C lRe G iOuPr
Journal of DISCOVERY
Pr e v en t i on Re s e a r c h Cl i n i c a l Ou t r e a c h Giv i n g
C O n t E n t S Journal of DISCOVERY
The Arizona Cancer Center, a University of Arizona College of Medicine Center of Excellence, publishes the Journal of Discovery annually. News reporters are welcome to quote from this publication and are asked to provide credit. Correspondence or inquiries should be addressed to: UA Arizona Cancer Center, Office of Public Affairs, PO Box 245024, Tucson, AZ 85724-5024. All contents © 2008 Arizona Board of Regents. The University of Arizona is an EEO/AA – M/W/D/V Employer.
2 | Going Green | Arizona Cancer Center researcher Sherry Chow, PhD, and colleagues have discovered antioxidants in green tea that can boost your body’s metabolic defense against cancer-causing agents.
4 | Women’s Health | Cynthia Thomson, PhD, RD, has worked on two major studies to determine how diet and exercise can improve outcomes for breast cancer survivors and help postmenopausal women reduce their risk for ovarian cancer.
6 | Fighting GI Cancers | The National Cancer Institute awarded the Arizona Cancer Center’s Gastrointestinal Cancer Program a $12 million Specialized Program of Research Excellence (SPORE) grant.
7 | new Agents | A $6.5 million grant renewal from the National Cancer Institute will support three major research projects and four supportive core services in the Cancer Center’s Therapeutic Development Program. Two new drugs recently developed in the program are showing promising results.
8 | Patient Spotlight | Margaret Eriksson and Randy Price are two model patients who share their sources of strength and inspiration. Writer Janni Lee Simner caught up with them as they claimed the catwalk with fellow courageous survivors at the Celebration of Survivorship Fashion Show.
10 | translation: Life | Ana María López, MD, MPH, FACP, has established the annual ¡VIDA! Mujer Latina Breast Cancer Conference to empower Latinas with life-saving knowledge.
11 | A United Front | Arizona Cancer Center researchers María Elena Martínez, PhD, and Louise Canfield, PhD, are working to unite the Cancer Center’s efforts to address cancer disparities through research, training, and community outreach.
12 | Gift Returns | Patients and the families of patients searched for and found the best cancer care and discovered what it means to give back to the Arizona Cancer Center’s Lymphoma Program. While their intentions were to fund research and help others, some donors have found they may be a beneficiary of their own generosity.
Prevention
Research
Clinical
Outreach
Giving
Pr e v en t i on Cl i n i c a lRe s e a r c h Ou t r e a c h Giv i n g
DIRECtOR’S mESSAGE
It’s always a pleasure to talk about the Arizona Cancer Center and the remarkable research and patient care that have taken place here for more than 30 years. If hope has a home, it is truly here.
This is because we’re Arizona’s premier
comprehensive cancer center, one of only 39
in the nation. Our hallmark is the translation
of laboratory, evidence-based research into
more effective cancer detection and prevention
strategies and the latest treatments for the body,
mind and soul. When it comes to fighting
cancer, we offer the best chance through
“research that reaches you.”
In this edition of our Journal of Discovery, you’ll
find a few examples of the huge variety of work under way here. Read about green tea
as a cancer preventive agent, exciting projects to fight colon cancer and develop new
targeted drugs, and the formation of Arizona’s first Center for Cancer Health
Disparities. Read about the experiences of two colon cancer survivors at our
new clinic, and the personal stories of donors to our Lymphoma Program.
We’re proud of what we’re accomplishing at the Arizona Cancer Center, and we know
the future is bright. Further breakthroughs in targeted, individualized therapies will
either prevent or cure cancer for our wonderful patients or will allow them to lead
highly productive lives while controlling their disease.
Everyone who works here, and everything that’s done here is deeply rooted in one
simply stated goal: to offer hope to our patients by preventing and curing cancer.
We are grateful for the support you have given us, which has made this possible. Our
hope rests in your ongoing commitment to help us continue our quest. We must have
your help, which is greatly appreciated!
Warm Regards,
David S. Alberts, MD
Cancer Fighters:th is may be your cup of tea
2 | Journal of DISCOVERY
Pr e v en t i on Cl i n i c a lRe s e a r c h Ou t r e a c h Giv i n g
- Sherry Chow, PhD
“There may be other
mechanisms in play by
which green tea may
protect against
cancer development,
but this is a good start.”
Journal of DISCOVERY | 3
G reen tea has been a social and medicinal staple in many Asian cultures for centuries; however,
a new research finding from the Arizona Cancer Center is sparking scientific inter-est around the globe concerning its health benefits for preventing cancer.
General medicinal uses for green tea have been common knowledge among Chinese elites for more than 5,000 years, but its specific effect on the production of cancer-fighting detox-ification enzymes is what Sherry Chow, PhD, a research associate professor at the Arizona Cancer Center, sought to determine. The results of her study, published in the August 2007 issue of Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, suggest that some people may be able to boost their metabolic defense against cancer-causing agents by drinking the equivalent of 8 to 16 cups of green tea daily.
Dr. Chow’s study focuses primarily on the relationship between antioxidants in green tea known as catechins and their effect on the production of glutathione S-trans-ferase (GST), an enzyme that modifies cancer-causing toxins and prevents them from harming cellular DNA.
“The enzymes actually convert known carcinogens to nontoxic chemicals, and studies have shown a correlation between deficient expression of these enzymes and increased risk of developing some cancers,” says Dr. Chow. Because genetic variation and environmental factors cause the expression of GST enzymes to vary drastically, the ability of green tea catechins to stimulate an increase in the gene expression holds much promise as a cancer preventive supplement for those with naturally low levels of GST enzymes.
To study this relationship, a test group of 42 healthy volunteers participated in a month-long project where they took daily capsules of polyphenon E, a green tea extract with epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), a potent antioxidant. The
participants had their blood tested regularly in order to identify and track changes to their natural level of GST enzyme production.
After concluding the study, it was found that the green tea extract enhanced GST enzyme activity among all participants, but it had the most significant effect upon those with naturally low levels, causing an 80 percent increase compared to their original baseline levels.
The importance of this research is under-scored by the fact that it is the first clinical study to prove that chemicals in green tea can increase detoxification enzymes in humans. “There may be other mechnisms in play by which green tea may protect against cancer development, but this is a good start,” says Dr. Chow.
Currently, the study is in Phase II clinical trials, where researchers will continue to analyze polyphenon E to determine its efficacy in preventing prostate, lung and cervical cancers.
Pr e v en t i on Cl i n i c a lRe s e a r c h Ou t r e a c h Giv i n g
Cynthia A. thomson, PhD, RD
Study shows five-a-day rule works “WHEL” for survivors
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F indings reported by the Women’s Healthy Eating and Living (WHEL) study show that the five-a-day regimen
promoted by the USDA might be as good as it gets for breast cancer survivors. Eating even more servings of fruits and vegetables daily appears to be fruitless in preventing breast cancer recurrence.
The Arizona Cancer Center is one of six institutions to enroll women in the multi-center WHEL study, which is the largest national randomized clinical trial to assess the influence of diet on the recurrence of breast cancer. Study authors include Cancer Center members Cynthia Thomson, PhD, RD, associate professor of nutritional sciences, and Cheryl Ritenbaugh, PhD, MPH, professor of family and community medicine.
The WHEL study followed 3,088 breast cancer survivors between 18 and 70 years of age for an average of seven years. Participants were randomly assigned to either the USDA recommended diet or a diet restricting fat and increasing the consumption of fruits and vegetables.
