1. health and fitness
2. disease
3. cancer

A Division of Cancer Medicine Information Exchange
Vol. 3 No. 4, 2006
Clinical Trials Program in Third Year at LBJ
T
he fact that M. D. Anderson offers clinical trials at LBJ
General Hospital might just be the best kept secret in
town, said Sherry Sterling, R.N., C.C.R.P., C.C.R.C.,
the research nurse supervisor who directs the three-yearold Clinical Trials Oncology Program (CTOP) at LBJ. But
she doesn’t want it to stay that way. She’s been working
with several faculty members to inform patients about the
full range of cancer care that is available to them. The
team includes Vicente Valero, M.D., professor in Breast
Medical Oncology and Chief of the Oncology Service at
LBJ; Arlene Nazario, M.D., clinical assistant professor in
Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology (GIMO) and the only
attending who has worked with the fellowship program
since its inception 10 years ago; and Alyssa Rieber, M.D.,
chief fellow at LBJ. A total of 21 fellows and 11 attendings
staff the clinics that are held Mondays, Wednesdays, and
Fridays. The CTOP offers 13 protocols for breast,
colorectal, and non-small-cell lung cancers, as well as
symptom management. In 2005, the fellowship program
saw 450 new patients. To date, we have placed 190 of
them on clinical trials. CTOP is constantly expanding its
capability. Last year, we created an interface with LBJ’s
computer network to allow the fellows access
to Clinic Station. This fosters continuity
of care for patients referred to
We’re elevating
the level of care by
M. D. Anderson to receive services
offering clinical trials to
that are not offered at LBJ within
patients who may not
the Harris County Hospital District.
otherwise have access due
“We’re very proud of what
to lack of insurance or
we’ve
accomplished. We’re elevating
inadequate catastrophic
the
level
of care by offering clinical
coverage.
trials to patients who may not
– Sherry Sterling, R.N.
otherwise have access due to lack of
insurance or inadequate catastrophic
coverage,” said Sterling. The patient population at LBJ’s
Oncology Clinic in 2005 included 396 Hispanics, 465
African-Americans, 249 Caucasians, 39 Asians, and
7 others, lending itself to a larger number of minorities
agreeing to enroll in Phase II and III clinical trials. This
has been a long-term goal at M. D. Anderson.
LBJ Chief Fellow Alyssa Rieber, M.D., and Paul Armistead, M.D., Ph.D.,
look at a patient's CT chest images.
Sterling, who has worked with a variety of clinical
trials in her 30-year career, believes patients today are
less afraid of trials than in years past. “It takes extra
effort to educate not just the patient, but that patient’s
spouse and entire family about how we’ve come to
believe an investigational drug may be helpful to them.
Sometimes it takes multiple explanations. We also
explain that not only do several M. D. Anderson
departments monitor the safety of our trials, but that the
federal government does as well, including the Food and
Drug Administration. It is a huge trust issue and one
that requires us to spend the time it takes to answer all
their questions, so patients don’t feel like they’re being
rushed into an ‘experiment,’” said Sterling. “We also
include in the discussion, especially with minority
patients, that they are doing something worthwhile—
not just for themselves but for other people who look
like them. It’s critical to have a wide ethnic sampling
because there are some drugs that may react differently
or won’t react at all because of small genetic differences
that occur in racial groups. We need to know that.”
– By Maxsane Mitchell
A Message From Waun Ki Hong, M.D.
Head, Division of Cancer Medicine
Enjoy the Gift of
HealthThis Season
Research and Education Highlights
Complete Genetic and Epigenetic Mapping of
Human Cancer Only a Few Years Away
T
hat time of year when most of us go to
our favorite shopping malls in search of
holiday gifts for our family and friends has
come to an end. But when you work at one
of the top cancer centers in the country,
you understand that no gift is more precious
than good health. Thousands
of new patients who come to
see us every year understand
this. They come here hoping
we can offer them the latest
and best treatment for their
disease. We have a lot of
positive outcomes, even
though in many cases, aggressive therapies
can take a physical and emotional toll.
Unfortunately, there are also cases in which
there is no option for cure, and all we can
offer is compassion. As a division, we are
already doing this very well but there is
room for improvement. We are shoring up
our Palliative Care Department with a
Cytokines & Supportive Care Program that
can get involved at any point during
treatment to help mitigate disease
symptoms and treatment toxicities. Take
the case of a 55-year-old patient who failed
two different courses of chemotherapy for
the treatment of advanced non-small cell
lung cancer. As his disease progressed, our
palliative care faculty discussed the
situation in a family conference and
arranged for home hospice care in the last
12 days of the man’s life. He died with
dignity and good symptom control, which
meant a great deal to him and his family.
Just as compelling is the story of a 37-yearold Marine who was battling pancreatic
cancer that had metastasized widely, and
following chemotherapy and radiation, no
other investigational treatment was
available. We worked closely with him and
his wife to determine how to support them.
Fortunately, we were able to reverse
symptoms of delirium that made it difficult
for him to relate to his family, who gave him
a retirement party in the inpatient unit.
Several Marines attended, and our patient
rallied physically and emotionally and was
able to get out of bed. We discharged him
with hospice support.
We’re in the process of developing new
targeted therapies—and when necessary,
new ways to manage symptoms when no
other options are available. We have a
reputation for offering state-of-the-art
treatment and we feel it’s just as important
to offer that kind of compassion in helping
people at their most vulnerable. That is the
foundation of M. D. Anderson.
2
Waun Ki Hong, M.D.,
David Sidransky, M.D.,
Ph.D., Margaret Spitz,
M.D., Ph.D., Merrill
Kies, M.D., Scott
Lippman, M.D.
T
he Fifth Annual Waun Ki Hong
Visiting Professor Award was
presented October 24 to David
Sidransky, M.D., Ph.D., director of
Head and Neck Cancer Research and
professor in Otolaryngology—Head
and Neck Surgery, Oncology,
Pathology, Cellular and Molecular
Medicine, and Urology at Johns
Hopkins University School of
Medicine. Dr. Sidransky introduced
his presentation by congratulating
Dr. Hong. “Ki’s mentorship extends well
beyond the walls of M. D. Anderson,”
Dr. Sidransky proclaimed. “He
supports young faculty across the
U.S. and around the world. Instead
of just pursuing his own career,
Ki always looks to advance others.”
Scott Lippman, M.D., chair,
Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical
Oncology, pointed out that
Dr. Sidransky had also mentored
numerous translational scientists,
including Dr. Li Mao, now a faculty
member in his department.
Promoter Methylation as
Important as Genetic Mutation
Dr. Sidransky then walked us through
his team’s translational research
journey toward defining the emerging
cancer methylome—a journey that
only works with hand holding between
basic scientists and clinical scientists
the whole way, he stressed. He
proposed that aberrant gene promoter
methylation and associated
inactivation of tumor suppressor genes
is just as serious as genetic mutation
and gene activation in driving
carcinogenesis. “You can’t understand
inactivation and activation of specific
tumorigenic pathways if you don’t look
at methylation. It is just as powerful,
just as significant,” he said.
“Methylation can set up a cell for
subsequent mutation.”
