Sarah Eddleman coordinates the Institute’s wig and hat program. Page 14
TRAINING GROUND
Fellowships Create Highly Skilled Specialists
Connecting Research Through Technology
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Editor Susan Van Dusen Art Director Laurie Shell Managing Editor Liz Caldwell Writers Liz Caldwell, Nate Hinkel, Jon Parham, David Robinson, Susan Van Dusen Creative Director Keith Runkle Photographer Johnpaul Jones Production Manager Angi McDaniel Database Manager Kelly Pollnow Director Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute Peter D. Emanuel, M.D. Chancellor University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences I. Dodd Wilson, M.D. Vice Chancellor of Communications & Marketing Pat Torvestad Associate Vice Chancellor of Communications & Marketing Leslie Taylor Seek is published quarterly for the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute by the Office of Communications & Marketing at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, 4301 W. Markham St. #890, Little Rock, AR 72205-7199; phone (501) 686-5686; Fax (501) 686-6020.
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Welcome to 2009! If you haven’t visited campus lately, you won’t recognize the place! In addition to major strides in our Cancer Institute tower expansion, in the last few months the campus also has celebrated the grand openings of a new education building named after Chancellor I. Dodd Wilson, the new Psychiatric Research Institute, and the new UAMS Hospital. The landscape of the UAMS campus has truly undergone a transformation. As the Cancer Institute grows and expands, one of our lofty goals is to become one of the elite cancer centers in the nation by receiving a designation from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) of the federal government. As we compare and contrast ourselves to our counterparts in other states, there are several areas in which we already are equal to or better than larger cancer centers. Many of those areas are highlighted in this issue of Seek. As the world of medicine converts from a paper record system to an electronic one, the amount of information is exploding. The NCI has developed an information technology system called caBIG to aid in converting clinical trials and clinical research into an electronic system. The information technology leaders in the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute have been at the forefront with the NCI in applying some of these caBIG information tools into clinical trials, even more so than larger cancer centers like M.D. Anderson, Dana-Farber and Memorial Sloan-Kettering. In October 2008, we participated in the Fashion Footwear Association of New York and QVC’s footwear sales event. Later this spring we will receive funds for breast cancer research as a result of this event. We are the only small cancer center to benefit from this event. The others include such centers as University of Michigan, Washington University in St. Louis and Johns Hopkins. All of this goes to show that, step by step, we are starting more and more to develop a reputation among the most highly regarded cancer centers. But the key is that this ultimately benefits Arkansans with cancer.
Peter D. Emanuel, M.D. Director, Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute
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WINTER 2009
features 24/7
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A program started by Elias Anaissie, M.D., puts round-the-clock support at the fingertips of myeloma patients.
good fellows
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Cancer fellowship programs produce some of the nation’s most highly skilled specialists.
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paying it forward
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Carolyn Hamra survived cancer and lost her husband to it. Now she gives her time to others sharing the same experiences.
no hair day
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The wig and hat program proves that a small gesture can go a long way.
network connection
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The Cancer Institute is a leader in the national caBIG technology initiative.
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in every issue Medicine Bag............................................. 10
Fellowship award Energizer ReTreat Spa Research grant awarded Wal-Mart donation Minority health assistance
Profile ............................................................ 18 Diagnosed with ovarian cancer in her early 30s, Debra Myton kept the faith and won the battle.
Expansion........................................................ 22 The Bookout Translational Research Center will bring research findings to the patient more quickly.
