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Michael Grossbard, MD
MichaelGrossbardMD (Physician - Oncology - Hematology/Oncology (Verified) )| Communities: Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma , Hodgkin Lymphoma , CLL (Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia) , Stomach Cancer , Colon and Rectal Cancer , Myeloma | Answers: 8 |
| Member Since: Jun. 2012 |
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Professional Statement
Dr. Grossbard is a nationally recognized expert in the treatment of cancer with expertise in the management of lymphoma, other hematologic malignancies, and gastronitestinal cancer. He has been a leader in the development of antibody therapies for lymphoma. At Continuum Cancer Centers of New York, he directs the Lymphoma Program and actively particpates in the programs in Gastrointestinal Cancer Thoracic Oncology.
He is the author or co-author of more than 100 articles on lymphoma, GI cancers, and thoracic cancers. He has edited two text books: "Lymphoma" and "Monoclonal Antibody Therapy of Cancer."
Dr. Grossbard is frequently named to lists of top doctors, and most recently appeared in the Castle Connolly 2011 edition of “Top Doctors: New York Metro Area,” “America’s Top Doctors” and “America’s Top Doctors for Cancer.”
He is among New York Magazine's "Best Doctors" as listed in the June 2011 edition of the magazine. The New York Magazine is excerpted from Castle Connolly's annual guidebook, "Top Doctors: New York Metro Area."
He is the author or co-author of more than 100 articles on lymphoma, GI cancers, and thoracic cancers. He has edited two text books: "Lymphoma" and "Monoclonal Antibody Therapy of Cancer."
Dr. Grossbard is frequently named to lists of top doctors, and most recently appeared in the Castle Connolly 2011 edition of “Top Doctors: New York Metro Area,” “America’s Top Doctors” and “America’s Top Doctors for Cancer.”
He is among New York Magazine's "Best Doctors" as listed in the June 2011 edition of the magazine. The New York Magazine is excerpted from Castle Connolly's annual guidebook, "Top Doctors: New York Metro Area."
Professional Info
Credential: MD
Primary specialty: Oncology - Hematology/Oncology
Medical school: Yale University School of Medicine
Residency: Massachusettes General Hospital
Fellowship: Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
Areas of expertise:
Colon and Rectal Cancer
Gastric Cancers
Hodgkins Disease
Lymphomas
Multiple Myeloma
Stomach Cancer
Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma, CLL, Antibody Therapy
Hospital affiliation: Continuum Cancer Centers of New York, St. Luke's-Roosevelt and Beth Israel
Practice address:
1000 Tenth Avenue, Suite 11C-02
New York , NY
10019
Practice phone number: (212) 523-5419
MichaelGrossbardMD Activities
Does having a parent who has leukemia increase my risk of having leukemia or another type of cancer?
Not all patients who have leukemia carry an increased risk of having other family members developed leukemia. There are some specific types of leukemia that do run in families, including chronic lymphocytic leukemia, but even in that disease, most cases are not familial. In any given case of leukemia ( or any other hematologic malignancy), it is important for the treating physician to take a detailed family history as well as a history of any possible exposures to carcinogenic agents that may have been present in multiple family members. The treating clinician can then make a decision about whether it is appropriate to refer the patient and/or family members for genetic counseling.
New answer by MichaelGrossbardMD (Physician - Oncology - Hematology/Oncology (Verified))
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11 months ago
Radioimmunoconjugates are antibodies that are attached directly to radioactive isotopes such as iodine or yttrium. These antibodies allow radiation therapy (a very effective form of treatment for lymphoma) to be delivered directly to the surface of malignant lymphoma cells in relatively high doses while sparing normal tissues from the effects of radiation. There currently are two such agents that are FDA approved in the United States for the treatment of low grade lymphoma. The benefits of these agents in more aggressive lymphomas are less well-defined. They also are not appropriate for all patients. For example, patients who have significant bone marrow involvement by lymphoma are not candidates for radioimmunoconjugate therapy because too much radiation will be delivered to the bone marrow thereby having the potential to cause dangerous reductions in the white blood count and platelet count.
New answer by MichaelGrossbardMD (Physician - Oncology - Hematology/Oncology (Verified))
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11 months ago
Steroids including Prednisone and Dexamethasone represent a mainstay of lymphoma therapy. Steroids can directly kill malignant and normal lymphocytes. As single agents, steroids are not a particularly effective treatment for lymphoma and have limited benefit in most cases. Nevertheless, in combination with chemotherapy, steroids can enhance the response rates that would be achieved with chemotherapy alone without the use of steroids.
New answer by MichaelGrossbardMD (Physician - Oncology - Hematology/Oncology (Verified))
1
Answer |
11 months ago
When a patient undergoes therapy for non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, it is critical that the patient’s physician assesses him or her at regular intervals to make certain that the patient is responding to therapy and to evaluate for any toxicities of the treatment. Typically, the treating physician will examine the patient at regular intervals during the course of treatment. At two to 4 month intervals, the treating oncologist will order radiologic studies such as CT scans or a PET/CT to more formally assess and measure the response to therapy.
