Sunday, December 15, 2024

Recurrence Explained: POSTOP SCANNING


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CANCER RECURRENCE IN THE MOST RARE CASES: "LIGHTING STRUCK TWICE WITH MALE BREAST CANCER!"-- “I contracted Male Breast Cancer TWICE, just when I thought it was gone the first time. I learned that cancer doesn't give up - so neither should you! Stay smart, be proactive and follow a RECURRENCE PREVENTION plan to KEEP CANCER AWAY.” MARC FUTTERWEIT- Survivor/Senior Ambassador for Male Breast Cancer Coalition Doctors will never guarantee that your cancer is gone forever, even after the remission period. The American Medical Community suggests that all survivors of cancer should subscribe to proper health and nutritional standards to support continued prevention. Take the right steps to OUTSMART CANCER TODAY by learning how recurrence works. Start by managing a healthy (and organic) lifestyle, support a regular fitness regimen and schedule an annual monitoring program with an advanced imaging professional or physician specializing in cancer diagnostics to maintain regular screening protocols for early detection or to help prevent cancer recurrence.

RECURRENCE IN REVIEW
Transcript by Dr. Roberta Kline

There is a constant debate in the cancer community about the term "CANCER FREE". Cancer recurrence continues to be a major concern as reported in annual medical reports- identifying its tendency to “return with a vengeance". [1, 2]

Medical research has identified the major reasons why cancer recurs.  A widely reported cause for this is attributed to a deficiency in treatment performance. [2] This means the therapy induced did not successfully remove or kill all of the cancer cells, possibly due to the patient's level of drug resistance.  During treatment, Cancer cells can enter a dormant state to protect themselves from treatment and other stimuli. Over time, these dormant cells can reactivate. The cause of this may be a spike in chronic stress or the release of toxins from oxidative stress from environmental factors like smoking or repeat exposure to reactive chemicals. [3]

Inflammation has also been linked to the activation of immune cells called neutrophils. [4] Cancer cells that have spread to other areas of the body after successful treatment of the original tumor can remain dormant for years or decades before recurring as metastatic cancer. Further activators of these dormant cells have also been linked to one's personal Epigenetics. [5] This determines how your environment and lifestyle affects your cell function- including the dormancy state of your cancer cells. 


Another known cause for recurrence are Cancer stem cells or CSC's.  These are a small group of cells in tumors that have the ability to self-renew, differentiate, and give rise to all cell types in a tumor. [6] Most stages of tumor progression, including tumorigenesis, promotion, progression, and recurrence are accompanied by epigenetic alterations, some of which can be reversed by epigenetic drugs. [6]


DETECTION MONITORING: After cancer surgery, there are many preventive measures to support a safe and healthy recovery and to reduce the risk of recurrence.  A logical and preventive strategy as part of postop maintenance is called RECURRENCE PREVENTION SCANS. Through the use of affordable, real-time medical imaging such as the 3D Doppler Ultrasound, post-cancer surgery patients can subscribe to a personal monitoring regimen to scan for any potential lesions and micro-tumors that may have fallen under the radar.  Proactive monitoring can also address complications such as post-surgical Infections, recurring pain, swelling, neuropathy from nerve damage, scarring, fluid buildup or blood clots. In less than 20 minutes per visit, you earn peace of mind from a comprehensive scan by seasoned specialists trained to support postop patient management.


DR. ROBERTA KLINE is an ObGyn physician, an award-winning author, an educational advocate, and an inspirational speaker for the professional and women’s communities. She holds a combined mission to upgrade how we approach health and deliver healthcare for women through education, globalized communication, research, and advocacy.  Dr. Kline develops and teaches CME programs, consults on gene expression project designs, and leads collaborative projects designed to advance the direction of women’s health. She is also a clinical advisor in integrative medicine and functional genomics to many health organizations including the Integrative Health Research Center.  In addition to her mentorship programs for women physicians, Dr. Kline is Director of Educational Programs for the Women's Health Collaborative, Editor of the Women’s Health Digest, and on faculty at the University of Western States. 

(1.) Butow P, Sharpe L, Thewes B, et al. Fear of Cancer Recurrence: A Practical Guide for Clinicians. Oncology (Williston Park). 2018 Jan 15;32(1):32-8.   (2.) Mahvi DA, Liu R, Grinstaff MW, et al. (2018). Local Cancer Recurrence: The Realities, Challenges, and Opportunities for New Therapies. CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians, 68(6), 488. https://doi.org/10.3322/caac.21498 (3.) Payne KK. Cellular stress responses and metabolic reprogramming in cancer progression and dormancy. Seminars in cancer biology 2022 Jan Vol. 78, pp. 45-48. (4.) He X-Y, Gao Y, Ng D et al. Chronic stress increases metastasis via neutrophil-mediated changes to the microenvironment. Cancer Cell 2024:42(3);474-486. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ccell.2024.01.013  (5.) Costa S, Alves Sales SL, Pinheiro DP, et al. (2023). Epigenetic reprogramming in cancer: From diagnosis to treatment. Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology, 11. https://doi.org/10.3389/fcell.2023.1116805 (6.) Yu X, Zhao H, Wang R, et al. (2024). Cancer epigenetics: From laboratory studies and clinical trials to precision medicine. Cell Death Discovery, 10(1), 1-12. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41420-024-01803-z







WHAT'S NEXT AFTER CANCER?

The Importance of Maintaining a Healthy Lifestyle and Monitoring

Written by: Dr. Leslie Valle-Montoya 

Cancer recurrence can occur months or even years after initial treatment, and it’s important to be aware that cancer can return in different tissues, not just where it was originally diagnosed. While this is a challenging possibility, there are proactive steps you can take to reduce the risk and protect your health.