Diagnostic Markers with High
Specificity for Head and Neck
and Bladder Cancers
By using saliva and urine samples,
Dr. Sidransky’s research team set out
to develop noninvasive screening and
diagnostic tools by identifying
methylated genes with high specificity
for head and neck squamous cell
cancer and bladder cancer. Examining
samples from an at-risk population of
current smokers and ex-smokers, they
found that the more genes methylated,
the more likely the subject was to
become a cancer case. They observed
that DCC promoter methylation,
previously associated with colon
cancer, also had the highest specificity
for head and neck cancer. Dramatic
differences between DNA samples
from bladder cancer patients and
normal controls led to the discovery
of four methylated genetic markers
with nearly perfect specificity for
bladder cancer.
DoCMessages • Vol. 3 No. 4, 2006
From the Chair…
Department of Molecular Therapeutics Becomes Systems Biology
E
ver wonder what happens when the
clock on your wall stops keeping perfect
time? The battery may not be the problem.
To figure it out, we sometimes have to
examine all of the components—including
the frame, gears, winding key, clock hands,
Gordon Mills, M.D., Ph.D. everything. Following that theme, we have
changed the name of the Department of
Molecular Therapeutics to Systems Biology to reflect a
change in the way we figure out how things work in biological
systems, how they go wrong, and which therapies should be
administered to repair those problems. It’s going from
studying one molecule or a group of molecules at a time to
attempting to understand functional outcomes based on
integrating information from many different molecules. The
emergent field of Systems Biology examines data to establish
predictive modeling that can vastly improve our ability to
select patients likely to respond to particular therapies. When
this approach is more mature, it should also allow us to
predict the unknown consequences of targeted therapies. We
are beginning to do that now. An outstanding example is the
recent termination of a clinical trial at M. D. Anderson of an
mTOR inhibitor because it triggered further tumor growth.
Our preliminary systems biology-based mathematical and
experimental models of the PI3K/mTOR signaling network
accurately predicted this consequence. Further, the models
suggest combinations of targeted therapeutics likely to
reverse the negative effects of the mTOR inhibitor, resulting
instead in the positive outcome of tumor growth inhibition.
These are very exciting times—even at this early stage!
We’re generating massive amounts of information via
DNA, RNA, proteomics, and high throughput technologies.
The Department of Bioinformatics and Computational
Biology—in the Division of Quantitative Sciences—has been
established to help develop models, concepts, and hypothesis
generation and testing. We already share faculty and I’m
actually leading the search to find a new chair for the
department. The two home departments, investigators from
other divisions at M. D. Anderson, and outside researchers
will interact with centers on the South Campus; in particular,
the Kleberg Center for Molecular Markers, which I direct,
the Center for Applied Biomedical Imaging Research, and
the Center for Targeted Therapies. These changes will be
critical to the further development of personalized medicine
for cancer management at this institution.
Methylation Drives Resistance
to Chemotherapy
New Cancer-Specific Methylated
Genes and Pathways Discovered
Remarking that “individualized
therapy is the hottest area today,”
Dr. Sidransky demonstrated that
epigenetic events such as methylation
of the repair enzyme MGMT can
predict response to therapy. He
discussed the key role of methylating
genes in resistance or sensitivity
to platinum chemotherapy.
“Methylation is the perfect target
for acquiring resistance,” he said.
“Even a little bit of methylation can
give you a little bit of resistance.”
Treating hepatocellular, head and
neck squamous cell cancer, and
cervical cancer cell lines with
5-azacytidine—a demethylating agent
that reactivates tumor suppressor
genes—Dr. Sidransky’s team looked
for markers of acquiring resistance to
platinum. They found that
combinations of genetic markers
contributed to resistance, and no
single gene was able to completely
reverse resistance.
Dr. Sidransky continued his journey to
ultimately define the cancer methylome
by seeking a new approach that would
incorporate his research team’s previous
work in an unbiased and high yield
manner. Because normal epigenetic
changes are what make one organ
different from another, the new approach
would have to distinguish clearly
between normal tissue- and cancerspecific methylation. He noted that
genes methylated in cancer do not occur
randomly; instead, they cluster together
on specific chromosomes. By combining
two sets of analyses for specific binding
patterns in the entire human genome, his
team found 200 overrepresented genes as
potentially comprising part of the cancer
methylome. Studying cell lines from the
most common cancers such as lung,
breast, colon, and prostate, he pointed
out that “It took two years of 16 post-doc
FTEs of work testing 175 genes to
identify 28 new cancer-specific
methylated genes that are not
methylated in normal tissues. This gives
us close to 100 altogether.” The team not
only discovered major methylated genes
DoCMessages • Vol. 3 No. 4, 2006
that had never been found before—
such as Nisch in lung cancer—they also
discovered entirely new pathways
causing tumors. Dr. Sidransky wrapped
up with a summary of what is currently
known about cancer biology.
• Approximately 250 genetic mutations
in cancer are known.
• Approximately 100 methylated genes
are now known, including the new
28 genes Dr. Sidranski’s team
discovered, out of an estimated
500-700 to be found altogether.
• 350 of 500 major genetic and
epigenetic alterations are known.
• Most of the major cell signaling
pathways have now been established,
but there are still more genes to be
discovered that are genetically or
epigenetically altered.
“We are just a few years away from
complete genetic and epigenetic mapping of
human cancer,” Dr. Sidransky concluded.
“That clearly will have major implications
from a diagnostic and therapeutic point
of view.”
– By Carol Howland
3
Research and Education Highlights
New Gene Therapy
Targets Bladder Cancer
William Benedict, M.D., and
colleagues have developed a gene
therapy for bladder
cancer using the
retinoblastoma, RB94,
plasmid in a targeted
liposome vector,
which is a new class of
antineoplastic agents
with a unique
William Benedict, M.D.
mechanism of action.
Randall Millikan, M.D., Ph.D.,
is the principal investigator of the
Phase I trial testing this new gene
therapy in patients with
metastatic bladder cancer and
other solid tumors. The RB94
gene therapy also offers the
potential to treat brain tumors
because it passes through the
blood-brain-barrier.
“RB94 is highly cytotoxic to
human cancer cells but not to
normal human cells,” said
Dr. Benedict in his DoCM Grand
Rounds presentation September
12, 2006.
Dr. Benedict’s research team
created a targeted liposomal
delivery system that has several
advantages over earlier systems:
It offers better tumor penetration,
it is less immunogenic than
previous systems, and its
recombinant molecular capacity
is easy to produce for clinical use.
Bladder SPORE Renewed
Dr. Benedict also has several
investigative and administrative
roles in the Specialized Program
of Research Excellence (SPORE)
grant renewed in October for
bladder cancer research. He is
laboratory co-leader for Project 5:
Improving Gene Therapy for
Superficial Bladder Cancer, as
well as director of the Career
Development Program and the
Developmental Research
Program.
