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Fall 2009
A publication for friends of M. D. Anderson
Children’s Cancer Hospital
Practicing the Art of the Possible
#1, Again
M. D. Anderson Ranks First in the Nation
Hoda Kotb
A Survivor’s Words of Wisdom
Learn how you can help at www.mdanderson.org/gifts.
1
Children’s Cancer Hospital
Practicing the Art of the Possible
By Sara Farris
A 16-year-old amputee skis down a slope
on her own for the first time. A former star
tennis player sidelined by bone cancer
learns a new sport and makes his school’s
golf team. An international patient enrolls
in the in-hospital school and graduates
with her class despite the months of
treatment.
It’s “the art of the possible.” That’s how
Peter Anderson, M.D., Ph.D., professor
at the Children’s Cancer Hospital at
M. D. Anderson, terms such milestones.
But to these patients, they’re dreams
they may not have conceived of coming
true. These accomplishments reflect the
support of patient health care teams
and the generosity of those who partner
with them by giving their time, energy
and financial resources to the Children’s
Cancer Hospital.
Education
via videoconferencing. It’s seen in the
Parents emphasize the education
pediatric oncologist’s eyes as he tells
program, for example, as a differentiator
his relapsed patient there’s yet another
for the Children’s Cancer Hospital.
clinical trial to try.
With the help of philanthropic funding,
Within the past five years, dreams
the education program is working
have become realities at the Children’s
toward accreditation as a national and
Cancer Hospital as more research has
international school for students in pre-K
been conducted and published and as
through 12th grade, something only a
more clinical trials have opened. Today
handful of hospitals in the United States
parents are part of everyday decisioncan claim. This initiative will expand
making, and patients spend more time out
the current program’s comprehensive
of the hospital thanks to the translation of
inpatient therapies to outpatient protocols. structure to include an early childhood
program, English as a Second Language
The growing momentum has resulted
courses, cognitive therapy, parent training
in the Children’s Cancer Hospital jumping
and more school re-entry services.
up eight levels in this year’s U.S.News
& World Report’s “Best Children’s
Research
Hospitals” survey.
The Children’s Cancer Hospital is
“To be ranked as the No.13 children’s
considered one of the largest pediatric
hospital in the nation for cancer care
cancer research hospitals in the nation.
is truly an honor,” says Eugenie S.
Over the past year researchers have
The promise of hope
Kleinerman, M.D., head of the Division
presented their findings at the top
The art of the possible is a philosophy
of Pediatrics and the Children’s Cancer
international and national oncology
all faculty and staff of the Children’s
Hospital. “It’s taken a team effort to get
conferences. Their discoveries relating
Cancer Hospital adopt in some way.
us to where we are today. Now we’re
to brain tumors, bone cancers,
It’s seen in the intensity of researchers
setting our sights on a top 10 ranking.”
whose laboratory findings may mean
A five-year strategic plan promises
a breakthrough in patient care. It’s
even more changes to improve the
seen in the patients’ smiles as they
overall experience for children, young
interact with biologists and animals
adults and their families coming to the
at Houston’s Downtown Aquarium
Children’s Cancer Hospital.
Federal funding for childhood cancer clinical
Cover photo:
research has declined in recent years, resulting in
Building blocks for success
Kim’s Place offers video games, a jukebox, a pool table, computers,
fewer clinical trials for children, according to the
Over the next three years, the
comfortable couches and other amenities in a special space just
Children’s Oncology Group. With support from
for M. D. Anderson cancer patients, friends and family members
pediatric outpatient clinic and a new
foundations, companies and individual donors,
ages 15 to 25. The facility is a tribute to the late WNBA Houston
pediatric
intensive
care
unit
will
move
researchers and clinicians at the Children’s Cancer
Comet Kim Perrot who died of lung cancer in August 1999 at age
to Alkek Hospital’s ninth floor to
Hospital can continue bringing state-of-the-art
32. Pictured is Omar Olivarez, taking a break to play a game of
eight-ball during a relative’s treatment at M. D. Anderson.
treatments with fewer long-term side effects to
join the existing inpatient unit. The
Photo by Eli Gukich
pediatric patients. Donor-funded research projects
expansion, as well as the addition
that have received worldwide recognition within
of a diagnostic imaging
the past year include:
suite for pediatric patients,
Immunotherapy With Less Toxicity – Patients
incorporates feedback
with various childhood cancers are being
from families who are
infused with two types of immune cells, T cells
working with the architects
and NK cells, to safely attack tumors that resist
chemotherapy.
throughout the design
process. Parents on the
Prevention of Osteosarcoma Metastasis –
Children’s Cancer Hospital
Scientists are studying a specific signaling
pathway, called NOTCH, and a gene, Hes-1,
Family Advisory Council
hoping to find ways to prevent these mechanisms
have played a large role in
from triggering bone cancer cells to metastasize.
guiding decision-making
New Therapies for Neuroblastoma – Lab studies
since the group’s formation
and clinical trials are investigating therapies and
in 2008.
developing personalized treatment for children
“It’s so powerful to hear
with neuroblastoma. One trial is testing a drug,
directly from the families
vandetanib, for the first time in children.
who are going through
Receptors Targeted for Leukemia – Researchers
cancer treatment with their
are studying a certain inhibitor, AZ23, whose use
children,” says Patricia
led to a 50 percent to 60 percent reduction of
acute myeloid leukemia cells in mice. AZ23 works
Eugenie S. Kleinerman, M.D., head of the Division of Pediatrics and the Children’s
Wells, director of family
Cancer Hospital, shares a happy moment with pediatric cancer survivor Humberto
by turning off switches that promote cancer cell
centered care. “They keep
Flores III and his dad, Humberto Flores Jr., at the hospital’s 2,000-square-foot Hoglund
production.
you focused and working on
Foundation Pedi-Dome and Vara Martin Daniel Children’s Play Park on the ninth floor.
Photo by F. Carter Smith
what really matters.”
Philanthropy Fuels
Innovative Research
2
Promise fall 2009
A publication for friends of M. D. Anderson
neuroblastoma, leukemia, cell therapy
and survivorship issues have led to new
therapies for pediatric patients.
“Our research no longer focuses on
just finding a cure,” says Kleinerman.
“It focuses on finding therapies that will
eradicate cancer without the long-term
side effects that past therapies gave
survivors. Giving patients a quality of
life while undergoing treatment and
afterward is very important to us.”
not only help the child, but they also ease
the parents’ burden.”