Spotlight.......................................................... 25
Redneck Tailgate FFANY Shoes on Sale Holiday reception
man Sarah Eddle coordinates te’s the Institu hat wig and program. Page 14
TRAININDG GROUN
Cover photo by Johnpaul Jones
ps Create Fellowshi lled Highly Ski Specialists
Research Connecting hnology Through Tec
“It was luck of the draw that I was fortunate enough to be born a Rockefeller. But with that comes the additional obligation, or I should say opportunity, to do some good.” Winthrop P. Rockefeller 1948-2006 Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute
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With Barlogie’s blessing, Anaissie quickly The stage was set early for Elias created one of the bedrocks of the Myeloma Anaissie’s distinguished medical career. Institute: the Supportive Care Program. Anaissie warmed quickly to the role of Eight physicians, called hospitalists, and 10 caregiver as the oldest of eight siblings. And specially trained advance practice nurses (APNs) childhood summers were spent at his physician grandfather’s home, where he witnessed just about provide the intensive care that patients need throughout their months-long treatments by all aspects of family medicine. “He had a pharmacy and a special room where Barlogie and other myeloma specialists. The unique program allows he saw patients and even performed myeloma patients to be treated minor surgeries,” said Anaissie, as outpatients by providing who grew up in Beirut, them 24-hour access to Lebanon. the hospitalists and By the time APNs. As many as Anaissie came 200 patients receive along, his intensive treatment grandfather’s at anytime, and medical practice Anaissie’s team was limited to is there to help friends and them through the family, but nts e i t many physical the intimate a p oma ere l h and emotional e clinical setting y omew le m s p i t complications m t made a lasting u l a ho Mu ogr related to their impression. ver wit s to a pr ne d. . k n M are disease and , a “I liked e , th issi a rn u n t treatment. A medicine a lot to as y Eli If they were because it truly on led b obins R being treated anywhere allowed a unique id v By Da else, they would be in a bond of trust between hospital, Anaissie said. The patients and physicians, team’s methodically tracked and because it offered many results also are setting new national and intellectual challenges,” he said. international standards in the supportive care for Anaissie became the rare subspecialist with cancer patients. board certification in both hematology/oncology Giving patients the freedom to live away and infectious diseases and served 12 years from the hospital is good for their mental and on the faculty at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center physical health, Anaissie said. The model of care he in Houston. In 1996, Bart Barlogie, M.D., Ph.D., who leads emphasizes is one of partnership between patients and health care workers, urging patients to stay UAMS’ world-renowned Myeloma Institute for informed and inviting tough questions about Research and Therapy, was looking for someone their care. with the special expertise to manage health “I want to be remembered, above all, as a good complications associated with the treatment husband and father,” he said. “But right after that I of cancer. Anaissie’s dual training and strong want to be remembered for having done the best I international reputation in the field made him a can for my patients. This is a very important part of perfect match. “I joined UAMS and I never looked back. I love what defines me. And that is why I am available to it here. It’s in a great city. My wife loves living here our patients seven days a week, 365 days a year.” and my kids love growing up here,” the father of three said.
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Anaissie’s work earned him the 2006 Collaborative Physician of the Year Award from the EliasNurses Anaissie, M.D., Advanced Practice developed the Myeloma Council of the Arkansas Institute’s Supportive Nurses Association. Care Program.
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Despite tests showing the
patient’s abnormality was benign, Zuleika Diaz, M.D., made the decision to do an ultrasound-guided breast biopsy to be sure.
As it turned out, she made the right call.
“I remember when I was examining
this particular patient that something looked suspicious. Even after the initial tests came back negative, we went ahead and did a biopsy and ultimately ended up finding a malignancy,” said Diaz, one of three fellows in the UAMS Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute’s Diseases of the Breast Fellowship Program. “My experience in this program is one that cannot be measured.” u
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UAMS fellows Abdulraheem Yacoub, M.D.; Zuleika Diaz, M.D.; and Anjali Sibley, M.D.
Cancer fellowship programs at UAMS help produce some of the most highly skilled specialists in the nation. By Nate Hinkel
to have them here because there is a lot of The hands-on experience gained in medical fellowship programs following residency training important work to be done,” Makhoul added. prepares doctors for real-world diagnoses, treatment and patient interaction within their One of a Kind chosen specialty. That time frame, usually between Fellows within several of the Cancer one and three years, is often combined with a year Institute programs had their sights set on UAMS of research relative to their specialty. because the fellowships stood out among other The Breast Fellowship, under the leadership choices. and direction of V. Suzanne Anjali Sibley, M.D., a Klimberg, M.D., director of the fellow from Boston in the UAMS Breast Cancer Program, Hematology/Oncology “The knowledge gives fellows the benefit of a Fellowship Program, saw and know-how nationally renowned breast several unique aspects of the specialist mentoring every level gained during this Cancer Institute. of their clinical and research “I interviewed in the time is absolutely experience. And that’s just one Northeast, the South and crucial to the careers the Midwest, but four of several fellowships offered in various research and clinical of these doctors and things about UAMS stood specialties at UAMS. out: the fact that we are an the outcomes of “A mentor-mentee outstanding cancer