4
Phase I Program Urged to “Think Big” as
Retreat Takes Program to Next Level of
Personalized Therapy
I
n the wake of the Phase I Program’s
rapid growth over the past two years,
Waun Ki Hong, M.D., head of the
Division of Cancer Medicine,
introduced the third annual retreat
held September 27, with the entreaty,
“It’s time to take the program’s pulse for
healthy growth, to figure out how to
grow wisely and accommodate growth,
and to choose quality over quantity. It’s
time to move the program to the next
level. Now we need to know more about
the impact of the Phase I drugs
studied—how patients have benefited
and how many drugs have moved on to
Phase II trials.” Dr. Hong closed by
congratulating Razelle Kurzrock, M.D.,
director of the Phase I Program, for her
strong and effective leadership. “I want
to add my congratulations,” said
President John Mendelsohn, M.D.
Phase I trials and the Clinical and
Translational Research Center (CTRC)
will be a critical part of the plan over the
next six years to dedicate more than
$150 million to personalized cancer
therapy, he promised.
Toward the program’s overarching
goal to bring new therapies to cancer
patients, Dr. Kurzrock reported the
program’s many accomplishments,
among them:
• A dramatic increase in the pipeline
of novel, targeted agents available to
patients for whom conventional
therapy is ineffective—growing from 2
to 55 clinical trials on the priority list;
• An increase in interdepartmental and
interdivisional networking and clinical
information sharing;
• Establishment of active clinical and
inpatient services;
• Establishment of a state-of-the-art
education program for fellows, nurses,
and study coordinators;
• Securing ample funding for the
program, including peer-reviewed
NIH funds.
The program also increased the
number of trials open to underserved
populations traditionally excluded from
Phase I studies—children, the elderly,
patients with brain metastases, and
patients with hepatic or renal failure.
There has also been a rise in trials
targeted to patients with specific
oncogenic biomarkers such as
CNTO328 successfully targeting
interleukin-6 in Castleman’s disease,
XL184 targeting the Ret mutation in
thyroid cancer, and the V-930 vaccine
targeting Her2/neu and the
carcinonembryonic antigen (CEA). “An
estimated 80 to 90% of patients we see
get on a trial,” said Luis Camacho,
M.D., M.P.H. “Most patients say ‘yes’
when given the opportunity to get on a
Phase I trial,” added Robert Benjamin,
M.D., chair, Department of Sarcoma
Medical Oncology.
One of the largest Phase I programs
in the nation, the program is highly
collaborative, Dr. Kurzrock emphasized.
The Phase I Working Group consists of
35 members from 13 different disease
sites. Although most of these members
are from the Division of Cancer
Medicine, there is also active participation of colleagues from Pediatrics,
Surgery, Radiation Oncology,
Prevention, Diagnostic Imaging,
proteomics and genomics, basic science
research, and pharmacology.
– By Carol Howland
DoCMessages • Vol. 3 No. 4, 2006
M. D. Anderson Partners in New
NIH Discovery Engine for Clinical
and Translational Sciences
Razelle Kurzrock, M.D., professor and director of the
Phase I Program, is one of three co-directors of a new,
collaborative, $36 million, five-year award to create a
Center for Clinical and Translational Sciences (CCTS).
Awarded by NIH in October, the University of Texas
Health Science Center at Houston, in partnership with
M. D. Anderson, is one of the first 12 recipients of the
awards. M. D. Anderson faculty in
several departments will receive about a
quarter of the grant funds. The purpose
of the centers is to encourage clinical
innovation in academic health science
centers so that new treatments can be
developed more efficiently and delivered
more quickly to patients with a broad
spectrum of diseases, including cancer.
Razelle Kurzrock, M.D. NIH Director Elias A. Zerhouni, M.D.,
remarked, “Working together, these sites
will serve as discovery engines that will improve medical
care by applying new scientific advances to real world
practice. We expect to see new approaches reach
underserved populations, local community organizations,
and health care providers to ensure that medical advances
are reaching the people who need them. This consortium
represents the first systematic change in our approach to
clinical research in 50 years.” Another major goal is to
support young investigators. The new center, slated for
completion within 2007 on the top floor of the U. T.
Medical School, will offer state-of-the-art laboratories in
genetics, microarray technology, proteomics, immunology,
and MRI imaging. Robert Bast, M.D., vice president for
translational research, led development of the grant, and
Maurie Markman, M.D., vice president for clinical
research, will represent M. D. Anderson on the oversight
committee.
– By Carol Howland
Peptidomimetic Drugs Developed to
Target Specific Tumor Vasculature
Renata Pasqualini, Ph.D., Department of Genitourinary
Medical Oncology, expects to have targeted drugs—
translated from her research team’s human vascular
mapping project—ready for clinical trial in 2007, she
projected in her Grand Rounds presentation October 3 on
“Targeting EGF & VEGF Receptors—From Combinatorial
Ligand Discovery to Peptidomimetic Preclinical Studies.”
The team’s latest research has emphasized designing new
targeted drugs by creating small-molecule mimetics of
DoCMessages • Vol. 3 No. 4, 2006
peptides produced through recombinant DNA technology
and functional studies. “Designing a mimetic drug is like
taking a peptide and putting it in front of a mirror—so
that it can’t be targeted by normal enzymes and
degraded,” noted Dr. Pasqualini. This produces a more
stable drug that can be delivered as a
pill. Led by postdoctoral fellow
Ricardo Giordano, Ph.D., the team
is producing mimetic drug candidates
that inhibit vascular growth factor
(VEGF) receptors, which promote
blood vessel formation that supports
tumor growth. They have produced
peptides that structurally and
Renata Pasqualini, Ph.D. functionally mimic VEGF. Similarly,
using antibodies obtained from
President John Mendelsohn, M.D. five years ago, her
team, led by postdoctoral fellow Marina Cardo-Villa,
Ph.D., is creating peptidomimetics that target epidermal
growth factor (EGF) receptors, which are found on the
cell surface of most types of solid tumors. They found
that their rationally developed EGFR mimetic drug has
anti-tumor activity.
– By Carol Howland
Harnessing the Anti-Tumor
Potential of Stem Cells
Richard Champlin, M.D., chair, Stem Cell Transplantation and Cellular Therapy, co-chaired the 59th Annual
Symposium on Cancer Research held
October 27-29. Focused on “Stem
Cells in Cancer and Regenerative
Medicine,” the symposium achieved
a new record for attendance—nearly
a thousand researchers and trainees
from around the world. Other
members of the Symposium
Organizing Committee from that
Richard Champlin, M.D.
department included Martin Korbling,
M.D., co-chair of the session on Transplantation and
Tissue Regeneration, and Elizabeth Shpall, M.D.,
co-chair of the session on Postnatal Stem Cell Biology.
Zeev Estrov, M.D., from the Department of Leukemia,
co-chaired the session on Intrinsic and Extrinsic
Mechanisms of Stem Cell Renewal and Multipotency.
Jean-Pierre Issa, M.D., Department of Leukemia,
collaborated with Malcolm Moore, D.Phil., Memorial
Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, in the study Dr. Moore
presented on the roles of Flt3/STAT5A and homebox
genes in normal and leukemic stem cell homeostasis.
Michael Andreeff, M.D., Ph.D., explained how
circulating mesenchymal stem cells selectively engraft into
tumor stroma and produce potent anti-tumor proteins.