Path toward a cure
While pediatric cancer is rare, it’s the
leading cause of death by disease
for children. Philanthropic gifts to the
Children’s Cancer Hospital power the
Patient care
Programs that provide comprehensive
care for children and their families support
the new therapies introduced in the clinic.
Philanthropy plays a significant role as
donors generously contribute portable
electronics, pediatric parties, coffee for
the family lounge, funding toward patient
camps and other gifts that help patients
and their families cope with cancer.
“The parties, the games and
everything in between really help our
patients take a mental break from their
cancer treatments,” says Sheila Brown,
child life specialist at the hospital. “They
hospital’s lifesaving vision, advancing
the current course of patient care and
research while shaping a brighter future
for children, adolescents and young
adults with cancer.
— [email protected]
Support Focuses on Survivorship Issues
Nearly 80 percent of children with cancer survive today, thanks to the progress of
pediatric cancer research. Unfortunately, nearly 75 percent of these survivors will
develop chronic health problems or secondary cancers due to their treatments, and
many become overweight, according to the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study, a
National Cancer Institute-funded study of more than 14,000 survivors at 27 research
centers in North America and Canada.
Pediatric oncologists at the Children’s Cancer Hospital are investigating ways to detect,
prevent and treat these long-term side effects.
Laura Worth, M.D., Ph.D., medical center director for the Children’s Cancer Hospital,
and Nicole Rosipal, nurse practitioner, are studying the effects of exercise on children
receiving stem cell transplants. Philanthropic funding supports a research position
as well as the purchase of child-friendly exercise equipment, such as Nintendo Wii
systems and stationary bicycles.
Students enrolled in the Pediatric Education Program now participate in a nutrition,
health and physical education class supported through philanthropy. The pediatric
patients engage in healthy cooking classes and work with a physical therapist who
makes exercise a fun part of their weekly routines.
A Message From Dr. Mendelsohn
In the 1970s, the survival rate for all
childhood cancers combined was less
than 50 percent. Today the survival rate
is 80 percent, due in large part to new
and enhanced treatments for acute
lymphocytic leukemia, Hodgkin’s and
non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and Wilms’
tumor. But these numbers, though
markedly improved, simply are not good
enough. Pediatric cancer remains the
leading cause of death from disease
in children under 15 in this country.
The Children’s Cancer Hospital at M. D. Anderson is dedicated to
changing those statistics. Thanks to generous philanthropic support,
the Children’s Cancer Hospital continues to thrive and expand.
Our pediatric oncologists lead the world in discovering new ways
to diagnose and treat childhood cancers, combining unrivaled
expertise in research with compassionate patient care not found
elsewhere. A group of community leaders recently gathered for the
first meeting of the Children’s Cancer Hospital Advisory Group, an
exciting collaboration with faculty and staff committed to eliminating
deaths from pediatric cancer. We are grateful to all who support the
Children’s Cancer Hospital at M. D. Anderson as we strive to grant
children, adolescents and young adults with cancer this simple wish:
the opportunity to grow up and lead normal lives. Together, we are
Making Cancer History®.
Jeff B. Love, chairman of Locke Lord Bissell & Liddell LLP, Houston office,
is a senior member of The University Cancer Foundation Board of Visitors.
To learn more about M. D. Anderson’s Holiday Greeting Card Program,
visit www.mdanderson.org/giving/holiday or call 800-525-5841.
As a member of M. D. Anderson’s Board of Visitors for 19 years, I’ve sent holiday wishes
and acknowledgments to very good friends and clients for many seasons through the
institution’s Holiday Greeting Card Program. Among the benefits of this program, for
me, are the opportunities to financially support M. D. Anderson’s mission to eradicate
cancer and to increase awareness of the No. 1-ranked cancer center in the country among
friends and clients in other regions. During these years, those who know I have a nexus
to the institution through this program have often contacted me when they or their family
members or friends have been in need of M. D. Anderson’s vast reservoir of expertise.
Moreover, I’ve found through notes from recipients of these holiday cards that they prefer
a remembrance that’s given for the benefit of others.
Do you promise? Tell us why you’re committed to Making Cancer History® and send an
e-mail to [email protected].
Learn how you can help at www.mdanderson.org/gifts.
Promise
John Mendelsohn, M.D.
PRESIDENT
Patrick B. Mulvey
VICE PRESIDENT
FOR DEVELOPMENT
Stephen C. Stuyck
VICE PRESIDENT
FOR PUBLIC AFFAIRS
DeDe DeStefano
PROGRAM MANAGER
Sarah Watson
EDITOR
Eli Gukich
DESIGNER
Contributing Writers
Sara Farris
Gail Goodwin
Tomise Martin
The University of Texas
M. D. Anderson Cancer Center
Development Office - Unit 705
P.O. Box 301439
Houston, TX 77230-1439
713-792-3450
800-525-5841
www.mdanderson.org/gifts
[email protected]
This publication was not
printed at state expense.
3
Run for the Rose Races Past $1 Million Mark for Brain Tumor Research
Family and friends of the late Marnie
Rose, M.D., walked and ran their way to a
fundraising milestone March 29 at the seventh
annual Run for the Rose, a 5K fun run and walk
supporting the Dr. Marnie Rose Foundation.
Thanks to a $317,000 contribution from
proceeds of the event, the foundation has
donated more than $1 million to brain cancer
research at M. D. Anderson.
Diagnosed with brain cancer in 2001
during her first year of medical residency at
The University of Texas-Houston Medical
School, Rose underwent treatment at
M. D. Anderson. She died in 2002. Since 2003,
the Rose Foundation ensures that her legacy
— a passion to help others and a courageous
Access
Answers
To become a patient at
M. D. Anderson:
Call 877-632-6789
or fill out the self-referral form
at www.mdanderson.org.
fight with a rare
disease — lives
on by supporting
research and new
drug development.
Each year donations
from the run are
divided between
M. D. Anderson and
Children’s Memorial
Hermann Hospital.