center relationship is formed during the patients they covering a large geographic the course of a fellowship that area, the variety and breadth will see.” is very hands on and very of our research, the variety interactive in all phases of their of our cancer pathologies, experience,” said Klimberg. “The knowledge and and our world-renowned Myeloma Institute,” know-how gained during this time is absolutely Sibley said. “I also like the university setting crucial to the careers of these doctors and the where there is constant scientific intellectual outcomes of the patients they will see.” stimulation and the opportunity for patient care.” Make a Match Makhoul, who recently took over leadership Following residency training, doctors opting of the Hematology/Oncology Fellowship from to pursue a fellowship in a subspecialty find that Laura Hutchins, M.D., director of the UAMS the best programs are extremely competitive. Division of Hematology/Oncology, said his That holds true at the Cancer Institute. program has nine fellowship positions. “We often have 150 to 200 applications at The Breast Fellowship is unique because it’s a time,” said Issam Makhoul, M.D., associate the only university-based breast fellowship and professor of medicine in the Division of the only one in the country involving research. Hematology/Oncology at UAMS. “We screen Klimberg said the format recently changed from them down to a select group that would fit well a two-year program (one year of clinical, one year here and then interview maybe as many as 25 to of research) to a single year of clinical, with an 30 of them.” additional year of research now optional. Much like the match program that sends But the most unique aspect, Klimberg said, graduating medical students on to their residency is the emphasis placed on continuous versus programs, a ranking system between faculty and fragmented care where fellows may screen, applicants also ultimately determines the best fit diagnose and provide surgical care and then for potential fellows. follow the same patient through additional “They have to want to be here and we want therapy and even psychosocial intervention. 8
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Looking Beyond Cancer’s Limits
Shortage of Radiation Oncologists Calls for Residency Program “I went to 11 interviews, including this one, which was my first choice,” Diaz said. “I’m really happy with the program. It was the best decision I could have made.”
Mission Accomplished Though specific goals of individual fellowships might differ, the basic mission of each is simple. “It is our mission to take our fellows from basic knowledge in internal medicine and make them the most knowledgeable people in their specific profession, whether they enter academia or private practice,” Makhoul said. Diaz said when her fellowship wraps up she will return to her native Puerto Rico to do her research there, hoping to fill in the vast gaps in breast data among the Hispanic population. She also hopes to open a private practice there within the next decade. “Thanks to Dr. Klimberg and the other experts here at UAMS, I’m prepared to make a difference back home,” Diaz said. Sibley said her experience at UAMS has developed into a love for the university environment, and she hopes to remain in that atmosphere. “The ability to see all kinds of patients under the guidance of a faculty that is accessible and engaging in both research and clinical aspects has been tremendously value to me as a trainee,” she said.
Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute
While specialty fellowship programs at the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute are flourishing and extremely competitive, there are critical specialty areas facing a hard dose of reality. With the state’s supply of radiation oncologists facing a very real threat of extinction, hosting a fellowship program in the field would be a luxury. As it is, Vaneerat Ratanatharathorn, M.D., professor and chairman of the UAMS Department of Radiation Oncology, is busy drumming up support to establish a residency program that will be crucial to helping the state meet its demand. The situation is ominous in Arkansas, where there are only 30 practicing radiation oncologists. If the national trend of a 2 percent retirement rate applies — combined with the fact that there is no in-state residency program — it would result in only 19 practicing radiation oncologists in the state in the next decade. “And without relying on outof-state recruitment of radiation oncologists to fill vacancies in the future, there will be only four practicing radiation oncologists in Arkansas in 20 years,” Ratanatharathorn said. If Ratanatharathorn can realize her efforts to get a radiation oncology residency program started at UAMS, the ultimate goal would be to produce one specialist per year. She says it’s within reach, but a number of things have to happen first, including meeting several requirements to obtain approval from the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME). That includes adding a fourth radiation oncologist faculty member, getting a site visit and meeting several enrollment standards, among others. The other big factor is securing an investment that Ratanatharathorn estimates to be about $550,000 per year. “If we wait until all of the radiation oncologists are gone away, it’d be too late. The time to start planning for this is now,” she said.
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MedicineBag C A NC E R
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Energizing the Body Soul
& Fellowship Award
A UAMS scientist is the first in Arkansas to receive a postdoctoral fellowship award from the American Cancer Society. Meenakshi Upreti, Ph.D., of the UAMS Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, received the award that carries with it $50,000 to further Upreti’s research of a particular class of anticancer drugs known as microtubule inhibitors. These drugs cause very specific changes in Bcl-2 proteins, a certain group of proteins present in all cells that are important in controlling the programmed cell death known as apoptosis that occurs during chemotherapy. Upreti will pursue this study under the guidance of Timothy Chambers, Ph.D., professor and vice chairman of the UAMS Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.
