Mentorship Programs for Faculty Development in Academic General Pediatric Divisions

Introduction. Mentoring relationships have been shown to support academicians in areas of research, work/life balance, and promotion. Methods. General pediatric division chiefs accessed an electronic survey asking about mentorship relationships, their ability to create a mentorship program, and resources needed. Results. Dyadic mentorship programs were available at 53% of divisions. Peer mentorship programs were available at 27% of divisions. Overall, 84% of chiefs believed that dyadic mentorship would benefit their faculty. 91% of chiefs believed that peer mentorship would benefit their faculty. Chiefs were interested in starting peer (57%) or dyadic (55%) mentorship programs. Few divisions had a peer mentorship program available, whereas 24% already had a dyadic program. 43% of chiefs felt that they had the tools to start a program. Many tools are needed to create a program. Discussion. General pediatric division chiefs acknowledge the benefits of mentoring relationships, and some have programs in place. Many need tools to create them. Pediatric societies could facilitate this critical area of professional development

Interaction between gemcitabine and topotecan in human non-small-cell lung cancer cells: effects on cell survival, cell cycle and pharmacogenetic profile

The pyrimidine analogue gemcitabine is an established effective agent in the treatment of non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The present study investigates whether gemcitabine would be synergistic with the topoisomerase I inhibitor topotecan against the NSCLC A549 and Calu-6 cells. Cells were treated with gemcitabine and topotecan for 1 h and the type of drug interaction was assessed using the combination index (CI). Cell cycle alterations were analysed by flow cytometry, while apoptosis was examined by the occurrence of DNA internucleosomal fragmentation, nuclear condensation and caspase-3 activation. Moreover, the possible involvement of the PI3K-Akt signalling pathway was investigated by the measurement of Akt phosphorylation. Finally, quantitative, real-time PCR (QRT-PCR) was used to study modulation of the gemcitabine-activating enzyme deoxycytidine kinase (dCK) and the cellular target enzyme ribonucleotide reductase (RR). In results, it was found that simultaneous and sequential topotecan → gemcitabine treatments were synergistic, while the reverse sequence was antagonistic in both cell lines. DNA fragmentation, nuclear condensation and enhanced caspase-3 activity demonstrated that the drug combination markedly increased apoptosis in comparison with either single agent, while cell cycle analysis showed that topotecan increased cells in S phase. Furthermore, topotecan treatment significantly decreased the amount of the activated form of Akt, and enhanced the expression of dCK (+155.0 and +115.3% in A549 and Calu-6 cells, respectively), potentially facilitating gemcitabine activity. In conclusion, these results indicate that the combination of gemcitabine and topotecan displays schedule-dependent activity in vitro against NSCLC cells. The gemcitabine → topotecan sequence is antagonistic while drug synergism is obtained with the simultaneous and the sequential topotecan → gemcitabine combinations, which are associated with induction of decreased Akt phosphorylation and increased dCK expression

Transcriptional activation of the Axl and PDGFR-α by c-Met through a ras- and Src-independent mechanism in human bladder cancer

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>A cross-talk between different receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) plays an important role in the pathogenesis of human cancers.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Both NIH-Met5 and T24-Met3 cell lines harboring an inducible human c-Met gene were established. C-Met-related RTKs were screened by RTK microarray analysis. The cross-talk of RTKs was demonstrated by Western blotting and confirmed by small interfering RNA (siRNA) silencing, followed by elucidation of the underlying mechanism. The impact of this cross-talk on biological function was demonstrated by Trans-well migration assay. Finally, the potential clinical importance was examined in a cohort of 65 cases of locally advanced and metastatic bladder cancer patients.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>A positive association of Axl or platelet-derived growth factor receptor-alpha (PDGFR-α) with c-Met expression was demonstrated at translational level, and confirmed by specific siRNA knock-down. The transactivation of c-Met on Axl or PDGFR-α <it>in vitro </it>was through a <it>ras</it>- and Src-independent activation of mitogen-activated protein kinase/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (MEK/ERK) pathway. In human bladder cancer, co-expression of these RTKs was associated with poor patient survival (<it>p </it>< 0.05), and overexpression of c-Met/Axl/PDGFR-α or c-Met alone showed the most significant correlation with poor survival (<it>p </it>< 0.01).</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>In addition to c-Met, the cross-talk with Axl and/or PDGFR-α also contributes to the progression of human bladder cancer. Evaluation of Axl and PDGFR-α expression status may identify a subset of c-Met-positive bladder cancer patients who may require co-targeting therapy.</p

Antiangiogenic drugs in ovarian cancer

Ovarian cancer continues to be a major cause of morbidity and mortality in women. Antiangiogenic treatments have emerged as a promising strategy to treat ovarian cancer. This article reviews the rationale supporting the use of antiangiogenic treatments in ovarian cancer, the clinical development of this group of drugs and the toxicities specific to this modality of treatment

Una Manera de Vida Diferente: Embarazos en Adolescentes y Planificación Familiar en la Zona de Intag, Ecuador

