"The breadth of Tulane Cancer Center's portfolio of prostate cancer-focused MTR trials is quite literally among the best in the world," said Oliver Sartor, MD, Tulane Cancer Center Medical Director and head of our Prostate Cancer Research Program. 

Multidisciplinary care is another benefit of MTR at Tulane. Because of its nature, MTR requires close cooperation and communication among the medical oncology and radiation oncology teams, giving patients the advantage of multiple specialists closely overseeing their care. “Being part of the treatment delivery and watching patients get better has been thrilling,” said Kendra Harris, MD, MSc, Chair of the Department of Radiation Oncology at Tulane, where all these treatments are actually delivered.

For more information on Tulane's portfolio of MTR trials for prostate cancer, please click here or contact Dr. Sartor at osartor@tulane.edu.

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force -- the organization responsible for setting national cancer screening guidelines -- recently revised their recommendations related to annual low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) screening for lung cancer -- the only recommended screening test for lung cancer.

The new guidance lowers the recommended screening age and incorporates patients with shorter smoking histories. Recommendations now call for patients between the ages of 50 and 80 who have a 20-pack year history -- the equivalent of smoking a pack a day for 20 years -- and currently smoke or have quit within the last 15 years undergo annual LDCT screening for lung cancer. Previous guidance recommended screening for those between 55 and 80 with 30-pack year histories.

"The big change is that the guidelines now include a broader patient population, including a larger number of high-risk patients," said Mark Sides, MD, PhD, thoracic oncologist at Tulane (pictured above). Lowering the eligibility age and including patients with fewer pack years increases the number who qualify for LDCT. And the more people who are screened and the more frequent the screening, the earlier the detection, which should help to lower mortality rates.

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in the United States, and it's particularly prevalent Louisiana, with an estimated 2,360 lung cancer deaths projected by the American Cancer Society here in 2021. The average five-year survival rate for lung cancer is currently low -- only about 20.5% -- because most lung cancers are diagnosed at later stages. But options and outcomes improve the earlier it is detected. "The idea is to catch the disease early when it is curable, not late when it's just a treatable disease or when we can just palliate symptoms," said Dr. Sides.

During an LDCT scan, the patient lies on a table and an X-ray machine uses a low dose of radiation to make detailed images of the lungs. The scan only takes a few minutes and is not painful. "Low-dose CT delivers about the background radiation we get by living on earth for three months," said Dr. Sides. "It's extremely low -- about 5 chest X-rays or 1/15 the radiation of a normal CT scan -- but it gives us enough resolution that we can detect very small spots or nodules."

Sometimes these spots are tiny cancers, but sometimes they're not. "When we breathe in, dust, bacteria, mold spores, allergens, all kinds of things are filtered out by our lungs," said Dr. Sides. "The lining of our lungs serves as a barrier to the inside of our bodies, preventing things from getting in. Sometimes this results in an inflammatory reaction where our immune system does what it's supposed to do and walls all of that off. On the LDCT scan that would be a spot, and there are a lot of reasons that we would have these spots."

The question is "is this something that needs further workup"? Sides says this is where our Radiology Team makes all the difference. "Our radiologists -- aided by new software to assist them in detecting potentially malignant lesions -- are fantastic at looking at the appearance of these spots and determining if they are potentially cancerous."

Many times, with nodules that are below the level of suspicion, the physician and patient may choose to just watch with annual screening. "If the spot doesn't change, it doesn't change," said Dr. Sides. "But if it gets bigger and we're concerned, we can go in and do a biopsy. The trained eyes of our radiologists are essential in that determination. It's all part of a multidisciplinary team approach."

A low-dose CT lung cancer screening requires a physician's order in order to be covered by insurance. Speak with your Tulane primary care physician to schedule. If your primary care physician is not in the Tulane system, you can speak with our dedicated nurse navigator who can assist with both scheduling a telemedicine visit with Dr. Sides and then scheduling your LDCT upon his order. If you prefer to private pay, the cost of a low-dose CT lung screening at Tulane is $189 and can be scheduled through the nurse navigator without a clinic visit.

