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Interview with Dr. Fotini (Tina) Sampalis |
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by Lyle Hurd
Dr. Fotini (Tina) Sampalis
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Dr. Sampalis’ impressive career path over the past 20 years includes the following:
She is a general surgeon with training in physiology at McGill University;
medicine at the University of Patras (Greece);
dermatology at Gottingen University (Germany);
and Marselisborg University (Denmark);
pediatric and general surgery at the University of Athens (Greece);
and graduate training (Ph.D.) in surgical research at the University of Athens.
She is in the process of completing a Ph.D. in epidemiology and;
experimental surgery at McGill University. |
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Webster
defines a
dynamo as
“an energetic,
hardworking,
forceful
person.”
Add “dedicated
to improving
the human
condition”
and it
describes
Dr. Sampalis.
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Dr. Sampalis has been recognized with
awards for her work on the clinical
implementation of retinals and breast
cancer including the Helen Hutchison Award for
geriatric medicine.
- Her work on scintimammography has resulted in her appointment to the Educational Speakers Bureau in the Canadian and U.S. faculty of Medical Speakers for Breast Imaging.
- She holds the position of medical director of JSS Medical Research and was the principal investigator in research that resulted in the designation of JSS Medical Research as a Center of Excellence for scintimammography and breast cancer diagnosis.
- As an international scholar she is leading the development and implementation of innovative microinvasive and stereotactic surgical techniques for breast cancer, for which Canada and the U.S. patent application has been filed.
- She was recently appointed associate professor in the Department of Surgery of the University of Montreal.
- She has had over 13 peer-reviewed publications and 68 presentations at international conferences.
- Since May 2000 she has held the position of vice president of research and development of Neptune Technologies & Bioressources, a biotechnology company dedicated to the development and scientific validation of high value natural marine products extracted from nonexploited marine biomass.
TH: Dr. Sampalis, at the beginning of this article
we provide our audience with a profile of your
professional background and achievements over
the past 20 years. I would like to use this opportunity
to concentrate on your significant innovative
work in the fields of breast cancer diagnosis
and surgical techniques as well as your commitment
to introducing our industry to the health
benefits of natural krill oil.
First, please explain how you became aware of
the potential of scintimammography as a diagnostic
tool for identifying breast cancer.
Dr. S: As a surgeon with a specialty in breast
cancer I have always had a serious concern that
conventional mammography is not an exact science.
At best it is only 70 percent accurate in
detecting tumors, especially in women with very
dense breast tissue, women who have had prior
breast surgeries, women with implants and those
on hormone replacement therapy.
I realized the potential of scintimammography
as a fluke while completing my surgical
training at the University Hospital at Athens.
Upon preop workups, on female myocardium
patients, findings (black spots) seen in their
breasts were removed during surgery. When
examined most were shown to be cancerous. The
chief of surgery in my department allowed me to
pursue this phenomena and suggested that if the
results were promising, I could then develop it
into a Ph.D. thesis. That is how scintimammography
was born in Europe.
Scintimammography is an extremely sensitive
and specific procedure utilizing a cancer
seeking dye to detect the presence of breast
cancer. In comparison to conventional mammography,
this procedure only seeks cancerous
tumors. It is 98.7 percent accurate as compared
to the 70 percent accuracy of conventional
mammography.
Concurrent with my work, Dr. Iraj
Khaikali, a nuclear medicine physician located
in Florida, had also made the same observations.
Today, scintimammography, being much
more accurate than conventional mammography
and less expensive and more readily
available than a CAT scan, is gaining
momentum in the U.S. Any hospital with a
gamma scanner can perform the procedure. It
is being approved by HMOs; many hospitals
are starting to offer it and it is being requested
by more doctors. However, at this point there
has been very little public awareness generated.
A reader interested in more information
regarding scintimammography can visit Web
site: www.miraluma.com
The microinvasive and stereotactic surgical
techniques really emanated from a personal
commitment to explore new and innovative
approaches to reducing the physical and emotional
trauma associated with conventional
breast cancer surgery.
The majority of breast cancer surgeries
today are debilitating for women. This is
because in most instances it entails removing
all or a major portion of the breast. We do not
want to subject women to that any longer.
They don’t deserve it. Accordingly we are
always seeking the means to offer the best
treatment to women but with minimal scarring,
both physical and emotional.
