, led by Dr. Singh, are currently developing alternative therapies for acute pancreatitis that block the breakdown of triglycerides.

The recent study also sheds light on the implications of using heparin and other treatments that release the enzyme lipase. It found that the worst outcomes were observed in pancreatitis patients receiving nutrition via IV, as intravenous formulations containing triglycerides can be broken down to potentially harmful fatty acids by circulating lipases.  

The research team is now investigating the relevance of this finding in patients with elevated lipase levels due to other diseases, such as intestinal, heart and lung conditions. These diseases may silently damage the pancreas, causing it to leak lipase and create a vicious cycle of worsening organ damage.

"Preliminary studies suggest that patients with elevated triglycerides and lipase levels require more frequent admissions to the intensive care unit," says Dr. Singh. "If confirmed, these findings could point to new ways to prevent the progression of these diseases."

Review the paper for a complete list of authors, disclosures and funding.

The post Discovery reveals how to prevent organ damage in pancreatitis appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

Using deep brain stimulation techniques, neuroscientists at Mayo Clinic are looking for early signals in the brain to help stop seizures. In their biomarker discovery initiative, a team of researchers is assessing how different stimulation patterns affect different parts of the brain.

The goal, says Dr. Jonathon Parker, a Mayo Clinic neurosurgeon, is to personalize therapeutic brain stimulation settings for individual patients with epilepsy and other neurological disorders.

Watch: The Mayo Clinic Minute

Journalists: Broadcast-quality video (1:03) is in the downloads at the end of this post. Please courtesy: "Mayo Clinic News Network." Read the script.

When there's a mystery, it's crucial to find a clue.

"We're looking for that brain signal fingerprint, if you will, that, yes, these are the right stimulation settings that are pushing the brain toward a state where seizures are less likely," says Dr. Parker, director of the Device-Based Neuroelectronics Research Lab at Mayo Clinic.

A seizure is like an electrical storm in the brain. Epilepsy is the most common cause of seizures.

"For patients having multiple attacks, sometimes per day or per week, if we're able to dramatically reduce them, it allows them to live their life in a much more predictable fashion, easier for them to do the things that they like to do in life without having to live in fear of these uncontrolled neurological attacks," Dr. Parker says.

For a third of patients with epilepsy, medication does not control their seizures. Some patients are able to have surgery to remove brain tissue where their seizures start if doing so does not damage parts of the brain that, for example, control speech or motor skills.

Other types of treatments, including deep brain stimulation, may be appropriate for some patients. Deep brain stimulation involves implanting electrodes in the brain that produce electrical impulses to treat certain medical conditions, such as epilepsy.

In the setting of a research protocol, Mayo Clinic scientists like Dr. Jonathon Parker are studying how different parts of the brain respond to different stimulation patterns to potentially reduce and stop patients' seizures.

"What we'd like to do is dial in and understand for individual patients, for their brain, for their epilepsy, what is the best parameter, what is the best setting for them," Dr. Parker says.

The team includes engineers, clinicians and neuroscientists who analyze the brain's electrical signals and extract meaning for the right settings for an individual patient's deep brain stimulation device.

"Our moonshot goal is to use therapeutic stimulation to completely stop seizures," Dr. Parker says. "This is what we are working toward — to return control and predictability to our patients' lives."

Related posts:

• Expert alert: Laser therapy brings the heat to minimally invasive epilepsy treatment
• Mayo Clinic Minute: Using lasers on the brain to treat epilepsy
• Back to basketball after seizure surgery
• Mayo Clinic Minute: A surgery option when epilepsy treatments don't work

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DEAR MAYO CLINIC: Growing up, I was told to drink orange juice when I had a cold because "vitamin C is the cure." Does vitamin C actually help us when we're sick? What are its benefits?

ANSWER: Vitamin C supports our immune systems, helps our bodies heal wounds, protects our joints and contributes to collagen formation, the main protein in the body. Vitamin C is an antioxidant that helps protect your cells against what are called free radicals, which are produced when your body is exposed to potentially cancerous things like cigarette smoke and the sun's rays. Despite all these benefits, there is limited evidence to support the notion that taking extra doses of vitamin C can effectively prevent common colds.