Staying vigilant with regular check-ups, lifestyle adjustments, and continued screenings is essential. Early detection of any signs of recurrence greatly increases the chances of successful treatment. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle after being declared “cancer-free” is not always easy, but it’s vital. We are constantly exposed to environmental toxins in our food, water, and surroundings, so addressing the root causes of disease and making healthier choices is crucial. A nutritious diet, physical activity, and stress management all support overall wellness and strengthen the immune system. I often guide patients in addressing lingering dental infections and maintaining a healthy internal environment, whether by enhancing the microbiome or reducing bodily acidity, which cancer thrives on.

Avoiding smoking, limiting alcohol, and maintaining a healthy weight are also key to lowering the risk of recurrence. By focusing on what you can control—your health and regular monitoring—you empower yourself to stay well and ensure long-term health.


CONTRIBUTOR:

LESLIE VALLE-MONTOYA, MD is the Founder of Biomed Life and the Santa Barbara Longevity Center. After medical school, Dr. Valle focused on managing chronic disease starting with its links to poor nutrition and then introducing them into the world of energy frequencies.  She explores and includes non-invasive modalities such as: frequency therapies (including biofeedback), PEMF, proper detoxification, nutritional guidance and binaural beats as needed. - visit: www.biomedlifesb.com





Announcing the TSCCC (TriState Cancer Care Community)- a professional  network comprised of community leaders, legislators, health specialists & educators. We are backed by the AngioInstitute (501c3) and are aligned by cancer foundations centralized in the NY, NJ and CT. We assemble the latest information, current news events, research reports, technologies and success stories about the battle against cancer and the luminaries who wage them.  


9/10/2024- A NEW TOUCHDOWN IN THE FIGHT AGAINST BREAST CANCER- DENSE BREAST DISCLOSURE LAW CONFIRMED

9/10/2024- The Dense Breast Disclosure Law was officially confirmed at the Legislative Building in the CT State Capitol, hosted by the ‘Are You Dense Advocacy’ organization.  The conference was emceed by Mr. Joe Cappello, co-founder and executive director, establishing both a celebration and an historical landmark for the 20+ year crusade for a national legislation.  The law affirms the vision of the late Dr. Nancy Cappello for a public educational advocacy to protect women from misinformation about their breast health.  This initiative enacted national support for legislative action to enforce patient disclosure about tissue density.   (See full report)

AT LAST! "ARE YOU DENSE ADVOCACY" LANDS 20-YEAR TOUCHDOWN:
Congresswoman DeLauro Celebrates National Support for Women’s Health 

Click to see Sen DeLauro's Video
Room #5100 of the Legislative Office Building was filled with supporters from many areas of the 20+ year dense breast advocacy crusade 'raised the roof' of this national movement in support of women's health.  The lineup included Mr. Anthony D'Amelio (former CT House Rep), Dr. William Pizzuto, Sandy Cassenelli (founder of Breast Friends Fund & Metastatic Breast Cancer Survivor) and Mary Deming (President of Seymour Pink) are among the list of supportive speakers. The audience was also filled with an array of executive directors from the national breast cancer community including the American Breast Cancer Foundation.  - See areyoudense.org for complete list of speakers and their transcripts.

A powerful voice in national Women's Health advocacy resonated from the back of the room, where a familiar face from the big-screen took center stage. The highly-beloved CT Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro transmitted a compelling video message from Washington and received a rousing applause with many tears of loving support.  “Today we celebrate the launch of the Food and Drug Administration's Breast Density Notification Rule. I am a 35 year cancer survivor. I'm alive today thanks to the grace of God, the care of hardworking medical professionals, the power of biomedical research and early detection. In 2009, this law was championed by my dear friend Dr. Nancy Capello, who passed away several years ago due to breast cancer...Had Nancy been notified of her status earlier, she may have been here today to celebrate with us. Nancy's husband (Joe) carried on her fight and their story inspired me. I want to thank you again for inviting me to join you today. I urge you to keep up the fight.” 


Thanks to the power of web-streaming technology, an unconfirmed count of breast cancer orgs nationwide (and their respective members) accessed the live feed of the Are You Dense? event.  Donna Johnson, president of ‘Are You Dense?’ mentioned about an upcoming virtual (seminar-style) event which will launch sometime in mid-October- bringing in some of the top names in public advocacy as well as leaders from the medical community.  

For more info. on this press release, contact ‘Are You Dense Alliance’ (multimedia dist.) / Alexandra Fiederlein: editor.prevention101@gmail.com or call 516-522-0777


Click to see Den. Anwar's Videos

SEN. SAUD ANWAR
CONNECTICUT STATE SENATE ADVOCATES FOR UNDERSERVED WOMEN

7/13/2024 ‐ The  Women's  Health  Collaborative  proudly celebrates the dedicated commitment and support of STATE SENATOR SAUD ANWAR (D‐South Windsor) of District 3 for his legislative work in health initiatives for women. A pulmonary physician  by  profession,  Sen.  Anwar  joined  public  office  in 2013 as mayor  of South Windsor,  CT  (until 2015, and 2017‐2019).  Senator  Anwar  is  involved  in  humanitarian  and  peace initiatives  nationally  and  internationally.  He  is  frequently invited  to  consult  for  our  government  and  has  organized medical  missions  for  disaster  relief.  His  efforts  have  been recognized  at  the  state  and  federal  levels  and  by  several  professional  organizations.  He  has  received  numerous citations for his service to the State and is an expert on international affairs.[1] 


WOMEN’S HEALTH COLLABORATIVE GOES TO ALBANY


May 21, 2024, leading members of the NY Cancer Resource Alliance (NYCRA) held a special meeting with State Senator Patricia Canzoneri‐Fitzpatrick (of Senate District 9) to discuss critical issues associated with women's cancers. This initial meeting of the minds offered cancer updates from the field, including statistics, diagnostic trends and the continuing battle with restrictive insurance coverage.



TRIBUTE TO A GLOBAL CRUSADER
(Play Video-L) The NY Cancer Resource Alliance gives loving tribute to Dr. Nancy Cappello, co-founder of "Are You Dense" and chief crusader of the mission to bring change to the protocols and standards of Early Detection.   Her organization embarked in a global advocacy project to win legislation for dense breast scanning and to bring awareness to the need for better technologies and imaging interpretation. Today, her loving husband Joe continues her unending fight to save more lives through awareness, advocacy and her crusade for change. 



