Physician Update - Arizona

Adult Congenital Heart Disease Collaboration

Mayo Clinic heart specialists are collaborating with two Arizona pediatric organizations to offer care to patients with congenital heart disease.

Arizona Pediatric Cardiology Consultants (APCC), an affiliate of Cardiology Specialists Pediatrix, and Phoenix Children's Hospital (PCH) care for many children with congenital heart problems. As they reach adulthood, these patients need continuing care.

Mayo will collaborate with PCH and APCC to provide care to adult patients with congenital heart disease. Patients will have surgery, or medical treatment, on Mayo's Phoenix campus.

200th Endovascular Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Repair Performed

On Feb. 1, members of the Endovascular Therapy Program performed the 200th endovascular abdominal aortic aneurysm repair since the program's inception in 2000. The program is a collaboration between the divisions of Vascular Surgery and Vascular and Interventional Radiology for minimally invasive treatment of aortic aneurysms.

Mayo Clinic Researchers Propose New Strategies to Combat Side Effects of Common Breast Cancer Drug Treatment

Following a thorough review of landmark trials, Mayo Clinic researchers have substantiated the potential dangers of trastuzumab (Herceptin) for certain patients. Their analysis indicates that symptomatic heart failure may occur in up to 4 percent of patients administered the drug.

In studying the treatment results of hundreds of patients, the Mayo team discovered that the risk of cardiotoxicity leading to heart failure was significantly increased when a trastuzumab regimen included additional drugs known as anthracyclines. However, most patients who developed cardiotoxicity while receiving trastuzumab therapy improved once its use was discontinued. Their findings were published in a recent Mayo Clinic Proceedings article.

Mayo Clinic Arizona selected as Distinction Center for Complex and Rare Cancers

Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS) Association recently selected Mayo Clinic in Arizona as a Blue Distinction Center for Complex and Rare Cancers. BCBS Association awarded this distinction after thoroughly evaluating all aspects of cancer care at Mayo Clinic.

New on Staff

Paul F. Bright, M.D.
Psychiatry and Psychology

Shabana F. Pasha, M.D.
Gastroenterology and Hepatology

Cathleen M. Rivera, M.D.
Women's Health - Internal Medicine

Helen J. Ross, M.D.
Hematology/Oncology

Featured Clinical Trials

Patients undergoing CABG, single valve repair or single valve replacement needed for post-surgical blood loss study

Mayo Clinic is conducting a phase-2 randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter trial to assess the efficacy of two dose levels of DX-88 (ecallantide) versus placebo in reducing blood loss following cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB), as measured by chest tube drainage during the first 12 hours postoperatively or until the chest tube is removed, whichever comes first, in patients undergoing primary coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), single-valve repair or single-valve replacement.

Contact: Alina Grigore, M.D., Principal Investigator, (480) 342-1800 or Erwin Guyah, R.N., Study Coordinator, (480) 342-3409

Patients needed for pilot study: spinal cord stimulation in the management of pain due to chronic, intractable angina pectoris

Key inclusion criteria include:

• CCS class III or IV angina
• Optimized medical therapy including long acting nitrates and beta-blockers
• CAD demonstrated by recent angiography (inoperable or high surgical risk)
• Inducible myocardial ischemia
• Patient must complete an exercise treadmill test
• Must have a planned invasive strategy after administration of study drug for 12-96 hours

Contact: Kellye Wagner, study coordinator, (480) 342-2922

NeuroPace pivotal trial

An investigational device study of a brain stimulation system for treating refractory epilepsy. Key inclusion criteria include:

• 18–70 years of age
• Disabling motor simple partial seizures, complex partial seizures or secondarily generalized seizures
• Three or more disabling seizures per 28 days over the three most recent consecutive 28-day periods with no 28-day period with less than two seizures
• Failed treatment with a minimum of two antiepileptic medications with adequate monitoring of compliance and the effects of treatment, as determined by the physician investigator
• Subject has remained on the same antiepileptic medications over the preceding 12 weeks
• Diagnostic testing as part of his/her standard care that has identified no more than two epileptogenic regions

Contact: Tiffany Koch, study coordinator, (480) 342-2189

Patients sought for clinical investigation to demonstrate efficacy of the responsive neurostimulator system in treating medically refractory, partial onset epilepsy

Mayo Clinic is recruiting patients for a phase-3, multicenter trial (sponsored by NeuroPace, Inc.) of an implantable biomedical device with FDA approval for investigational use. The primary efficacy analysis will be used to establish superiority of the therapy on group to the therapy off group in reducing the frequency of total disabling seizures during the blinded evaluation period of the investigation.

Contact: Richard Zimmerman, M.D., principal investigator, (480) 342-3518 or Beth Gleason, study coordinator, (480) 342-3007.

Multicenter, double-blind, randomized study to establish the clinical benefit and safety of Vytorin enrolling patients

Key inclusion criteria:

• STEMI or NSTE-ACS patient (event being within 10 days of entering study)
• NSTE-ACS patients must have symptoms of ischemia >10 minutes at rest
• STEMI patients must have symptoms of ischemia >30 minutes at rest
• Statin naïve patients LDL-C 50-125 mg/dl in first 24 hours after event
• Chronic statin patients LDL-C 50-100 mg/dl in first 24 hours after event

Contact: David Fortuin, M.D., principal investigator or Kellye Wagner, study coordinator, (480) 342-2922

Clinical trial enrolling patients: Abatacept for moderate to severe ulcerative colitis

Key inclusion criteria:

• Confirmed diagnosis of ulcerative colitis for at least 3 months, not limited to the rectum
• Males and females 18 years or older
• Stable doses of UC drug therapy, no more than 30 mg Prednisone daily
• No chronic narcotic use
• No history of severe infusion reaction after receiving a biologic agent
• No history of TB, HIV, hepatitis B or C

Contact: Danette Musil, R.N., study coordinator, (480) 301-6253

Research study to determine whether treatment with selenium decreases the risk of developing recurrent colon polyps

The Mayo Clinic Division of Gastroenterology is recruiting participants (40-80 years of age) in a research study to determine whether treatment with selenium can decrease the risk of developing recurrent colon polyps. Eligible participants must have had a colonoscopy where a precancerous polyp was found and removed.

Contact: Narcelle Jean-Louis, clinical research coordinator, (480) 301-4714