The benefits of a healthy diet might
include a reduced risk of ovarian cancer.
According to a recent study, a low-fat diet
may decrease the risk of ovarian cancer in
postmenopausal women.
In collaboration with the Arizona
Cancer Center’s Cynthia A. Thomson,
PhD, RD, Ross Prentice, PhD, of Fred
Hutchison Cancer Research Center in
Seattle analyzed data from the Women’s
Health Initiative (WHI) Dietary Modifica-
tion Randomized Controlled Trial. The
study followed 50,000 postmenopausal
women for an average of eight years, with
20,000 women on a healthier low-fat diet.
The risk of ovarian cancer was similar in
the two groups for the first four years
of follow-up, but it was reduced in the
dieting group during the next four years.
Women who had the highest fat intake
before the trial saw the greatest
reduction in risk.
“Since the participants saw a protective
effect after four years or more, the study
speaks to the importance of long-term
commitment to healthy eating habits,”
says Dr. Thomson.
Dr. Thomson continues research on
an extension of the WHI in Arizona,
a large-scale multi-million dollar endeavor
established by the National Institutes
of Health in 1991 to address the
most common causes of death,
disability and impaired quality of life
in postmenopausal women.
WHI StUDY SHOWS WHY HEALtHY EAtInG IS ImPORtAnt
Results indicate that for women diagnosed with early stage breast cancer, there was no additional benefit in consuming more than the recommended daily amount of fruits and vegetables. A study published by WHEL researchers, including Dr. Thomson, did show that combining regular physical activity with the USDA suggested diet did improve survival.
Pr e v en t i on Cl i n i c a lRe s e a r c h Ou t r e a c h Giv i n g
Study to determine if selenium and vitamin E pack a one-two punch
Journal of DISCOVERY | 5
R esearchers at the Arizona Cancer Center have been awarded a $2.8
million five-year grant to study the preventive effects of the dietary supplements selenium and vitamin E against colorectal cancers and their precursors, benign colorectal polyps. Researchers will analyze data from a large group of men already participating in the SELECT clinical trial, which is studying the effects of vitamin E and selenium against prostate cancer.
The prostate cancer SELECT trial has 35,584 participants across the U.S., with nearly 500 from Arizona, and has been running since 2001. Data will be gathered from SELECT participants who have undergone sigmoidoscopies or colonoscopies and removal of colorectal polyps as part of their usual clinical care while on the study. Information regarding colorectal cancer incidence is already being gathered since any type of cancer diagnosed by participants on the SELECT prostate cancer trial is reported.
“This study is unique because we’re able to look at colon polyps and cancers in the same group of patients,” says M. Peter Lance, MD, co-director of the Arizona Cancer Center’s Cancer Prevention and Control Program and principal investigator for the new study. “I don’t believe any other study has ever done this analysis in both groups.”
Pr e v en t i on Cl i n i c a lRe s e a r c h Ou t r e a c h Giv i n g
David S. Alberts, mD Arizona Cancer Center Director
Arizona Cancer Center receives
$12 million SPORE grant to fight GI cancers
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t he Arizona Cancer Center’s Gastrointestinal (GI) Cancer Program has received a $12 million Specialized Program
of Research Excellence (SPORE) grant from the National Cancer Institute (NCI). The Center is one of five institutions nationwide to receive a GI SPORE grant. The others include Harvard, Johns Hopkins, the University of North Carolina, and Vanderbilt University.
The grant is a five-year renewal of the Center’s first GI SPORE, funded in 2002. The GI SPORE is one of the five largest grants ever awarded to the University of Arizona College of Medicine and is the largest new grant to be funded in the past ten years.
“Dr. Gerner and his colleagues in the Arizona Cancer Center have developed one of the top five research programs in the country for the prevention and treatment of colon, pancreatic and esophageal cancers,” says Arizona Cancer Center Director David S. Alberts, MD. “Their research is absolutely world class!”
“We’re very excited about the work that’s been accomplished during the past five years and are honored to be the only institution in Arizona that holds an NCI SPORE,” says Eugene W. Gerner, PhD, director of the Arizona Cancer Center’s GI Cancer Program and principal investigator for the grant. “As a result of the grant’s renewal, we can move forward to develop even more new methods for preventing and curing GI cancers.”
In 1992, the NCI established the SPOREs to promote interdisciplinary research and to foster translational research, which brings new scientific discoveries to the clinic. The long-term objective of the Arizona Cancer Center’s GI SPORE grant is to prevent and cure GI cancer by developing novel approaches for risk assessment, screening, chemoprevention, and therapeutics. According to the American Cancer Society, approximately 20 percent of cancer deaths in the U.S. in 2007 will be from GI cancers, and colorectal cancer will be the second leading cause of overall cancer deaths.
The SPORE renewal includes four major research projects, three cores (services to support the projects), and career development and developmental research programs. A supplemental grant studies the biomarkers for Barrett’s esophagus, which isassociated with an increased risk of esophageal cancer. The SPORE brings together a cross section of researchers from the University of Arizona, the state, and throughout the country.
A second supplemental study involves a binational team of investigators from the University of Arizona, Universidad de Sonora, and the Instituto Technológico de Sonora and will continue research on the relationship between arsenic exposure and cancer in southern Arizona and northern Mexico.
“Dr. Gerner and his colleagues in the
Arizona Cancer Center have
developed one of the top five
research programs in the country for the
prevention and treatment of colon,
pancreatic and esophageal cancers.
Their research is absolutely world class!”
Eugene W. Gerner, PhD
Pr e v en t i on Cl i n i c a lRe s e a r c h Ou t r e a c h Giv i n g
$6.5 million grant is turning
promising agents in the lab into
hope for patients
Journal of DISCOVERY | 7
t he National Cancer Institute (NCI) awarded the Arizona Cancer Center’s Therapeutic Development Program a five-
year $6.5 million grant to support three major research projects and four supportive core services. The grant is a renewal of the Center’s longest running investigator-initiated grant, which has funded numerous drug development projects for 32 years.
Under the leadership of the Arizona Cancer Center’s founding director, the late Sydney E. Salmon, MD, this grant brought the Center’s current director, David S. Alberts, MD, to the University of Arizona in 1975 to start a drug development program. The latest grant also involves collaborative research efforts with MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas.
During the past few years, funding from the grant has been used to develop two new anticancer drugs known as PX-12 and Imexon. Both drugs, which target cancer-causing proteins, are currently in early phase clinical trials. “The new drugs are designed to kill tumor cells by creating stress related to oxygen levels inside cancer cells, which is a novel mechanism for new anticancer drugs,” explains Robert T. Dorr, PhD, RPH, co-director of the Center’s Therapeutic Development Program and principal investigator for the grant.
“We’re very thankful that we have the funding to continue our research, as well as the next phase of clinical trials for these two promising agents discovered here at the Arizona Cancer Center,” says Dr. Dorr. “We’ll also beable to study the use of new imaging techniques in drug development research and treatment, and we plan to generate approximately six to seven more new anticancer drugs.”
PX-12 targets a cancer-causing protein that is over-expressed in colon, pancreatic, gastric, and lung cancers. This drug was developed by Garth Powis, D.Phil, formerly of the Arizona Cancer Center and now at MD Anderson Cancer Center. Dr. Powis is leader of the first project, which will investigate the activity of other new anticancer drugs in the same family as PX-12.