ADVOCACY & JOINING HANDS TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE
By: Geri Barish -  Hewlett House (Cancer Resource)

When I first met Joe Cappello, I admitted that I knew about his wife Nancy for years prior. Nancy Cappello was a force of nature and an inspiration to anyone willing to advocate for change in the breast cancer movement. I myself have been a 3x breast cancer survivor and a staunch supporter of public screening with the Women's Health Collaborative and the "Ultrasound Coalition" - but joining with Joe’s organization truly added so much validity to national research and public connectivity. Dr. Robert Bard (our lead radiologist) spoke about Are You Dense? as champions that pushed for government intervention to mandate the disclose of patients’ tissue density.  This is a landmark achievement that I reference in my own presentations about women’s health at the NY State Senate and the Dept. of Health in support of early detection and prevention programs. To date, Joe and Are You Dense? has become a permanent part of our coalition to battle breast cancer.  His work reflects on the healing factor of public awareness, forging a more powerful presence to educate and promote clinical testing.


EXTRA: 2024 UPDATES ON DENSE BREAST RESEARCH

3/2024- Dr. Noelle Cutter of Molloy University and an associate of Bard Diagnostics/Are You Dense? partnerships conducted an observational study exploring the functional phenotypic differences that make dense breast tissue. Because it is widely noted that women with dense breasts have a greater likelihood of developing cancer, understanding the  pathways and changes in gene expression may offer the first avenue for the enzymes enrolled and drug targets for personalized medicine in pursuit of developing better treatment options. “The proposed role of senescence in dense breast tissue metastasis involves creating a tumor-promoting microenvironment, facilitating immune evasion, and promoting angiogenesis, all of which contribute to the progression and spread of cancer cells.”- For full report, visit: www.pinksmartnews.com



 



The 2024 Women's Health Resource Network Launches Ultrasound Screening Initiative for Underserved Communities

Density under mammograms conceal tumors & cysts. Ultrasound is the suggested screening complement


In support of the underserved and underdiagnosed women, the WHC was originally founded to bring early detection and public education about the many women’s health disorders that many find to be lacking in access and information. This doctrine united women’s health advocates like Geri Barish (Hewlett House), Joe Cappello (co-founder of the Are You Dense? Foundation), Dr. Robert Bard (IHRC / Integrative Health Research Center), Dr. Noelle Cutter (Molloy University Research on Ovarian and Breast Cancer research programs) and Nancy Novack (of nancyslist.org). “It’s time we wake up lawmakers and the medical community to re-evaluate the existing gold standards (like mammography),” stated Mr. Cappello during a Key to the City speech honored by Waterbury mayor Neil O’Leary. “We are finally picking up great steam in our national push to have all clinicians adopt the advanced results of ultrasound technology… as a sustainable and affordable solution for ALL women!” 




The Future of Ultrasound is WEARABLE!

By: Lennard M. Goetze, Ed.D

An ever-expanding portion of the medical community recognize ultrasound advancements for its non-invasive, real-time and non-radiation safety. Since the advent of medical ultrasound for fetal imaging (in 1956), developers have propelled the global movement to advance its capacity to scan deeper & wider, to go portable and to record more biometric data.

Scientists and clinicians alike have advanced ultrasound applications to benefit a wide variety of medical applications.  This includes its abilities to study: MSK/musculoskeletal injuries, breast health (screening), abnormal tissues and cancerous masses, cardiac performance (echocardiography), kidney disorders/renal blood flow monitoring and ophthalmic scanning of ocular structures. 

Amidst the Covid-19 Pandemic, an astounding report from MIT NEWS (7/28/2022) reported on engineers who developed a 2x3cm postage-stamp sized wearable ultrasound Patch that can "see inside the body".  This innovation offered continuous imaging of internal organs for 48 hours or longer (contingent upon the life of the rechargeable power supply).

Clinicians and researchers are impressed by the range of possibilities for the use of this innovation as the news continues to spread throughout the radiological community about this next clinical scanning "game-changer".  "I learned about Dr. Zhao's work at the thick of the pandemic and the very idea of a wearable scanner clearly raises the bar in the current trend in portable ultrasound designs", says Dr. Robert L. Bard, cancer imaging radiologist and principal investigator of IHRC (Integrative Health Research Center) in NYC. "Since Covid (19), ambulance rigs, triage units and ER's took full advantage of the many hand-held ultrasounds in the market... they called it the digital stethoscope. Where conventional ultrasound allows us to detect and diagnose pathology on the examination table or during a procedure, the idea of a patient wearing the ultrasound for 48 hours marks a new era in data collecting or biometric research."


THE ULTRASOUND PATCH TECHNOLOGY
(Excerpt from MIT news)
MIT engineers have developed a small ultrasound sticker that can monitor the stiffness of organs deep inside the body. The sticker, about the size of a postage stamp, can be worn on the skin and is designed to pick up on signs of disease, such as liver and kidney failure and the progression of solid tumors. [1][2]

The probe is attached to a flexible circuit, which activates the ultrasound transducers, collects the ultrasound echoes, amplifies and filters these echoes, and transmits the digitized signal to a terminal device. The entire system is powered by a commercial rechargeable lithium polymer battery.[3]

In an exclusive (3/8/2024) special interview with development team leader and senior author Dr. Xuanhe Zhao -mechanical & environmental engineer at MIT, the imaging system he aptly calls "the ultrasound patch", HealthTech Reporter presents this imaging innovation to “advance noninvasive scanning into the body’s workings in real time, providing clinicians with live & recorded images of a patient’s internal organs for up to 24 hours”. 



