Not Just for Texting: Smartphones Used to Detect Cancer

A tiny device, costing less than $250, developed at Mass General, has the capacity to tell the difference between benign tumors and malignant growths with up to 100 percent accuracy when utilized to perform biopsies on patients with abnormal stomach tissue. The portable system, which connects a smartphone and a miniature nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) machine, detects and screens cancer cells from a microscopic tissue sample, instead of the larger samples usually analyzed, in a fraction of the time that traditional tests require.

Imaging Technology Increases Breast Cancer Diagnosis Accuracy

In March, Mass General became the first hospital in the country to offer 3-D mammography, or tomosynthesis, which will improve cancer detection and diagnosis while reducing false positives. The groundbreaking technology, pioneered by the MGH Breast Imaging Program under the leadership of Elizabeth Rafferty, MD, director of Breast Imaging (pictured), was approved by the Federal Drug Administration in February. With the new technique, which combines multiple low-dose X-ray images into a three-dimensional data set, physicians can better identify the location, size and appearance of abnormalities throughout the breast, also increasing the chances of finding multiple areas of previously unsuspected disease. Patients at Mass General can now access the innovative imaging tool during both regular mammograms and diagnostic visits.

Decrease Stress with Meditation

Following an eight-week mindfulness meditation training program, patients in a Mass General study demonstrated marked changes in parts of the brain associated with stress self-awareness, compassion and memory. The study, co-authored by Sara Lazar, PhD, MGH Psychiatric Neuroimaging Research Program (pictured) tracked improvements in self-reported stress following two months of mindfulness exercises performed daily for an average of 27 minutes per day. “It is fascinating to see the brain’s plasticity and that, by practicing meditation, we can play an active role in changing the brain and can increase our well-being and quality of life,” said Britta Hölzel, PhD, co-author of the paper and a research fellow at Mass General.

Chief of Surgery Retiring

In May, Andrew L. Warshaw, MD, retired from clinical practice and his positions as surgeon-in-chief and chief of the Department of Surgery. Dr. Warshaw (pictured) began his career at Mass General and Harvard Medical School in 1972 and was named chief of surgery in 1997. As chief, Dr. Warshaw oversaw hundreds of surgeons and residents. Since 2008, he has been the director of the Andrew L. Warshaw Institute for Pancreatic Cancer Research. Over the course of his career, he has focused on innovative and comprehensive diagnosis and treatment of pancreatic cancer. Dr. Warshaw has been a member and leader of numerous surgical professional societies and organizations, and is the editor-in-chief of the journal Surgery.

Targeting Care Disparity Through Cultural Awareness

By incorporating a culturally sensitive interview into the collaborative care model, a Mass General research team increased the percentage of their Chinese patients entering treatment for depression by nearly seven times the previous rate. Their efforts ensured that patients received information and mental health care, and the team is examining the possibility of expanding the endeavor. The study, which took place at a Boston community health center under the direction of Albert Yeung, ScD, MD, of the MGH Department of Psychiatry (pictured), addressed many of the roots of care disparity. They included language barriers, stigma or unfamiliarity regarding mental illness and psychiatric disorders and a trend of Chinese patients seeking treatment only for the physical symptoms of disease. According to Dr. Yeung, “Our model appears to be very promising, but it needs to be tested at other centers ... Similar models could be designed and tested to help other minority populations who have cultural barriers that prevent them from receiving mental health services.”