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The Energizer ReTreat Spa set up shop for four hours in October to offer complimentary back massages and manicures for patients and caregivers at the Cancer Institute. As a national series sponsor of the Komen Race for the Cure, Energizer representatives travel via RV to 20 cities throughout the country to offer the event for women affected by breast cancer. At each stop, a local spa partners with Energizer to provide the massages and manicures. For the third year, Turtle Cove Spa offered its services during the Little Rock stop. About 100 women took advantage of the services at UAMS, while another 200-300 participated during the Race for the Cure in downtown Little Rock on Oct. 11.
Looking Beyond Cancer’s Limits
Research
Grant Awarded
A recent donation from the Wal-Mart Store on
A scientist at UAMS has been awarded
$1,125 toward construction of the Cancer
a $720,000 grant from the American Cancer
Institute’s new tower. As with all donations to the
Society to study how cells replicate and
Joyce Boulevard in Fayetteville meant an additional
construction project, the contribution was matched dollar for dollar by the state of Arkansas resulting in
form tumors.
a total donation of $2,250.
The four-year grant was presented
to Amanda Charlesworth, Ph.D., director of the Molecular Biology Core Facility in the UAMS Center for Translational
The check presentation was made at the
Wal-Mart store in front of about 150 Wal-Mart employees and executives.
Neurosciences.
Minority Health Assistance
UAMS recently received $121,000 from the
“What we are studying is how cell growth
is normally controlled so that we can learn how it goes wrong when cells sometimes replicate themselves uncontrollably to the point that they form tumors,” said Charlesworth. Charlesworth hopes that the results could lead to very specific treatments of some gynecological cancers.
Arkansas Minority Health Commission to benefit targeted areas of the state’s underserved and uninsured residents.
The Cancer Control Breast Cancer Education
and Navigation Program received $24,000, while the Prostate Cancer Patient Education, Screening and Navigation Program received $24,999.
The remainder of the amount benefits the
UAMS Area Health Education Center (AHEC) Northeast in Jonesboro, the UAMS AHEC Southwest in Texarkana and UAMS Regional Programs Community-Based Medical Interpreter Training Partnership program.
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Paying it Forward
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Carolyn Hamra’s life has been intertwined with the Cancer Institute for more than two decades. Today, visitors to the Cancer Institute Auxiliary’s gift shop can find her ringing up sales, arranging merchandise or talking to a patient browsing between medical appointments. But in the 1980s and early 1990s, she and her husband, Gerald F. Hamra, who helped build the Wendy’s restaurant franchise in Arkansas, were involved in fundraising for the Cancer Institute, and Gerald Hamra was on the Institute’s board. Then Gerald Hamra was diagnosed with throat cancer, and the Institute took on new meaning as he became a patient, dying a year later in 1995. “After my husband passed away, I had a friend who said, ‘It’s time for you to get back to your volunteering,’” Hamra said. She chose the Cancer Institute. “Everybody was always so good to me during what we went through. They were always there for support,” she said. She became a gift shop fixture on Tuesday afternoons. “It’s like paying it forward. I get more out of it than I give because everybody is so nice,” she said. “I enjoy working with the patients. Sometimes they just want an ear.” Janie Lowe, director of Volunteer Services, said that role fits Hamra to a T. “She is fabulous with patients. She’s very empathic and makes them feel at home. She makes people feel she is inviting them into her home,” Lowe said.
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This grateful gift shop volunteer is happy to lend a hand and an eaR. By Liz Caldwell
Some of that empathy comes from Hamra’s own experience as a patient. In 2000, she was diagnosed with an aggressive form of breast cancer. “Again, the Cancer Institute was there for me all the way, and still is,” she said. Some of the patients know her story, which includes her mother and two sisters being diagnosed with breast cancer, and ask how she has handled it. “I just tell them, ‘This, too, shall pass.’” After years as a fundraiser, patient and volunteer at the Cancer Institute, she is most excited about the 2010 opening of the 12-story expansion. “We will be second to none as far as cancer treatment. We are so lucky that this is right in our backyard. Not just Little Rock, but for the state. I think they’ve made an effort to have the finest doctors who are on the cusp of everything new, and we’re going to be up to the minute.” Hamra has volunteered for numerous causes over the years, but today, with two grandchildren and another on the way, she has pared that list down to the gift shop and Cooks Tour, an annual Auxiliary fundraiser for research, patient care and education. “If I am available for anything at the Cancer Institute, I do it. It is just very special to me.” She has recommended the Cancer Institute to friends and family inside and outside of Arkansas. She also has pledged $50,000 to go toward the expansion. “The work that it has taken and the effort they have made to have people who are tops in their field is what makes it, and will continue to make it, as good as it is,” Hamra said.