EXCUSLIVE INTERVIEW WITH DR. ZUANHE ZHAO
The origins of this design started with a student Chonghe Wang- who got his Masters Degree from Harvard University. He joined my research and development group on a graduate level, focusing on ultrasound imaging. We worked together on this dream about a wired ultrasound device that's wearable on the body.  Wang made the ultrasound probe to be soft and stretchable- so you can put on different locations on the body. Then the challenge is creating quality ultrasound imaging. Imagine the camera in your cell phone- if you stretch the camera sensor, you distort the image dramatically, degrading the image quality.

Together with my team, we came up with a fundamentally new idea- to shrink the handheld ultrasound probe to a thin, but a very rigid ultrasound probe. As probes are rigid, you cannot stretch it. We also had to figure out how to conform this rigid probe to different locations of the body. We needed to invent a bio-adhesive coupling- a gooey,  jello-like adhesive to attach to different locations and skin surfaces of the body while (at the same time) adhering the ultrasound to the body for lengthy periods of time. Immediately, we realized (that) now we can have a very high quality ultrasound imaging similar to the handheld ultrasound probes.

We developed this patch to be a long term and continuous use for variable imaging.  Similar to an EKG patch that you adhere a few patches on the body, our ultrasound patch adheres to the corresponding location of the body for long-term continuous imaging. 

The core design allows you to conduct B mode imaging, Doppler mode to measure blood flow and Elasticity mode to measure the elasticity, the rigidity of the tissues in the same ultrasound sticker- at the same time! Since we first published this idea in 2022, we received incredible attention from the (medical) society to keep expanding.  In addition to measuring images of deeper internal organs, continued development now allows us to also scan for blood flow (3D Doppler) and the rigidity of different organs (Elastography) with this ultrasound patch -as another variable. 

Expanding the functions of our ultrasound patch to add elastography is so useful because when organs develop diseases, they usually change their stiffness. For example, tumors are usually stiffer than the surrounding soft tissues. When an organ like the liver is undergoing acute liver failure, it becomes stiffer than the healthy state. By continuously measuring the organ's rigidity, you can do early diagnosis of different types of disease. If this organ under monitoring shows change in rigidity, we can assess that maybe there's something wrong- enough to mitigate. A situation like this will be the potential impact. 

IMAGE 3: Each of the dots is one PIEZOelectric transducer. When you apply voltage on it, it sends a pulse to the body. Then your organ surface will reflect that wave and it will be received by either that or other transducers on this ultrasound probe. Then we translate that electrical signal into (measurable) imaging information or doppler mode data etc. 

In our current version, we have a cable connected to that sticker that's connected to a device called VERASONICS (the size of a desktop computer). So that's not a miniaturized machine that's, uh, the size of, uh, desktop computer. That demonstrate the capability of this device for hospital use. In my group, we already achieved a miniaturized version of device- sized similar to a cell phone or even smaller. You can put it in your pocket, or you can wire somewhere on the body that is a fully integrated.  The battery, the imaging processing, the CPU- everything is in this package. Then this package communicates with your cell phone or with your computer via Bluetooth.  It transmits the imaging data to your device. 

 Source: MITNews Video:


A team of engineers have designed a stamps size device that sticks to the skin and can provide continuous ultrasound imaging of internal organs for 48 hours. The current design requires connecting the stickers to instruments that translate the reflected sound waves into images. However, if the devices can be made to operate wirelessly, a goal the team is currently working toward, the ultrasound stickers could be made into wearable imaging products that patients could take home from a doctor's office or even buy at a pharmacy. The entire ultrasound sticker measures about two square centimeters across and three millimeters thick about the area of a postage stamp. The bottom elastomer layer is designed to stick to the skin while the top layer adheres to a rigid array of transducers. The team also designed and fabricated this pairing of stretchy adhesive layers with a rigid array, enables the device to conform to the skin while remaining in position to generate clear, precise images.

The device's bottom adhesive layer is made from two thin layers of elastomer that encapsulate a middle layer of solid hydrogel. The elastomer layers prevent dehydration of the hydrogel. According to the researchers. Only when hydrogel is highly hydrated can acoustic waves penetrate effectively and give high resolution imaging of internal organs. The researchers ran the ultrasound sticker through a battery of tests with healthy volunteers who wore the stickers on various parts of their bodies. The stickers stayed attached to their skin and produced clear images of underlying structures for up to 48 hours. As the researchers work to make their design completely wireless, they point out that even in their current form, an immediate application could include continuously imaging internal organs of patients in hospitals without requiring a technician to hold a probe in place for long periods of time while continuing to reapply the necessary liquid gel, which acts to transmit ultrasound waves.

CONTINUED PURSUIT OF IMAGING REVOLUTION
We continue to develop many other technologies moving this field forward. In addition to fundamental scientific research, because this technology is so promising, we receive so many requests for upgrades as well as samples for clinical use. 

Our ultrasound patch is currently approved for MIT IRB for imaging healthy human subjects. We are collaborating with Harvard Medical School and Stanford Medical School to image patients in hospitals. Our next step is to undergo FDA approvals for this ultrasound patch technology- however, because this is a noninvasive imaging modality, and because the power induced by the ultrasound sticker is even lower than that of the conventional handheld ultrasound,  we do not expect, too much difficulty or too many surprises in obtaining FDA approval. But we remain careful with GMP (Good Manufacturing Practices) of the whole system to earn FDA approval. 

Our wearable ultrasound sticker technology will potentially impact both the healthcare by providing long-term continuous monitoring of diverse diseases.  It shows promise in impacting the fundamental biological research by providing a new long-term/continuous window to image diverse organs simultaneously. We are very excited about the future of this ultrasound imaging technology. 

References

1) https://news.mit.edu/2022/ultrasound-stickers-0728

2) https://news.mit.edu/2024/ultrasound-sticker-senses-changing-stiffness-deep-internal-organs-0209#:~:text=MIT%20engineers%20have%20developed%20a,the%20progression%20of%20solid%20tumors.

3) https://www.nibib.nih.gov/news-events/newsroom/wireless-wonder-wearable-ultrasound-patch-goes-completely-cable-free#:~:text=The%20probe%20is%20attached%20to,commercial%20rechargeable%20lithium%20polymer%20battery.