For most people, taking a daily oral supplement of vitamin C via tablets, drink powders or gummies may not be that beneficial because you may be getting it from your diet naturally. Our bodies don't produce vitamin C on their own, but a lot of what we eat contains it. Citrus fruits may come to mind first when we hear vitamin C, but foods such as potatoes, spinach, tomatoes, berries and other brightly colored fruits and vegetables are full of the nutrient. Contrary to popular belief, an orange bell pepper has three times the amount of vitamin C than an orange.

It's important to get your daily intake of fruits and vegetables, but many people in the U.S. do not. A little bit of added vitamin C may actually help those individuals. In most cases, though, if you are able to access and eat an adequate supply of fruits and vegetables in your diet, that will be sufficient.

Some people may think they should double up on vitamin C supplements when feeling ill, but more is not always a good thing. Taking too much vitamin C can cause side effects that may make you feel worse, such as nausea, vomiting, stomach cramps, bloating, fatigue, heartburn, headaches, skin flushing and even kidney stones in some people. Make sure you do not consume more than the recommended daily dose of 500 milligrams.

High levels of vitamin C can interfere with multiple kinds of medications and results of certain medical tests such as blood or glucose screening. Using vitamin C while taking oral contraceptives could potentially increase your estrogen levels. For patients undergoing chemotherapy, the use of antioxidants such as vitamin C might lessen the effect of the chemotherapy drugs.

Overall, taking vitamin C in the form of food is the best way to reap its benefits, but taking extra vitamin C, particularly for those with a weakened immune system, would not be harmful. Some limited research shows that vitamin C may prevent the duration of a virus, such as the common cold. So, if your cold lasts a week, taking vitamin C may reduce it by 13 hours, which isn't all that significant based on a few limited studies. Consult with your healthcare team to decide what's best for you. — Jesse Bracamonte, D.O., Family Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Phoenix

The post Mayo Clinic Q and A: Does vitamin C help us when we’re sick? appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

At 27 years old, Shraddha Kalgutkar was told she had less than a year to live. Determined to prove everyone wrong, she turned to Mayo Clinic in Arizona.

Now Shraddha is living proof of the power of innovation combined with a patient's will to survive.

Watch: Harnessing the power of innovation and a patient's will to survive

Journalists: Broadcast-quality video (4:03) is in the downloads at the end of this post. Please courtesy: "Mayo Clinic News Network." Read the script

Shraddha's Story

It was November 2022, just a month shy of her 28th birthday.

Shraddha was wrapping up another day at the medical clinic where she worked as an occupational therapist. Shraddha's job was to help patients regain the ability to perform day-to-day activities following a health challenge like a surgery.

Suddenly that afternoon, Shraddha became the patient who needed help.

"My co-worker looked at me and said, 'Why is your hand all purple and blue?'" Shraddha says. She admits she had been feeling exceptionally tired as of late, but attributed it to a thyroid condition.

Her co-worker checked Shraddha's vital signs and found her blood oxygen level was dangerously low. "I remember her saying, 'If this is right, you wouldn't even be standing.'" A repeat test showed the same result. "The next thing I remember was we were on our way to the hospital," says Shraddha.

At the hospital doctors began looking for the cause of Shraddha's low blood oxygen level. A series of tests traced Shraddha's condition all the way back to the day she was born.

"When I was born, doctors said I had fatty liver, but they didn't know why so they called it 'undiagnosed,'" says Shraddha. "The doctors thought it wouldn't be a problem because the liver has a tendency to heal itself." It didn't. Shraddha grew up seemingly in perfect health, unaware that her liver disease was silently doing damage to her body.

A little girl with a big dream

Shraddha was born in Mumbai, India which is often called the "City of Dreams." At a young age, Shraddha had big dreams of her own. She wanted to pursue a career in the medical field that would allow her to help others.

Every year Shraddha went to the doctor for her routine physical. Each time she was given a clean bill of health. "I used to do blood tests, but everything always looked good," says Shraddha. Still, the question of what caused her congenital liver condition lingered in her mind.

"I didn't have a family history of any liver condition. I've never had alcohol in my life," says Shraddha. "There was always a question mark. I needed to find out why this happened to me."