“The Cancer Institute was there for me all the way, and still is.�
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Carolyn Hamra was named 2008 Volunteer of the Year by the Cancer Institute Auxiliary. Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute
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Sarah Eddleman helps patients in need of a wig.
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When cancer treatment claims a patient’s hair, the Cancer Institute is there to help. By Susan Van Dusen
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We love our hair. It identifies us: I’m a redhead. She’s a blond. He has sideburns. It defines generations: She had a beehive. He had a mullet. I had a bob. Whether we cut it, curl it, straighten it, tease it or spray it, our hair is a big deal. That’s why — when we lose our hair to cancer treatment — it’s more than just a side effect. It’s a defining moment. “It’s a real shock to look into the mirror one morning and suddenly come face to face with someone you don’t recognize,” said Debby Dean, a
Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute
social worker at the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute. Dean works primarily with women experiencing breast and gynecological cancers. “Not only does it have an impact on a person’s self image, but for many, it also brings home the reality of a cancer diagnosis.” The culprit at the root of hair loss is chemotherapy. Chemo works by killing cancer cells and can be delivered in several ways, including orally, through an intravenous infusion or as an injection. Unfortunately, as the cancer cells die, some healthy cells also are lost, particularly fastgrowing cells such as those in the hair roots. Depending on the type and dosage of chemotherapy, patients may experience minimal or complete hair loss. For those who hope somehow to escape the side effect, hearing the words, “you will lose your hair,” can be quite a wake-up call. That’s how multiple myeloma patient Barbara Isbell of Shannon, Miss., felt when she found out that chemotherapy would claim her salt-and-pepper locks. “I didn’t know I would lose my hair until a nurse told me it would happen,” she said. Shortly after her hair began to fall out, she opted to have her head shaved. Although assured by her medical team that her hair would grow back following treatment, Isbell needed a temporary solution to help her adjust to her new appearance. She headed with her daughter,
Debra, to the Cancer Institute’s Ottenhemier Cancer Education Center for some guidance and a helping hand. In return, they walked away with three handknitted hats and a wig. “Being told it’s going to happen is one thing, but when you see it happening is when it really sinks in,” said Debra, adding that her mom is taking the process in stride. “She even said that she hopes it grows back in curly.”
Helping Hands “When people lose their hair, it’s an emotional time. There can definitely be some tears,” said cancer educator Sarah Eddleman of the Ottenheimer Center. While most people, such as Isbell, arrive at the center with a care partner, Eddleman and her colleague, LaSondra Hunt, often provide a shoulder to lean on. Always ready with a word of encouragement, the pair works one on one with each visitor to find them the most flattering hats and wigs. In order to provide up to three hats for all who request them, the Cancer Institute relies on donations from several sources, including the Arkansas Extension Homemakers Council. With about 500 clubs and 6,000 members located in every county in the state, the council has adopted the Cancer Institute’s hat program as one of its primary service projects. “In 2007, we made the hats our statewide project and even had a hat-making competition among our members,” said u seek
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Betty Oliver, Homemakers Council coordinator. As a result, more than 600 hats were donated to the Cancer Institute. The council’s Web site features patterns for several styles of hats, turbans and “cheery chemo caps” that members knit or sew year round for patients. “Someone will just occasionally show up with a big box full of hats for us,” Eddleman said. “Thanks to their generosity, we always have a good selection of colors and styles.” The council provides a note of encouragement that members can include with their hats that reads in part: “It is our hope that you will benefit from wearing this hat, and then, after your crisis is over, perhaps you will continue to enjoy wearing the hat and allowing it to remind you of what a miracle you are.” The project resonates with
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members, Oliver said, because many have felt the affects of cancer. “So many of our members have either had
When we lose our hair to cancer treatment, it’s more than just a side effect. It’s a defining moment. cancer or know people who have. They understand the value of this project.” While the Homemakers Council provides hundreds of hats each year, the center also calls on two other nonprofit organizations to add to the variety of choices. Care Cap
Connections, founded by Mary Philips of Fairfield Bay, provides turban-style hats made by volunteers, while Heavenly Hats, founded by then 10-year-old Anthony D. Leanna, offers hats and baseball caps. “I just let them know how many we need and they send them at no charge,” said Eddleman, who added that donations of new hats from other groups or individuals are welcome as well.