*All images are courtesy of MIT News and/or Dr. Xuanhe Zhao

Sponsored AD:

CROSSING THE BRIDGE TO HOLISTIC EDUCATION: HEALTH SUMMIT 2024

 DR. BARD TAKES CENTER STAGE AT A HOLISTIC POWERHOUSE EVENT

Top-ranking cancer imaging advocate Dr. Robert L. Bard holds a 30+ year track record of advancing clinical education and technical updates to some of the most prominent medical conferences across the globe.  From the 2024 ULTRACON Expo to the NY Dermatology Society to prior Cancer conferences in France and Italy- Dr. Bard remains one of the most sought-after keynote speakers.  He is often called to headline clinical topics  such as cancer imaging, diagnostic protocols and scientific updates on pathological studies.

So why a WELLNESS EXPO in NJ?

Unlike the vast majority of conventional practitioners, Dr. Bard has long since embraced the many disciplines that comprise the health, wellness and medical communities. Terms like "Alternative, Integrative, Functional and Holistic" ALL align with the same need for diagnostic science. Moreover, uniting with other healing societies is a sign of "an open-minded approach to medicine... which is how medicine is supposed to be practiced!"

His most recent presentation was noted on October 13 on the topic of CANCER RECURRENCE as part of a special 2-day event of the HOLISTIC HEALTH EDUCATIONAL EXPO.  This health event is produced by Lisa and Martine Calache of My Online Homeopath, assembling a unique collection of powerful speakers and clinical experts from a variety of specialized areas in healthcare. 



EVENT REVIEW FROM THE STAGE
By: Lennard Gettz, Ed.D

The lineup of unique speakers gifted the audience (both in the venue and online) with significant insight and compelling lessons in health and longevity.  This surprisingly impressive health event drew in  crowds from every form of health discipline including the conventional- beyond expectations and with overwhelming connectivity.  

When I first received information about this expo from Dr. Bard's office, he mentioned being elected as a medical panelist and podium speakers.  Just shy of 1 week prior, we were thrown into yet another short-deadline adventure that meant sleepless nights to get our stuff together and fast.  We wanted to offer a brand new presentation never delivered before. And being this is breast cancer awareness month, RECURRENCE DETECTION and PREVENTION made the perfect sense to us since we were immersed in this subject all month.

As Dr. Bard's public events manager, the standard protocol has always been to: design and print handouts, write and produce the powerpoint slide show, produce an 8-minue video, execute a social media blitz and emailer, draft a press release and send invitations to our entire set of contacts.  

I'd like to add that hearing about some of the luminaries scheduled to present in this event was quite inspiring. Friends and champions in cancer care like Dr. Jesse Stoff and Sylvie Beljanski are familiar names from the front lines of the cancer battle- and co-collaborators in our educational crusade.

Due to such a narrow timetable, I connected directly with the venue producer (Liza Calache) to coordinate all technicalities about the event.  This included audiovisual setup (where issues tend to happen a lot), attendee count, a vendor list and scheduling.  I was preparing for the worst and expected to finally break my perfect disaster-free record.

Being down to the wire, I was surprised that the woman on the other side of the phone was most welcoming and calm yet highly responsive and very much in control. Where practically every expo producer I've ever dealt with carried the same tense and anxiety-filled tone, Liza emulated a solid  confidence yet a delightful presence that somehow reassured me that this was going to work just fine!

ZERO HOUR
I stood by the doorway of the hall and watched guests continue to flow in to full this 300-seat presentation hall.  Dr. Stoff manned the podium confidently presenting his innovative solutions to surviving the next Covid variant. It's been a while since I heard him speak, and surely, with the conviction in his voice and the remarkable details that his slides covered, he never lost an ounce of "Stoff" teaching mojo.

Meanwhile, 20 minutes left to Dr. Stoff's slide deck, I could see Dr. Bard's silhouette making his way to the stage (after a bout with NY/NJ traffic) as the next speaker. To the audience, this was an educational treat to meet both of these academic leaders.  To have access to these two cancer champions (and friends) in the same event space rocking the mic together was a treat worth experiencing. 

Where anything in an event can go awry, seeing Dr. Bard take the mic was the exhale I was waiting to make.  

The rest was HISTORY!



MEET THE PRODUCERS

LIZA CALACHE,
CCH, RSHom
Liza is the clinical director of MY ONLINE HOMEOPATH located in Union City, NJ. She is a 3rd generation Board Certified Homeopathic Practitioner with formal education beginning at just 12 years old. Liza holds a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry and is certified by the state of New Jersey as a secondary education teacher. She applied her knowledge of chemistry, homeopathy and education together and was able to write her own chemistry text book for students. During her time as a high school teacher, she was nominated for Teacher of the Year for her unique ability to work with disadvantaged students with learning disabilities and transform how they learn. Liza has set up her homeopathic practice along side her mother in Union City, NJ. Liza is all about keeping up with advancements in her field. Under the realm of Quantum Medicine, Liza has added Biofeedback testing as another modality to help people achieve their health goals optimally. (see complete bio)

MARTINE CALACHE
, CCH, DiHom, RsHom, FHom
Martine is a board certified second generation homeopathic practioner who has been practicing over 30 years.  Her mother was a homeopath in Belgium and extended her knowledge and expertise to Martine. Martine received her training from world renowned homeopaths in her native country of Belgium by Dr. Jacques Imberechts. When she relocated to the United States, her homeopathic education continues with world renowned homeopath and teacher Dr. Luc De Schepper M.D. She continued her mother's legacy and shared her education with her daughter as well. Martine instituted an educational program for lay persons and professionals to learn the great art of medicine, homeopathy. Her school is named First Class Homeopathy. She travels all over the world teaching seminars and assisting people with their needs.  She runs a practice called 1st Class Homeopathy. (see complete bio)







Video clip (Dr. Bard's presentation)




INTRODUCTION
In October 12/13, 2024, HealthTech Reporter met with Dr. Sándor Kulin (developer of the HEARTREADER from Budapest, Hungary) at the Holistic Health Educational Expo in North Bergen, NJ. (see expo group). Dr. Kulin was part of an impressive lineup of unique health and medical speakers who presented (both in the venue and online) an array of important health topics and compelling lessons in health and longevity.  This educational event drew in crowds from every form of health disciplines including the conventional to functional, integrative to holistic and beyond.  