5
Research and Education Highlights
Avastin Approved for
Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer
New Targeted Biomolecules
Lectures to Start in 2007
T
he Department of Experimental Therapeutics is
expanding its Lecture Series to include “New
Perspectives in Targeted Biomolecules.” The 90-minute
sessions planned to begin in January will focus exclusively
on the development of new, targeted, anti-cancer agents
such as antibodies, growth factors, therapeutic viruses,
and liposomal delivery systems. The speakers will come
from M. D. Anderson and other institutions throughout
the Texas Medical Center, as well as high-profile leaders
in the drug development industry.
The series is accredited for continuing medical
education (CME), with participants to receive 1.5
Category 1 credits toward the American Medical
Association’s Physician’s Recognition Award. At
press time, no specific dates had been set. Michael
Rosenblum, Ph.D., professor in Experimental
Therapeutics, is spearheading the series. Those
interested in attending should contact him via
Lotus Notes.
– By Maxsane Mitchell
he U.S. Food and Drug Administration
(FDA) approved Avastin (bevacizumab)
on October 12, 2006, to treat non-resectable,
non-squamous, non-small-cell lung cancer, in
combination with the standard chemotherapy
regimen of carboplatin and paclitaxel. Avastin
has been shown to extend
survival in patients with most
types of human tumors.
Previously, it was approved to
treat colorectal cancer in
February 2004. Avastin is a
monoclonal antibody that
inhibits the vascular epithelial
growth factor receptor (VEGFR),
Roy Herbst, M.D., Ph.D.
a protein that generates a
network of blood vessels
supporting tumor nourishment
and growth. The drug is
manufactured by Genentech in
San Francisco.
Combining Avastin with the
epidermal growth factor receptor
(EGFR) inhibitor Tarceva
(erlotinib) may yield even better
John Heymach, M.D., Ph.D.
outcomes. In a multi-center,
Phase II clinical trial, Roy Herbst, M.D.,
Ph.D., Department of Thoracic/Head and
Neck Medical Oncology, demonstrated
encouraging anti-tumor activity and survival in
patients with non-small-cell lung cancer. This
combination controlled the disease in 85% of
patients. In the same department, John
Heymach, M.D., Ph.D., has been conducting
studies that target both EGFR and VEGFR
in a single drug, ZD6474. The addition of
ZD6474 to chemotherapy prolonged
progression-free survival in his Phase II trial,
and is currently under investigation in a
large, international, Phase III clinical trial
at M. D. Anderson.
– By Carol Howland
6
T
Research Assistant Wins
Trainee Excellence Award
Human Kadara, M.S., research assistant in Thoracic/
Head and Neck Medical Oncology, recently won a $500
Trainee Excellence Award from M. D. Anderson's
Alumni and Faculty Association. The funds will be used
to help pay travel expenses to the American Association
of Cancer Research Annual Meeting in April, where
Kadara will present his abstract, “The Pro-Apoptotic
Retinoid N-(4-Hydroxyphenyl) Retinamide Activates the
Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress Pathway in Human Head and
Neck Cancer Cells.” His mentor is Reuben Lotan, Ph.D.,
deputy division head for research.
Konopleva Research Earns Awards
Marina Konopleva, M.D., Ph.D., assistant professor
in Stem Cell Transplantation and Cellular Therapy,
recently received two grants to further her research to
improve outcomes for leukemia patients. The
Department of Defense NanoHealth Seed Grant will
support her work as principal investigator on a study
entitled, “Feasibility of Selective Laser Elimination of
Leukemia CellsTargeted with Gold and Silver Nanorods.”
The $88,813 is for one year. The American Cancer
Society Scholar Award will fund her study of “Akt-ILK
Signaling as a Therapeutic Target in Leukemia.” The
$720,000 grant is for a total of three years.
DoCMessages • Vol. 3 No. 4, 2006
Assistants Offered NIH Grant
Submission Class
I
t takes more than a great scientific research idea to
win a federal grant. It also takes mounds of meticulous
paperwork to complete the application process. Most of
that documentation is done by the principal
investigator’s administrative assistant. To help with this
responsibility, the Division of Cancer Medicine is now
offering them a course entitled, “Everything You
Wanted to Know about NIH Grant Submissions, but
Were Afraid to Ask.” Some of the information can be
used when applying for grants at other organizations.
Carol Farhangfar, Ph.D., director of research
development and planning, and Sandra Pontello, senior
administrative assistant in the division office, assembled
the instructional materials for the course. “When we
sent out the first email invitations, we were surprised by
the number of people who quickly responded ‘yes.’ That
proved right away that our assistants want to know more
about their important role in getting research funding,”
said Pontello, who teaches the class. A total of 98
people attended the first two sessions in September.
Some of the topics were:
• Starting from the beginning with a PHS 398 form
• How to gather or update biosketches on principal
investigators and their co-principal investigators and
how to describe their roles in the proposed project
• Doing budgets correctly
• What needs to be included in letters of support
and references
• The importance of gaining required institutional
signatures
• How to initiate a Funding Research Database
(FReD) checklist
• How to plan ahead to meet timeline requirements
“This course gives administrative support staff the
reference materials they need to submit their grants
with confidence,” Pontello noted. The course materials
also include a contact list for the National Institutes of
Health, as well as the names and phone extensions for
M. D. Anderson’s Office of Research Administration
(ORA), where completed applications go for review
before they are submitted to the applicable agency. The
highlight of the class is the presentation of a mock-up of
a completed grant application packet in which Pontello
goes over every page, line-by-line, describing what
information is needed from the assistant and where to
get it.
More classes for administrative assistants will be
held in 2007, including classes focusing solely on
budgets, multidisciplinary program grants, subcontracts,
post-award issues, as well as a general class for grant
managers and department administrators. For more
information, contact Sandra Pontello via Lotus Notes.
– By Maxsane Mitchell
DoCMessages • Vol. 3 No. 4, 2006
Congratulations to all principal investigators
in the DoCM who were awarded new, peer-reviewed
grants in 2006.
Following is a list of large grants, particularly from NIH, that have not been
recognized yet in DoCMessages. Shortened project titles are provided.
The amount of funding is for the first year; awards for subsequent years may
be slightly different.
Wadi Arap, M.D., Ph.D.
Genitourinary Medical Oncology
Cell Death Pathway in Acticells
Susan G. Komen Foundation, $35,000, 7/1/20064/30/2009
Terri Armstrong, D.S.N., A.P.N.
Neuro-Oncology Impact of Treatment on QOL
in Patients with Primary Brain Tumors
ABC2, $75,000, 7/24/2006-7/24/2011
Jan Burger, M.D.
Leukemia, Chemokine CXCL13 in CLL
Leukemia Research Foundation, $100,000, 7/1/20066/30/2007
Kwai Wa Cheng, Ph.D.
Molecular Therapeutics, Rab25 in Breast Cancer
Department of Defense, $100,000, 3/27/20064/26/2009
Zeev Estrov, M.D.,
Leukemia, STAT-3 serine phosphorylation in CLL
CLL Global Research Foundation, $95,238,
02/21/2006-02/28/2007
Zhen Fan, M.D.,
Experimental Therapeutics, Sensitizing Breast
Cancer to EGF Receptor-Directed Therapies
Department of Defense, $98,587,
05/01/2006-05/31/2009
Zhen Fan, M.D.,
Experimental Therapeutics, Novel Potential Therapies
for Breast Cancer, Breast Cancer Foundation,
$1,256,290, 10/01/2006-09/30/2007
Varsha Gandhi, Ph.D.