“Marnie was
beautiful and bright,
They’re off and running at the seventh annual Run for the Rose, a 5K fun run and walk supporting
and as a pediatric
the Dr. Marnie Rose Foundation. The event raised $317,000 for brain tumor research at
medical resident
M. D. Anderson. Photo courtesy of Your Sporting Image by Karen Thibodeaux
she devoted her
life to caring for children,” says Lanie Rose,
The foundation and the Rose family have
her mother. “Through the foundation, we
been instrumental in M. D. Anderson’s role in
honor her by helping both children and brain
developing novel therapies for brain cancer.”
cancer patients in need. We’re grateful for the
All funds raised by the Dr. Marnie Rose
support we’ve received from our donors and
Foundation for M. D. Anderson go directly to
participants through the years.”
groundbreaking research, with guidance from
According to the American Cancer Society
Sawaya and Alfred Yung, M.D., chair of the
more than 22,000 people will be diagnosed
Department of Neuro-Oncology.
and nearly 13,000 will die from brain cancer
“Marnie received state-of-the-art,
in 2009.
compassionate care at M. D. Anderson that
“Brain cancer is not as common and does
she could not have received anywhere else,”
not receive the same amount of funding as
says Lanie. “The Dr. Marnie Rose Foundation
some other cancers,” says Raymond Sawaya,
was formed from our desire to honor my
M.D., professor and chair of the Department
daughter’s memory and help the next patient
of Neurosurgery at M. D. Anderson. “Over
survive brain cancer. Marnie never gave up
the past 10 to 15 years, private donors such
her will to survive, so we will not surrender our
as the Dr. Marnie Rose Foundation have
hope for a cure.”
changed research funding for this cancer.
Video at http://tinyurl.com/nctbkw.
RAAM Team Brings Christmas in July to Young Cancer Patients
Cyclists from Cheniere’s Making Cancer
History® Race Across America, or RAAM,
team celebrated Christmas in July with
pediatric cancer patients from the Children’s
Cancer Hospital at M. D. Anderson.
Former RAAM team member Kirk Gentle
was on the scene July 16 to help the young
patients decorate gingerbread men cookies,
make reindeer antlers and more. The children
were treated to ice cream sundaes, and Santa
himself was there to jot down their holiday
wishes. In addition, the cycling team’s pedal
partner, neurofibromatosis patient Emily
Parker, was front and center at the party to
encourage all the young patients.
Since 2005, Cheniere’s team has raised
more than $200,000 for neurofibromatosis
research at M. D. Anderson. Neurofibromatosis
is a progressive disorder that causes tumors to
grow around the nerves. The team competes
in RAAM, one of the most challenging
endurance races in the world, as a symbolic
demonstration of how teamwork, research,
persistence and ingenuity can triumph over
obstacles such as neurofibromatosis and
other debilitating diseases. This year’s effort
was part of an annual campaign that
coordinates multiple fundraising events in
support of cancer research, treatment and
education at M. D. Anderson.
Santa braves Houston’s summertime heat to spread holiday cheer among patients at the Children’s Cancer Hospital during
an event arranged by the Cheniere Making Cancer History® Race Across America team. Photo by Barry Smith
4 4 Promise
Promisefall
fall2009
2009
AApublication
publicationfor
forfriends
friendsof
ofM.
M.D.D.Anderson
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Philanthropy
in Act
ion
Mulligans Mean Melanoma Awareness for Sun-savvy Fundraisers
“Love the skin you’re in” is their motto,
“wear sunblock” their mantra.
Husband-and-wife team Yvonne and
Alan O’Martin are executive director and
chairman, respectively, of the Bradley
O’Martin Melanoma Foundation, a charitable
organization responsible for more than
$120,000 committed to melanoma research at
M. D. Anderson.
The couple, who live in Coppell, Texas,
learned about melanoma in perhaps the most
painful way: They lost their 27-year-old son,
Brad, to the disease in 2005. Yet the O’Martins
found the resolve to help others become “sun
savvy” and sensitive to the need for more
research dollars to help eradicate melanoma,
the most deadly form of skin cancer.
Yvonne O’Martin noticed an “unusual”
spot on her son’s back one summer afternoon
in 2002 when he dropped by to help with a
backyard project. Yvonne relied on mother’s
intuition and insisted Brad have it checked.
Within days he was diagnosed with Stage III
melanoma.
Under the care of Kevin Kim, M.D.,
associate professor of melanoma medical
oncology at M. D. Anderson, Brad underwent
a year of interferon treatments with
encouraging results. The cancer returned,
however, and the Stage IV prognosis was grim.
Two intensive regimens of biochemotherapy
and radiation treatments followed, but Brad
ultimately died from the disease.
The O’Martins established the Bradley
O’Martin Melanoma Foundation in his
memory. Their mission is to fund clinical
trials and research studies and to advance
melanoma education, awareness, screenings
and treatment. Kim, Brad’s oncologist at
M. D. Anderson, volunteers as medical
adviser, providing insight on research and
treatment protocols.
The O’Martins raise money and awareness
at a variety of community events and through
the foundation’s Miles for Melanoma, a walk
held each May, and Mulligans for Melanoma,
an October golf tournament.
The inaugural 2008 tournament was in
honor of Courtney Breeding of Aledo, near
Fort Worth. Courtney’s Stage III melanoma
was found during elective surgery. Cancer-free
for two years, she comes to M. D. Anderson
for six-month follow-ups. “I became involved with the foundation
because I wanted to do something to help
raise awareness,” says Courtney, mother of
three young children. “I’ve been so impressed
with Yvonne’s passion, strength and sheer will
to keep working until the word is out there.”
Courtney’s husband,
Todd Breeding of Frost
Financial Management
Group, was instrumental
in securing sponsorship
for the fledgling event.
“Frost’s participation
led to two other
corporate entities,
Siemens and Marshalls,
matching their
sponsorship,” says
Yvonne. “It was an
awesome moment for
the foundation when we
realized that corporate
sponsors were
M. D. Anderson’s Kevin Kim, M.D., left, and Michael L. Maris, M.D., a Dallas-based
committed to helping
dermatologist who provided free cancer screenings at the 2008 Mulligans for Melanoma,
in the fight against this enjoy a round of golf in support of the Bradley O’Martin Melanoma Foundation.
Photo courtesy of Yvonne and Alan O’Martin
disease.”
Equally inspiring,
“If we had known about melanoma, Brad
she says, are the individuals who have
might be with us now,” she says. “Hopefully
“turned their own grief into positive
one day there will be an effective treatment
action” by volunteering time and financial
for this aggressive disease that claims the
support. Yvonne finds comfort in knowing
lives of so many young people.”
the foundation is “making a difference and
— www.bradsmelanomafoundation.org
helping save lives.”