Photo by: Dr. Robert Bard
In this issue of HealthTech Reporter, we feature the concept behind of Dr. Kulin's innovation as a medical-grade scanning solution designed to generate reports and scores to support treatment response and estimating cardiovascular age. His HeartReader promotes the ability to generate reports and SCORES for physiological health such as Cardiovascular Health, Blood Pressure, Heart Fitness, Heart Fitness, Cardiac Stability and Autonomic Integrity.  The ultimate pursuit of the device was to mitigate the need to accurately identify these readings in support of monitoring heart health --for the detection of cardiovascular disorders, the leading cause of death in women globally. 

According to his interview in 11/22 Dr. Kulin, an integrative and holistic OB/GYN (obstetrician-gynecologist) originally founded this technology as a telemetry system for monitoring health levels for women under pregnancy as part of regular monitoring of their cardiac health called PregnaScan. In a 2021 feature on HealthCare Outlook magazine, Dr. Kulin stated that after the launch of this first model- “...our aim is to serve even the non-medical entities with very reliable physiology data and help them improve their clients’ health. For example, trained fitness coaches and dietitians can analyze the  (recorded) parameters ...both the end-users and healthcare providers can easily deduce whether or not the prescribed advice is working for them".

Source: www.BardDiagnostics.com
MEDTECH EFFICACY CHALLENGE
Currently, the HTR publishing team and medical group is undergoing a series of performance testing sessions of the HeartReader™ in support of non-invasive health and medical solutions.  Dr. Robert Bard (of IHRC) & BardDiagnostics.com) spearheaded this TechReport project inspired by his commitment to explore innovations from the international health society.  

Additionally, in November of 2024, a collaborative  multi-modality program has been drafted to engage various heart rate variability and cardiovascular scanners to explore their strategies and data points, validating and confirming their effects as health screening technologies as part of HTR's SCAN & TREAT series.  "I am proud of the engineers, developers and medical conceptualists for their individual pursuits to advance the bar of personalized health and data gathering. SCREENING solutions in support of DIAGNOSTIC SCIENCE, especially in the realm of heart health is critically important in our medical community, offering an intelligent base line for a full array of testing. Meanwhile, as the pursuit for gold standards for 'Better Aging', prevention, early detection strategies wage on, these innovations (and the development leaders who promote them) hold a  powerful place in our international scientific, academic and medical communities as future luminaries", says Dr. Bard.


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Disclaimer:  HealthTech Reporter is an impartial technology news agency, and is not a marketing partner of our subjects featured in any way. Our supporters and affiliates do not confirm or endorse the material enclosed, including any data or submitted statements by individuals presented.  The following feature is written solely by Dr. Sandor Kulin, E-med4all Europe, Ltd. whereby all statements, concepts, technical reports, claims and visual representation about said product is published 
without any intent of marketing or commercial support  for its claims of the product's actual performance or efficacy.  Identified as a foreign device, HealthTech Reporter conditionally shares the contents of this feature as a strictly informational resource as part of our HTR "International Health Innovations".  This HealthTech segment is published with the full understanding of its status (as un-established) with US regulatory agencies, reflecting on its commercial access within the US medical device markets.


Bridging Science and Clinical Application: HeartReader’s Role By: Dr. Sándor Kulin

Source: HeartReader marketing

Peripheral pulse wave analysis is a well-established scientific method for evaluating an individual's hemodynamic status. However, transforming this methodology into a clinically applicable tool requires innovation and dedication. This is precisely the mission at HeartReader™: to develop and implement a robust system that bridges the gap between foundational research and practical healthcare applications.

HeartReader’s Core System and Scoring

HeartReader™ is built on more than 30 parameters derived from scientific literature, alongside a composite Total Score that provides an overall evaluation of cardiovascular health and risk levels. As noted by Professor Sengupta of Rutgers University, cardiovascular disorders remain the leading cause of death globally, emphasizing the urgent need for reliable tools to assess individual risk. Esteemed cardiologists and specialists acknowledge that HeartReader™ may be the first system to meet this critical need effectively.

In addition to the Total Score, HeartReader™ offers a series of specialized subscores, each targeting specific aspects of cardiovascular and overall health:

●    Cardiovascular Health Score
Assesses the aging speed of the arterial system and the heart, offering insights into vascular health over time.

●    Blood Pressure Score
Similar to HbA1c for blood sugar, this score identifies potential blood pressure issues over recent months rather than providing real-time measurements. A high score suggests lower cardiovascular risk, while a low score indicates potential concerns.

●    Heart Fitness Score
Evaluates physical capacity and cardiovascular exercise tolerance, reflecting an individual’s ability to endure physical activity.

●    Metabolic Fitness Score
Offers insights into cellular health, focusing on mitochondrial function. Through collaborations with experts in deutenomics (the study of deuterium content in mitochondria), this score provides an indicator of mitochondrial health and energy production efficiency.

●    Cardiac Stability Score
Measures the likelihood of irregular heart rhythms or arrhythmias. A high score suggests stability, while a low score indicates potential risks.

●    Autonomic Integrity Score
Evaluates the overall activity and the balance between sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system activity at the time of measurement, providing a snapshot of autonomic function.

Source: HeartReader marketing
Validated Insights from Real-World Data
While ongoing and planned clinical trials across Europe will further validate HeartReader, its current foundation is strong. Analysis of over 150,000 pulse wave recordings from more than 8,000 users confirms the system’s ability to translate traditional pulse wave parameters into clinically actionable insights.

Quick, Non-Invasive Measurements
All these insights are derived from a simple, non-invasive, two-minute measurement. HeartReader delivers a comprehensive evaluation that goes far beyond what is typically expected from such a straightforward process, empowering both clinicians and individuals to better understand and manage cardiovascular health.