Imexon was developed by Dr. Dorr; Evan M. Hersh, MD, professor of microbiology and immunology; and Dr. Salmon. This drug first showed activity against multiple myeloma and is being tested in patients with melanoma, lung, breast, and prostate cancers. The grant’s second project, led by Dr. Dorr, will test Imexon in a clinical trial in combination with another drug, Gemcitabine, for effectiveness against pancreatic cancer and will develop new drugs similar to Imexon.
The grant’s third project is directed toward a new area—how the latest diagnostic radiology techniques can assist in drug development research and treatment. Investigators will study the use of imaging to identify patients most likely to respond to treatment with the new anticancer agents. Another goal is to develop new contrast agents to make imaging research techniques more effective. Terry Landowski, PhD, research assistant professor for the Arizona Cancer Center, heads the newly added Biomarkers Core Service, which is another notable addition since the last grant. This service will help develop biomarkers of drugs’ effects on cells, which will eventually be incorporated into clinical trials of those drugs.
The clinical trials of PX-12 and other new agents will be managed by Tomislav Dragovich, MD, PhD, assistant professor of medicine at the Arizona Cancer Center and a specialist in gastrointestinal cancers, and Francisco Esteva, MD, PhD, of MD Anderson Cancer Center.
“This NCI-funded grant has been the centerpiece of Arizona Cancer Center research funding for more than three decades,” says Dr. Alberts. “It is a national treasure in that it has continuously produced seminal data on new, active anticancer drugs and drug combinations for cancer treatment.”Robert t. Dorr, PhD, RPH
Pr e v en t i on Cl i n i c a lRe s e a r c h Ou t r e a c h Giv i n g
8 | Journal of DISCOVERY
m argaret Eriksson says much of her strength comes from her daughter Carmen, who reminds her to focus on the
moment. “There are so many things a child’s excited about,” Eriksson says. “She [Carmen] is a major source of joy and purpose.”
Eriksson, who is currently battling recurrent colon cancer, also draws support from her husband and mother, both of whom she describes as “silent heroes” who help her to be optimistic and to laugh.
Finding support is crucial, Eriksson says, not only during each round of treatment, but also after-wards. “When you’re in treatment, you’re focused
on getting through that,” she explains. “But when you finish, that’s hard emotionally. You’re not doing anything active to fight the disease, and so the emotions catch up with you.”
An environmental lawyer and judge who is now working part time, Eriksson has been treated at both the Arizona Cancer
Center’s old facility and at the new Peter and Paula Fasseas Cancer Clinic at UMC North. She says of the new clinic, “It’s wonderful. There are all sorts of little surprises I keep discovering there: gardens, a room where you can check the Internet, a cute coffee shop.
“The nurses and Dr. Tom Dragovich at the Cancer Center are amazing,” she adds. “I’ve never met anybody there who has been anything but positive and supportive and caring.”
Eriksson took part in the Celebration of Survivorship Fashion Show, an annual event sponsored by the Southern Arizona Oncology Nursing Society. “It was fun getting into that fancy dress,” she says, adding that she also enjoyed “meeting the other cancer patients and hearing their stories and songs.”
She advises cancer patients to seek out whatever sources of support and strength work best for them. “Try to find the things that you need to sustain you,” she says. In addition to her family, Eriksson has drawn strength from meditation retreats, counseling sessions, and reading about the importance of hope and resilience.
She says that days of anger and sadness are inevitable when dealing with cancer, but recommends that patients look for ways to live life fully. “Do meaningful work,” she says. “Do things that bring you joy. It’s a better way to live, whether you’re ill or not.”
Pr e v en t i on Cl i n i c a lRe s e a r c h Ou t r e a c h Giv i n g
Twenty-seven Arizona Cancer Center physicians were included
in the 2007 Best Doctors in America database. In January 2007,
Arizona Cancer Center physicians began seeing patients at the
new Peter and Paula Fasseas Cancer Clinic at UMC North.
During 2006-07, Arizona Cancer Center physicians (including
radiation and pediatric oncologists) saw 4,275 new patients and
4,164 returning patients, with a total of 60,095 patient visits.
Sixty-four percent of the Center’s patients came from Pima
County, 25 percent were from other parts of Arizona, and 11
percent were from outside the state. Breast cancer was the
predominant type of cancer seen, followed by prostate,
melanoma, lymphoma, lung, colon, ovarian, and multiple myeloma.
During 2006-07, the Arizona Cancer Center enrolled 2,109
participants in clinical trials. Of these, 1,006 participated in
prevention trials, 575 were enrolled in treatment trials, and 528
in other types of trials. Of the total number of participants,
approximately 26 percent were from minority populations:
20 percent were Hispanic, 4.6 percent were Native American,
and 1.6 percent were African American.
Pima CountyArizona excluding Pima CountyOutside Arizona
Serving Arizona and beyond in 2007:
A commitment to faith and fun
“I don’t believe in chance,” says Randal “Randy” Price. “I believe we’re all here for a purpose.” Part of his purpose,
he says, is to serve as a positive example for his fellow cancer pa-tients, as well as to listen and provide support wherever he can.
“There were days I was so weak I couldn’t take two steps,” Price says of his struggle with colon cancer. He almost didn’t survive his first surgery for that cancer, after which he acquired a staph infection that kept him hospitalized for five weeks. “People say
to me, ‘man, watching you, I know I can make it, too.’”
Much of Price’s own strength, both in the hospital and during the treatments that followed, came from his religious faith, which has grown deeper during the five years since his initial diagnosis. “I said ‘God,
I’m not asking you to take away the pain,’” Price explains, “‘Just to hold my hand as I go through this.’”
Price, who spent 30 years as a social worker for Child Protective Services, speaks fondly of the care he received at the Arizona Cancer Center, especially from his doctor, Tom Dragovich, MD, and his nurse practitioner, Sandy Kurtin. “They were always straight with me, and I always felt like I was the only patient there,” Price says. “They made the whole experience better.”
Last fall, Price also took part in the Celebration of Survivorship Fashion Show. He says he did so both because it was a chance to touch the lives of other survivors and because it seemed like fun. Ever since his first surgery, Price makes a committed effort to have fun and do the things he enjoys.
“I made a promise to myself to see all that I can see, to hug everyone I want to hug, to not take issue with things that might have stressed me before,” he says. “I try to talk to every kid I can. I want to do all the good I can for as long as I can.”
Journal of DISCOVERY | 9
Patient Care
Pr e v en t i on Cl i n i c a lRe s e a r c h Ou t r e a c h Giv i n g
PReveNTION:exercise has been proven to have numerous health benefits, including the reduction of breast, ovarian, and colon cancers. The Better Than ever (BTe) fitness train-ing program is designed to help our community make walking, running, or biking a regular part of life.
ReSeARCH:Funds raised by BTE participants are awarded yearly to researchers at the Arizona Cancer Center to focus on women’s cancers and make advancements in treatment and prevention.
IN 2007…
BTe distributed $149,000 in grants for women’s • cancer research.Participants raised more than $70,000 for future • research grants.Men and women of all ages and fitness levels trained • to compete in the CATwalk 10K, the Catalina State Park 5-Mile Trail Race, or el Tour de Tucson.