Likewise, the treating oncologist will assess carefully for any side effects of treatment, particularly those that may necessitate a change in the therapeutic program.
Likewise, the treating oncologist will assess carefully for any side effects of treatment, particularly those that may necessitate a change in the therapeutic program.
New answer by MichaelGrossbardMD (Physician - Oncology - Hematology/Oncology (Verified))
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11 months ago
The preference of most lymphoma specialists is to obtain an excisional biopsy rather than a core needle biopsy or fine needle aspirate when feasible in order to make an accurate diagnosis. An excisional biopsy not only allows the treating doctor to get information about the proteins present on the surface of the tumor cell, but also permits a thorough analysis of the morphology (how a lymphoma looks under a microscope). Since a fine needle aspirate provides only a small sample of a lymph node, it may not provide sufficient tissue for an accurate diagnosis of the lymphoma subtype. Some lymphomas also do not have consistent pathology throughout a lymph node which can represent a mixture of an aggressive and a nonaggressive lymphoma. Accurate sampling is critical in order to determine how aggressively and lymphoma needs to be treated.
There are settings in which it can be difficult to obtain an excisional biopsy without performing an open surgical procedure. In those situations, it is reasonable to consider whether enough diagnostic information can be obtained using a core needle biopsy or fine needle aspirate thereby allowing the patient to avoid a surgical procedure that may have some associated risk and may delay the institution of therapy.
There are settings in which it can be difficult to obtain an excisional biopsy without performing an open surgical procedure. In those situations, it is reasonable to consider whether enough diagnostic information can be obtained using a core needle biopsy or fine needle aspirate thereby allowing the patient to avoid a surgical procedure that may have some associated risk and may delay the institution of therapy.
New answer by MichaelGrossbardMD (Physician - Oncology - Hematology/Oncology (Verified))
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11 months ago
Multiple factors determine the aggressiveness of a non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. The specific subtype of lymphoma is the simplest way in which to assess a lymphoma’s aggressiveness. In the simplest sense, lymphomas can be divided into indolent lymphomas and aggressive lymphomas. Indolent lymphomas grow very slowly, often over months to years, and may not require any treatment for several years after diagnosis. In contrast, aggressive lymphomas can grow very rapidly. Burkitt’s lymphoma is a particularly aggressive non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and the tumor cells can divide every 24 hours. The most aggressive lymphomas need to be treated shortly after diagnosis and require treatment with multiple chemotherapy agents given on a specified schedule.
New answer by MichaelGrossbardMD (Physician - Oncology - Hematology/Oncology (Verified))
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11 months ago
There are many different subtypes of lymphoma and these subtypes have different ways in which they manifest themselves in patients. One major way to distinguish lymphomas is to assess whether they are of T-cell or B-cell origin (T and B representing different types of lymphocytes in the body). These subtypes can be distinguished by staining lymphoma cells to determine whether they have T-cell or B-cell antigens on their surface. Another way to distinguish lymphomas is to examine tumor cells under the microscope and assess their size and shape. For example, some aggressive lymphomas have very large malignant cells (and are known as large cell lymphomas). A third way to evaluate lymphoma subtypes is to assess genetic changes within the tumor cell by using molecular biologic techniques or examining the chromosomes directly (cytogenetic analysis).
By determining the subtype of lymphoma, specific therapy programs can be offered that will optimize the chance for a favorable response. The standard therapy for a diffuse large B-cell lymphoma is different from that of a Burkitt’s lymphoma or a follicular lymphoma. Likewise, these different entities have different prognoses.
By determining the subtype of lymphoma, specific therapy programs can be offered that will optimize the chance for a favorable response. The standard therapy for a diffuse large B-cell lymphoma is different from that of a Burkitt’s lymphoma or a follicular lymphoma. Likewise, these different entities have different prognoses.
New answer by MichaelGrossbardMD (Physician - Oncology - Hematology/Oncology (Verified))
1
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11 months ago
A monoclonal antibody is an antibody that is derived from a single set of parent cells and can be produced to specifically target a protein on the surface of a cell. These targeted monoclonal antibodies can bind directly to cancer cells and kill those cells either directly or by activating the immune system to effect cell death. Monoclonal antibodies also can be used as vehicles to carry drugs, potent toxins, or radiation directly to the surface of a tumor cell. For example, Rituximab is an antibody that binds to a protein (CD20) that is found on the surface of lymphoma cells from almost all patients with B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Similarly, other anti-CD20 antibodies have been used to carry radioactive iodine and yttrium directly to lymphoma cells. Yet another antibody binds to the CD30 antigen and is used to carry a potent drug directly to the surface of malignant cells in patients with Hodgkin’s disease and anaplastic large cell lymphoma that bear the target antigen.
New answer by MichaelGrossbardMD (Physician - Oncology - Hematology/Oncology (Verified))
1
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11 months ago
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