HeartReader is at the forefront of innovation, providing healthcare professionals with reliable, personalized tools to assess and address cardiovascular and overall health effectively. The HeartReader system collects data via a phone (using the internet), which is then sent to the cloud for real-time processing and storage. Using a two-minute recording of the peripheral pulse pattern, our algorithm calculates over 30 scientifically defined parameters that describe the hemodynamic status and autonomic nervous system. This data is accessible and reviewable through our web-based dashboard.

To make the data easy to interpret for both professionals and laypeople, the 30 parameters are summarized into a simplified metric called Scores. These scores not only reflect potential medical conditions but also provide valuable insights into the individual's overall health level.

Based on a database of 150,000 measurements, we developed the HeartReader Health Map™, which benchmarks health levels for individuals aged 15 to 85. This map assigns a health score on an absolute scale from 0 to 100, where higher numbers indicate better health. Additionally, it uses a relative scale, which compares an individual's health to others in the same age group, similar to percentile rankings in other medical assessments.

This dual-scale approach offers professionals a powerful diagnostic tool while also serving as an accessible screening resource for non-experts, providing a comprehensive understanding of an individual's health status.

Our long-term vision is to integrate HeartReader into medical practice as a prescription-based service. General practitioners, cardiologists, rehabilitation specialists, and obstetricians can invite their patients to use this advanced physiological monitoring and data collection system.

- To Be Continued -



SMARTER AGING: "RESETTING YOUR FUTURE"

By: Dr. Roberta Kline / Women's Health Digest

AGING is a natural process that is associated with biological changes that lead to a progressive decline in physiological functioning. Additionally, the risk of HEART DISEASE increases with 
age and irresponsibility where changes start as early as the mid-20's, accelerating in the mid-40's and again at around age 60. While aging is inevitable, the rate at which it occurs can be faster or slower depending on multiple factors, including the interactions of genetics with diet, lifestyle, environment, and stress. It is also impacted by resilience.

Without a doubt, everyone will experience aging. It’s a biological process that begins at birth, and it is inevitable. But how we age is not. We are redefining aging, celebrating it as a time of new opportunities, deeper connections, and ongoing learning. It’s a time where we are actively engaging life with joy and purpose.  Healthy aging is not just about keeping disease and disability at bay. While we’d all like to stay as healthy and functional as possible, we can age successfully and gracefully even with less-than-optimal  health. 

RESILIENCE
is the ability to “bounce back” from an adverse event or experience, large or small. This is influenced by biological factors (including genetics) as well as psychological ones, and both forms of resilience can be cultivated. As people with higher levels of biological and psychological resilience tend to experience improved health and quality of life as they age, this heightens its importance for better aging.

Health is created from physical, emotional, mental, spiritual, and energetic balance. But balance is not static. It requires constant adjustment in response to changes and challenges in your inner and outer worlds - and often changes throughout your lifetime. Resilience helps you bounce back and regain balance.  Here are 8 simple strategies to help you cultivate resilience so you can handle whatever challenges come your way in a way that helps you thrive. (See complete report)




Continued: Introducing THE HEART READER

But how do obstetricians fit alongside specialists dealing with heart-related conditions? Pregnancy involves profound physiological changes, including a remarkable 40% average increase in left ventricular mass—greater than the changes seen in professional athletes after a year of intensive training. Maternal adaptation to these increased cardiovascular demands is essential for preventing pregnancy-related complications such as preeclampsia, gestational hypertension, and intrauterine growth restriction.

With daily monitoring through HeartReader, early signs of cardiovascular decompensation can be identified, enabling healthcare providers to intervene promptly and improve outcomes. HeartReader’s flexibility allows patients across all user groups to take measurements as often as recommended by their healthcare provider. The system’s ability to track hemodynamics and physiological trends over time provides critical insights, empowering clinicians to make informed decisions and deliver better care.


Practical Use of Data – Overview

Source: HeartReader marketing
Your blood sugar, blood pressure, and pulse rate each behave independently, and our analysis captures a range of values that can indicate areas of higher or lower health status. Over time, trends begin to emerge. By collecting data for at least two consecutive weeks, a clear average for key parameters can be established, providing a reliable baseline for assessing overall health. This allows us to offer more personalized and actionable advice to clients.

For physicians, this continuous data collection offers invaluable insights into how a patient’s physiology responds to prescribed medications, enabling more precise therapy adjustments and improved monitoring of medication adherence.

Currently, HeartReader is designed to become a prescription-based system ("RX"), primarily to support physicians in optimizing treatment regimens. However, its applications extend beyond traditional medical use. Lifestyle coaches, fitness trainers, and non-medical health counselors are increasingly utilizing the device to help their clients track health improvements and achieve longevity or lifestyle goals.

Given its versatility, the HeartReader system has the potential to expand into the over-the-counter (OTC) market, making it accessible to a broader audience for personal health tracking and long-term wellness management.


Personalized Testing & Validation for Launch

We have two published medical studies confirming the reliability and accuracy of the HeartReader system. These publications provide a solid foundation for the product's launch, showcasing its ability to deliver consistent and actionable insights into physiological health.


Study 1: Pulse Wave Morphology Analysis
The first study focused on the repeatability and accuracy of pulse morphology analysis. Our primary goal was to determine whether variations in measurements were due to device inaccuracy or the inherent dynamism of human physiology. To address this, we conducted tests using a pulse wave generator, a device that produces a consistent pulse wave regardless of timing or settings.

Results demonstrated that when the HeartReader receives the same input signal, its output remains consistent, proving the system’s high level of accuracy in capturing and analyzing data.

Source: HeartReader marketing











However, physiological variations were observed in real-world testing on individuals. These variations stem from the body's dynamic nature, influenced by factors as subtle as thoughts, consuming a cup of coffee, or taking a brief walk. This highlights a key insight: while HeartReader reliably tracks physiological changes, the dynamism of human physiology introduces natural variability. This contrasts with the "single-measurement" approach often used in conventional medical systems, which can overlook this dynamic nature.


