ECF Research wins Best of IJO Award!

In January of 2018, ECF fellow Dr. Sonal Chaugule, alongside Dr. Paul Finger and Dr. J. Park, published the study “Topical Chemotherapy for Giant Ocular Surface Squamous Neoplasia (OSSN) of the Conjunctiva and Cornea: Is Surgery Really Necessary?” in the Indian Journal of Ophthalmology (IJO). We are pleased to announce that this research has recently been chosen for the Best of IJO Awards!

A feature at the recent International Society for Ophthalmic Oncology (ISOO) 2019 meeting, the 2017 American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) meeting, as well as our very own blog and Visionary newsletter, the study showed the surprising efficacy of chemotherapy eye drops. They found that even large squamous cancers of the conjunctiva can be cured with chemotherapy eye drops alone (no surgery). The drops had marvelous results: no evidence of vision-limiting complications, no tumor recurrences, and no patients required additional treatment for their giant OSSN. For all patients in the study, their cancer was cured, proving to researchers that topical chemotherapy drops were not only safe, but also effective as treatment for “giant” OSSN.

Congratulations, Dr. Chaugule!

 

To read the full study, click here.

To help sponsor ECF research and charitable endeavors, click here.

Trailblazing Eye Cancer Studies Presented at AAO 2017

 

As you may have heard in our previous blog, the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) 2017 Meeting in New Orleans, Louisiana was attended by noteworthy fellowship alumni from the Eye Cancer Foundation, as well as founder and executive director of the ECF, Dr. Paul T. Finger. Held from November 11th to 14th, AAO took place the day following the 2017 AAOOP Annual Meeting, where oral presentations were given by ECF Fellows Dr. Sonal Chaugule and Dr. Abhilasha Maheshwari.

Dr. Chagule spoke on her research regarding the efficiency of intravitreal steroids to treat radiation side-effects, while Dr. Maheshwari spoke on a 12-year study of patients treated with slotted plaque radiation therapy. To read more on AOOP 2017 presentations from these ECF fellows, click here.

At AAO 2017, hosted at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans, Dr. Sonal Chaugule, Dr. Ekatrina Semenova, and Dr. Nicole Scripsema presented ECF-sponsored research conducted under the guidance of Dr. Paul T. Finger at the New York Eye Cancer Center and at New York Eye and Ear Infirmary.

Dr. Sonal, pictured below along Dr. Finger, presented two studies, the first titled “Regression patterns of Iris Melanoma after Palladium-103 Plaque Brachytherapy”. This study takes into account 50 iris melanoma patients who were closely evaluated following plaque brachytherapy with Palladium-103 as treatment. The results of this study underscored Palladium-103 as effective treatment for iris melanoma. After incisive evaluation, patients showed decreases in tumor size, tumor pigmentation, and more. These findings are particularly important to iris melanoma patients, who endure a rare condition in the already-rare family of cancers (iris melanoma patients are only 2-3% of eye cancer cases). To read more on this paper and its implications, click here.

Dr. Chaugule’s second presentation concerned her paper most-recently published in the Indian Journal of Opthalmology. Titled “Primary Topical Chemotherapy for Giant Ocular Surface Squamous Neoplasia”, this paper examines and reports the outcomes of using topical chemotherapy eye drops (such as 5-Flurouracil and/or Interferon alpha-2b) to treat giant ocular surface squamous neoplasia. The paper was featured in a past blog post — to read more on the study, which evaluated 10 patients with stage T3 tumors, click here.

 

Details from AAO do not stop here! Stay tuned for more exciting news on the work ECF Fellows make towards eye cancer research by keeping eyecancer.com in your bookmarks!

NYECC’s How-To for Chemotherapy Eye Drops

Whether treating a dry eye through artificial tears or over-the-counter anti-allergy drops, many people around the word have experienced using eye drops in their every day drops — however, using chemotherapy drops to treat malignant eye tumors may seem daunting. You may be wondering how these eye drops differ from simple artificial tears, what specific instructions, or additional precautions must be made to install them into the eye, and so on. Luckily, the New York Eye Cancer Center has written a comprehensible step-by-step process that can help put your mind at ease when understanding chemotherapy drops.