At 23, Shraddha became the first person in her family to leave India and go to the U.S. to attend college. She studied occupational therapy and got her master's degree at the University of Southern California. After college, Shraddha found her dream job at a medical clinic in California.

'You have less than a year to live'

All was going well until Shraddha began to noticed she was unusually tired. "When my sister came to visit she noticed I got tired after walking short distances. I went to the doctor and they thought maybe it was my thyroid," recalls Shraddha.

Then came the day her hands turned purple and her blood oxygen level mysteriously dropped. "My co-worker is a nurse so she got the oximeter and checked and it was 78%," says Shraddha. "And I was like, No, that's not possible because I wouldn't be alive." Shraddha's co-worker checked again, looked at the reading and said, "That's it, you have to go to the hospital."

A series of tests at the hospital revealed shocking results. Shraddha's liver condition had silently led to a more serious condition called hepatopulmonary syndrome.

Hepatopulmonary syndrome

Hepatopulmonary syndrome is caused when liver disease shunts blood away from the lungs preventing the body from getting the appropriate amount of oxygen. Doctors told Shraddha the only way she would survive is with a liver transplant. However, she says she was told her condition was so severe and the risk so high, that she would likely not survive a transplant.

She was denied the transplant and given less than a year to live.

"I told the doctors 'that just can't be. I can't have just one year with nothing to bring to this world. I have not served my purpose,'" recalls Shraddha.

Refusing to give up, Shraddha turned to Mayo Clinic in Arizona.

"More than 40% of her blood was being shunted away from her lungs. Because of that she had extremely low oxygen levels in her blood," explains Bashar Aqel, M.D., director of the Transplant Center at Mayo Clinic in Arizona. "Shraddha's case was one of the most severe cases of liver disease and hepatopulmonary syndrome."

Saving Shraddha

The liver transplant was Shraddha's only hope for survival. "Without a transplant, this disease was progressive and fatal. We don't like to use this word, but it is a very progressive disease," says Dr. Aqel. "There was no other cure than a liver transplant."

Dr. Aqel and his multidisciplinary team of experts at Mayo Clinic went to work on a strategy to save Shraddha. The team came up with a plan using a combination of some of the latest cutting-edge technologies in medicine.

"Liver in a box"

Transplanting any organ is a race agains the clock. Every second the donor organ is outside the body it begins to break down. Surgeons only have a limited time window to transplant the organ. Due to the complexity of Shraddha's case, Dr. Aqel's team knew they would need extra time. They decided to use one of the latest medical breakthroughs in transplant often referred to as "liver in a box."

Traditionally donor organs are kept cold until transplanted. "Liver in a box" uses a warm organ preservation method. The organ is placed in a container that pumps oxygenated, nutrient-rich blood through the liver simulating conditions in the human body. The innovative perfusion system gives surgeons more time to perform the transplant.

"Having the donor "liver in a box" allowed the donor liver to stay healthy while we performed this complex surgery," says Dr. Aqel.

Currently, this warm perfusion technology is primarily being used for heart, lungs and liver transplants.

Saving lives with mobile ECMO

The next challenge was how to keep Shraddha's blood oxygen levels stable after her transplant. Dr. Aqel's team turned to a device called extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, or ECMO. The device often is used when the lungs aren't working properly. ECMO helps with the appropriate gas exchange that must occur to keep the body's blood oxygen level safe.

"It helps in getting oxygen into the blood and carbon dioxide out of the blood through the machine," explains Ayan Sen, M.D., medical director of Mayo Clinic's Intensive Care Unit in Arizona. "It helped us while her lungs recovered after her transplant."

The Mayo team also used one of the newest advancements in ECMO where the device is mobile.

"The best part of the mobile ECMO was that we do it in a way where she could actually walk around with the machine so that we could continue with her physical therapy, which is so important for the healing process after such a complex surgery," says Dr. Sen.

Shraddha was in the ICU for nearly two months. With mobile ECMO she walked nearly every day.

Dr. Sen says mobile ECMO has proved to be a game-changer in critical cases like Shraddha's.

"It is technology that has really expanded from what surgeons do when they do heart surgeries and transplants where now we can do this to save lives at any place that is not a complex environment, like the ICU or the operating rooms," explains Dr. Sen.