YO U C A N F I G H T c a n c e r
www.arizonabte.org
Heather Alberts (right), Better than Ever founder, and marisa Allen, program coordinator
10 | Journal of DISCOVERY
Prevention:takin’ it to the streets
A rizona Cancer Center physicians are going out into the community to meet Latinas with the hope they can
prevent most of them from ever coming into the Center as patients. ¡VIDA! The Second Annual Mujer Latina Breast Cancer Conference, held in October, provided women with bilingual breast health information close to home. Participation doubled to more than 120 attendees this year.
“It is incumbent on cancer centers and oncology professionals to educate populations at risk,” says conference coordinator Ana María López, MD, MPH, FACP, associate dean of outreach and multicultural affairs at the University of Arizona College of Medicine and associate professor of clinical medicine and pathology at the Arizona Cancer Center. “Patients want to preserve their own health, want to preserve their family’s health and want to preserve their community’s health. We must provide patients with the tools to support these goals.”
While the incidence of breast cancer in Latinas appears to be lower than that in non-Latinas in the United States, the number of cases appears to be increasing. Also, due to multiple factors such as lack of screening, limited English proficiency, lack of transportation, or simply lack of awareness of personal risk, Latinas have overall poorer outcomes from breast cancer. For this reason, the message at the conference was clear: Prevention and early detection could make the difference in saving a life.
The conference in Tucson has been hosted at the El Pueblo Community Health Center for the past two years. Thanks to support from the Southern Arizona Susan G. Komen Foundation and the Arizona Cancer Center, the conference was free for attendees.
¡vIDA! Breast Cancer education for Survivors &
Providers via the Arizona Telemedicine Program is a
new collaborative effort that offers bilingual Spanish/
English breast health education simultaneously to
locations in Douglas, Nogales, Payson, Tucson and Yuma
on the fourth Tuesday of each month. For more details
visit the Community Lecture Series link on our website.
www.arizonacancercenter.org
Pr e v en t i on Cl i n i c a lRe s e a r c h Ou t r e a c h Giv i n g
E X PA n D I n G t H E R E A C H O F C A n C E R C A R E
C ancer does not discriminate; it is an equal opportunity disease. Access to cancer prevention and treatment
programs, however, is not equal for everyone in Arizona. In fact, lack of education in cancer prevention, risk factors and treatment, as well as unequal access to cancer care, is a significant and growing problem in our communities.
The Arizona Cancer Center houses many excellent programs that address cancer health disparities, but for the most part they function independently of each other. A major goal of the Cancer Center is to pool its considerable resources to combat this common enemy with a more strategic effort. The National Cancer Institute has made this goal possible by awarding researchers at the Arizona Cancer Center a one-year, renewable $200,000 grant to establish a large, collaborative “umbrella” that will unite Arizona Cancer Center efforts to address cancer disparities and will provide outreach to other programs at the University of Arizona and the state of Arizona.
The objective of this grant is to enable the Cancer Center to establish infrastructure in three core areas of cancer health disparities: research, training, and community outreach. “This funding allows us to develop a national model for the populations we serve, specifically, Hispanics, Native Americans, and our state’s rural residents,” says María Elena Martínez, PhD, co-director of the Arizona Cancer Center’s Cancer Prevention and Control Program and also director for this grant. “We received this funding because we’re already serving these populations in so many ways, and now we can all become much stronger by pooling our resources and helping each other.” Louise Canfield, PhD, co-director of this grant and co-principal investigator of the Native American Cancer Research Partner-ship with Northern Arizona University, is equally excited about
this new opportunity. “Reaching all the underserved people in Arizona is a formidable challenge,” she says. “This grant will allow us to develop common goals and reach across ethnic lines to more effectively serve communities in need of improved access to care.”
A desire to serve is the first thing needed to conduct research in cancer health disparities. But researchers also need in-depth knowledge of the communities in which they hope to work. They require skills in working with communities; assistance in obtaining funding; access to collaborations with other researchers and with the public; training in institutional review board procedures; and guidance in working with boards and governing agencies. The new grant will provide this training and in addition, will fund “research to inform researchers,” i.e., demographics, assessments of community needs and resources and evaluations of existing cancer incidence and mortality data.
Finally, working through local clinics, hospitals and other health boards and organizations, the grant will fund education and out-reach programs to underserved communities to raise awareness of prevention strategies and access to cancer health care. “The ultimate goal of this project is to save lives that would otherwise be lost to cancer,” says Dr. Martínez. “By working together to lower cancer incidence and death rates in our minority and underserved communities, we can make this a reality.”
Journal of DISCOVERY | 11
(L) maría Elena martínez, PhD (R) Louise Canfield, PhD
Pr e v en t i on Cl i n i c a lRe s e a r c h Ou t r e a c h Giv i n g
t he Arizona Cancer Center is an internationally recognized leader in
the study and treatment of the lympho-mas. Collaborative research performed by Center investigators over the last 30 years has been critical in advancing the standard of care for patients with lymphoma in a number of ways, including:
Refining the criteria for the • diagnosis of lymphoma.Identifying tumor features that can • help predict outcome.Finding targets for therapy.• Identifying standard treatments for • previously untreated advanced and localized disease.Studying ways to overcome tumor • resistance to treatment.
Chief of Hematology/Oncology and Lymphoma Program Director Thomas P. Miller, MD, says, “The difficulty with lymphoma is that in patients who don’t do well, we come so close. It’s always a battle that we take personally and we relive that patient’s
time and experience with us and analyze every little detail to see what could have been done differently to save that patient.” Dr. Miller says those cases are offset by the fact that he sees a fair amount of patients in the clinic who have been cured and are doing well. “With each of those patient visits there is a celebration in the minds of the physician and the staff.”
In the following three articles, you will hear the voices of a patient and the spouses of patients who have battled lymphoma or leukemia. While their stories and outcomes differ, these individuals have found ways to give back to the Lymphoma Program in the hope that there will be more celebrations to come.
“I look at cancer as hopefully it will just be one chapter in the book of that patient’s life,” says Dr. Miller. “It’s my determination not to make it be the final chapter.”
D iagnosed with mantel cell lymphoma, Jack Wilson was 52 years old when
he thought his life would soon end. Fortunately for Jack, a commercial real estate broker in Phoenix, a friend suggested that he get a second opinion from the Arizona Cancer Center.
Jack’s doctor at the Cancer Center, Alan List, MD, gave him his first piece of good news – his cancer wasn’t moving fast, and there were some more tests he’d like to run. Jack says, “When I told my first doctor we were going to hold off on the chemo, he said, ‘yeah I just heard about one of these tests.’ And I said to myself, ‘I think I want to go to the place that’s doing the tests rather than the place that is reading about them.’” In a few weeks, Dr. List told Jack that he had chronic lymphocytic leukemia, the most common adult leukemia, not mantel cell lymphoma. “I found out it is incurable, and I found out one of the things they do is watch and wait.”
Since he had some time, Jack went to naturopaths, homeopathic doctors, a homeopathic dentist, a Japanese chemist, and a bio-energy guy who passed crystals over his body. “I found out a lot about the vast unregulated world of alternative
Jack Wilson discovers the life
he saves by supporting research may
be his own
12 | Journal of DISCOVERY
PAtIEntS AnD FAmILIES HELP REWRItE tHE BOOk On
SUPPORtInG tHE LYmPHOmA PROGRAm
Pr e v en t i on Cl i n i c a lRe s e a r c h Ou t r e a c h Giv i n g
support the Center. He takes great pride in arranging meetings with Arizona Cancer Center Director David S. Alberts, MD, and constituents, including Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano. Jack also reaches out to people in the Phoenix area who have been diagnosed with cancer, or who think they might have cancer, and encourages them to be seen by Arizona Cancer Center physicians.
