MDNews - Mid Hudson

The researchers are working on bringing the compounds to the market in 2018. Health Quest is hosting Heart-healthy Lunch and Learn events in the region throughout February. Vassar Brothers Medical Center, Putnam Hospital Center, Northern Dutchess Hospital and Sharon Hospital will host no-cost, educa - tional luncheons in honor of Heart Month. A nutritious meal will be served while the audience hears from cardiologists about risk factors, advanced treatments, blood pressure guidelines and more. Putnam Hospital and Northern Dutchess will also have nutrition counselors to speak about heart-healthy foods. Information about the newly released high-blood-pressure guide - lines from the American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association will be reviewed. The new guidelines lower the thresholds of what is considered high blood pressure, labeling millions of ad- ditional individuals at risk of a condition that can silently damage the heart, arteries, kidneys and other organs. Cardiologists from The Heart Center, a division of Hudson Valley Cardiovascular Practice P.C., will be the lead presenters. Seating is limited and fills up quickly. Registration is required. To reserve a seat, visit healthquest.org/heartlunch. Effective January 2018, Crystal Run Healthcare's West Nyack facility is offering primary care appointments to both children and adults on select Sundays, in addition to already-available Saturday appointments. Along with offering primary care weekend appointments, the practice's West Nyack location offers extended weekday hours, including eve - nings, until 7:30 p.m., in an effort to accommodate busy schedules and provide patients with access to more convenient, quality care. For more information and to schedule an evening or week - end appointment in West Nyack, call 845-348-1100 or visit CrystalRunHealthcare.com. The rehabilitation patients at Helen Hayes Hospital in West Haverstraw, New York, were treated to a festive holiday celebration through the generosity of Mayor Robert D'Amelio and the Trustees of the Village of West Haverstraw. The local officials, with the sup - port of over a dozen local businesses and organizations, including the Girl Scouts, resurrected a decades-old tradition of hosting a holiday party for the patients and their family members of the spe- cialty physical rehabilitation hospital, which has called the Village home for over 110 years. On Dec. 21, patients who could not return home for the holiday due to their intensive rehab program for life-altering injuries and conditions were treated to a delicious dinner buffet, as well as DJ entertainment and holiday caroling. Scientists have taken a significant step forward in efforts to har - ness patients' own white blood cells to fight deadly cancers. A pilot study, funded by Montefiore Einstein Center for Cancer Care, in partnership with New York Blood Center (NYBC), has successfully demonstrated that white blood cells can be removed, genetically modified and reinserted into cancer patients. This holds potential to fight cancers that standard therapy has failed to treat. The next step is to duplicate this finding in multiple patients. Montefiore holds the investigational new drug application from the FDA to test the safety and feasibility of the therapy. Working with the National Cancer Institute-designated Albert Einstein Cancer Center, the trial kicked off last summer. The goal of the pilot study is to enroll five patients and confirm the feasibility and safety of the therapy for solid tumors, such as breast cancer, sarcomas and lung cancer. Eligibility for the trial is based on highly specific criteria: • A hereditary marker, found in only 20 percent of Montefiore's pa - tient population • Tumors expressing the NY-ESO-1 protein, which is found in 30 per - cent of all solid tumors • Advanced metastatic cancer that has failed to respond to stan - dard therapy It's all about the blood, so NYBC plays a critical role: Once newly engineered cells are created in the NYBC, patients' bodies will be prepared for a cell transfusion. This will include one week of chemotherapy at Montefiore to wipe out many of the remaining white blood cells. The clean slate allows the new and improved cells, which are delivered through an IV bag in 20 minutes, to become the first in line to attack the cancer. Immunotherapy is also given to make the re- engineered cells even stronger. ■ West Haverstraw Mayor Robert D'Amelio serves holiday party attendees at Helen Hayes Hospital. M D N E W S .C O M /// M D N E W S M I D H U D S O N ■ 2 018 2 1

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