SOURCE ALERT: USC experts available to comment on bladder cancer causes, brain injury and the flu season
January 14, 2013
Bladder Cancer Causes
Anirban P. Mitra, M.D., Ph.D., is a senior research associate of pathology at the Keck School of Medicine of USC. His research focuses on the causation and progression of genitourinary cancers, with an emphasis on urinary bladder cancer. He can address new research that links increased smoking to the progression of deadly bladder cancers. "Our study revealed a unique panel of nine markers that can potentially predict outcomes of bladder cancer patients after surgery, independent of standard clinical parameters and smoking history," said Mitra. "The panel can therefore identify early on those patients who may require more aggressive treatments like chemotherapy in addition to surgery." He can be reached at (213) 926-2437 or amitra@usc.edu.
Brain Injury
Gabriel Zada, M.D., is an assistant clinical professor of neurosurgery at the Keck School of Medicine of USC and director of Cranial Base Endoscopic Surgery at the USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center. He is an expert in traumatic brain injury, pituitary tumors and advanced cranial base surgery. He can comment on the severity and effects of brain damage incurred from head trauma. "A considerable amount of emerging evidence supports the idea that some professional athletes with repetitive traumatic brain injury have a propensity for developing chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE," said Zada. "We are still actively researching and learning about the potentially severe cognitive and neuropsychiatric consequences of this degenerative condition." He can be reached at (323) 226-7421 or gzada@usc.edu.
Flu Season
Sharon E. Orrange, M.D., is an assistant professor of clinical medicine at the Keck School of Medicine of USC. An expert in internal medicine and primary care, she can address influenza vaccinations as well as flu season activity. "The dominant influenza strain this year is influenza A (H3N2), which has been associated with more severe flu seasons," said Orrange. "The good news is that this year's flu vaccine is a 90 percent match for the specimens that have been sent to the CDC and about 112 million Americans have been vaccinated this season." She can be reached at (323)-442-5100 or orrange@usc.edu.
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ABOUT KECK MEDICINE OF USC
Keck Medicine of USC encompasses the University of Southern California's medical school and clinical enterprise. It consists of the Keck School of Medicine of USC and the Keck Medical Center of USC.
Contacts: Leslie Ridgeway at (323) 442-2823 or lridgewa@usc.edu; Alison Trinidad at (323) 442-3941 or alison.trinidad@usc.edu
Anirban P. Mitra, M.D., Ph.D., is a senior research associate of pathology at the Keck School of Medicine of USC. His research focuses on the causation and progression of genitourinary cancers, with an emphasis on urinary bladder cancer. He can address new research that links increased smoking to the progression of deadly bladder cancers. "Our study revealed a unique panel of nine markers that can potentially predict outcomes of bladder cancer patients after surgery, independent of standard clinical parameters and smoking history," said Mitra. "The panel can therefore identify early on those patients who may require more aggressive treatments like chemotherapy in addition to surgery." He can be reached at (213) 926-2437 or amitra@usc.edu.
Brain Injury
Gabriel Zada, M.D., is an assistant clinical professor of neurosurgery at the Keck School of Medicine of USC and director of Cranial Base Endoscopic Surgery at the USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center. He is an expert in traumatic brain injury, pituitary tumors and advanced cranial base surgery. He can comment on the severity and effects of brain damage incurred from head trauma. "A considerable amount of emerging evidence supports the idea that some professional athletes with repetitive traumatic brain injury have a propensity for developing chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE," said Zada. "We are still actively researching and learning about the potentially severe cognitive and neuropsychiatric consequences of this degenerative condition." He can be reached at (323) 226-7421 or gzada@usc.edu.
Flu Season
Sharon E. Orrange, M.D., is an assistant professor of clinical medicine at the Keck School of Medicine of USC. An expert in internal medicine and primary care, she can address influenza vaccinations as well as flu season activity. "The dominant influenza strain this year is influenza A (H3N2), which has been associated with more severe flu seasons," said Orrange. "The good news is that this year's flu vaccine is a 90 percent match for the specimens that have been sent to the CDC and about 112 million Americans have been vaccinated this season." She can be reached at (323)-442-5100 or orrange@usc.edu.
###
ABOUT KECK MEDICINE OF USC
Keck Medicine of USC encompasses the University of Southern California's medical school and clinical enterprise. It consists of the Keck School of Medicine of USC and the Keck Medical Center of USC.
Contacts: Leslie Ridgeway at (323) 442-2823 or lridgewa@usc.edu; Alison Trinidad at (323) 442-3941 or alison.trinidad@usc.edu
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