“Whenever you are playing with cancer, you are really playing a game of time with research. As time goes by, more technology is developed, and the under-standing of these diseases and their treatments moves so rapidly that all kinds of good things come along,” says Jack. “If you’re being treated for cancer and you’re not with someone who is right in step with the latest research, you’re missing out.”
During Jack’s latest visit to the Cancer Center clinic, Dr. Miller came into the exam room with good news. Yes, Jack’s blood levels are normal and he’s healthy, but Dr. Miller was more anxious to report to Jack that the Arizona Cancer Center has three new exciting drugs for
chronic lymphocytic leukemia coming into the clinic for study. “When you’re a patient, that’s what you always want to hear,” says Jack. “If this thing comes back, I want to know there is something else out there.”
Dr. Miller says, “Jack’s support is the reason we’re able to open up these studies. It’s the seed money that gets us the people we need to study these three drugs – it gets us over the hump until the research can become self-sustaining with support from a pharmaceutical company.”
Jack says he raises money for cancer research because of the gift he was given. “People who haven’t had cancer can’t understand that the minute you are diagnosed, the first thing you think about when you wake up is your cancer. When you go to bed the last thing you think about is your cancer, and you spend all day trying not to think about it, but you still think about your cancer.”
Dr. Miller says Jack’s generosity and the support of others will hopefully make cancer become one less thing to worry about.
Journal of DISCOVERY | 13
medicine, but none of that really benefitted me,” he says.
Jack received two different types of treatment from Dr. List. The first was very effective at killing his leukemia cells, but it also knocked his red blood cell count too low – sending him to intensive care. He stayed on a lower dose of that treatment for a year. Then Dr. List, who was collaborating with a leukemia specialist at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, administered a new cocktail of chemo. “They tell you that you are supposed to take six courses, and I took three and I was in the right limits so they decided to stop.” Jack adds, “I’ve been in remission since that time.” That was four and a half years ago.
“It’s somewhat miraculous, but it didn’t just happen – it happened because I had the good fortune of being treated by people who had access to the best cutting-edge treatment,” he says. That’s why Jack has not only become a believer in national comprehensive cancer centers, but also a champion of the Arizona Cancer Center.
Jack’s physician, Dr. List, left the Center a few years ago for an offer to work at the Moffitt Cancer Center in Florida. “That’s one reason I raise money for the Arizona Cancer Center,” says Jack. “I don’t want to see any more of our doctors leaving for a more lucrative offer somewhere else.” Thomas P. Miller, MD, chief of hematology/oncology, now takes care of Jack, and Jack works hard to make sure Dr. Miller’s program has the resources it needs.
As Jack puts it, he now considers cancer one of his extracurricular activities. In addition to donating funds to the Center, he taps his fast-growing network of friends in the Phoenix area to also Drs. Ray nagle, David Alberts, Governor Janet napolitano, College of medicine Dean keith Joiner and Jack Wilson
Pr e v en t i on Cl i n i c a lRe s e a r c h Ou t r e a c h Giv i n g
mickey and Joe musé:
“WE’LL ALWAYS HAVE PARIS”
E veryone would like to see a cure for cancer developed, but one woman is asking, “At what cost?” Miyuki “Mickey”
Musé was alongside her husband Joe as he battled non- Hodgkin’s lymphoma from the time he was diagnosed in 1992 until he died in April 2007. “I realized it’s not that simple – just trying to cure it or trying to live longer,” Mickey says. It’s important to her that physicians and scientists discover treatments and maintain the quality of life for patients – not just keep a patient breathing. “Right now, defining the moment of when to stop treatment is almost impossible to decide,” she says.
Newly developed drugs did extend Joe’s life. “We were told that by the time Joe’s disease progressed there would be other treatments available, and our doctor was correct,” says Mickey. “Without those developments, we are sure Joe wouldn’t have had that many quality years of life.” She points out that Joe lived 15 years after his diagnosis, and that was more than double his life expectancy at that time.
Cancer was a part of their lives for 15 of the 26 years they were together. Mickey recalls that there was no emotional outburst at the time he was diagnosed; they both just embarked on a methodical search across the country for the best doctors and the best facility to treat him. “We felt we were very fortunate when we had to move to Tucson because we had learned that the Arizona Cancer Center was a highly reputable place,” says Mickey. “There is no doubt we looked for the best facilities – well, doctors first – to us it was the best reassurance that Joe would receive the most up-to-date treatment from Dr. Tom Miller.”
The Musés decided that they wanted to do their part – as generous people had done before them – and fund cancer research to help others. The Musés’ estate will be passed on to the Lymphoma Program at the Arizona Cancer Center. Mickey says the support is needed because in the development of a cure – or better yet,
prevention – researchers must also make sure any side effects of a therapy do not bring down the quality of life. After the death of her husband of 23 years, Mickey is now the one faced with healing. She and Joe were both world travelers when they crossed paths by chance in a San Diego restaurant in 1981. She fell in love with his kindness, was impressed by his worldly wisdom, and was inspired by his intelligence. Her peaceful spirit, charm, and desire to explore distant lands made them a perfect match.
France was one of Mickey and Joe’s favorite places to travel, and they celebrated their 20th anniversary visiting Provence, Bordeaux and Paris. However, last September Mickey boarded a plane to France alone. “That was a sad trip,” she says. “I didn’t want to stay away from Paris because of this, so I thought it would be best to just go and face it. I went there for three weeks without any agenda.”
I am finding Joe’s passing different from what I expected – I thought it would be easier as time goes by, but because he was so ill the last year and a half, and it took so much to take care of him, now my mind is healing and I am listening more, and I can have time to think of better days. Mickey advises people who care for cancer patients never to underestimate the value of taking care of themselves.
Although there is pain, Mickey finds solace in doing things she and Joe enjoyed together, which includes traveling and helping others.
14 | Journal of DISCOVERY
Pr e v en t i on Cl i n i c a lRe s e a r c h Ou t r e a c h Giv i n g
R ita Golding loves Arizona Cancer Center Hematology/Oncology Chief Thomas Miller, MD, like family. It’s likely
because Dr. Miller and his wife, rheumatologist Meg Miller, MD, have always treated Rita and her late husband, Mel, like family for more than 27 years.
The Millers treated Mel for lymphoma and rheumatoid arthri-tis. Rita remembers Mel’s diagnosis came over a holiday, but a friend of a friend knew the late Arizona Cancer Center Director Sydney Salmon, MD, and he told them Dr. Miller was the person they needed to see. “I think it’s important to go to a doctor who specializes in one type of cancer. It’s not that other doctors aren’t good, but one person can’t know everything,” says Rita.
Melville Golding was born into a prominent New York society family in 1920 with the proverbial silver spoon in his mouth. His family owned the Essex House Hotel, Sterling National Bank, and many real estate holdings. In his early 40s, Mel stepped away from being one of Manhattan’s socialites, but he never stopped giving like one to charitable causes.
Mel and Rita came from different worlds. Unlike Mel, Rita’s father died when she was young and her mother struggled to raise three young children on her own. “Every little girl dreams of being Cinderella. Mel and I really had that kind of fairy
tale relationship,” says Rita with a smile and a glimmer in her eye. “He was the love of my life for 45 years. I didn’t just love him for what he did for me, but also for what he did to help other people.”