Experimental Therapeutics, BLyS-Gelonin for CLL
Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, $180,018,
10/01/2006-09/30/2009
Guillermo Garcia-Manero, M.D.
Leukemia, Prognostic and Therapeutic Implications
of Aberrant DNA Methylation in ALL
Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, $134,882,
10/1/2006-09/30/2009
Ana Gonzelez-Angulo, M.D.
Breast Medical Oncology
Functional Proteomics and Response to
Preoperative Therapy in Breast Cancer
NIH R-21 Award, $95,000, 09/27/2006-08/31/2008
Morris Groves, M.D.
Neuro-Oncology, Temozolomide or Lomustine
with Dietary Methionine Restriction for Recurrent
Glioblastoma Multiforme Cancer Treatment Research
Foundation, $412,296, 01/01/2006-12/31/2006
Jordan Gutterman, M.D.
Molecular Therapeutics, Chemical Biology of a
Pentacyclic Triterpenoid Compound
Welch Foundation, $50,000, 06/01/2000-05/31/2009
Gabriel Hortobagyi, M.D.
Breast Medical Oncology Fellowship Program
Susan G. Komen Foundation, $35,000,
07/01/2006-06/30/2008
Patrick Hwu, M.D.
Melanoma Medical Oncology
DC Vaccination to Enhance Adoptive T-Cell Transfer
NIH R01, $178,683, 06/19/2006-04/30/2011
Patrick Hwu, M.D.
Melanoma Medical Oncology
Plasmacytoid DC Interactions in Autoimmune Response
NIH R01, $177,500, 08/15/2006-07/31/2011
Marina Konopleva, M.D., Ph.D.
Stem Cell Transplantation
Biomarkers of CDDO Efficacy in Leukemias
Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, $180,018, 10/01/200609/30/2008
Jonathan M. Kurie, M.D.
Thoracic/Head & Neck Medical Oncology
Mediators of KRAS in Lung Adenocarcinoma
NIH R01, $182,500, 07/12/2006-05/31/2011
Larry Kwak, M.D., Ph.D.
Lymphoma/Myeloma, Genetic Vaccines Eliciting
Lymphoma-Specific T-Cell Immunity
Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, $180,015, 06/26/2006
Larry Kwak, M.D., Ph.D.
Lymphoma/Myeloma, Adoptive Immunotherapy with
Donor Myeloma-Specific T-Cells
Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation, $90,910,
10/01/2006-09/30/2008
Shiaw-Yih Lin, Ph.D.
Molecular Therapeutics, Functional Analysis of a
Novel Tumor Suppressor BRIT1 in Prostate Cancer
American Cancer Society, $200,063,
07/01/2006-06/30/2010
Chris Logothetis, M.D.
Genitourinary Medical Oncology
Marcus Foundation, $581,500, 07/10/2006-07/09/2009
Yiling Lu, M.D.
Molecular Therapeutics
Rational Design of Targeted Therapeutics
in Breast Cancer
Susan G. Komen Foundation, $100,000,
05/01/2006-04/30/2008
Paul Mathew, M.D.
Genitourinary Medical Oncology, Prostate Cancer
Research Program Clinical Consortium Award
Department of Defense, $200,000,
01/03/2006-02/02/2009
Jeffrey Molldrem, M.D.
Stem Cell Transplantation, Targeted Immune Therapy
with Donor Derived Tumor Idiotype Specific T-Cells
Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, $180,018,
10/01/2006-09/30/2009
Rita Nahta, Ph.D.
Breast Medical Oncology, Crosstalk Between Leptin
Receptor and IGF-1R, Department of Defense Idea
Award, $100,000, 03/20/2006-04/19/2009
Rita Nahta, Ph.D.
Breast Medical Oncology, HER-2/IGF-1R
Crosstalk and Herceptin Resistance
NIH K01, Howard Temin Award, $113,200,
08/01/2006-07/31/2011
Honami Naora, Ph.D.
Molecular Therapeutics, Novel Homeobox
Gene BP1 in Ovarian Tumor Behavior
Department of Defense, $172,635,
02/01/2006-02/28/2009
Renata Pasqualini, Ph.D.
Genitourinary Medical Oncology
Marcus Foundation, $330,264, 07/10/2006-07/09/2009
Renata Pasqualini, Ph.D.
Genitourinary Medical Oncology
Human Vascular Map Project
Carol C. Anderson, Sr. and Marie Jo Anderson Charitable
Foundation, $150,000, 09/01/2006-08/31/2007
Renata Pasqualini, Ph.D.
Genitourinary Medical Oncology
Targeted Imaging of Prostrate Cancer Bone Metastasis
Prostate Cancer Foundation, $100,000,
01/01/2006-12/31/2010
Vinay Puduvalli, M.D.
Neuro-Oncology
Efficacy and Toxicity of TRAIL Against Gliomas
NIH R01, $157,500, 01/05/2006-12/31/2010
(Continued on page 12)
7
Accolades – By Maxsane Mitchell
New Title Means Broader
Responsibilities for Wolff
Robert Wolff, M.D., has been working as
the new deputy division head for clinical
and educational affairs since Oct. 1. The
position expands upon his other
responsibilities as an
associate professor in the
Department of
Gastrointestinal Medical
Oncology (GIMO) and as
director for the
Hematology/Medical
Oncology Fellowship
Program. “Now I have a much broader
responsibility for all the departments and
programs that come under the purview of
the division—more complexity,” he said.
Some of the projects he works on
now include a pilot hospitalist program in
GIMO in which a general internist was
hired to take over the care of patients
admitted for non-cancer related
concerns. “The pilot is a work in progress,
but we feel it’s the best way to allow our
oncology staff to do what they do best,
and that is taking care of their
outpatients and doing research,” said
Dr. Wolff, adding that the program will be
evaluated this winter. Finding a place to
house inpatients in the Palliative Care
and Leukemia protected environment is
also on his list of “things to do”
because of future construction on top
of the Alkek Building next year.
M. D. Anderson will build several floors
on top of the existing structure in order
to accommodate more patient beds.
Dr. Wolff said he will have some role in
identifying the types of personnel that
will be needed for the new Ambulatory
Treatment Center’s satellite location in
Clear Lake. “I also want to help establish
better guidelines for support of clinical
research studies. We need more
clarification as to who is responsible for
financial coverage of procedures related
to a study—whether it’s an insurance
provider, pharmaceutical sponsor, grant,
or Medicare,” Dr. Wolff said. “Figuring it
out after a protocol has been initiated is
not the most appropriate time.”
Dr. Wolff will be involved in two
major events in the fellowship program.