The technique which we have designed
allows a tumor of up to two centimeters to be
removed using digital technology and
robotics. Whether it is cancerous or not, as
long as the tumor is in its very early stages we
can remove the entire tumor with a minimal
amount of surrounding tissue, through a
microinvasive incision and with practically no
scarring.
I am firmly convinced broad implementation
of early detection through scintimammography
and the extraction of
cancerous breast tumors by stereotactic surgical
techniques could benefit millions of
women who otherwise will be destined to
undergo the trauma of radical breast surgery
and mastectomies.
TH: I am curious, after nearly 20 years of medical
training, research, surgery and innovating
new diagnostic approaches and surgical procedures,
you made a paradigm shift to the natural
health arena.
Dr. S: In 2000, when I was working on my
stereotactic technology, I was receiving
funding as a scholar of a company which was
acquired by a larger company. The new entity
had no provision for research grants and my
funding ceased.
Consequently, I approached a venture capital
group regarding funding. My particular
objectives did not fit with their business interests,
however, the firm’s president, Mr. Henri
Harland, reviewed my qualifications and
offered me the opportunity to become
involved in research on krill, a crustacean that
lives in the ocean, specifically krill from the
Antarctic Ocean. They were interested in
developing a procedure to extract its beneficial
oils for human consumption.
While conducting the initial research I
became intrigued with the potential benefits of
krill to human health. In comparing it to other
nutritional ingredients I realized it was the first
time one oil was a combination of virtually all
of the elements the human body needs to
function properly. There are functional phospholipids
rich in omega-3, an imperative to
the development of the brain in the fetus and
critical to function of our brain throughout
life. It is the substance every cell needs to
maintain healthy cell membranes. It provides
incredibly potent antioxidants and is effective
for the regulation of blood glucose and lipids.
When Mr. Harland reviewed my research, he
offered me an opportunity to become vice president
of research and development of Neptune
Technologies & Bioressources Inc., a new company
formed to pursue the natural health of krill
and other natural marine biomass.
Even though it was completely out of my
field of research, I was convinced that krill was
nature’s prefect recipe and there was no way I
was going to turn down the opportunity to
follow through on verifying a multitude of
benefits and help to bring it to the health food
and health care professional markets.
TH: So basically you made the transition from
being involved in the hands-on curing of
disease to becoming immersed in the development
of an ingredient that promotes wellness
in the body and protects against disease?
Dr. S: Immersed, yes. However, I haven’t discontinued
my research. I am still involved one
day a week as an assistant professor of experimental
surgery at the University of Montreal.
But I am devoted to bringing Neptune Krill
Oil™ (NKO™) from the laboratory bench to the
bedside, from the Antarctic Ocean to the people.
TH: I understand your company has recently
received some exciting results regarding the
use of krill oil in managing PMS symptoms.
Dr. S: Yes. Statistics show that 80 percent of
lost work days among women of reproductive
age are caused by the effects of premenstrual
syndrome. Results of the study show that krill
oil was proven to help manage and control the
physical and emotional symptoms. The study
was validated by the American Psychiatric
Association. If you consider the fact that
antianxiety drugs and antidepressants are now
regularly being given to women in order to
control the emotional symptoms of PMS, an
effective natural and safe approach should be a
warmly welcomed alternative.
A second clinical study performed on NKO
proved that NKO is significantly more effective
than fish oil for the regulation of blood glucose
and lipids within healthy ranges. It is now safe
to suggest that NKO is scientifically proven to
be a safe, incredibly stable and significantly
effective dietary marine supplement without
the unpleasant fish aftertaste and reflux
observed with the various marine (fish) oils in
the market. I would like also to emphasize the
incredible increase of mental alertness, concentration
and memory reported by everybody
taking NKO. This is due to the high concentration
of omega-3 rich functional phospholipids
combined with extraordinarily potent antioxidants.
We are all very grateful to Mr. Henri
Harland, who first believed in the virtues of
krill and devoted the resources to bring it up to
this point.
TH: Any further comments?
Dr. S: I would like to say that what I am doing
is not at all unique. More and more medical
doctors and conventional medical scientists
are researching the multiple health benefits of
nutrition and nutrient supplementation on
humans. A good example is a clinical study
performed by the world renowned Montreal
Heart Institute Research Center on NKO.
TH: Dr. Sampalis thank you for your time.
I’m sure the readers will enjoy learning about
you and your endeavors.
Dr. S: You are welcome. .
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