Steps on the Journey A cozy, private nook in the back of the Ottenheimer Center is reserved for patients who come looking for a wig. “We want them to be as comfortable as possible, even though the process can seem uncomfortable to some people,” Eddleman said. About 230 people visit the center for a wig each year.
Looking Beyond Cancer’s Limits
Funding for the wig program comes from the Cancer Institute Auxiliary’s grant program, which provides about $9,000 annually to purchase wigs. With additional funding, the program could assist even more patients, Eddleman said, adding that the average wig costs about $40. A variety of colors and styles are kept on hand so patients have a better chance of finding one that comes somewhat close to matching their natural hair. For Isbell, and for many others, finding the best way to adjust to hair loss is just one step on their cancer journey, where something as simple as a hand-knitted hat and word of encouragement can mean the world. As Isbell summed it up, “It made me feel like someone really cares.”
Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute
Cooking Up Some Fun Since 1991, Cooks Tour has been the Cancer Institute Auxiliary’s premier fundraising event. Proceeds provide funding for programs such as the Institute’s wig program. Scheduled for 1-4 p.m. April 19, in the Sologne neighborhood of Little Rock’s Chenal Valley, Cooks Tour will feature several homes open for tours and samples of delicacies by area chefs. Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 at the door. The Cooks Tour Patron’s Cocktail Buffet will kick off the event at 6:30 p.m. April 17, at the home of Angela and Edward O. Moody. The event will honor Anne-Marie Maddox, M.D., director of research in the UAMS Division of Hematology/Oncology. Tickets are $100 and include the tour of homes. For information, call the Cancer Institute’s Department of Volunteer Services at (501) 686-8286.
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In addition to the wig and hat program, the Ottenheimer Education Center also provides Internet access and a private family room, among other services.
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Keeping the
Fai h A spiritual connection pulls this school counselor through the challenges of ovarian cancer. By Nate Hinkel
Debra Myton felt her spirit strengthened during her experience with cancer.
profile
Debra Myton has a story of
hope, healing and faith,
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and she wants the world to hear it.
That’s why the 40-year-old ovarian cancer survivor has decided to share her saga with readers in the form of a book, which she intends to pen sometime this year. With the help of her physician, Juan Roman, M.D., associate professor in the UAMS Division of Gynecology Oncology, the happy ending is right on track. “Without the strong relationship I have with God, I have my doubts that I ever could’ve gotten through this,” said Myton, a guidance counselor at Parkview Arts & Science Magnet High School in Little Rock. “I feel like it’s my duty to spread the word to whoever will listen that when life throws you a curve like it did me, that faith can bring you through.” So much so that writing the book in English isn’t enough. Because she’s always up for the challenge of honing her skills, Myton said she’s going to translate the book herself into Spanish in hopes it’ll keep her sharp for a future family trip to a Spanish-speaking locale.
Chapter One Myton’s story begins with a routine gynecological checkup in fall 2002 while pregnant with her second daughter, Jamaica, who is now 6 years old. “When I had a checkup during my second pregnancy, they said my ovaries looked enlarged and that we needed to watch that,” Myton said. That was the first sign in a series of events that ultimately led to a shocking phone call shortly before she and her husband, Clausey, left the Helena-West Helena School District for jobs in the Little Rock School District in 2004. The call brought news that her CA-125 protein levels
Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute
had doubled; often an ominous sign that ovarian cancer is present.
The Plot Thickens And that’s when she believes a higher power began to help guide her. “My husband’s reaction to that phone call was far more serious in tone than mine,” Myton said. “He immediately feared the worst, while I had an empowering feeling that I would take anything as it came and that it would all work out for the best.” Though a stage 2B ovarian cancer diagnosis followed, along with surgery and six rounds of chemotherapy soon after, Myton said her positive attitude and graceful aura persevered. Losing her hair? “I thought to myself, ‘I guess this must be working,’ and took it in stride.” Six draining chemotherapy treatments? “I’d take them on a Friday and get back to work on a Monday.”
Happy Ending If faith was Myton’s courage, it was her family that provided the strength. “My daughters were 2 and 5 at the time. They knew I was sick, but I didn’t have any problems with them,” Myton said. “It was like God was also giving them strength. I didn’t have to worry about them at all.” Now with Jamaica, 6, and Nia, 9, the Mytons are healthy, fit and planning several international trips to continue their journey through life. “God was not ready to take me away from my girls or my husband,” Myton said. “With the help of UAMS we’re moving forward and not slowing down a bit.” seek
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Network
Connection caBIG initiative uses technology to share study data. By Jon Parham
Troy Walls is helping lead UAMS into the informationsharing age.