The first happens in February when an
External Advisory Board (EAB) meets to
review what the program has
accomplished and make suggestions on
what it needs to do to continue to recruit
8
the best candidates. “Key questions for
the EAB will be how we can improve the
identification and recruitment of
physician-scientists to our program and
their mentoring as fellows and ultimately
junior faculty,” Dr. Wolff explained. The
second major event happens in March
when the Accreditation Council for
Graduate Medical Education (ACGME)
comes for a site visit. “Now that we have
merged with Hematology, ACGME’s
representatives want to make sure we’re
doing all of the right things. If we receive
full accreditation at that time, we will
probably not have another site visit for
five years,” he said. Additionally, the
program is improving its clinical training
while working around changes with
partners in the Texas Medical Center, as
well as experimenting with ways to use
more web-based tools to provide the
fellows an opportunity to learn some
things on their own and to enable testing
via modules.
This time next year, Dr. Wolff said
he wants to look back and see a lot of
accomplishments. “Ultimately, I see
myself acting as I always have, as a
problem-solver. When our faculty,
fellows, and administration have issues
that need to be addressed, I would like
them to feel that I can help them solve
the problems.”
DoCM Garners Two
Ashbel Smith Professorship
Awards
Congratulations go to
Varsha Gandhi, Ph.D.,
in Experimental
Therapeutics and
Bonnie Glisson, M.D.,
in Thoracic/Head and
Neck Medical Oncology
for winning Ashbel
Varsha Gandhi, Ph.D.
Smith Professorships for
2006. The award recognizes excellence in
teaching and scholarship and is
accompanied by a $12,000 allocation for
five years each to
support research
activities. Two other
faculty members at
M. D. Anderson also
won the professorships,
established in 1963 by
The University of Texas
Bonnie Glisson, M.D.
Board of Regents.
International Gynecologic
Cancer Society Honors Bast
For his groundbreaking
work in developing the
CA-125 blood test for
ovarian cancer and a
myriad of other studies,
the International
Gynecologic Cancer
Society gave Robert C.
Bast, Jr., M.D., vice
president for translational research, its
Award for Excellence in Gynecologic
Oncology. It is only the fifth time the
society has made such a presentation in its
20-year history. The membership is
composed of scientists and physicians from
77 countries—all of whom are dedicated
to improving the detection, prevention,
and treatment of gynecologic cancer
worldwide. The award also lauded Dr. Bast
for his leadership in training the next
generation of academic gynecologic
oncologists.
Dr. Bast serves as the principal
investigator of the National Cancer
Institute’s Specialized Program of
Research Excellence (SPORE) grant for
ovarian cancer research and continues to
work with CA-125 and other tumor
markers to develop methods for early
detection. He has been at the institution
since 1994, has authored or co-authored
more than 500 articles and book chapters,
and has served as an editor of the
textbook Cancer Medicine.
Hortobagyi Keynote Speaker
at ASTRO Annual Meeting
The division was represented at the 48th
Annual Meeting of the American
Society for Therapeutic
Radiology and
Oncology (ASTRO),
held Nov. 5-9, in
Philadelphia. Gabriel
Hortobagyi, M.D.,
chair of Breast Medical
Oncology, was a
keynote speaker. His presentation was
entitled, “Progress in Targeted Therapies
for Breast Cancer.” It was in step with
the mission of this year’s annual meeting
to focus on the increased importance of
targeting biological signaling pathways
and tumor topography with improved
imaging and precision radiotherapy.
DoCMessages • Vol. 3 No. 4, 2006
Stigliano Named
“Heart of M. D. Anderson”
Denise Stigliano, a research nurse in
Leukemia, was the second division
employee to receive “The Heart of
M.D. Anderson Outstanding
Employee Award” in 2006. She was
given a reception and plaque in
November. Candace Baer received
the award this past
August. “Everyone
who knows Denise
knows how deeply
she cares about her
patients. Her
concern and
compassion are evident in the way
she talks about them, not just when
they are present, but when they are
not around,” said Stigliano’s
nominator. “She’s extremely
conscientious in following up with
them to make sure they have
everything they need and she takes a
deep personal interest in the success
of their treatment.”
Eliminating cancer is not only
Stigliano’s professional mission—it’s
a personal one, as well. Her husband
received radiation and has returned
to work. Stigliano joined the
institution just two years ago after
working 23 years as a school nurse.
She said that knowing the award was
the result of a co-worker taking the
time to nominate her means a lot. “I
feel like we all work hard and that
this award is something I should
share with everyone,” she said.
Phase I Program Appoints
Department Administrator
Janet Norton, M.B.A., has taken on
a new challenge in becoming
department administrator for the
rapidly growing Phase I Program. Her
official start date was Nov. 1,
following 14 years in the Department
of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical
Oncology (THNMO). Norton says
the volume of rapidly accruing current
and anticipated clinical trials in the
DoCMessages • Vol. 3 No. 4, 2006
Phase I Program has
driven increases in
the number of patient
visits to both the
Clinical and
Translational
Research Center
(CTRC) and the Clinical Center for
Targeted Therapy (CCTT). “The
Phase I Program is a fast-paced
environment with a high level of
enthusiasm among the staff and a
sense of pride in what they have been
able to accomplish in a relatively short
period of time. Phase I is doing a
phenomenal job clinically. My role is to
help Dr. Kurzrock, the program’s
director, establish some administrative
processes and procedures, figure out
what everybody’s current roles are in
order to determine where the gaps are,
and get new employees in place. I’ve
also started assessing our space needs
because as we grow, we need more
space for new people to work,” Norton
comments. “It’s a welcome challenge
to be a part of this expansion.”
Matthew Stevens, M.B.A.,
M.H.A., has accepted the position as
department administrator for
THMNO. He began on Jan. 1 after
transferring from the Department of
Clinical Cancer Prevention, where he
worked in the same capacity for Scott
Lippman, M.D., when he was their chair.
Kennedy Rewarded for
Her Discovery
She could retire any day, but Carole
Kennedy, senior financial analyst for
the division, remains on the job and
consistently does the kind of
thorough and excellent work that
earned her a place in institutional
history—becoming the Core Value
Award Winner for Discovery. Her
photograph was displayed on
Employee Bulletin Boards during the
week of Sept. 25, 2006. The program
began as a component of the “I am
M. D. Anderson” campaign to raise
awareness of the institution’s core
values of caring, integrity, and
discovery.
Kennedy was
the last in a
series of only
nine employees
recognized last
year for
exhibiting these
core values.
Discovery is
defined as
helping
coworkers
identify and
solve problems;
seeking personal growth and enabling
others to do so; and encouraging
learning, creativity, and new ideas.
Kennedy’s nominator described her
as going beyond the scope of her
position that centers around
providing support for financial
projects involving division data. For
example, after reviewing the budget
of a major grant, “Ms. Kennedy
found errors that would have
resulted in hundreds of thousands
of dollars in lost grant funds to the
institution. Furthermore, she sought
opportunities to expand her horizons
by attending a conference of the
American Hospital Association to
learn more about Medicare billing
procedures. And she mentors newer
financial analysts and provides help
to other staff on account
reconciliation procedures.”
“I’m just very touched that
someone would think so highly of my
work. I think it’s very special that in
this big institution, someone would
go out of their way to show
appreciation for my work. I’m very
honored,” Kennedy commented. She
enjoys her work so much that she has
postponed her retirement until Aug.