Santa Fe Symposium
A number of educational events during the spring and summer in Texas, Colorado, New Mexico
and Missouri shared the latest developments in M. D. Anderson’s research and patient care
initiatives. A July event at The Club at Las Campanas in Santa Fe, N.M., for example, drew about
90 guests, who enjoyed presentations by John Mendelsohn, M.D., president of M. D. Anderson,
and Ernest Hawk, M.D., vice president for cancer prevention. A dinner followed at the home of
Pam and Randall Onstead. Joining the couple on the host committee were Dianne and Don
Chalmers, Lynn and Pete Coneway, Jan and Dan Duncan, Susan Foote and Stephen Feinberg,
Marion and John Fort III, Mel and Tom Gordon, Janiece Longoria and Stephen Lasher, Katherine
and Jeff Love and Kay Onstead. Shown are Kay Onstead, left, and Pam Onstead.
Photo by Cathy Callanan
Learn how you can help at www.mdanderson.org/gifts
www.mdanderson.org/gifts.
5
AmongFriends
Editor’s note: Ruth U. Keller of Asheville,
N.C., and formerly of Maitland, Fla.,
has generously opened her home on
occasion for events to raise awareness of
M. D. Anderson’s research and patient
care initiatives. Here she relates the
cancer journey she shared with her late
husband, William H. Keller, and her
motivation to support the institution’s
mission to eradicate cancer. By Ruth U. Keller
I could go on forever with case histories
of friends I’ve referred to M. D. Anderson,
men and women who’ve been treated for
bladder, breast, kidney, esophageal and
other cancers. We’re so thankful there’s
an M. D. Anderson, because we know
it’s the best. You see, my late husband,
Bill, was a patient there. Words can’t
express my gratitude for the staff at
M. D. Anderson. They were wonderful to
us. I hope my story will inspire those with
cancer to visit the No. 1 cancer center in
the world.
Bill’s journey
In February 1999, my husband was
notified by his internist in Florida that
Survivors Say
I am an apple-eating,
Central Park-running, pretty healthy woman. I thought I was
living right, but life is funny, isn’t it? On Sunday everything is
perfectly normal. Then on Monday, it’s all turned upside down
with a call from the doctor: I had breast cancer and needed a
mastectomy.
When it was over, I learned a couple of things. You realize
your life is to be valued and not wasted. The mantra becomes
“not one more minute.” I will not waste one more minute. I held
on tightly to the things I loved and got rid of the things I didn’t.
I also walked away with four wonderful words: “You can’t
scare me.” How perfect. No matter what happens in life, if you
survive breast cancer, you get that.
— Hoda Kotb, fourth-hour co-anchor of NBC’s “Today,”
correspondent for “Dateline NBC” and host of the weekly
syndicated series “Your Total Health.” As keynote speaker for
Anderson Network’s 21st annual Living With, Through and
Beyond Cancer conference Sept. 10-12 in Houston, Kotb shared
reflections on her breast cancer experience and the inner
strength essential throughout treatment and recovery.
Promise invites cancer survivors to share their reflections.
E-mail [email protected].
6
Promise fall 2009
Ruth Keller
he had prostate cancer. Bill was sent
immediately to a urologist in Orlando. I had read about M. D. Anderson and
asked him to go there. He refused,
insisting the local doctors were
good enough.
The urologist offered a choice of
radiation or surgery and gave us a week
to decide. I didn’t want to influence Bill in
any way, so I remained silent, hoping he
would choose surgery. When we returned to the urologist, I
was relieved to hear Bill opt for surgery.
It took place in June 1999. Later we
received a call that the cancer had spread
and that Bill needed to start radiation. I
pleaded with him to go to M. D. Anderson
for another opinion, asking him to go for
me. Bill agreed, and I called and made an
appointment. This was in early July.
Our daughter, Priscilla, decided to fly
to Houston with us.
At M. D. Anderson, Bill underwent
three days of examinations, and a team
of doctors evaluated his case. We met
with Dr. Shi-Ming Tu (associate professor
of genitourinary medical oncology), who
informed us that radiation would merely
do additional damage. Neither Bill nor I
heard him say that Bill had two years to
live. Our daughter, however, did.
In October Dr. Tu told us about a new
experimental program at M. D. Anderson
but was concerned that we lived too
far away. I told him that distance meant
nothing. He said it was a “blind” study
— we wouldn’t know whether Bill was
receiving the placebo or the real drug. I said we’d take our chances.
Bill went through the study with no
problems. He entered a second program
with stronger medication. Bill did fine,
until his checkup in April 2007. We were
living in Asheville, N.C., at the time. His
PSA was elevated and the oncologist
in Asheville suggested chemotherapy
or radiation. Bill declined treatment,
knowing he would probably live only
a year or so.
Ruth and Bill Keller
Photo courtesy of Ruth Keller
and only visit. My girlfriend had promised
no dates — we’d go straight home after
the dance. I was a blonde and wore a red
dress. This was in 1942 during World War
II, and servicemen would line up to break
in on the girls. When my girlfriend and I
were getting our coats to go home, she
told me that she had accepted a double
date after the dance. Though I was
annoyed, I went along. Then I met Bill and
from that moment we were in love.
As he was dying, Bill talked about how
he’d admired me on the dance floor, and
how, since he didn’t dance, he didn’t
believe we’d ever have the opportunity to
meet or that I would fall in love with him. It
was so touching that he would relate this
story on his deathbed. He asked that
his ashes be saved and mixed with mine
to be spread in our garden, which our
daughters have promised to do.
He died at 1:30 a.m. in my arms. He left
me with such a beautiful feeling for the joy
we’ve shared for more than 65 years.
Who could be more fortunate than I?
A day of memories
On Dec. 8, 2008, Bill was moved from
our home to hospice care. That day, he started talking about
the first time he saw me, at a church
in Washington, D.C., across from the
White House. I had attended a dance for
servicemen with a girlfriend. It was my first
A publication for friends of M. D. Anderson
RESEARCHHIGHLIGHTS
For complete news releases about these studies, please visit M. D. Anderson’s
online newsroom at www.mdanderson.org/newsroom.
Project Zero Delay Speeds Drug
to Patients in Record Time
A Phase I clinical trial enrolled its first patient only two days after U.S.
Food and Drug Administration clearance of the experimental drug for
a first-in-human cancer trial, a milestone that normally takes three to six
months. Investigators from M. D. Anderson and pharmaceutical company
AstraZeneca reported their work in the Journal of Clinical Oncology
published online in August.