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Harnessing information technology to share cancer
research data across the state and around the world could ultimately get Arkansas patients quicker access to new treatments. That’s the potential seen for the cancer Biomedical Informatics Grid (caBIG), a network connecting cancer and biomedical researchers. UAMS is now assembling tools that can compile data at every step of the research process in a format that can be shared with other investigators both on campus or at cancer centers across the country. “Having access to this kind of data can be very powerful in making research more effective and efficient,” said Laura Hutchins, M.D., a professor and director of the Division of Hematology/Oncology in the UAMS College of Medicine. Hutchins received a 2007 National Cancer Institute (NCI) grant to allow the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute to participate in its caBIG initiative. The system will eventually expand the reach of UAMS clinical trials to sites throughout Arkansas and beyond, allowing more to participate in research. Hutchins envisions a future when any doctor’s office or medical clinic or UAMS Area Health Education Center (AHEC) could allow patients to participate in clinical trials at UAMS via the Internet. The network, called “a World Wide Web of cancer research” by the NCI, was created in 2004.
Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute
It links researchers to better develop and share information about clinical trials and other work that could accelerate progress in cancer research and treatment. “The ability to share data across studies and across institutions will vastly improve
caBIG involves the entire cancer research community. the productivity and potential effectiveness of the work,” said Troy Walls, a program manager in the UAMS Information Technology Department. At this point, the UAMS team is seeking researchers to sign on to its program. One day, Walls said, the goal is to shift from paper records to electronic data entry on all Cancer Institute clinical trials. “Cancer researchers collect large amounts of data but analysis and comparison with the work of other researchers is often difficult because each team may be using different systems or formats for organizing that information,” Hutchins said. “With caBIG, for the first time we will have agreed-upon, common standards across all participants, allowing researchers at different institutions to easily exchange information.” caBIG involves the entire cancer research community, including those who conduct basic science research on the mechanisms of cancer; those who study prevention, early
detection and treatment; and those who work on clinical trials to bring new treatments to patients. With caBIG, basic scientists will be better able to integrate data from their own laboratory, as well as from other research laboratories, Hutchins said. The local effort has drawn the attention of the NCI, which invited Walls to address about 300 members of its Clinical Trials Management Systems interest group in Memphis, Tenn., in September 2008. At the meeting, UAMS was recognized as a key contributor to the success of the Patient Study Calendar, one of caBig’s Web-based components used to manage patients enrolled in clinical trials. UAMS also is using existing applications and developing others in an “open source” format, making them accessible for outside software developers to build on and adapt to their own uses. This could extend the reach even outside cancer research to diseases like heart disease or disciplines such as psychiatry, Hutchins said.
Etc.
The Cancer Institute is the first cancer center in the country to implement a suite of eight caBIG software components designed to handle data for clinical trials in an efficient format.
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From Bench to Bedside A new translational research center will honor a longtime Arkansas legislator.
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By Jon Parham
Arkansas Gov. Mike Beebe and Attorney General Dustin McDaniel point to longtime state legislator Jerry Bookout as both a friend and an inspiration to Arkansans. The memory of Bookout, who died of lymphoma in 2006, also could inspire researchers in the UAMS Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute with the 2010 opening of the Bookout Translational Research Center. The Center’s location, adjacent to the infusion center in the Cancer Institute expansion, symbolizes its intent: a place where scientific advances are translated to new medical treatments to benefit cancer patients. u State Sen. Paul Bookout holds a photo of his father, the late state Sen. Jerry Bookout, in front of the Cancer Institute’s new tower.