Mobile ECMO has become a lifesaving medical breakthrough for many patients.

"It has enabled us to raise the bar when it comes to saving people, who, until now, could not have been saved in the absence of this heart-lung machine," says Dr. Sen.

A team of highly specialized experts escorted Shraddha on her daily walks, meticulously monitoring her vital signs. Each step required Shraddha to muster every bit of strength she had.

"From the first day, I thought even if it pains me, if it hurts, even if it feels impossible, I still need to put that step forward to do something better today than yesterday," recalls Shraddha.

'Mayo's mission is now my purpose'

Almost two years after her harrowing experience, Shraddha is healthy and back at work. She continues her daily walks, only now, at the beach, in solitude, reflecting on how her own experience can make her a better healthcare professional.

"Mayo Clinic doesn't like to say no. They set out to achieve the unachievable," says Shraddha. "My goal is to treat patients as they do, making them a priority."

Shraddha says words of thanks alone are not enough to convey her gratitude.

"Dr. Aqel and his team achieved something for me that everyone else thought was impossible," says Shraddha. "It was a gift. I will keep the mission of Mayo Clinic in mind when I am serving my patients. My purpose now is to put forward their purpose and help someone else."

Related articles:

• Heart Transplant Innovation: New ‘heart in a box’ technology provides gift of life to Arizona man, as couple prepares to celebrate 50-year anniversary
• Breaking barriers: Helping Native Americans in need get the gift of life
• Organ Transplant Innovation: Helping more people get the gift of life

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ROCHESTER, Minn. — Lifesaving cancer therapies can cause serious side effects, both immediately and later in life. "It is essential to continue to study innovative approaches that will eradicate the disease but won't diminish the quality of life for patients diagnosed with cancer," says Roberto Leon-Ferre, M.D., a breast medical oncologist at Mayo Clinic. With breast cancer rates rising among younger people, the need for treatments that provide excellent outcomes with fewer side effects is only increasing.

Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center experts highlight breast cancer research that may reduce or eliminate the need for chemotherapy and endocrine treatments and may allow for shorter and less intense radiation therapy courses.

Prognostic Biomarker Identified in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer: Potential to Reduce Chemotherapy Use

Dr. Leon-Ferre's research team recently identified a prognostic biomarker in patients diagnosed with triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), a type of breast cancer that does not have estrogen or progesterone receptors and that does not have excessive expression of HER2. The researchers found that patients with high levels of naturally existing immune cells called tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) within their tumors may have a lower risk of cancer recurrence and better survival rates, even when chemotherapy is not administered.

"This is an important finding because triple-negative breast cancer is a particularly aggressive form of breast cancer that does not respond to hormonal therapies or drugs targeting the HER2 protein," says Dr. Leon-Ferre. "This means treatment options are more limited, often more intense and harsher for patients. However, some patients with TNBC can be cured without chemotherapy, and the key is identifying who those patients are ahead of time." He adds that future research will explore whether TILs can be used to decide who may need and may not need chemotherapy after a TNBC diagnosis.

Study Explores Necessity of Chemotherapy in Premenopausal Women with Intermediate-Risk Breast Cancer

In a separate ongoing trial, Tufia Haddad, M.D., breast medical oncologist at Mayo Clinic, is co-chair of a study comparing two treatment regimens in premenopausal women with intermediate-risk breast cancer: one group with chemotherapy plus ovarian suppression and hormone therapy, and another group without chemotherapy but with ovarian suppression and hormone therapy. The study aims to determine whether chemotherapy's benefits come from its ability to suppress ovarian function (thereby reducing estrogen production) or from its direct cancer-fighting effects. "The results could determine if chemotherapy is necessary or if ovarian suppression and hormone therapy alone are enough in this group of patients, sparing them from the side effects of chemotherapy," says Dr. Haddad.

Endoxifen: A Potent Therapy for Estrogen-Receptor-Positive Breast Cancer Explored by Mayo Clinic

Matthew Goetz, M.D., a breast medical oncologist and director of the Mayo Clinic Breast Cancer Specialized Programs of Research Excellence (SPORE), and the Erivan K. Haub Family Professor of Cancer Research Honoring Richard F. Emslander, M.D., has spent more than a decade studying the use of endoxifen for the treatment of patients with estrogen-receptor-positive breast cancer (ER-positive breast cancer or ER+), the most common subtype of breast cancer.