After her older siblings went to college, there wasn’t much money left so Rita worked through college as a John Robert Powers model. Tired of modeling after college, she
went to interview at a textile company that needed someone to work in its showroom doing photography. “It was a young firm, with young people and a young boss who was divorced. I didn’t want the job, but I got it.” The young boss was Mel, whom she married two years later.
“My husband came from a family of givers,” says Rita. Mel’s grandparents founded Camp Dora Golding for youth. Rita says she was thankful she could help her mother-in-law, Ruth Golding, hold fundraising events at the Essex House. “I’ve
always believed the more you give, the more you get back,” Rita says. Rita recalls that Mel not only had a great sense of humor, but that he also never gave you the feeling that he felt he was superior to anyone else. After his diagnosis, Mel and Rita started giving what would amount to many significant anonymous gifts to the Arizona Cancer Center. “We both felt the same way – it’s not important to have our name on something – but it is important if we can save one person. That is all that matters,” says Rita. “Building buildings is fine – that’s important, but without research people will die.”
She says that when Mel was hospitalized because his cancer had come back she made a donation in honor of him to a laboratory for Dr. Miller in the Salmon building. “Mel didn’t want his name on it, so I put, ‘In honor of my husband – Rita Golding,’” she says. Each year Rita makes a pledge to the Cancer Center and she hopes others will follow suit. To her, the amount doesn’t matter. “If enough people gave just a hundred dollars it would add up to millions for research,” she says. “Besides the fact I love Tom and Meg, I support what they do. If I can help Tom to accomplish what he wants to do to find a cure, that’s what I’m going to do.”
This past summer, Rita was diagnosed with breast cancer. While Tom and Meg have referred her to a breast cancer specialist at the Arizona Cancer Center, they still watch over her care. Rita says she now knows what it is like to be on the other side of the caregiver’s role. She says her saddest moment was when she had to tell her children the news, but she’s completely confident in the care she’ll receive. “Little did I know the money I gave would come back and help me.”
All in the family
“Every little girl
dreams of being
Mel and I really had that kind
of fairy tale relationship”
Journal of DISCOVERY | 15
Pr e v en t i on Cl i n i c a lRe s e a r c h Ou t r e a c h Giv i n g
$1,000,000+
Mr. and Mrs. Peter Fasseas
$500,000 - $999,999
Estate of Genevieve Beketa Phoenix Friends of the Arizona Cancer Center
University Medical Center
$100,000 - $499,999
The Avon FoundationLon D. & Lucille Barton Charitable Foundation
Mr. and Mrs. Craig M. BergeMr. and Mrs. Russell A. Lyon Jr.
Bert W. Martin Foundation/ Winifred Martin & Chandler Warden
Mr. Lute Olson and FamilyMr. and Mrs. William G. Ridenour
Rodel Charitable Foundation/ Mr. and Mrs. Bill Budinger
William & Mary Ross Foundation
The Steele Foundation, Inc. Mr. and Mrs. John C. Wilson
Mr. and Mrs. Peter FasseasZuckerman Family Foundation
$25,000 - $99,999
Alliance Beverage DistributingMr. Lowell and Dr. Barbara Berry
Edwin J. Brach FoundationMr. and Mrs. Robert V. Bruno
Cell Gate, Inc.Chicago Medical Equipment Co.
Mrs. Virginia L. ClementsEstate of M. Hildegard Eastman
Mr. and Mrs. James L. FosterMrs. Rita M. Golding
Mr. and Mrs. Robert C. Hobbs Sr.Mr. and Mrs. Humberto Lopez
Estate of Grace H. LovellMr. James Mayer
Quilt for a Cause, Inc.Ms. Cleo F. Roberts
Estate of Dr. Merrill B. RubinowEstate of Betty Ann Orlov Rubinow
Mrs. Maxine SchwandtEstate of Harry Schweigler
Sioles Family FoundationEstate of Sarah W. & Golden R. Smith
Mr. and Mrs. Harvey SpivackMr. Michael Sweig
Ms. Eleanor M. ThomasUnited Way of Tucson & Southern Arizona
Mr. J. Douglas Wright
$5,000 - $24,999
American College of Trust and Estate Counsel
AnonymousAnonymous
Banner Health SystemBell Ford
Mr. and Mrs. Robert C. Bellas Jr.Beuerlein Memorial Golf Tournament
Mrs. Janet K. BillingtonBlue Cross Blue Shield
Bonnett, Fairbourn, FriedmanMr. and Mrs. Jim Boyle
Established in 1976, the Arizona Cancer
Center’s name was bestowed by the
Arizona State Legislature in 1978 to
reflect its service to all Arizonans.
In 2006, the Center celebrated its 30th
anniversary as Arizona’s premier
National Cancer Institute-designated
comprehensive cancer center,
focusing not only on patient care but
also on basic and clinical research,
prevention, education, and training.
We are deeply grateful for all gifts of any amount made to the Arizona Cancer Center. The following gifts of more than $1,000 were received between July 2006 and June 2007.
Pr e v en t i on Cl i n i c a lRe s e a r c h Ou t r e a c h Giv i n g
16 | Journal of DISCOVERY | DOnOR LISt
Mrs. Therese V. BergMr. Mark Brodie
Cachet Development Inc.Cancer Research & Prevention Foundation
Mr. and Mrs. Shaun D. CantrellMr. and Mrs. G. Wallace Chester
Mr. and Mrs. Jonathan ColnerMs. Katherine A. Corbin
Mr. Richard CornwellMrs. Sheila Corwin
Coulter CadillacDr. and Mrs. William S. Dalton
Drs. Cedric W. and Beverly J. Dempsey
Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth L. DennisDesert Toyota of Tucson
Ms. Ava Marie DoyleMs. Margaret C. Galbraith
Mr. and Mrs. George N. GenematasMargaret Glazier Trust
Mr. Joe L. GoffMs. Pamela H. Grissom
Mr. and Mrs. Isy HaasMr. and Mrs. James R. Hambacher Sr.
Mr. and Mrs. Lee T. HanleyMr. and Mrs. Kenneth R. Hartstein
Dr. William HelfertMr. and Mrs. Thomas R. Hornaday
James Huntington FoundationInsert Therapeutics Inc
Caroline Lott Jessen FoundationJones, Skelton & Hochuli, PLC
Mr. and Mrs. Robert J. Karatz Sr.Kingman Cancer Care
Mr. Kirk LawtonEstate of Ms. Eleanor W. Libby
Mrs. Norma E. LindsayMr. and Mrs. Richard L. Luebke
Mr. and Mrs. Ed LynnDr. S. James Manilla
Marshall FoundationMr. and Mrs. Ralph L. Matteucci
Mr. and Mrs. John McNearMillennium Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Dr. and Ms. M. Kent Moore Estate of Nancy Jean Mullen
The Norton FoundationDr. and Mrs. William R. Noyes
Paulsell Trust
Phi Beta Psi-Sigma Nu ChapterPhRMA
Virginia G. Piper Charitable TrustMr. and Mrs. Kenneth W. Piper
Mrs. Cassandra Pomeroy-WoodEstate of John M. Rayphole
Richards, Merrill & Peterson IncMrs. Doris L. Rickard
Mr. and Mrs. Robert RufenachtWilliam E. Schmidt Charitable Foundation
Estate of Kate J. Seemann Shade Foundation
Mr. and Ms. Jerald L. SingerMr. and Ms. Steven E. Siverson
Mr. and Mrs. J. Russell SkeltonDr. William Smith
Mrs. Phyllis E. SpeakeMr. Ronald E. Spitler & Ms. Martha Madden
The Starbucks FoundationMrs. Elizabeth S. Stofft
Mr. Eric C. TheisTorres Blancas Ladies Golf Assoc.
