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Since March was Kidney Cancer Awareness Month, it inspired us to share a closer look at this disease that is among the top 10 most common cancers in men and women. Let us share with you some encouraging news about the latest advances in both understanding kidney cancer and the development of new treatment options.

Understanding Kidney Cancer Better

Compass Oncology's Dr. Ravi Chandra is co-author of a cancer research article about the enhancement of drug delivery to tumors.

The article is published on ScienceMag.org.

Culling cancer by vacating the vasculature

Although it is important for blood vessels to maintain barrier function under most conditions, in cancer therapy, vascular permeability enhances drug delivery to tumors. Miller et al. used intravital microscopy and computational modeling to show that a single, low dose of radiation therapy could induce transient, dynamic, and localized vascular “bursting”—increased permeability, coinciding with extravasation of fluid, cells, and nanoparticles from blood vessels in tumors. Along with vascular bursting, radiation enlarged blood vessel volume and the number of tumor-associated macrophages in mouse xenografts and patient tumor biopsies. These tumor-associated macrophages took up drug-laden nanoparticles, inducing greater drug delivery to tumors. This study demonstrates an alternative strategy for improving targeted nanotherapy delivery by modifying the local tumor microenvironment rather than the nanoparticle itself.

About 60% of all cancer patients will be treated with radiation therapy at some point during their cancer care. However, what radiation therapy looks like has been undergoing a rapid transformation in recent years. Thanks to technological advances and research in radiation oncology, stereotactic radiation has taken its place as an advanced tool in today’s cancer-fighting arsenal. It has proven its ability to eradicate certain tumors with surgical precision, opening up new and effective treatments for patients who previously had little or no options.

While one in eight women will develop breast cancer during her lifetime, dramatic advances have been made in the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of the disease. We can now test each patient’s tumor for molecular and genetic changes. This allows us to understand the exact biologic process taking place and better choose the medications and therapies that are targeted directly for that cancer. Some call this personalized medicine, some call it precision medicine and some call it targeted therapy. Regardless of the name, the result is breast cancer has an excellent survival rate when caught early.

Compass Oncology is a leading referral source for cancer-specific clinical trials in the region. Clinical trials are research studies designed to develop new and better cancer treatment therapies. At any given time, Compass has more than 50 active clinical trials, including many that are not available elsewhere in the Portland-Vancouver area.

In this new era of targeted therapies, the role of clinical research is more important than ever in providing patients with access to the latest in cancer treatments. They are responsible for many of the great strides in what we know as standards of cancer treatment today.

If you’ve been told you have an increased risk for developing breast cancer, regular follow-up with a breast cancer specialist is essential and the first step to risk reduction strategies and active monitoring. Compass Oncology’s Complex Breast Clinic was founded to provide focused care for patients with inherited gene mutations and other complex breast issues including: 

Today, women undergoing mastectomies for breast cancer have the advantage of significant advances in reconstructive breast surgery and leading-edge oncoplastic techniques that allow the skilled breast surgeon to preserve the envelope of the breast and sometimes the nipple for exceptional cosmetic outcomes.