Endoxifen, the most potent byproduct of tamoxifen, stops the growth of estrogen-dependent cancer cells and blocks protein kinase C, which may contribute to the aggressiveness of some cancers. Premenopausal patients with ER+ breast cancer are treated with ovarian function suppression and aromatase inhibitors to lower estrogen levels and slow cancer growth. While effective, this regimen causes significant side effects from deep estrogen suppression. Dr. Goetz's SPORE-funded study explores whether endoxifen alone can eradicate cancer cells, potentially eliminating the need for more toxic treatments like chemotherapy. He is also studying the role of protein kinase C in ER+ breast cancer.

Mayo Clinic Study Finds Shortened and Less Intense Radiation Therapy Effective for Breast Cancer Patients

Radiation therapy can be an essential part of a person's breast cancer treatment plan; however, it can lead to changes in the appearance of the skin, swelling, pain and other complications. These side effects can be detrimental to a patient's quality of life. In a recent study, Mayo Clinic breast cancer researchers found they can safely reduce the intensity and shorten the course of radiation treatment to three days for select patients with breast cancer following their lumpectomy.

"Normally, this treatment takes five to 15 days and can sometimes cause unwanted side effects, including changes in how the breast looks. However, this new method administers a lower dose of radiation over just three sessions using either photons, protons or brachytherapy," says Robert Mutter, M.D., a Mayo Clinic radiation oncologist and lead author of the study. "The new personalized approach was well-tolerated by the patients and resulted in excellent cancer control with better long-term aesthetic results compared to what has previously been reported with longer treatments."

Collectively, this research is leading to innovative approaches and helping clinicians and patients make informed treatment decisions, potentially sparing patients from some of the more severe side effects of chemotherapy, endocrine therapy and radiation.

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About Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center 
Designated as a comprehensive cancer center by the National Cancer Institute, Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center is defining the cancer center of the future, focused on delivering the world's most exceptional patient-centered cancer care for everyone. At Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center, a culture of innovation and collaboration is driving research breakthroughs in cancer detection, prevention and treatment to change lives.

Media contact:

• Kelley Luckstein, Mayo Clinic Communications, newsbureau@mayo.edu

The post Mayo Clinic experts highlight advances in breast cancer research: Decreasing the need for chemotherapy and reducing the intensity of radiation therapy appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

Stomach pain is something everyone has probably had at some point in their life. But for one woman, her stomach pain set in motion a journey that led her to Mayo Clinic and the experts who could perform a lifesaving surgery.

Jessie Boyd has dedicated her life to health and fitness. She's been teaching kids about the benefits of exercise as a physical education teacher for nearly two decades. When it comes to her own fitness, you could find Jessie out hiking, biking — anything to stay active. For Jessie, maintaining a healthy lifestyle means the sky's the limit. But one morning in 2021, Jessie's active lifestyle came to an abrupt halt due to sudden and excruciating stomach pain.

Watch: Jessie's Journey

Journalists: Broadcast-quality video (2:26) is in the downloads at the end of this post. Please courtesy: "Mayo Clinic News Network." Read the script.

"My mom and Justin (Jessie's friend) took me to the hospital right near our house, they admit me. They do a whole bunch of tests, and they determined that I had a hole in my intestine," says Jessie.

Jessie was taken into surgery immediately to repair the hole, and that's when surgeons discovered there was an even bigger problem. Additional testing revealed that Jessie was born with Budd-Chiari syndrome, a rare condition that causes impaired blood flow in the liver. A liver transplant was her only hope. But Jessie and her family were told a liver transplant was not an option and she was days from death.

"They said, 'We do not have the expertise to give Jessie the liver transplant,'" Jessie says. "And my mom and Justin (are) like, 'What are you talking about?' So, Mom and Justin said, 'Please get her to Mayo.'"

"Somebody with acute liver failure similar to the status she presented with, if they don't get the lifesaving liver transplant within seven days, they are unlikely to make it," says Dr. Bashar Aqel, a liver transplant specialist at Mayo Clinic.

