Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins Bayview

Located in Baltimore, the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center has made a name for itself around the world due to its cutting-edge cancer research and patient care. Founded in 1973, the cancer center receives more federal research funding than any other medical institution in the country. Due to its incredible approach towards cancer treatment, the National Cancer Institute has deemed it a “Center of Excellence.” The Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center is one of only forty cancer centers officially designated as a Comprehensive Cancer Center. It is currently the only Comprehensive Cancer Center in the state of Maryland.

Lung Cancer and Mesothelioma

Seeing as lung cancer is the most common strain of cancer among humans, much of Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center’s grant funding is allotted to its Lung and Esophageal Cancer Program. The Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center is home to the cancer center’s lung cancer and mesothelioma endeavors. Despite the disease being traced to cigarette smoking in most cases, five percent of the program’s patients are suffering from asbestos-related mesothelioma.

Treatment options for mesothelioma patients typically involve the combination of radiation therapy, chemotherapy, and surgery. At the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center, these treatments are carried out by extremely qualified mesothelioma experts. The doctors all specialize in surgical oncology, radiation oncology, and medical oncology, respectively. Their names are Stephen Yang, M.D., Russell Hales, M.D., and Julie Brahmer, M.D.

In hopes of improving typical prognosis, Kimmel Cancer Center mesothelioma specialists actively conduct clinical trials and other ground-breaking research. Dr. Brahmer is currently spearheading a trial involving NGR-hTNF, a compound designed to target tumor cells. The hope is that the Phase III study will point towards longer survival in patients.

The clinical trial also intends to study a gene related to the beginning stages of lung cancer. To do this, the doctors search for biological “markers” that point towards faster detection of mesothelioma and other chest ailments. They also intend to explore what leads to genetic dispositions towards developing lung cancers.

Research Initiatives

Thanks to the work being done at Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center, the way that we understand and treat cancer is changing. The researchers at the Hopkins Center were among the very first to understand that cancer is a genetic disease and were among the first who mapped a cancer genome. Such remarkable developments have led us towards huge advancements in cancer prevention and screening. These developments provide doctors with the ability to predict cancer more effectively in many different individuals, thanks to understanding genetic predisposition.

Therapeutic cancer vaccines are another example of the cutting-edge developments underway at the John Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center. For example, one of the vaccines is a specifically targeted immune booster, which helps the body in its fight against pancreatic cancer. Bone marrow transplants are another example of medical revolutions taking place at the Kimmel Center. Johns Hopkins was at the forefront of research centers aiming to address blood cancers, and other such cancers that can be defeated through bone marrow transplants.

Other Initiatives

The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center is renown for its integrative, mind and body approach to healing, as well as its world-class research programs and cancer care. At Johns Hopkins, the aim is to help patients feel completely comfortable and relaxed with the process. In order to do this, they set out to take care of the patient’s mental health, because they believe it is just as important as their physical well-being. As a result, every individual patient is gifted an informational pamphlet that includes information about treatment procedures, side effects, the healthcare team, and coping with new manifestations of depression or anxiety. In order to aid each patient with every single stage of their treatment, the Kimmel Center provides support groups, counseling services, education programs, as well as survivor support programs.

Nurses are regularly scheduled and educated on how to communicate about chemotherapy, bone marrow transplants, and radiation therapy. The Kimmel Center is home to a small army of counselors, social workers, and even a spiritual support network. The image recovery sector offers a variety of skin care products, reconstruction services for breast cancer patients, and even custom-made wigs. These help the patient feel like they can still be themselves even when the disease is taking its toll. The Art of Healing program at Kimmel Cancer Center combines cancer treatment with the fields of dance, music, and art at large.

Clinical Endeavors

The progress we have seen in the fight against cancer at the Kimmel Cancer Center would be impossible without the use of forward-thinking clinical trials. Clinical trials at the Kimmel Center consistently lead to enormous breakthroughs in treatment as well as extended live projections for patients of mesothelioma and other cancers. If you are interested in participating in a clinical trial at the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, take a look at the clinical trial database.