Study 2: Heart Rate Variability (HRV) and Pulse Rate Variability (PRV) Analysis
The second publication examined the system's capability in heart rate variability (HRV) analysis, comparing it to the gold-standard software, KubiosQBS, widely used for HRV research.

●     When the same input data was analyzed by both KubiosQBS and HeartReader, the results showed a 99% agreement, affirming that HeartReader's HRV engine is as accurate as (or potentially even slightly more accurate than) KubiosQBS.

●     Additionally, we compared ECG-based HRV with HeartReader's peripheral pulse-based pulse rate variability (PRV). The correlation between the two methods aligned closely with existing medical literature, further validating the system's precision and applicability.


Key Findings
These studies confirm that:

  1. Pulse Morphology Analysis is highly accurate and repeatable, reliably capturing physiological signals for preclinical use.
  2. HRV and PRV Analysis delivers results comparable to established gold-standard systems, making HeartReader a robust tool for understanding cardiovascular and autonomic nervous system dynamics.

HeartReader is not only accurate but also embraces the dynamic nature of human physiology, making it a revolutionary tool for personalized health monitoring and clinical support. This validation sets the stage for its successful integration into medical practice.

- To Be Continued -



PEDIATRIC MYOCARDITIS & NATIONAL DETECTION MOVEMENT

Since the advent of Covid-19 Long Haul studies in 2021, the medical diagnostic community shifted into overdrive- seeking out all available screening and examination protocols to assess health problems called POST-ACUTE SEQUELAE (PASC). One of the recent Covid-19 related headliners is the rise in cases of MYOCARDITIS in children 16 years and under. CDC Reports link the pathological impact with covid infection since it is proven that Viral infections are a common cause of myocarditis. 
Between early 2020–2021, patients with Covid-19 had nearly 16 times the risk for myocarditis[1]. According to the CDC, in a study of myocarditis cases, 2,116 (41.7%) had a history of Covid-19.  In addition, cases of myocarditis reported to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) indicated links between Myocarditis and Pericarditis to come from the mRNA Covid-19 vaccination (especially in male adolescents and young adults) more often after the second dose.[2].

Myocarditis is defined as an inflammatory disorder of the heart muscle (myocardium) leading to cardiac dysfunction. It is also recognized as myocardial cell death [3]. Checkups for this also reviews for PERICARDITIS (the inflammation of the outer lining of the heart). Various causes of myocarditis includes: Viral Infectious including adenoviruses, echoviruses, enteroviruses like the coxsackie viruses. In addition, predisposition can occur from those with Autoimmune diseases such as Celiac disease, Churg-Strauss syndrome, Crohn disease, Kawasaki disease, lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, sarcoidosis etc. (See NIH chart for full list of causes- [4])

STANDARDIZED DIAGNOSTICS
As with any critical disorder, detecting early stages of myocarditis allows for a higher opportunity to treat and even eliminate the health risk.  In children, symptoms include: Fever, Fainting, Breathing difficulties, Rapid breathing, Chest pain and Rapid or irregular heart rhythms [5]. In adults, symptoms range from chest pain, shortness of breath, at rest or during activity and fluid buildup with swelling of the legs, ankles and feet. To prevent possible heart damage, a cardiologist may order one of a number of imaging options:
▪ Electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG)
▪ Chest X-Ray
▪ Heart MRI
▪ Blood Tests
▪ Doppler Ultrasound for Acute Myocarditis
▪ Cardiovascular MR Elastography (MRE)
▪ Ultrasound Elastography

See expanded details on diagnostic protocols, visit:  http://pediatricscan.com/myocarditis.html





Continued: Introducing THE HEART READER

Evaluating System Performance in Clinical Contexts
The next critical question is: How does the HeartReader system perform under specific clinical conditions? While there is no universally accepted gold standard for peripheral pulse wave monitoring, our extensive dataset offers compelling insights into its reliability and clinical relevance.


Large-Scale Data Validation
With over 150,000 measurements collected from more than 8,000 individuals aged 15 to 85, our analysis revealed a strong correlation between many of the 30 calculated parameters and age. Since physiological and hemodynamic functions naturally evolve with age, this alignment with well-documented aging patterns serves as a robust internal validation of the system. The fact that HeartReader accurately reflects these age-related changes, recognized as "normal" by cardiologists and the broader medical community, reinforces the system’s credibility and precision.

Highlighting Individual Variability
In addition to reflecting typical aging trends, HeartReader uncovers individual differences in aging rates and cardiovascular health. Some individuals demonstrate faster or slower aging patterns, with corresponding variations in cardiovascular risks and conditions. This variability underscores the system's ability to go beyond averages and offer personalized insights. By identifying where a person falls relative to their age group, HeartReader provides a detailed picture of individual cardiovascular health, making it a powerful tool for early detection and intervention.

Establishing Age-Based Averages
Despite individual differences, the extensive data pool has enabled us to establish clear averages for each age group. These benchmarks further validate the system's capacity to serve as a precise and personalized monitoring tool, offering healthcare providers a reliable means of assessing cardiovascular health and guiding patient care.

HeartReader's combination of large-scale validation, individual variability analysis, and alignment with established medical norms positions it as a cutting-edge system for clinical and personalized health applications.

 

About the Author/Developer:

Dr. Sándor Kulin graduated as a medical doctor in 1990 at Semmelweis University, Budapest, and became an obstetrician and gynecologist at Imre Haynal University of Health Sciences in 1994.   He has special interest in maternal and fetal health, human physiology, cell physiology, hypoxia, malignant transformation, and therapy monitoring. Having almost 20 years of experience in non-invasive cardiovascular monitoring in 2018 he became a Co-founder and CEO of E-Med4All Europe Ltd, a Hungarian digital health startup, aiming to help the transformation towards a more data driven and personalized medicine and to be part of the shift of today’s medicine from disease management to prevention.



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