is a growth in the body, a tumor. But there are a lot of different things underlying the growth because of different gene types. The hope is that will lead to different treatments and treatments that are not as toxic.” Dr. Weiss points to the treatment of prostate cancer as one example. Years ago, surgical intervention or broad-range radiation were the only options, but both often left patients with incontinence and other problems. Nowadays, doctors can implant fiducial markers that allow for pinpoint radiation treatment, which carries a lesser risk of side effects or collateral damage. The hope is that similar types of targeted treatments can eventually take the place of such broad-based approaches as chemotherapy. “Chemotherapy is like using a machine gun to kill a mouse,” Dr. Weiss notes. “It works, but there’s a lot of damage all around. Changing a gene to halt the growth of a tumor would be like using a
high-powered rifle instead. Some chemotherapy is already disease-specific now, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg.” Technological advances can also be seen in the hospital rooms planned for NCH’s North Naples Hospital. These new “smart” rooms come equipped with flat-screen TVs that flash a picture, name and identification whenever a caregiver enters the room. They can also show educational videos pertinent to a patient’s condition (e.g. videos on diet for diabetes patients, ones on breast feeding for new mothers, etc.), as well as regular television programming. A second flat screen above the patient’s bed allows caregivers to access clinical data, including continuously downloaded information from intravenous smart pumps and vital sign monitors. Doctors and nurses will also be able to access the patient’s medical records in a secure manner, even when not on site. Meanwhile, Leroy Hood and his colleagues continue down the path to fully
integrated P4 medicine. In May 2010, his Institute for Systems Biology (ISB) entered into a two-year collaboration with Ohio State University. The university is providing a group of 55,000 insured employees and family members who can choose to enroll in clinical trials. ISB is contributing genetic and protein analysis of samples from those who participate. This “demonstration project” is being handled by the nonprofit P4 Medicine Institute Hood helped launch in 2009. Hood hopes that the partnership with OSU will be the tipping point that leads to the paradigm shift he calls P4. And while the future is always hard to describe while we’re still in the present, it’s safe to say that healthcare will change in myriad ways in the coming years. “Science fiction becomes reality,” Dr. Weiss notes. “We got off to a slower start than we thought in 2001. But now we may be underestimating what will happen in the next 50 years.”
Everything in balance. Whether a yoga stance, the family finances, or just the day-to-day, we all seek a sense of balance and harmony. And no time is more deserving than the retirement years when after a fulltime focus on career, children and other commitments, the time arrives to reap the rewards of living well. At The Arlington, the newest retirement lifestyle choice in the Naples and Marco Island area, you can continue to live the life you’ve planned … happy and with peace of mind … knowing everything is in place for the future, including an emphasis on fitness and wellness, and the availability of on-site health care, if needed.
MODEL AND INFORMATION CENTER 12276 Tamiami Trail East, Suite 501, Naples, Florida 34113 (239) 206-2646 or toll-free (866) 986-9690 www.ArlingtonNaples.org The Arlington of Naples welcomes those of all faiths, beliefs and tradiƟons. JULY-SEPTEMBER 2011
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