2007—but even that is tentative.
“I’ve started toying with the idea that
maybe I’m really not ready to retire.
Candace Baer, my supervisor, sees to
it that I get new challenges all the
time and the people I work with are
positive.”
9
Taking the Very Best Care of Patients – By Maxsane Mitchell
Near-Death Experiences Up for
Discussion at Conference
T
erminally ill patients who are near death often report
being drawn to a light that gives them a sense of
peace in their final hours. “That kind of out-of-body
experience is pretty common,” said
Michael Fisch, M.D., medical director
for the Clinical Community Oncology
Program (CCOP) and an associate
professor who provides palliative care
for severely ill patients. He gave remarks
at the history-making International
Association of Near-Death Studies
(IANDS) Annual Conference, held at
M. D. Anderson on Oct. 25-26. It was first time any
medical institution had hosted the meeting since they
started in 1993. The event attracted about 400 attendees
from around the world, among them several of our
palliative care faculty and staff.
Near-death and near-death-like experiences happen
in many cultures, to people who are religious, and to
those who are not. They are powerful occurrences that
can transform personalities, attitudes, and behaviors.
However, research published in 2004 in the journal
Brain, for example, suggests that occurrences such as a
sense of being drawn into a light may actually result from
oxygen deprivation and inadequate blood flow to the
brain, and therefore a blood-starved retina may produce
light. But, Dr. Fisch said the conference was important
because it suggested that we should respond with care
and compassion to patients who believe they’ve had
these experiences. “If it’s real to them, it’s important and
real to me in terms of practical and ethical applications
to palliative and end-of-life care,” he commented.
“When families of dying patients know their loved ones
are having these experiences, it may give them a peaceful
and calming attitude toward terminal illness, and that
may shape their choices about treatment.”
Division Helps Launch Inflammatory
Breast Cancer Clinic and Research
Program
Massimo Cristofanilli, M.D., associate professor in
Breast Medical Oncology, will serve as a co-director of
M .D. Anderson’s new Clinic and Research Program for
Inflammatory Breast Cancer (IBC). The very rare disease
represents only one to two percent of all breast cancers
diagnosed. It is a fast-growing and extremely aggressive
malignancy that does not present as a lump but is spread
throughout the breast tissue, making it difficult to detect
10
through mammography. Inflammatory
breast cancer also presents with unique
symptoms such as redness, swelling, and
warmth in the breast, or skin that looks
bruised, ridged, or pitted like an orange.
Other symptoms can include burning,
aching or tenderness, an increase in breast
size, and/or an inverted nipple. As a result, IBC is often
misdiagnosed and not properly identified until the disease
has metastasized, said Dr. Cristofanilli. Treatment is also
difficult because the disease is relatively resistant to
standard chemotherapeutic agents.
“M. D. Anderson already sees about 30 new cases a
year. That’s more than any other institution in this country.
With the new clinic, we hope to see up to 60 to 80 cases
annually. We’ll collect appropriate serum and tissue, look at
gene expression, and gather other pertinent biological
information in the hope of finally developing treatment
guidelines for IBC,” declared Dr. Cristofanilli, who added
that 40% of women with the rare disease will survive five
years. “Treatment in an environment where all
subspecialties involved in breast cancer management are
optimally coordinated is very important in determining a
successful outcome.”
One study being done is the use of Positron Emission
Tomography (PET) scans to see more of the disease,
including lymph nodes far from the breast, “Which allow us
to determine if there’s metastatic disease at the time of
diagnosis,” Dr. Cristofanilli reported. Current treatment
options include chemotherapy, surgery, radiation, and
targeted therapy or hormonal therapy, such as Tykerb
(lapatinib), which has shown promise in IBC patients
whose tumors express the HER-2 gene. The clinic, housed
at the Nellie B. Connally Center, offers a multidisciplinary
team from several departments.
Neuro-Oncology Joins Brain
Mapping Project
F
aculty in the Department of Neuro-Oncology and the
Brain Tumor Program are playing a major role in a federal
pilot to determine if a reliable atlas can be made to map
changes that lead to glioblastoma. We were among the first
three centers to be selected for the
project, known as The Cancer Genome
Atlas (TCGA). It is supported by the
National Cancer Institute and the
National Human Genome Institute.
The TCGA project is designed to
identify key genomic alterations, such as
gene copy changes and/or chromosomal
rearrangements that may contribute to
DoCMessages • Vol. 3 No. 4, 2006
the development or progression of cancer. The genes will
then be examined for the specific mutations that make
them dangerous. The findings will be put into a
comprehensive atlas of molecular information describing
genomic changes in all types of cancer.
Investigators believe if they can better understand
complex genetic alterations that lead to the cancer, they can
develop a new generation of diagnostics, personalized
therapeutics based on a tumor’s specific genetic alterations,
and preventive strategies. Glioblastoma is the most frequently
occurring of all primary brain cancers. It is incurable and only
minimally treatable. The NCI reports an estimated 18,820
cases will be diagnosed in 2006, and 12,820 of those patients
will die from the disease.
“We want to correlate genetic and genomic alterations to
outcome and response to therapy,” said W. K. Alfred Yung,
M.D., chair of Neuro-Oncology, of the $100 million project.
“We were asked to provide 300 specimens that will be delivered
in stages. In turn, M. D. Anderson will also be involved in
investigating the data that emerges.” The other two centers in
the pilot are focusing on lung and ovarian cancers.
Cord Blood Bank Wins HRSA Grant
T
he Health Resources and Services Administration
(HRSA) in October selected the Cord Blood Bank
(CBB) as one of only six sites in the entire country to begin
collections for the National Cord Blood Inventory (NCBI).
In the last few years, stem cells harvested from umbilical
cords have become a life-saving alternative for patients with
leukemia and other cancers when no suitable match can be
found for bone marrow transplantation. Patients who receive
cord blood get stem cells from donors who are less well
HLA-matched than bone marrow donors, yet have
comparable or even less graft-versus-host disease.
A target goal of 7,100 units for the three-year, $8.4
million grant will be achieved through our established
partnerships with Woman’s Hospital of Texas and Ben Taub
General Hospital. An agreement with a third local hospital is
pending. Notification of the grant came at a great time—a
few months after Director Elizabeth Shpall, M.D., and her
staff celebrated the program’s one-year anniversary and dual
accreditations from the National Marrow Donor Program
and NETCORD-FACT. At press time, the CBB had stored
more than 1,600 cords. HRSA, a part of the U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services, has a goal of
150,000 new units of high-quality cord blood from a diverse
population that includes minorities, who historically have
been the most difficult to find suitable matches for adult
bone marrow transplantation due to greater diversity in
tissue types. Units found not suitable for patient use will be
retained for research focused on cord blood stem cell biology
and other scientific investigations.
DoCMessages • Vol. 3 No. 4, 2006
ATC Wins Bronze Medal for
Effective Solutions
A
team of employees in the Ambulatory Treatment
Center (ATC) won a Bronze Medal in the Create
Solutions project for coming up with a way to reduce by
five percent the
number of missed
Create Solutions
appointments among
Team Members
breast cancer patients.