Screening results are sent to the primary care physician and posted to Tulane's patient portal. If something needs follow-up, the nurse navigator can assist with scheduling an appointment with one of our pulmonologists -- who are holding clinic appointments for LDCT follow-up patients in an effort to provide answers as quickly as possible -- or with Dr. Sides in oncology.

"Often there's a reluctance on the part of patients to go through screening," said Dr. Sides. "If I don't have a cancer diagnosis, then I don't have cancer is the attitude. The problem with this is that we often don't find out about the lung cancer until it's advanced. For those with a long smoking history, I say let's catch this early instead of waiting until it cause problems."

To schedule your LDCT through Tulane's nurse navigator, please call 504-988-2247.

Krewe de Pink, in its continued effort to support Tulane Cancer Center’s Breast Cancer Research Fund, will once again partner with Schoen Mansion, Delgado Community College's Culinary and Pastry Arts Program, and Callebaut Chocolate in hosting this uniquely delicious fundraising event -- a chocolate tasting and cooking competition that will crown the best chocolate creations, both sweet and savory!

Guests will get to enjoy live music by Delgado's Music Department while sampling a dozen chocolate-inspired dishes made by Delgado's Culinary and Pastry Arts students, as well as complimentary champagne, sparkling cider, and chocolate coffee courtesy of Community Coffee. Guests will then vote for their favorite sweet and savory dishes, and the winning students will be awarded scholarship prizes.

As a thank you, all who attend will receive goody bags of chocolate compliments of Delgado and Callebaut. This year's event is being held in honor of Norma Jane Sabiston, a 2020 Sweet Survivor Honoree. The 2021 event will honor six additional "Sweet Survivors" of breast cancer.

Suggested attire is business casual/dressy in shades of pink and brown to go along with the theme of the event. And free, secure parking is available in lots adjacent to Schoen Mansion.

Krewe de Pink is an all volunteer 501c(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to raising funds for breast cancer research at Tulane. Some of its members are also breast cancer survivors. If you can't attend Death by Chocolate in person, the organization invites you to make a tax-deductible donation at https://www.krewedepink.org.

Event planners are closely monitoring all COVID-19 restrictions and will follow all guidelines in place at the time of the event.

Tickets are $45 through July 7th at noon, and Delgado Community College will receive $6 from each ticket sold. Get your tickets early, as there are a limited number available. The price at the door is $60, if the event is not sold out.

For more information, please email info@krewedepink.org

To PURCHASE TICKETS, please click here.

Death by Chocolate - Not Breast Cancer is made possible by the generosity of the Schoen Mansion -- a New Orleans city landmark, featuring unique architecture, fine furnishings, spectacular chandeliers, and beautiful gardens -- Delgado Community College, Callebaut Chocolate, First Growth Brands, Dorignac’s Food Center, Roberts Fresh Market, Community Coffee, and Caire Supply.

Join Dr. Erik Castle of Tulane Urology and Dr. Pedro Barata of the Tulane Cancer Center for the inaugural Tulane Inter-Disciplinary Urothelial Carcinoma Workshop.

This free CME virtual workshop will cover the surgical advances for urothelial carcinoma – from superficial disease to muscle invasive and advanced stages. This activity will review the clinical data and state of current and emerging therapies for urothelial carcinoma, including immunotherapies, targeted therapies, and antibody-drug conjugates. This workshop also aims to provide guidance to the inter-disciplinary cancer care team on the practical issues and barriers associated with new and emerging therapies in the community setting, as well as strategies to engage patients in the shared decision-making process.

Open to all cancer care team members – anywhere! Tuesday, June 8^th at 5:00pm. Registration is free.

Register here: https://ww2.highmarksce.com/tulane/index.cfm?do=reg.activityRegistrationSigin&plannerID=1407