Before you read the instructions, here are some helpful reminders and tips regarding your drops:

Put one drop in the affect eye 4 times a day, while awake, for the directed amount of time. You may administer the drops to your own affected eye by yourself, or you may have someone else do it for you. Remember to refrigerate your drops at all times! If you plan on being outside for the majority of your day, keep your drops in an insulated bag with ice packs. Do not put your drops in the freezer.

Now, regardless of the drops you are using (for example, interferon A or 5-FU), please take care to follow these instructions.

STEP 1: Sterilization is important — wash your hands! If possible, put on latex gloves.

STEP 2: Lie down flat, or recline in a chair.

STEP 3: Look down, pulling back your upper eyelid.

STEP 4: Put the drop on the top part of your eye.

STEP 5: Slowly close your eye, keeping it closed for 5 minutes.

STEP 6: If there is any excess, gently wipe it away.

STEP 7: Sterilization remains important! If you did not put on gloves, wash your hands again.

And of course, should you be experiencing any eye pain, blurred vision, or flu-like symptoms, do not hesitate to contact NYECC at 212-832-8170.

Want to keep this information on hand at all times? We have put this information into a simple PDF available for download. You can download and print this PDF to keep with you by clicking here.

AAO Newsletter Features Paper Published by ECF Fellow

 

From the summer of 2016 to 2017, Dr. Sonal Chaugule gained a wealth of knowledge as an Eye Cancer Foundation (ECF) fellow under the tutelage of Dr. Paul T. Finger at the NYECC. From shadowing Dr. Finger’s surgeries at the New York Eye and Ear Infirmary, to speaking at the Second Eye Cancer Working Day in March 2017, Dr. Chaugule has since returned to India, using the knowledge she has gained as tools to continue in the footsteps of her mentors. Her efforts manifest in her paper, in collaboration with Dr. J. Park and Dr. Paul Finger, being published by the American Academy of Ophthalmology.

Featured in the headlines of the AAO Newsletter, the paper was first published by the Indian Journal of Ophthalmology in December 2017, and discusses the effectiveness and safety of topical chemotherapy as sole treatment for giant ocular surface squamous neoplasia (OSSN). Ten patients (3 female, 7 male) with biopsy-confirmed giant OSSN were treated with topical chemotherapy drops (interferon alpha 2b and/or 5 flurouracil 1%). Then, patients were monitored for changes in tumor response, vision, recurrence of disease, metastasis, and treatment complications.  

Pictured below are samples from the paper, revealing slit-lamp photographs of patients afflicted with OSSN before treatment (A, C) and after treatment (B, D). Pre-treatment for both patients (A, C) and post-treatment (B, D) reveal complete tumor regression after treatment via topical chemistry therapy drops. You may note that there is no evidence of opacity, or haziness, to the cornea in the after photos.

Results found that there was no evidence of vision-limiting complications due to treatment by chemotherapy drops — no thinning of the sclera (the white of the eye), no cloudiness in the cornea, and no stem cell deficiency. Noteworthily, there were no tumor recurrences, and none of these 10 patients required additional treatment for their giant OSSN such as surgical excision or cryotherapy. For all patients in this study, there was tumor regression, concluding to researchers that topical chemotherapy drops were not only safe, but effective as treatment for giant OSSN. To read the published study in full, click here.

 

The ECF offers fellowships to doctors from unserved and underserved countries, providing specialized training in the treatment of retinoblastoma and other eye cancers. Once they complete their training, ECF fellows commit to return home to create eye cancer treatment programs. Dr. Chaugule has begun oncology services at HV Desai Eye Hospital in Pune, India, a vital center for eye cancer research and patient treatment, serving a wide population of not only Indians, but also those from the neighboring countries of Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Nepal.   

Through its 2020 Campaign, The Eye Cancer Foundation plans to multiply this success story across the world. With your help, we can train 20 eye cancer specialists to work in 20 countries by 2020.

Our immediate 2020 Campaign goal is to save the lives of 1,000 children by 2020. But that’s only the beginning. Our ability to train doctors and supply them with the equipment they need to properly diagnose and treat retinoblastoma is only limited by the generosity of our donors.

You can become part of the cure with a one-time or recurring donation to The Eye Cancer Foundation. Click HERE to donate today.

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