Records going back
Rebecca Avelino, R.N.
six months showed a
Cora Bautista Vu, R.N.
seven percent missedappointment rate prior
Sheilah Bofil, R.N.
to the pilot project.
Maria Borrero, R.N
The solution was
Connie Dumag, R.N
two-fold, said clinical
nurse Cora Bautista
Rodney Frazier, B.S.W.
Vu.
“We had to
Kristine Garcia, R.N.
educate the clinics on
Jacque Scholz, R.N.
how important it is to
Vilma Sherry, R.N., P.C.
cancel appointments
when they know
patients won’t be coming for chemotherapy.” For
example, if a doctor determined a patient’s white blood
cell count was too low, he sent that patient home, but
the clinic was not automatically contacting the ATC to
cancel that appointment. “These slots can be used for
other patients who need blood transfusions and
additional services that otherwise have to be planned for
Saturdays, which is a problem for patients coming from
out-of-town or those with transportation issues.” The
team also began utilizing volunteers to give patients
reminder calls one or two days ahead of their scheduled
appointments. “This gives our patients the opportunity to
confirm or let us know if they are not going to come—for
any reason,” said Vu. The pilot project is now being used
to target gynecologic patients, who miss about 13% of
their appointments.
Texas Nurses Association
Lauds Frye, Purdom
T
he Ninth District of the Texas Nurses Association
recently honored Debra Frye, research nurse
manager in Breast Medical Oncology, and Michelle
Purdom, manager of clinical protocol administration in
the Phase I Program, for their contributions to the field.
Both received an award during a dinner reception held
this fall. The association’s goals include improving health
standards and availability of services for everyone,
fostering high standards among nurses, and promoting
the professional development of nurses.
11
Future
Home of
2006
Grants
Adopt-a-Family Program Bigger and Better in 2006
2006 Graduates
(continued from page 7)
Lazlo Radvanyi, Ph.D.
Melanoma Medical Oncology
Development of Survivin as a Vaccine
Target for Pancreatic Cancer
NIH, $50,000, 08/10/2006-07/31/2008
January 9
Paul Bunn, M.D.
University of Colorado Medical Center
January 16
Elizabeth Shpall, M.D.
Professor
Department of Stem Cell
Transplantation and Cellular Therapy
M. D. Anderson
Deepa Sampath, Ph.D.
Experimental Therapeutics
Transcriptional Activation to Target CLL
CLL Global Research Foundation, $95,112,
09/27/2006-08/31/2007
Elizabeth Shpall, M.D.
Stem Cell Transplantation
Expansion of Hematopoietic Progenitor Cells for
Transplantation in Patients with Malignancies
Katz Foundation, $66,666, 08/01/200607/31/2009
rom singing telegrams to dressing up as a witch to
becoming a living, breathing sandwich, division
employees really went all out to raise money for the 2006
Adopt-a-Family Program. Altogether, we collected $17,174
to help the families of 52 patients enjoy the holidays. Who
brought in the most loot? According to the Department of
Social Work, which coordinates the event, Leukemia raised
$3,432.60 by urging employees to use their cash to vote for
which faculty member they wanted to hear sing at their
departmental holiday party; while Stem Cell Transplantation
& Cellular Therapy raised $2,755.15 by dressing in
Halloween costumes and performing singing telegrams.
They even delivered an “original song” to Waun Ki Hong,
M.D., division head. The ever popular silent auction and
bake sales were also held.
– By Maxsane Mitchell
F
Naoto Ueno, M.D., Ph.D.
Stem Cell Transplantation
Role of Mitotic Checkpoint in the Sensitivity
of Breast Cancer Paclitaxel
Susan G. Komen Foundation, $62,000,
05/01/2006-04/30/2009
Daoyan Wei, Ph.D.
Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology
KLF4A in Pancreatic Cancer
AACR, $50,000, 07/01/2006-06/30/2008
William Wierda, M.D., Ph.D.
Leukemia Immunotherapy for Patients with CLL
CDA Scholar, Leukemia & Lymphoma Society,
$105,000, 07/01/2006-06/30/2011
Anas Younes, M.D.
Lymphoma, Clinical Activity of 17-AAG in
Lymphoma NIH R-21, $142,000,
09/29/2006-07/31/2008
W. K. Alfred Yung, M.D.
Neuro-Oncology Molecular Targets
for Drug-Synergy
NIH R01, $177,500, 09/08/2006-06/30/2011
W. K. Alfred Yung, M.D.
Neuro-Oncology, Small Molecule
Inhibitors of the PI3K/AKT Pathway
ABC2, $75,000, 05/12/2006-05/31/2012
W. K. Alfred Yung, M.D., Neuro-Oncology
Marcus Foundation, $475,499, 07/10/2006
Coming Up in
Grand Rounds
Walk a Mile Project Exceeds Expectations
DoCM employees exceeded the institution’s participation goal
and received a $600 Team Anderson award. Records show that
97% of you took the time to “Walk-a-Mile” in the shoes of another
co-worker. “Based on the very positive feedback which we received
from our employees, I think the project was extremely effective
in helping divisional employees learn how their roles and
contributions fit into larger institutional processes. This should
empower people to do all that they can to have a positive impact,”
said Wendy Austin, division administrator.
Conference Crowd Experiences Complementary Therapies
M
ore than 300 cancer patients and their caregivers had
the opportunity to try yoga, Pilates, and expressive arts
during Anderson Network’s “Living Fully With and Beyond
Cancer Conference,” held in September. The theme for the
18th annual event was “Let the Sun Shine In.” Deanna
Cuello, program coordinator for Place…of wellness, said
attendance at workshops always goes up following the
conference. “It’s just a matter of letting more people know
we’re here. Patient response is always incredible after they
learn all that we have available to them.”
January 23
Jacqueline Waugh, CEO
BioHouston, Inc.
January 30
David Alberts, M.D.
Arizona Cancer Center
February 6
Christina Meyers, Ph.D.
Professor
Department of Neuro-Oncology
M. D. Anderson
February 13
Howard Koh, M.D.
Harvard School of Public Health
February 20
Carl June, M.D.
University of Pennsylvania
February 27
Melissa Bondy, M.D.
Professor
Department of Epidemiology
M. D. Anderson
March 6
Ralf Krahe, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Department of Cancer Genetics
M. D. Anderson
March 13
Eva Guinan, M.D.
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
March 20
Jerome Ritz, M.D.
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
March 27
Louis Staudt, M.D., Ph.D.
National Cancer Institute
DoCMessages is a quarterly publication for faculty and staff of M. D. Anderson
Cancer Center’s Division of Cancer Medicine. It is also available online at:
http://inside.mdanderson.org/departments/cancermed/.
Head, Division of Cancer Medicine........................................Waun Ki Hong, M.D.
Deputy Division Head for Clinical and Educational Affairs ....Robert Wolff, M.D.
Deputy Division Head for Research.......................................Reuben Lotan, Ph.D.
Division Administrator ............................................................Wendy P. Austin, R.N., M.S., AOCN
Managing Editor.....................................................................Carol A. Howland, M.S.
Writer......................................................................................Maxsane Mitchell, B.S.
Graphic Design ......................................................................Medical Graphics & Photography
Ariel Design