Here’s another reason to eat right: It could lower your risk of ovarian cancer

Older women who stick to a low-fat, high-fiber diet could cut their odds for ovarian cancer, according to a report in the
Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
In fact, postmenopausal women who stayed on the regimen for more than
eight years reduced their risk for the disease by 40 percent,
researchers say. And those who saw the greatest benefit from the
low-fat diet were women who had originally eaten a relatively high-fat
diet, the researchers add.

On average, the women in the study had managed to add one serving of fruits or vegetables to their daily diet by the end of
the six-year follow-up. They had also reduced their daily fat consumption by about 8 percent.

The findings reinforce the importance of healthy diet and lifestyle, says Jefferson gynecologic oncologist Norman G. Rosenblum, MD, PhD.

“We know there’s a link between obesity and endometrial cancer and other forms of cancer, and so it’s not surprising to learn that there’s a connection between diet and ovarian cancer,” Dr. Rosenblum notes.

Besides helping curb cancer, Dr. Rosenblum notes that a low-fat, high-fiber diet would also be beneficial in reducing the
risk of other chronic diseases – such as heart disease.

Online tools provide overviews of conditions, tests and treatments

Looking for information about orthopedic medicine? Chances are, you’ll find what you need in our library of animations.

The library covers more than 40 orthopedic topics – from common conditions and diagnostic tests to surgical treatments, including:

• Arthritis and other rheumatic diseases
• Osteoarthritis
• Osteoporosis
• Sports-related injuries
• Low back pain
• And more

You’ll find these multimedia presentations – including overviews about hip replacement, knee replacement, low back pain and vertebral fusion – in the Department of Orthopedic Surgery’s Health Information Library .

For an appointment, call 1-800-JEFF-NOW

To make an appointment with a Jefferson physician, call 1-800-JEFF-NOW. We’ll help you choose the doctor that’s right for you, based on types of medical insurance accepted, location, and any other factors that are important to you.

Joint implants last longer than you may think – and research is helping further enhance their durability

Peter F. Sharkey, MD, is a joint specialist with the Rothman Institute at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital and professor of Orthopedic Surgery at Thomas Jefferson University. As such, he has extensive experience in treating patients with hip problems. And he’s nothing short of passionate about the life-changing results patients can experience through hip replacement.
 
  Keep In Touch spoke with Dr. Sharkey to get his perspective on the benefits of this procedure – and the advantages of choosing a surgeon from the Rothman Institute at Jefferson. Peter F. Sharkey, MD

Keep In Touch: We’ve talked about two other types of procedures for hip resurfacing and hip preservation. Is traditional hip replacement still an option for many patients?

Get a behind-the-scenes look at HeartCARE at Jefferson

The Heart Care center at Jefferson offers a comprehensive range of treatment options unequaled in the Delaware Valley. Learn more through our online virtual tours about Heart Care at Jefferson – as well as Jefferson’s Advanced Heart Failure and Cardiac Transplant Center.

These tours deliver a multimedia preview of our capabilities and what you can expect as a patient at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital.

Here’s what you need to know about seasonal and other variations in blood pressure
                   

It
turns out blood pressure has a chill factor: Hypertension is harder to
control in colder weather, according to a study that used the Veterans
Administration’s (VA) storehouse of 1.8 billion vital statistics
records.

The
five-year study covered almost 1.2 million Veterans Administration
patients cared for at 15 VA hospitals located at different latitudes:
Anchorage; Baltimore; Boston; Chicago; Fargo, ND; Honolulu; Houston;
West Los Angeles; Miami; Minneapolis; New York City; Philadelphia; San
Juan, Puerto Rico; Portland, Oregon; and Washington, DC.

The average age of participants was 66. Fifty-one percent were Caucasian, 21 percent were Hispanic, and 27 percent were African
American. Less than 4 percent were female.

Within the sample, almost 444,000 veterans had high blood pressure (based on readings of more than 140/90 on three separate days).

Jefferson expert notes that complementary and alternative medicine can benefit cancer survivors and enhance the doctor-patient relationship

Traditionally, many physicians have had some difficulties advocating the use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) in treating cancer for a variety of reasons – including a lack of scientific evidence. But a specialist in the field at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital contends that doctors could be missing out on a potential opportunity.

As the number of cancer survivors continues to climb, physicians need to be more open to discussing the potential use of mind-body therapies, such as various stress-reduction techniques, which are increasingly popular and the use of which in some cases is supported by scientific evidence, says Daniel Monti, MD, director of the Jefferson-Myrna Brind Center of Integrative Medicine at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital.

“Many have been found to help with quality of life issues – from stress to pain to coping with a cancer diagnosis,” Dr. Monti notes.

Recent Kimmel Center at Jefferson studies shed light on how prostate cancer spreads – and how physicians can reduce the number of unnecessary biopsies

If you or someone you care about has been diagnosed with prostate cancer, turn to the Kimmel Cancer Center at Jefferson’s Multidisciplinary Genitourinary Center. Founded in 1996, the Multidisciplinary Genitourinary Center gives you access to not only Jefferson urologists but also experts in radiation oncology, medical oncology and integrative medicine. The center’s progressive approach enables patients to benefit from these multiple areas of expertise in a single visit.

Just as important, patients of the Center benefit from the ongoing research initiatives at Kimmel Cancer Center at Jefferson. Two recent examples: studies into how prostate cancer spreads and how physicians can use a special ultrasound technique to reduce unnecessary prostate biopsies.

Study #1: Blocking the spread of prostate cancer

Even so, focusing on the belly alone may not be the best way to address the risk

A new study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology
underscores that “pot” bellies may be a big indicator of future heart
disease. The researchers reported seeing a strong association between
the pot-belly or apple shape and atherosclerosis, or hardening of the
arteries, among a relatively young group of people.
The
researchers focused on data collected between 2000 and 2002 on more
than 2,700 men and women between the ages of 30 and 65 who were
participating in the larger, multi-ethnic Dallas Heart Study. They also
took blood and urine samples from all the participants following
completion of a general health survey.

A
subsequent clinical exam calculated both weight and body mass index
(BMI) – a common obesity measurement based on weight-to-height ratios –
as well as waist and hip circumference.

All
the men and women then underwent non-invasive imaging tests, including
magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), to assess atherosclerosis and/or
electron beam computed tomography (EBCT) that specifically looked at
arterial calcium deposits in the heart. (EBCT is also called ultrafast
CT.) Such calcium deposits collect years before the onset of chest
pains or a heart attack.

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