Lack of family planning and high rates of adolescent pregnancy plague the poorest regions of the world. Not only does this deficiency result in the deaths of infants and mothers as well as significantly depressing quality of life, but, as the human population expands, we risk destroying much of the environment and natural resources upon which we depend. In Intag, a rural network of communities in the cloud forest of Ecuador, adolescent pregnancy is the norm and women commonly have upwards of 7 children. Working in the Subcentro health clinic of Apuela, I interviewed 50 mothers regarding their age during first pregnancy, the number of children they currently have, how many children they desired in total, what types of contraception they use (if any) and their level of education. From this data, I found that women who were more educated started having children later, tended to use contraception and had less children overall. La falta de planificación familiar y la incidencia alta de embarazos en adolescentes son muy comunes en las regiones más pobres del mundo. Esta deficiencia no solo resulta en las muertes de bebes y madres, sino también la baja calidad de vida, pero como la población humana crece, tenemos el riesgo de destruir el medio ambiente y recursos naturales de los cuales dependemos. En Intag, una comunidad rural en el bosque nublado de Ecuador, los embarazos en adolescentes son la norma y muchas mujeres tienen más de 7 hijos. Trabajando en el Subcentro de Salud en Apuela, entrevisté 50 madres sobre su edad del primer parto, cuantos hijos tienen actualmente, cuantos hijos quieren en total, que métodos de anticonceptivos usan y su nivel de educación. Encontré que las mujeres que tienen más educación, tienen su primer hijo mas tarde, usan anticonceptivos y tienen menos hijos en total

Implementing a Standardized Risk Model for Chemotherapy Adverse Events in Older Oncology Patients in a Community Cancer Center

As cancer is usually a disease of aging and the population of those over age 70 in the United States continues to increase, the ability to safely deliver systemic chemotherapy to geriatric oncology patients takes on more urgency. Selecting the appropriate patients to receive treatment, allowing for proper dosing and providing tailored support for patients who could potentially benefit from chemotherapy should improve the safety of treatment and the quality of life for senior oncology patients. This project has implemented a validated chemotherapy risk assessment program (CRASH) into the routine assessment of all oncology patients age 70 or older. Employing this procedure involved behavioral changes in nursing, physician, and pharmacy routines. Education and evaluation were incorporated into this project. The number of adverse events, supportive consultations with physical therapy, nutrition services, social work, and pharmacy were tracked. The assessment of polypharmacy, a common issue in the geriatric patient, was added to the evaluations. The initial intent of this program was to evaluate the ability to institute a validated tool for assessing geriatric oncology patients’ potential to tolerate chemotherapy in a community cancer center while expanding the knowledge and interest in the culture of safety it embodies. The project revealed a new outcome, the ability to identify and address geriatric issues to improve the safety of administration of medications and chemotherapy and tailoring interventions to the specific needs of each patient. Utilizing skills obtained from the coursework provided by the Jefferson College of Population Health, the Senior Oncology Program implemented at the Paoli Cancer Center enhanced safety for senior oncology patients treated at the center and became the new standard of care. Presentation: 38:1

Mentorship Programs for Faculty Development in Academic General Pediatric Divisions

Introduction. Mentoring relationships have been shown to support academicians in areas of research, work/life balance, and promotion. Methods. General pediatric division chiefs accessed an electronic survey asking about mentorship relationships, their ability to create a mentorship program, and resources needed. Results. Dyadic mentorship programs were available at 53% of divisions. Peer mentorship programs were available at 27% of divisions. Overall, 84% of chiefs believed that dyadic mentorship would benefit their faculty. 91% of chiefs believed that peer mentorship would benefit their faculty. Chiefs were interested in starting peer (57%) or dyadic (55%) mentorship programs. Few divisions had a peer mentorship program available, whereas 24% already had a dyadic program. 43% of chiefs felt that they had the tools to start a program. Many tools are needed to create a program. Discussion. General pediatric division chiefs acknowledge the benefits of mentoring relationships, and some have programs in place. Many need tools to create them. Pediatric societies could facilitate this critical area of professional development

Mentorship Programs for Faculty Development in Academic General Pediatric Divisions

Introduction. Mentoring relationships have been shown to support academicians in areas of research, work/life balance, and promotion. Methods. General pediatric division chiefs accessed an electronic survey asking about mentorship relationships, their ability to create a mentorship program, and resources needed. Results. Dyadic mentorship programs were available at 53% of divisions. Peer mentorship programs were available at 27% of divisions. Overall, 84% of chiefs believed that dyadic mentorship would benefit their faculty. 91% of chiefs believed that peer mentorship would benefit their faculty. Chiefs were interested in starting peer (57%) or dyadic (55%) mentorship programs. Few divisions had a peer mentorship program available, whereas 24% already had a dyadic program. 43% of chiefs felt that they had the tools to start a program. Many tools are needed to create a program. Discussion. General pediatric division chiefs acknowledge the benefits of mentoring relationships, and some have programs in place. Many need tools to create them. Pediatric societies could facilitate this critical area of professional development