Issue link: https://viewer.e-digitaledition.com/i/759723
boards are expected to be added soon, and Dr. Leonardo anticipates the use of this approach will grow rapidly. "Tumor boards garner more input from the physicians, and we have the imaging and testing performed the same day," says Cliˆ Connery, MD, FACS, FCCP, Medical Director of the Dyson Center for Cancer Care and Medical Director of the HQMP Division of Thoracic Oncology. "With all of this being completed quickly, patients with complex cases receive treatment recom- mendations that take into account all areas of their care in a very timely manner." SURGICAL ONCOLOGY Over the past decade and a half, many surgical procedures for early-stage lung ca ncer were performed using video- assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS), as it had equivalent outcomes to open lobectomy but improved recover y by reducing patients' pain level and length of hospital stay. However, robotic-assisted techniques Vassar Brothers Medical Center has incorporated represent a further evolu- tion of surgical oncology, speeding recovery even more and preserving a greater amount of normal tissue than is spared by conven- tional methods. "Robotics allow you to complete more cases in minimally invasive fashion," Dr. Connery says. "This helps in particular with patients who have other medical conditions, as they frequently tolerate minimally invasive procedures better than other approaches." Vassar Brothers Medical Center has two da Vinci Surgical systems, and as Dr. Connery notes, the surgeons who utilize the systems have a high level of education a nd tra ining rega rding robotic-assisted procedures. While the systems markedly expand Vassar Brothers Medical Center's surgical capabilities, the surgeons' knowledge and expertise in guiding the technology is ultimately the most vital factor in promoting excellent patient outcomes, he adds. Our surgical oncologists, in particular Drs. John Choi, Pranat Kumar and James Nitzkorski, have extensive experience in the use of robotics in colorectal surgery. In Thoracic Oncology a number of sur- geries are performed at Vassar Brothers Medical Center using a minimally inva- sive approach — often with the da Vinci Surgical System: + Diaphragm reconstruction + Limited resection for lung cancer + Segmentectomy + Lobectomy + Thymectomy + E s o p h a g e c t o m y a n d e s o p h a - goga s t rec t omy Other cancers treated surgically at Vassar Brothers Medical Center include breast cancer, colorectal cancer, gastroin- testinal and gastric cancers, liver cancer, pancreatic cancer, melanoma, sarcoma, anal cancer, and rare or recurrent tumors. Moving Forward: Clinical Trials THE DYSON CENTER for Cancer Care at Vassar Brothers Medical Center has 13 open clinical trials, and researchers are actively pursuing participation in additional ones. The driving force behind this is the desire to provide cutting-edge investigational therapies for all forms of cancer to patients in the region. Lung cancer trials that are open involve targeted therapies in patients whose cancer has a specific genetic mutation and in immunotherapy, as well as trials related to screenings. There is a robust portfolio of breast cancer trials and important trials in other disease areas. A team member prepares a patient for her medical oncology visit by updating her electronic medical record. James Leonardo, MD, PhD, FACP, Medical Director of Medical Oncology at HQMP, sees a patient at the Dyson Center for Cancer Care. 0 7 M D N E W S .C O M /// M D N E W S M I D H U D S O N ■ 2 016 / 2 017