The joint effort, dubbed Project Zero Delay, is part of a strategic
collaboration between the two organizations designed to safely accelerate
development of new cancer drugs. In many cases that process takes
Robert C. Bast Jr., M.D.
about 12 years, and the cost of bringing a new drug to patients has been
estimated at around $1.3 billion.
“Project Zero Delay demonstrates how we can shrink the time it takes to bring new drugs to cancer
patients,” says Robert C. Bast Jr., M.D., vice president for translational research at M. D. Anderson
and the paper’s senior author. “Close cooperation eliminated unnecessary delays while fully meeting
regulatory requirements for scientific and human safety review.”
The key to Project Zero Delay was performing most tasks in parallel instead of sequentially, says lead
author Razelle Kurzrock, M.D., professor and chair of the Department of Investigational Therapeutics.
No administrative steps were skipped.
Study Uncovers Genetic Link
for Bladder Cancer
A research team led by M. D. Anderson has pinpointed a gene variation,
prostate stem cell antigen, or PSCA, that causes a 30 percent to 40 percent
higher risk for urinary bladder cancer. Scientists hope the results of this
international study may help determine who is at high risk to contract this
deadly cancer. They also hope the knowledge may improve survival rates and
result in chemopreventive interventions.
PSCA is overexpressed in prostate cancer, and the level of PSCA increases
with tumor grade and stage. While PSCA’s involvement in bladder cancer had
been suggested previously, this is the first time it has been linked definitively.
Xifeng Wu, M.D., Ph.D.
The study answers many questions about genetic causes of bladder
cancer, says Xifeng Wu, M.D., Ph.D., professor in epidemiology and the lead and corresponding author.
“The neighboring genomic region has previously been identified as a possible problem for breast,
prostate, colorectal and bladder cancer, but we didn’t know why,” says Wu, who hopes the group’s
findings will help targeted bladder cancer prevention efforts.
This study was supported by grants from the National Cancer Institute and funding from
M. D. Anderson’s Kleberg Center for Molecular Markers.
Delivering Chemotherapy
Straight to Ovarian Cancer Cells
A research team led by scientists at M. D. Anderson has used a novel
carrier system using the EphA2 protein as a homing mechanism to deliver
chemotherapy directly to ovarian cancer cells in preclinical models.
EphA2 has increased expression in ovarian and other cancers, including
breast, colon, prostate and non-small cell lung cancers and aggressive
melanomas. Its expression has been associated with poor prognosis.
“One of our goals has been to develop more specific ways to deliver
chemotherapeutic drugs,” says senior author Anil K. Sood, M.D., professor
gynecologic oncology and cancer biology. “EphA2’s preferential presence
Anil K. Sood, M.D.
on tumor cells makes it an attractive therapeutic target.”
Sood, co-director of the Center for RNA Interference and Non-Coding RNA and the Blanton-Davis
Ovarian Cancer Research Program at M. D. Anderson, says the drug was highly effective in reducing
tumor growth and in prolonging survival in preclinical animal models. Researchers are “gearing up”
to bring EphA2-silencing therapy to Phase I clinical trials, he adds.
Research was funded by a National Cancer Institute-United States Department of Health and
Human Services-National Institutes of Health T32 Training Grant. Additional support came from
M. D. Anderson’s ovarian cancer Specialized Program of Research Excellence grant, the Marcus
Foundation, the Gynecologic Cancer Foundation, the Entertainment Industry Foundation,
the Blanton-Davis Ovarian Cancer Research Program and Sood’s Betty Ann Asche Murray
Distinguished Professorship.
Learn how you can help at www.mdanderson.org/gifts
Common Diabetes Drug
Reduces Pancreatic
Cancer Risk
By taking metformin, the most commonly
prescribed anti-diabetic drug, people can
reduce the risk of developing pancreatic cancer
by 62 percent, according to M. D. Anderson
researchers.
“This is the first epidemiological study of
metformin in the cancer population, and it offers
an exciting direction for future chemoprevention
research for a disease greatly in need of
treatment and prevention strategies,” says
Donghui Li, Ph.D., professor of gastrointestinal
medical oncology.
According to Li, the study’s senior author,
more than 35 million prescriptions for the oral
medication are filled annually. It’s most often
given to type 2 diabetes patients who are obese
and/or have insulin resistance.
Li cites a previous animal study showing
that metformin prevented pancreatic
tumor development, as well as numerous
epidemiologic studies in diabetics showing the
drug reduced the risk for cancer overall.
“Given these earlier findings, and knowing that
diabetes is a risk factor for developing pancreatic
cancer and that 10 percent of such cancers are
associated with diabetes, we wanted to better
understand the specific association between antidiabetic therapies and this lethal disease,” says Li.
The study was supported by the National
Cancer Institute, as well as by institutional funds.
Protein Dubbed
‘Swiss Army Knife’
of DNA Repair
A protein specialist that opens the genomic door
for DNA repair and gene expression also turns
out to be a multitasking workhorse that protects
the tips of chromosomes and dabbles in a
protein-destruction complex, reports a team led
by researchers at M. D. Anderson.
“Instead of being a really important tool
dedicated just to regulation of gene transcription,
Gcn5 is more like a Swiss Army knife that performs
different functions depending on what needs to
be done in the cell,” says senior author Sharon
Dent, Ph.D., professor of biochemistry and
molecular biology.
The researchers document a chain of events
that starts with depletion of Gcn5, which leads
to decreased activity by another protein that
protects yet a third protein from destruction.
That last protein, TRF1, protects telomeres,
dense structures at the ends of chromosomes
that, like the compressed plastic tips on the ends
of a shoelace, keep the chromosome ends intact.
Variation in the gene that expresses the
middle protein in this model is part of an
11-gene signature associated with highly
metastatic cancers and poor prognosis, the
authors note.
Funding for the study came from the National
Institutes of Health and the French National
Research Agency and the Fondation pour la
Recherche Médicale in France.
7
Donors
Make a Difference
Farb’s Legacy Opens Doors in Personalized Cancer Therapy
Over the course of a 50-year career as one
of Houston’s most acclaimed apartment
developers, Harold Farb was landlord to more
than a million people. As he made his mark
on the city with more than 30,000 apartments
and other real estate interests, he touched the
lives of many through an old-fashioned work
ethic, an unabashed love of life and a desire to
help others less fortunate.