UMC Foundation
In Jan. 2007, Arizona Cancer Center
physicians began seeing patients at
UMC’s new cancer treatment facility.
The Arizona Cancer Center Peter and
Paula Fasseas Cancer Clinic at UMC
North is approximately 80,000 square
feet and is a “one-stop center” where
patients receive a variety of support
services as well as leading-edge
cancer therapies.
Pr e v en t i on Cl i n i c a lRe s e a r c h Ou t r e a c h Giv i n g
DOnOR LISt | Journal of DISCOVERY | 17
Mr. and Mrs. Jon O. UnderwoodUniversity Physicians Healthcare
Valley of the Sun United WayWainwright LLC
Mr. Lorenz and Capt. Cynthia WepplerWestwind RV & Golf Resort
Wildcat Dream InvitationalMr. and Mrs. William C. Young
$1,000 - $4,999
A & C Properties, IncMr. and Mrs. Charles N. Abraham
Mrs. Mary Louise AhmannDr. and Mrs. David S. Alberts
Shirley & David Allen FoundationMr. Wilfred G. Ambrose
Mrs. June M. AndersonMr. and Mrs. Melvin W. Anderson
Mr. and Mrs. Michael G. AndersonArizona Golf Homes
Arizona’s Bonding Agency Inc.Dr. and Mrs. L. Clark Arnold
Arrowhead PediatricsDr. and Mrs. Daniel P. Aspery
Mr. and Mrs. Neil E. AtchinsonMs. Elizabeth Augello
Mr. Ronald AxelrodAyco Charitable Foundation
Alan & Nancy Baer FoundationMr. and Mrs. J. Emery Barker
Dr. and Mrs. Harrison H. BarrettMr. and Mrs. Joseph Barton
Basha’s Markets, Inc.Mr. and Mrs. Berkeley G. Beach
William F. Bennett Attorney At LawBerge Ford
Mr. Peter G. BernalMr. David W. Bessey
Mr. and Mrs. Armour E. BlackMr. and Mrs. George B. Bland
Dr. and Mrs. George T. BowdenMr. and Mrs. Francis J. Boyle
Dr. and Mrs. Jon BraseDr. Molly A. Brewer
Brighton RetailMr. Ronald Broatch
Mr. and Mrs. Irby CainDr. and Mrs. Carlos C. Campbell
The Cancer Center AssociatesMr. and Mrs. John R. Carhuff
Mr. and Mrs. Brent CarreauHon. and Mrs. Earl H. Carroll
Celgene Corporation
Mr. Richard D. CeylerTimothy Chapman Fine Art
Mrs. Margaret B. CharlesMrs. Rosalie A. Ciardullo
Mrs. Marilynne J. ClancyMr. and Mrs. Raymond Clarke
Clear Channel Outdoor, Inc.Mr. William W. Clements
Mr. Christopher ClementsThe Conservatory
Mrs. Barbara M. CooperMr. and Mrs. Leonard F. Cooper
Costco Wholesale CorporationMr. and Mrs. Kenneth J. Cousino
W. C. Cox and CompanyMr. Andy Cracchiola
Cranshaw Corporation Mr. and Mrs. Gary L. Cropper
Dr. and Mrs. James E. DalenMr. Daniel J. Danvir
Mr. and Mrs. Stephen DashewMr. and Mrs. James L. Davenport Sr.
Mr. Glenn E. DavisMr. and Mrs. Karl Dennis
Mrs. Julie R. DeutschDewane Investments
Diamond Foundation DAF
Pr e v en t i on Cl i n i c a lRe s e a r c h Ou t r e a c h Giv i n g
The Arizona Cancer Center brings the
power of research to cancer prevention
and treatment, providing a direct link
between the latest research discoveries
and patient care. Its researchers
have created more than 14 cancer-
fighting drugs.
18 | Journal of DISCOVERY | DOnOR LISt
Mr. and Mrs. Donald R. DiamondMr. William L. DiVito and Ms. Mary Jo Sheldon-DiVito
Mr. and Mrs. Dwayne E. DobsonDorado Womens Golf Association
Dr. and Mrs. Nathan P. DownhourDuckhorn Wine Company
Duley-Jones GalleryMr. Clarence J. Duncan
Mrs. Shannon C. DunganMr. and Mrs. Bruce E. Dusenberry
Grand Chapter of AZ, Order of the Eastern Star
Ms. Deborah L. EdwardsMr. David W. Ellis
Mr. and Mrs. Howard EmdenMr. James V. Emery
The Epstein School PtoMr. and Mrs. Mark A. Fay
First Magnus Financial CorpMr. and Mrs. James C. Fitzpatrick
Mr. and Ms. Richard N. FlynnFood & Wine Magazine
Fore a CureMr. and Mrs. Daniel G. Foster
Fraternal Order of Eagles #180Ms. Linda L. Friedman
Mr. and Mrs. Robert H. FriesenGallery of Food
Mr. Johnny C. GarciaGeneral Electric Foundation
Genentech, Inc.Dr. and Mrs. Charles R. Gibson
Mr. and Mrs. James J. GlasserDr. Gary Goodman
Charles & Gertrude Gordon Foundation
Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth R. GragsonMr. and Mrs. Michael D. Greenbaum
Grenier Structural, Inc.Mr. and Mrs. John E. Gaskin
Ms. Frances GunnellGust Rosenfeld P.L.C.
Mr. and Mrs. Bruce T. HalleDr. and Mrs. Matt O. Hanhila Jr.
The Hankins FoundationMr. and Mrs. Howard Harpst
Michael J. & Charlotte A. Harris Philanthropic Fund
Ms. Barbara J. HarrisonMr. Anthony Haswell
Dr. and Mrs. Robert L. HatchMrs. Wilma M. Hawley
Mr. and Ms. Clarence J. Helmericks Jr.
Mr. and Ms. Walter G. HendersonMs. Jeanne L. Herberger
Heritage Highlands Women’s Golf Assoc.Mrs. Dolores D. Hillenbrand
Dr. and Mrs. Clarence J. HindmanMs. Janet L. Holmes
Ms. Ruby M. HooperMr. Ronald Houston
Hunt CorporationDr. Laurence H. Hurley and Ms. Terry N. Evers
I3 CMEMr. Donald A. Eiberg
Imclone Systems IncIn Balance Ranch Academy Inc
The Intuit FoundationMr. Dennis L. Jack
Jennings, Strouss & Salmon PLCJohnson Bank Arizona
Ms. Karen A. JohnsonLt. Gen. and Mrs. Robert B. Johnston
Jokake Construction Corp.Mr. and Mrs. Jeffrey J. Jorgenson
Ms. Anita M. KalinMr. Jeffrey H. Katz
Mr. Gilbert KatzKindergarten Art Studio
Pr e v en t i on Cl i n i c a lRe s e a r c h Ou t r e a c h Giv i n g
During 2006-07, The Arizona
Cancer Center ranked 29th nationally
in research dollars awarded from the
National Cancer Institute (NCI) among
736 grantee institutions. Including NCI
funding, the Center received more than
$61 million in overall cancer-related
project funding during 2006-07.
