Award-winning medic Natasha Tiffany, MD, practices at the Oregon Oncology Specialists office in Salem, Oregon. Focused on providing quality medical care to patients with cancer, Natasha Tiffany, MD, recommends immunotherapy treatments. According to a new study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, immunotherapy coupled with chemotherapy at the onset of lung cancer can drastically increase the survival time of patients. However, the positive results apply to less than half of patients diagnosed with non-small cell lung cancer. In the study, researchers included 616 patients from around the world. Of this group, 400 received the immunotherapy drug pembrolizumab, sold as Keytruda, while the rest received only chemotherapy. Researchers found that patients who underwent both immunotherapy and chemotherapy treatment had a 48-percent reduction in the chances of the lung cancer's progression, and death. They also found that median survival – the life expectancy for 50 percent of patients - doubled from 12 months with chemotherapy alone, to 24 months with both immunotherapy and chemotherapy. According to Dr. Leena Gandhi, lead researcher of the study, the findings show that chemotherapy alone is not a sufficient standard of care. Patients with non-small cell lung cancer should receive both immunotherapy and chemotherapy as early as possible.
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Since 2004 Natasha Tiffany, MD, has served as a full-time physician at Oregon Oncology Specialists (formerly Hematology Oncology of Salem) in Oregon, working with patients in both clinical and hospital settings. In addition to providing medical care, Natasha Tiffany, MD, keeps up with advances in the field and networks with her peers through membership in the Southwest Oncology Group (SWOG). Researchers have long searched for an alternative to opioid treatment for patients who experience joint pain and stiffness as a side effect of taking aromatase inhibitors to deal with hormone-related breast cancers. In a groundbreaking new study, SWOG has found that acupuncture may serve as an effective alternative to pain medication, as it has been shown to greatly reduce the joint pain reported by these patients. During the course of the study, the largest of its kind, patients received acupuncture two times per week over an initial six-week period, and then once a week after that for another six weeks. Researchers compared the subjects' reported “worst level of pain” to the levels of those who didn’t receive acupuncture treatment and found that the acupuncture group reported less pain. These findings were presented at the organization’s Breast Cancer Symposium last December. 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, completed her medical training from Oregon Health and Science University and is currently a physician partner at Hematology Oncology of Salem and was appointed chair of Salem Cancer Institute Thoracic Oncology Committee. An active oncology practitioner, Natasha Tiffany, MD, is also a member of American Society of Clinical Oncologists (ASCO). ASCO is a professional organization dedicated to the promotion of the oncology field in its many aspects: continuing professional education, research, and promotion of high-quality patient care. In fulfilling its functions, the ASCO advocates for legislation that would potentially improve the profession as well as treatment. In 2015, the ASCO worked on having the Congress expedite the passage of the "21st Century Cures Legislation," a bill that, when passed, could help to accelerate the process of discovering, developing, and delivering of the latest treatments to patients. The first draft has been released by the House Energy and Commerce Committee and is due for further legislative work in the House and the Senate. The ASCO will be consulting closely with lawmakers to ensure that the proper legislative framework will be designed. As a physician at Hematology and Oncology of Salem in Oregon, Natasha Tiffany, MD, takes care of patients daily at the local hospital and clinic. Also a pianist, Natasha Tiffany, MD, spent time at the Oberlin Conservatory. Established in 1865, the Oberlin Conservatory is the oldest continuously operating conservatory of music in the United States. Today, the conservatory offers eight undergraduate majors to its approximately 580 students from almost all 50 U.S. states and 22 countries. One event hosted at the conservatory was a recital performed by pianist Myra Huang and Grammy-nominated American lyric tenor Nicholas Phan on February 3, 2016. These two replaced John Relyea and Warren Jones, both of whom were originally scheduled to perform on this date. The publication “Opera News” named Ms. Huang as one of the top accompanists of her generation. She has worked with the New York City Opera and frequently assists Placido Domingo on his multinational competition Operalia. Mr. Phan has performed at the San Francisco Symphony, the English Chamber Orchestra, the Chicago Symphony, the New York Philharmonic, and the Cleveland Orchestra, among others. 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. Dr. Tiffany, a graduate of Oberlin College (Neuroscience, 1992) and Oberlin Conservatory of Music (Piano Performance, 1992) has had a life-long interest in math and science education. As a high school student, she was a student board member of the Saturday Academy, an academy that sought to further the interest of young scientists through challenging classes taught by practicing research scientists.
While in medical school at the Oregon Health Sciences University (1994-1998), she was on several curriculum committees as well as the accreditation review committee. During her internship and residency at Massachusetts General Hospital (1998-2001), Dr. Tiffany was on the curriculum committee for the teaching of Internal Medicine. She completed her fellowship in Hematology and Medical Oncology at Oregon Health and Science University from 2001-2004, and served as Chief Fellow and member of the Fellowship Committee during her final year. Since being a physician in private practice in Salem, Dr. Tiffany has been involved in multiple advisory boards and has been active in her community. She continues to serve on the Board of Directors for Willamette Clinical Research, and served previously on the Board of Directors for the Mid-Valley Provider’s Health Authority and the Physician’s Choice Foundation. She is Chairman of the Salem Hospital Thoracic Committee, Vice-Chair for the Salem Cancer Institute Breast Cancer Committee, a member of the Salem Cancer Institute Management Committee and Medical Oncology Director for the Salem Cancer Institute. Dr. Tiffany has two children at Abiqua and has been on the Board of Trustees since 2013. She has been a member of the Strategic Planning Committee since 2012 Through her oncology practice, Natasha Tiffany, MD, provides a high professional standard of cancer care for patients in and around Salem, Oregon. In fact, she offers her patients state-of-the-art treatments such as a recently approved drug that targets a specific kind of breast cancer while avoiding healthy tissues. For more information about Natasha Tiffany, MD, prospective patients can visit hemoncofsalem.com.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a cancer medication in a new class of drug called antibody-drug conjugates. Known clinically as T-DM1, the drug works by targeting a genetic sub-class of breast cancer and, once at its destination, releasing an extremely potent chemotherapy directly into the cancer. In clinical trials, the therapy helped breast cancer patients live an average of half a year longer than those patients who were given traditional chemotherapy. At first, it was expected that the FDA would approve the drug only for individuals who have already undergone other cancer treatments. However, the approval permits doctors to prescribe the medication as an initial treatment for patients with HER2-positive breast cancer. |
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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