Natasha Tiffany, MD, an experienced oncologist based in Salem, Oregon, treats cancer patients at Oregon Oncology Specialists, where she is a physician partner, and at Salem Hospital. She also teaches as an affiliate assistant professor with Oregon Health & Science University in Portland. At Oregon Oncology Specialists, Natasha Tiffany, MD, and the practice’s team of doctors utilize state of the art cancer care strategies, including immunotherapy. Immunotherapy harnesses the power of a patient’s immune system to attack and destroy cancer cells. This category of cancer-fighting treatment encompasses many distinct approaches. For example, some immunotherapies rely on genetically modified viruses that eliminate malignant cells, while another relies on a patient’s T-cells. The year 2018 was a significant time for immunotherapy advancements. For instance, several immunotherapy drugs secured Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval. The regulatory body approved Pembrolizumab, a medication that prevents tumors from utilizing part of the immune system to their own benefit, to treat people living with advanced cervical cancer. Other immunotherapy drugs approved by the FDA include Durvalumab and Nivolumab. In addition to drug approvals, immunotherapy research continues to show promise. In one example, researchers are actively exploring vaccines to boost the immune response against such cancers as glioblastoma and melanoma.
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A physician specializing in cancer care, Natasha Tiffany, MD, provides a high standard of cancer treatment to patents at Salem Hospital and at her private practice, Oregon Oncology Specialists. Before establishing herself in cancer treatment, she completed a fellowship in medical oncology and hematology at Oregon Health & Science University, where she served as chief fellow. Natasha Tiffany, MD, and her peers at Oregon Oncology Specialists offer such leading-edge cancer treatments as targeted therapy.
Traditional chemotherapy, though effective in destroying cancer cells, often results in collateral damage to healthy cells. Targeted therapy seeks to do away with this collateral damage by using treatments that attack and destroy cancer cells with minimal harm to healthy “innocent bystander” cells. Targeted therapies available today are often precision crafted to address specific cancer types by honing in on molecular characteristics particular to a certain cancer. For instance, some cancers cells need a specific hormone to keep dividing, and by depriving the cancer of that hormone, either by interrupting the hormone’s function or by blocking its production in the body, doctors can curb the cancer’s growth. Such hormone-related targeted therapies are already in place for the treatment of prostate and breast cancers. Newer targeted cancer therapies have been developed to prevent tumors from generating blood vessels to feed themselves and to encourage the immune system to recognize the cancer as an invading disease. Targeted therapies have revolutionized lung cancer care, as researchers have identified molecular mutations that drive different types of lung cancer, allowing oncologists to shut down the pathways that drive an individual's cancer. These targeted therapies are often highly effective and well tolerated. Targeted therapies are being used more and more in all fields of oncology with tremendous benefit for patients. A physician with nearly two decades of experience, Natasha Tiffany, MD, treats patients through a private hematology and oncology practice in Salem, Oregon. Throughout her career, Natasha Tiffany, MD, has been an active member of the greater medical community. She participates in several professional organizations and gives talks regularly on a variety of topics, including those related to the latest treatments and trends in breast cancer. According to an October 2017 report from the American Cancer Society, breast cancer deaths declined by nearly 40 percent between 1989 and 2015. The decline equates to 322,600 deaths that were averted during that 26-year period. The report attributes the decline to advancements that have been made in the detection and treatment of breast cancer. These include mammography, improved chemotherapy regimens, and drugs such as tamoxifen and Herceptin. Despite the reduction in breast cancer deaths, however, the disease still accounts for many thousands of deaths each year and racial disparities still exist among patients. It is the most common cancer diagnosis in women in the United States and the second leading of cancer deaths in the country. According to the American Cancer Society, approximately 1 in 8 women in the United States will be diagnosed with breast cancer during their lifetimes. A physician at Hematology Oncology of Salem in Oregon, Natasha Tiffany MD engages in management and development at the Salem Cancer Institute, as well as work with Williamette Clinical Research. One area that Dr. Natasha Tiffany focuses on is hematology, which focuses on the blood. Myeloma is a cancer that affects plasma cells, white blood cells that are responsible for producing antibodies that fight infections and diseases within the body. By preventing antibodies from working, myeloma cells contribute to a weakened immune system that is more prone to infection. Individuals who are more at risk of this cancer are typically men, those who are obese, those who have been exposed to radiation, those who have worked in a petroleum-related industry, or those who are over 50 years old. Multiple treatment options can assist with easing bone pain and slowing down the myeloma cells' growth. Your health and stage of myeloma will determine which treatment option may be most effective. The treatments include chemotherapy, anemia drugs, immunomodulators, stem cell transplant, and radiation therapy. Natasha Tiffany, MD, graduated cum laude from Oregon Health and Science University in Portland. In 2005, Natasha Tiffany, MD, became a partner at Hematology Oncology of Salem, where she utilizes targeted therapies to provide personalized care to individuals living with cancer.
The evolution of cancer treatment has led to a process known as targeted therapy. During targeted therapy treatments, physicians screen for specific gene changes that cause cancerous mutations and subsequently administer drugs that have been customized to address those specific changes. Technically speaking, targeted therapy is considered a form of chemotherapy; however, the process differs significantly from standard chemotherapy. As the name implies, targeted therapy treatments often cause minimal damage to healthy cells as they detect and attack the signals that indicate a cancerous mutation. The side effects of targeted therapy treatment are often less severe than those associated with standard chemotherapy. Targeted therapy is now a primary tool for physicians and a major focus of cancer research. Previously, targeted therapy was used to combat a select group of cancers, but the varieties of cancers that can be treated using a targeted approach has grown considerably. In fact, cancer is just one of the many diseases that can be treated using targeted therapy. |
AuthorNatasha Tiffany, MD, is a physician, educator, and research scientist currently working in Oregon. A Partner and Physician in a private practice located in the state’s capital city of Salem, Dr. Tiffany teaches at her alma mater, Oregon Health & Science University, where she is an Affiliate Assistant Professor in the Hematology and Medical Oncology Division. Archives
October 2019
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