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Cancer Institute director Peter Emanuel, M.D., said the Center reflects increased focus on moving discoveries quickly from the laboratory bench to the patient’s bedside. “We are in the beginning stages of a new era in cancer therapy, borne out of translational research,” Emanuel said. “It is an era of more targeted treatments that attack the cancer cells while leaving the normal cells unaffected.” He cited the cancer-fighting drug Gleevec, which grew out of laboratory research. Basic science uncovered the genetic mutation that caused certain types of cancer. A drug was developed that targeted those cancer cells while leaving others alone. Bookout, who spent 34 years as a state representative and senator, served many years on legislative committees that dealt with health and education issues. “Jerry Bookout’s dedication to health care would give him an especially deep appreciation for the work to be done at this Center,” Gov. Mike Beebe said. “After all of his “It combines his years working two great passions: for public health in the Arkansas education and Senate, putting health care.” Jerry’s name on a facility that strives to get new research to the patients it can help is a fitting legacy.” The Jonesboro native’s career started in the 1960s and stretched into the 21st century. “Jerry Bookout was one of my heroes and mentors all of my life,” said Attorney General Dustin McDaniel, also a Jonesboro native. “I am so pleased to see Jerry honored in this way and I share the pride felt by [Bookout’s wife] Loretta and the rest of his family knowing that that this great man and his legacy will be remembered and honored by generations to come.” A plaque honoring Bookout will be placed between the basic science labs and the treatment area where patients come for chemotherapy. It was Bookout’s son Paul — following in his father’s footsteps at the state Capitol — who joined every member of the Legislature in sponsoring the 2007 bill now providing up to 24
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$46 million in matching funds to pay for the 300,000-square-foot Cancer Institute expansion. “In my mind there is no more perfect a tribute for Dad than the naming of this center as it combines his two great passions: education and health care,” said state Sen. Paul Bookout.
Cancer Institute Expansion Work Proceeds With the steel skeleton of the 300,000-square-foot Cancer Institute expansion complete, work continues both inside and outside the structure. By the end of 2008, the fourth floor (the infusion center) and the fifth floor (the pharmacy and cytotechnology lab) were being “finished out.” In construction terminology, this includes installation of utilities such as the electrical and plumbing systems as well as the fire sprinklers. Work on other floors will follow. On the building’s exterior, bricks were being laid by early December. The brick work is expected to be mostly finished by February since the exterior is more glass than brick.
Looking Beyond Cancer’s Limits
spotlight
FFANY Shoes on Sale Who: The Fashion Footwear Association of New York (FFANY), the Fashion Footwear Charitable Foundation and multimedia retailer QVC What: The FFANY Shoes on Sale fundraising event included the sale of 100,000 pairs of shoes donated by companies nationwide to benefit breast cancer research. The Cancer Institute received a portion of the estimated $3 million raised by the event.
When: Oct. 15, 2008 Where: A black tie dinner at the Waldorf Astoria in New York City and a televised fundraiser on QVC Why: Since it started 15 years ago, FFANY Shoes on Sale has raised more than $28 million for breast cancer research and education.
Mandy Macke and Debbie Walker
Ronda Henry-Tillman, M.D., DeeDee Ricks and V. Suzanne Klimberg, M.D.
Tory Burch and Mary Lynn Van Wyck
Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute
Kent Westbrook, M.D., and Jonnie Westbrook, and Mary Anne and Danny Burleson
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Redneck Tailgate Who: About 150 Cancer Institute supporters in Northwest Arkansas What: The second annual Redneck Tailgate drew a crowd of longtime and new friends of the Cancer Institute for an evening of live music and tailgate-style food the night before the Arkansas Razorbacks took on the Ole Miss Rebels in Fayetteville. The event raised about $30,000. When: Oct. 24, 2008 The Redneck Tailgate committee
Where: Pratt Place Barn in Fayetteville Why: With about 120,000 patient visits each year, the Cancer Institute treats patients from every corner of the state. This fundraiser is just one event that allows people outside central Arkansas to show their support for cancer research and treatment.
Honorary co-chairmen Melissa and Steve Carroll
Sheree Alt with Ted and Leslie Belden
Susan and Tony Hui and Gloria Redman
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Looking Beyond Cancer’s Limits
spotlight
Cancer Institute Holiday Gathering Who: Cancer Institute Foundation board member Marge Schueck and her husband, Tom; Kent Westbrook, M.D., and his wife, Jonnie; staff members and friends of the Cancer Institute What: Friends came from every corner of the state for the second annual holiday gathering. When: December 10, 2008 Where: The Schuecks’ home in Little Rock Why:  Dedicated donors and volunteers of the
Cancer Institute came together on this festive evening to celebrate the season and the progress made on the Cancer Institute campaign.
Carolyn Hamra and Carolyn McCrary
Christy and William Clark and Jimmy and BJ Moses Marge and Tom Schueck
Laura Hutchins, M.D., and Sam and Jan Phillips
Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute
Donna Cone and F.E. Joyce, M.D.
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NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION U.S. POSTAGE
WINTHROP P. ROCKEFELLER CANCER INSTITUTE
PAID
LITTLE ROCK, AR PERMIT NO. 1973
4301 W. Markham St., #623 Little Rock, AR 72205 Your donation in the enclosed envelope will be matched by the state of Arkansas and will help fund construction of the Cancer Institute expansion.
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