Farb died at age 83 in 2006. Yet his legacy
lives on through a recent gift of $1 million
to M. D. Anderson’s Institute for Personalized
Cancer Therapy. Farb’s widow, longtime
M. D. Anderson supporter Diane Lokey Farb,
says her contribution honors his memory
and his lifelong interest in the cutting edge
research and compassionate patient care for
which M. D. Anderson is known.
“Harold was very interested in the
research going on at M. D. Anderson, and
he personally observed, through friends and
family treated there, the level of caring the
institution offers patients, their families and
caregivers,” says Diane Lokey Farb. “We had a
tradition of supporting M. D. Anderson and a
shared concern that patients receive the most
effective treatments to help them progress
as quickly as possible toward healing and
recovery.”
The concept of personalized cancer
therapy is one her husband would be proud to
support, she says.
Cancer is a gene based disease, and every
person is unique on the molecular level.
Rather than adhering to a “one size fits all”
strategy, personalized cancer therapy aims to
target drugs to markers found in the genetic
blueprint of the individual tumor.
That is the approach of the Institute
for Personalized Cancer Therapy, where
researchers focus on the genetic and
molecular structures specific to each patient
and to each patient’s cancer. They also study
how a drug or treatment works to target
those individual abnormalities. Testing genes
and molecules in a patient’s cancer prior to
initiating therapy enables physician scientists
to determine the right cancer therapy for
the genetic and molecular makeup of that
individual.
The Institute for Personalized Cancer
Therapy maximizes recent discoveries in
genomics, molecular biology, nanotechnology,
computational sciences and biomedical
imaging. The goal of this unique enterprise
is to accelerate novel,
precisely targeted,
highly effective
treatments for all types
of cancer. Currently,
the nation’s first
clinical trials using
this approach are
under way at M. D.
Anderson for patients
with lung cancer and
breast cancer. The
lung cancer program,
for example, is a set
of clinical trials called
BATTLE (Biomarkerintegrated Approaches
Diane Lokey Farb
of Targeted Therapy
Photo by Jesse Hornbuckle
for Lung Cancer
Elimination).
Harold Farb’s trademark innovative spirit
and determination to push the envelope
are mirrored in the work of the Institute for
Personalized Cancer Therapy. Today, through
generous philanthropic gestures such as
this, Diane Lokey Farb continues her late
husband’s caring tradition of helping others.
Student organization rallies to support a ‘Fine’ Cause
M. D. Anderson patient Roxie Fine committed
her life to helping others. As a family and
consumer sciences teacher at Orange Grove
High School in the South Texas town of
Orange Grove, she encouraged students to
strive for greatness. She also served as adviser
to the local Family, Career and Community
Leaders of America, a national student
organization that promotes personal growth
and leadership development.
Fine, who died in 2008 at age 45, inspired
many students who considered her a teacher,
a role model and a best friend. Her influence
is reflected in a recent $22,000 contribution
on behalf of the Orange Grove FCCLA to the
Institute for Personalized Cancer Therapy at
M. D. Anderson.
“Mrs. Fine was a wonderful person who
loved everyone,” says former student Brittney
Magness. “She was always willing to give
advice or just listen if you
needed to talk.”
Magness and fellow
FCCLA members
Victoria Galindo and
Meg Walzel sought a
way to honor Fine when
she was diagnosed
with Stage IV cancer of
unknown primary, or CUP,
in May 2008. CUP is a
metastatic cancer with an
unidentified origin that,
according to the National
Cancer Institute, is found
in only a few thousand
patients each year and is
difficult to treat.
The trio led the chapter’s
efforts to implement “A
‘Fine’ Cause for Unknown
Cancer.” The project
included raising CUP
Roxie Fine
research funds through a
number of initiatives including Walk for a Fine
Cause, a fun run/walk
held Dec. 11, 2008, nine days after Fine’s death.
The students also worked with state leaders
to designate a CUP state license plate and
ribbon. During the 81st Legislative Session,
Texas Rep. Yvonne Gonzalez Toureilles of Alice
introduced House Concurrent Resolution 137
to establish a zebra stripe ribbon to symbolize
the disease. She also introduced House
Concurrent Resolution 138 to honor Fine’s life
and House Bill 4064 to create a specialty Texas
license plate. All were passed in May 2009.
“Mrs. Fine was such an open and loving
person,” says FCCLA member Walzel. “We
were very lucky to have her in our lives and
community. She was always there for everyone
and taught us so much about life. I know she’ll
live on in our hearts and minds.”
Members of the Orange Grove FCCLA pause to commemorate their efforts at a fun run/
walk to raise funds in memory of teacher Roxie Fine. Photo courtesy of Kaye Bluntzer
8
Promise fall 2009
A publication for friends of M. D. Anderson
Randalls’ campaign delivers ingredients for breast cancer awareness
As proof that those dollars donated at the
grocery store checkout line really do make
a difference to breast cancer research,
Randalls Food Store contributed $450,000
to M. D. Anderson from its employee and
customer fundraising campaigns. The
donation is being used to find better ways
to treat those diagnosed with breast cancer
by helping fund the Ductal Carcinoma in Situ
Discovery Enterprise and the National I-SPY
Trial program at the institution.
The DCIS Discovery Enterprise aims to
determine what happens on a molecular
level that leads DCIS, the fourth leading
diagnosed cancer in U.S. women, to become
invasive cancer. The I-SPY trial is a national
study to find biomarkers that would help
predict response to therapy among women
with Stage III breast cancer.
Randalls holds its annual breast cancer
awareness campaign in October, which is
Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
Recently, Randalls’ Tom Schwilke,
president; Leslie Nelson, vice president;
Connie Yates, director of public affairs; and
Dawne Proffitt, manager of public affairs and
government relations, visited M. D. Anderson
to learn about the programs the company is
supporting.
For Nelson and Yates, it was personal.
Yates recently had lost her sister to breast
cancer, and Nelson had just been diagnosed
with the disease.
“I’d been getting mammograms every
early diagnosis and early detection programs
October from M. D. Anderson’s mobile
too. Nothing in my family history predicted
mammography unit that Randalls hosts at our
that I was at risk, so I know the importance of
stores since my first mammogram 10 years
early detection.”
ago,” says Nelson. “Being so consistent
Randalls plans to continue supporting
potentially saved my life.”
cancer research and patient care programs
In October 2008, Nelson’s mammogram
and is grateful to those who’ve helped make
came back suspicious. She immediately went
the campaigns successful.
to M. D. Anderson for follow-up.
