Research Notes

Wilmot Cancer Center Studies New Chemo Pill for Lymphoma

Doctors at the James P. Wilmot Cancer Center are first in the world to study a new, targeted agent that zeroes-in on B-cell lymphomas. The investigative drug, R788, targets a common protein in normal B cells—white blood cells that fight infection—and lymphoma cells. Jonathan Friedberg, director of clinical research for hematological malignancies, says that if successful, the drug, in combination with other therapies might be a good one-two punch for lymphoma.

Personal Comments by Physicians Distract from Patient Needs

In well-intentioned efforts to establish relationships, some physicians tell patients about their own family members, health problems, travel experiences, and political beliefs. While such disclosures seem an important way to build a personal connection, a School of Medicine and Dentistry study finds that the personal disclosures have few demonstrable benefits and may even disrupt the flow of important patient information. The journal Archives of Internal Medicine published the surprising results of the investigation this summer. Investigators found no examples of a physician making a statement that led back from the self-disclosure to the patient’s concern.

Hidden Planet Pushes Star’s Ring a Billion Miles Off-Center

A young star’s strange elliptical ring of dust likely heralds the presence of an undiscovered Neptune-sized planet, says Alice Quillen, associate professor of astronomy, in the latest Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. Stars in the early stages of life are surrounded by dust clouds that thin out and dissipate as the star reaches maturity, becoming rings in their final stages. One star, however, has a dust ring that has long puzzled astronomers because it is not centered around the star as usual. Instead, the ring is elliptical, with the parent star off to one side. Quillen used new images from the Hubble Space Telescope to show that the ring itself had a surprisingly sharp edge. The sharp inside edge of Fomalhaut, Quillen calculated, demanded that a relatively small, Neptune-size planet was tucked right up against the inner side of the ring, using its gravity to toss dust in the area out of orbit.

Clots and Cancer Carry Hidden Double Risk

Blood clots are increasingly common in cancer patients, but Medical Center researchers have created a novel risk model that can predict, with 98 percent certainty, which patients will not get a blood clot. The goal is to improve patient care by preventing early deaths due to blood clots—a complication that struck 41,666 of 1 million hospitalized cancer patients between 1995 and 2003. Rochester researchers discovered five variables that offer clues to a cancer patient’s risk of clots: the site of the cancer (pancreas, stomach, brain, and lung are worst); body mass index above 35; and three measures within a blood sample including platelet, hemoglobin, and white blood cell counts. Patients at higher risk are candidates to receive blood thinners. The findings were presented at the International Society of Thrombosis and Haemostasis meeting in Geneva, Switzerland.