Jessie got to Mayo Clinic in Arizona, but a donor organ still had to be located. Then on Christmas Day, a donor organ was found, thanks to the generosity of a person who made the decision to give the gift of life.

"So my whole family was cheering and jumping and everything, and Justin said, 'Thank you, God,'" says Jessie.

Dr. Aqel says those words mean a lot. "When we hear those words, I just say we get goosebumps because we love what we do. And that's the reason we continue doing what we are doing. Because with every donor, we save up to eight lives." "I'm two years and four months out from my transplant, and I'm better than I've ever been. And I just hope that I can give hope to another person who goes through something like this. And fight, because it's worth it," says Jessie.

Related Articles:

• Liver's regenerative ability allows for living donors
• Liver transplant patient becomes volunteer for department that saved his life

The post Jessie’s Journey appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

Early detection through screening can prevent serious health issues. Dr. Jesse Bracamonte, a Mayo Clinic family medicine physician, stresses the need for healthcare workers to discuss the importance of health screenings with patients, especially in underserved communities.

Watch: The Mayo Clinic Minute

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"Educating underrepresented groups is very important to prevent cancer," says Dr. Bracamonte.

He says some groups of people, including those in the Hispanic community, have higher rates of disease because they may not be getting the proper screenings.

"Colon cancer screening, breast cancer screening, cervical cancer screening, screening for heart disease are all very important because those things are very predominant in our culture, in our society, and if caught early, it can be prevented," Dr. Bracamonte explains.

Health screenings

The type of health screening depends on a person's age and gender.

"For example, colorectal cancer screening is, at age 45, looking for colon cancer. Cervical cancer screenings, such as Pap tests, we start at 21 in females," he says.

Breast cancer screening is recommended to start at age 40, and regular blood pressure checks can help monitor overall health.

"One of the most important things that you can do is see your clinician, minimum, probably once a year, based on your age level, which is really important to stay healthy and stay out of the doctor’s office," says Dr. Bracamonte.

Related posts:

• Mayo Clinic Minute: Closing the gaps in cancer care
• Mayo Clinic Minute: Breaking healthcare barriers in the Hispanic community

The post Mayo Clinic Minute: Health screenings in underserved populations appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

Dr. Justin Cramer, a Mayo Clinic neuroradiologist, explains how detailed brain scans help Mayo Clinic care teams diagnose and treat patients with epilepsy and other neurologic diseases.

Learn more about how Mayo Clinic experts are utilizing these tools to help more patients.

Watch: The Mayo Clinic Minute

Journalists: Broadcast-quality video (1:00) is in the downloads at the end of this post. Please courtesy: "Mayo Clinic News Network." Read the script.

"This is a 7-Tesla MRI here, 3-Tesla MRI here. You can see pretty clearly that there's a dramatic difference between the two," explains Dr. Cramer.

The clinical use of 7-Tesla MRI enhances Mayo Clinic's ability to manage epilepsy, specific brain and peripheral nerve tumors, and other neurological disorders. 

"You can image smaller, like higher spatial resolution, better with lower noise or just faster. You also get better contrast. So the images are more vivid, and you can differentiate different structures better," says Dr. Cramer.

How improved MRI scans help

The increased image quality from the MRI systems gives radiologists an advantage in finding certain brain irregularities.

"There are several things that 7-Tesla has been really proven to be beneficial for, like epilepsy, multiple sclerosis and vascular imaging," he explains.

This advanced imaging technology is key to ensuring patients receive an accurate diagnosis to guide treatment.

"We want to really turn it into a workhorse for all brain imaging so that any patient who needs a brain MRI could potentially benefit from the increased image quality of 7-Tesla," Dr. Cramer says.

Mayo Clinic was the first center in North America to use clinical 7-Tesla MRI after the Food and Drug Administration approved the system in late 2017.

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• Mayo Clinic opens new building for cancer, neurology patients
• 1st clinical 7-Tesla MRI scanner in North America will enable Mayo Clinic to achieve higher-resolution imaging for patients
• Science Saturday: Installing clinical 7-Tesla MRI scanner is a high-flying feat

The post Mayo Clinic Minute: Advanced imaging provides hope by seeing the previously unseen appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.