“I want to give our customers and
Although she was only 49 and had no
employees a heartfelt thank you for their
family history of breast cancer, Nelson was
amazing generosity,” says Nelson. “Everyone
diagnosed with invasive breast cancer. It was
has been touched by cancer in one way or
discovered at an early stage and had not
another, and it’s important that our customers
spread to her lymph nodes. After her first
and employees understand that they really are
surgery, Nelson asked for an Oncotype DX®,
making a difference.”
a diagnostic test that can help
some breast cancer patients
make decisions about their
treatment plans. It can also
help indicate the likelihood of
recurrence. After Nelson’s results
showed a higher than normal
recurrence rate, she underwent
chemotherapy and radiation.
“Through Randalls’ funding
of these research programs,
we’re helping women receive
personalized cancer care based
on their particular molecular
make up, and I have benefited
from that very concept,” she says.
Randalls’ 2007 and 2008 breast cancer awareness campaigns, held each October,
“I know that our support of this
generated a remarkable contribution to research at M. D. Anderson.
research will continue to expand
Photo courtesy of Randalls Food Store
Couple orchestrates planned gift to COVER patients’ TRAVEL COSTS
Evelyn and Jerry Levine
“Evelyn and I have been
have been making
treated at M. D. Anderson
beautiful music together
three times between the
for six decades. They
two of us,” says Jerry.
met in New York: He was
“We understand.”
a clarinet major at the
He describes his
Juilliard School; she was
M. D. Anderson experiences,
a dancer in the Radio City
although those were
Corps de Ballet. Looking
emotional times and
back on 59 years of
treatments were sometimes
marriage and anticipating
difficult, as “a wonderful part
those to come, they’re
Evelyn and Jerry Levine
of my life.”
pleased that their legacy Photo courtesy of Evelyn and Jerry Levine
“I was cured,” he says.
of love will never miss a
“It gives you a new
beat. Through thoughtful estate planning,
perspective. We’re very grateful to
the Levines have willed their entire estate to
M. D. Anderson.”
M. D. Anderson.
After Juilliard, Jerry taught at CarnegieEvelyn and Jerry, both 82, are former
Mellon University, played in the Pittsburgh
patients at M. D. Anderson — Jerry for
Symphony and had “a lot of musical work,”
melanoma and prostate cancer, Evelyn for
from nightclubs to musicals. Evelyn danced for
breast cancer. Since they’ve experienced
television and taught before a 45-year career
firsthand the nonmedical expenses that
with Saks Fifth Avenue.
can pile up — extended hotel stays, meals,
Jerry recalls one gig, a Ginger Rogers
transportation — their gift will defray patients’
production, that indirectly taught the couple
travel and lodging expenses.
the importance of detecting cancer early. Jerry
had invited Evelyn to attend a rehearsal. That
day three fellow musicians confided that a
loved one was scheduled for a mastectomy.
Shocked and saddened, Jerry related the
news to Evelyn as soon as he could.
“That’s how she proceeded to do a selfexam and found a lump,” he says. “If I hadn’t
heard about these three women, perhaps she
wouldn’t have found it so early. She’s the only
one among those four cases who survived.”
Evelyn had a mastectomy in Pittsburgh.
Jerry’s melanoma diagnosis years later at age
46 introduced the couple to M. D. Anderson,
and when her breast cancer returned, Evelyn
had her second mastectomy in Houston.
Today the couple lives in West Palm Beach
most of the year, summering in the mountains
of North Carolina. They’re proud that their
values will reverberate in the hearts of
patients at M. D. Anderson.
“We’ve left the estate, totally, to
M. D. Anderson — they saved our lives,”
says Jerry.
— www.mdanderson/planyourlegacy.org
Read more donor stories at www.mdanderson.org/gifts.
Learn how you can help at www.mdanderson.org/gifts.
9
NewsMakers
M. D. Anderson Ranks First in Cancer Care
For the sixth time in the past eight years,
M. D. Anderson is the No. 1 hospital in
the nation for cancer care, according
to the annual “Best Hospitals” survey
published by U.S. News & World Report.
“This national ranking is a great point
of pride among our employees and
volunteers, one that we share with our
patients, survivors and their families,”
says John Mendelsohn, M.D., president
of M. D. Anderson. “This year, with the
national economic downturn and the
impact of Hurricane Ike, the news is
especially welcome as we redirect and
recommit our resources to the many
needs of those we serve.”
Improved access and short wait times
for new patients seeking treatment at
M. D. Anderson have been a primary
focus of the institution, in addition to
helping Galveston-area cancer patients
in the aftermath of Hurricane Ike,
preparing grant proposals for the new
Cancer Prevention and Research Institute
of Texas, seeking expanded research
funding from the National Cancer Institute,
and addressing the needs of a growing
population of cancer survivors through
three new pilot clinics for gynecologic,
genitourinary and thyroid cancers.
M. D. Anderson has been ranked as
one of the United States’ top two cancer
hospitals since U.S.News & World Report
began the survey in 1990.
In addition to the 2009 top ranking
for cancer, M. D. Anderson surpassed its
#
M. D. Anderson ranked as the
nation’s top cancer hospital.
Again.
subspecialty rankings of previous years
with top listings in ear, nose and throat
(2), urology (9), gynecology (12), digestive
disorders (23) and diabetes and endocrine
disorders (41).
The U.S. News & World Report “Best
Hospitals” rankings are based on a
reputation survey of board-certified
physician specialists around the nation,
nurse-to-patient ratios and certain
technologies and services available to
patients and the community.
Podcast at www.mdanderson.org/news-and-publications/
itunes-u.
Collaboration to Speed Clinical Trials, Personalized Cancer Care
Biopharmaceutical leader EMD Serono Inc. and M. D. Anderson
have formed a strategic alliance to bring new drugs to patients
faster. The agreement, set for three years with the potential to
renew, is designed to provide M. D. Anderson with early insight
into potential cancer treatments and to accelerate EMD Serono’s
preclinical and early clinical research.
Translational research at M. D. Anderson will benefit from a strategic alliance with
EMD Serono, a leader in the biopharmaceutical industry.
This nonexclusive alliance will draw on M. D. Anderson and
EMD Serono, an affiliate of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany,
to design and conduct clinical trials for EMD Serono’s oncology
product candidates. The collaboration brings together two
leaders in the field of personalized medicine with a renewed
commitment to translational research that will ensure the
identification and clinical development of biomarkers to tailor
cancer therapies to the needs of patients.
“The strategic alliance with EMD Serono allows us to
collaborate with a leading biopharmaceutical organization
to gain important, earlier insights into preclinical and clinical
investigational compounds,” says Robert C. Bast Jr., M.D., vice
president for translational research at M. D. Anderson.
In 2008, nearly 13,000 patients at M. D. Anderson participated
in clinical trials exploring novel treatments, the largest such
program in the nation. EMD Serono is evaluating its oncology
clinical pipeline, along with key investigators at M. D. Anderson,
to determine which Phase I clinical trials will benefit from the
strategic alliance. The goal is to begin patient enrollment for
selected trials in 2009.
New Chair of Clinical Cancer Prevention Arrives
Powel Brown, M.D., Ph.D.,
Cancer Center and co-directed
joined M. D. Anderson
the college’s M.D.-Ph.D. program.
in September as chair of
Brown obtained his
clinical cancer prevention.
undergraduate degree from
Brown replaces Ernest
the University of North Carolina
Hawk, M.D., who had served
at Chapel Hill and earned his
as chair ad interim since
Ph.D. and M.D. from New York
December 2007, when he
University. He completed his
joined M. D. Anderson as
internal medicine residency
vice president and division
at Duke University Medical
Powel Brown, M.D., Ph.D.
head of cancer prevention.
Center and received training
Brown comes to M. D. Anderson from
at the National Cancer Institute. He also
Baylor College of Medicine, where he
served in the U.S. Public Health Service
specialized in breast cancer treatment and
Commissioned Corps, rising to the rank
prevention, served on the faculty of the
of commander.
departments of medicine and molecular
Previously Brown was on the faculty of
and cellular biology, led the cancer
The University of Texas Health Science
prevention program of the Dan L. Duncan
Center at San Antonio. He also
10
Promise fall 2009
co-directed the Cancer Prevention and
Health Promotion Program at the San
Antonio Cancer Institute.
Brown’s primary research interest is
in assessing cancer risk and developing
chemopreventive agents to reduce
that risk.
He conducted research, for example,
showing that retinoids, derived from
vitamin A, help prevent breast cancer.
These findings led to a clinical trial
testing whether receptor-selective
retinoids suppress breast cell growth
among women at high risk of developing
breast cancer.
A publication for friends of M. D. Anderson
Women Faculty Programs Leader Garners Recognition
For her accomplishments in academic
leadership and her dedication to developing
women leaders, Elizabeth Travis, Ph.D.,
associate vice president for women faculty
programs at M. D. Anderson, is the recipient
of the Association of American Medical
Colleges 2009 Women in Medicine Leadership
Development Award.
Trained as an experimental pathologist,
Elizabeth Travis, Ph.D. Photo by F. Carter Smith
Travis serves as the Mattie Allen Fair
Professor in Cancer Research and professor
of experimental radiation oncology and
pulmonary medicine. She launched the
organization Women in Radiation Research
and spearheaded leadership development
workshops for the 8,000-plus-member Women
in Cancer Research, an organization of the
American Association for Cancer Research.
Travis is 2009-2010 chair of WCR.
A founding member of M. D. Anderson’s
Women and Faculty Administrators
Organization, Travis has advocated for women
faculty for decades. Since the establishment
of the women faculty programs office in 2007,
she has mentored, led policy changes, created
professional development programs and
established and secured endowment for the
Margaret L. Kripke Award, which recognizes
contributions to the advancement and
promotion of women in cancer research and
cancer science. In addition, she edited and
published “Legends and Legacies: Personal
Journeys of Women Physicians and Scientists
at M. D. Anderson Cancer Center.”
“I can think of no one who has brought
more energy and dedication to promoting
career opportunities for women in academic
medicine and provided more enduring
contributions on their behalf than Dr. Elizabeth
Travis,” says Margaret L. Kripke, Ph.D., special
adviser to the provost.
Perspect
ives
Comments? Suggestions?
We welcome your perspective.
E-mail [email protected].
Three Embark on an Odyssey of Learning and Discovery
Each year promising young scientists vie for
the coveted fellowships of M. D. Anderson’s
Odyssey Program, which sponsors outstanding
postdoctoral fellows pursuing innovative
cancer research at the institution.
Oliver Bogler, Ph.D., associate professor
of neurosurgery research, directs the
Odyssey Program, which this year received
42 applications from 26 departments. All
were reviewed by a 13-member advisory
committee led by Kelly Hunt, M.D., professor
of surgical oncology.
Three new Odyssey Fellows joined the
program in September:
• Sofie Claerhout, Ph.D., systems biology,
whose adviser is Gordon Mills, M.D., Ph.D.
• Calley Hirsch, Ph.D., biochemistry and
molecular biology, whose adviser is
Sharon Dent, Ph.D.
• Marites Melancon, Ph.D., imaging physics,
whose adviser is Jason Stafford, Ph.D.
Established in 2000, the Odyssey
Program is funded by two endowments:
the Theodore N. Law Endowment for
Scientific Achievement, funded by the late
Mrs. Theodore N. Law; and the Scientific
Achievement Fund, created by donations
from H-E-B, Houston Endowment Inc.,
the Kimberly-Clark Foundation and The
Cockrell Foundation.
The Odyssey Program guides budding
scientists toward successful, independent
careers while helping maintain M. D. Anderson’s
high standards in research-based patient care.
“Making Cancer History” Book Signing
Historian James S. Olson, Ph.D., signed his latest book, “Making Cancer History: Disease & Discovery at The
University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center,” at a June reception at Tony’s restaurant in Houston. Donna
and Tony Vallone, a Board of Visitors member, and guests enjoyed Olson’s unique perspective as a history
professor at Sam Houston State University and as a cancer survivor who began treatments at M. D. Anderson
almost 30 years ago. To learn more about the book, published by Johns Hopkins University Press, visit
www.mdanderson.org/news-and-publications/publications/making-cancer-history. Pictured are, from left,
Olson, Anne Mendelsohn, the Vallones and Raymond N. DuBois, M.D., Ph.D., provost and executive vice
president of M. D. Anderson. Photo by Pete Baatz
Learn how you can help at www.mdanderson.org/gifts.
11
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