DOnOR LISt | Journal of DISCOVERY | 19
Knights of PythiasMr. Robert Kohnen
Mr. and Mrs. Richard P. KolasaMr. and Mrs. Tony M. Komadina III
Ms. Jessica KooryDrs. Theodore and Barbara A. Kraver
Mrs. Phyllis K. KronenbergerKTAR
Dr. Thomas D. Kummet Mr. and Mrs. Barry J. Lang
Mr. Michael G. LangleyDr. Alan Levin
Mr. Sin S. LewMrs. Roslyn C. Leydet
Dr. and Mrs. Irwin LightMr. and Mrs. Alfred Lipsey
Mrs. Elaine LitvackMr. William Logan
Mr. and Mrs. William H. LomickaMr. and Mrs. Gerald Luckman
Mr. David MackstallerDavid & Sondra Mack Foundation
Ms. Sandra J. MackMr. and Mrs. Peter R. Makaus
Mr. and Ms. Brad K. MarshMaricopa Feedyard, L.L.C.
Mrs. Selma Paul Marks
Mrs. Nancy R. MastMr. Jeff Matthews
Mr. Richard E. McDonaldMr. Fred L. McFarren
Mr. Keith S. McKenzieMs. Heather A. McKie
Mr. and Mrs. Richard G. MeiseMr. and Mrs. Sidney N. Mendelsohn Jr.
Mesa Pediatrics Professional Association
Microsoft Giving CampaignMr. Warren Miller
Minneapolis FoundationMr. and Mrs. Lawrence E. Monrad
Sid & Faye Morse Charitable FoundationMr. Raymond R. Moskus
MRKCO Inc.Mrs. Miyuki Musé
Myriad Genetics, Inc.Dr. and Mrs. Raymond B. Nagle
The Nason Family FoundationMr. and Mrs. Thomas M. Nereim
New York Life FoundationMrs. Mabel Newell
Oasis Family Medicine, PllcCongregation Or Chadash
Orfalea Family Foundation
Mr. and Mrs. James M. OsborneMr. and Mrs. Gaetano H. Papale
Mr. and Ms. John H. PayneMr. and Mrs. David F. Peachin
Pediatric Surgery Inc.Pfizer, Inc.
Phi Beta PsiMr. and Mrs. William B. Phillips
Pima County ECAPMr. and Ms. Louis Pomeroy
Mr. Howard R. PopperPremiere Oncology of Arizona
Mr. and Mrs. James R. PyersMr. Jerry C. Ransdell
RBC Dain RauscherMr. William E. Reich
Relevant Equity SystemsResearch Corporation
Dr. and Mrs. Robert R. RiceMrs. Joan E. Richards
Ms. Lois G. RickerMr. and Mrs. David Ridinger
Ms. Joan C. RieveschlMr. William P. Riley
Mr. John C. RileyMr. and Mrs. Kenneth J. Riskind
Mr. Donald J. Riskind
Pr e v en t i on Cl i n i c a lRe s e a r c h Ou t r e a c h Giv i n g
The Arizona Cancer Center is an
economic engine for the state – its
researchers have created more than a
dozen biotechnology and pharmaceutical
companies. The Center also attracted
more than $317 million in research
grants and contracts to the state during
the past five years.
20 | Journal of DISCOVERY | DOnOR LISt
Mr. Cody B. RitchieDr. and Mrs. Donald B. Robertson
Mr. and Mrs. Samuel H. Rogers Jr.Mr. and Mrs. Michael G. Rombold
Mr. and Mrs. David RosenMr. and Mrs. James C. Ruboyianes
Ms. Barbara E. RussekMr. and Mrs. Seymour Sacks
Mr. Eugene SalaminMrs. Irene M. Sarver
Mr. and Ms. Frank A. ScerboMr. Thomas Schaeffer
Mr. and Mrs. Gregory P. SchampSchering Laboratories
Mr. Emil J. SchubertMr. and Mrs. Victor R. Schwanbeck
Schwanbeck & PresentDr. Jonathan E. Schwartz
Mr. Eldon L. SharpMs. Elyse Sioles
Skyline Country ClubRADM and Mrs. Kenneth D. Slaght
Mr. and Mrs. Ed SlowikDr. and Mrs. Ernest T. Smerdon
Mr. and Mrs. Milton P. SmithSouthwest Energy
Southwest Hematology and Oncology
Estate of George SpaurMrs. Manette H. Speas
Squire, Sanders & DempseyMr. and Mrs. Arthur F. Staubitz
Mr. and Mrs. Ronald M. StollMr. and Mrs. Robert A. Strauss
Mr. and Mrs. John G. StuartMr. and Mrs. Lawrence L. Stuckey
Ms. Shirley K. SullivanMr. and Mrs. Thomas W. Sullivan
Sundt Companies, Inc.Susan Fine Portraiture
Mr. and Mrs. William B. SwahlenSwavelle/Mill Creek Fabrics
Mr. and Mrs. Jack A. ThomasMr. and Mrs. Hugh Thompson
Mr. David O. TittleMrs. Barbara T. Tizard
Mrs. Patricia J. TrimbellMr. and Mrs. David W. Turner
Dr. and Mrs. Evan C. UngerUniversal Footcare Products Inc.
Ms. Judy A. UtoftMr. and Mrs. Dean H. Vesling
Vogel Family FoundationDr. and Mrs. Daniel D. Von Hoff
Mr. and Mrs. Richard K. WalbertMs. Ann E. Webb
Mrs. Angela D. WeirMr. John J. Welker
Mr. George C. WelshDr. and Mrs. Albert G. Wendt
West Coast Asset Management, Inc.Mr. William C. Westcott
Mr. and Mrs. Richard H. WhitneyMr. Joel B. Winburn
Ms. Katherine M. WongMr. and Mrs. James B. Zarling
Mr. Zivko ZicZiff Davis Publishing, Inc.
Pr e v en t i on Cl i n i c a lRe s e a r c h Ou t r e a c h Giv i n g
The Arizona Cancer Center is grateful to all donors who have and will continue to support our mission to prevent and cure cancer. While we have made every effort to make sure thislist is accurate, we apologize for any errors or omissions.
The Arizona Cancer Center is home of
one of the largest Cancer Prevention and
Control Programs among the nation’s
39 comprehensive cancer centers, with
leading research in breast, colon, lung,
prostate, and skin cancer prevention.
DOnOR LISt | Journal of DISCOVERY | 21
Richard Ablin, PhDRodney Adam, MDAlison Adams, PhDNafees Ahmad, PhDFrederick Ahmann, MDEmmanuel Akporiaye, PhDDavid Alberts, MD *Maria Altbach, PhDSamita Andreansky, PhDStephen Anthony, DOBradley Appelhans, PhDTerry Badger, PhDRochelle Bagatell, MDAmanda Baker, PharmD, PhDMargie Barber, CPA, MAc *Harrison Barrett, PhDPeter Bartels, PhDJennifer Barton, PhDTamsen Bassford, MDPaloma Beamer, PhDGary Becker, MD, FSIR, FACC, FACRHarris Bernstein, PhDDavid Besselsen, DvM, PhDAchyut Bhattacharyya, MDMaria Bishop, MDJessica Boklan, MDJoseph Bonito, PhDGiovanni Bosco, PhDDavid Bostwick, MD, MBAG. Tim Bowden, PhD *Margaret Briehl, PhDMurray Brilliant, PhDTracy Brooks, PhDThomas Brown, MD, MBA *Randy Burd, PhDJefferey Burgess, MD, MPHJanis Burt, PhDMaureen Campesino, PhD, RN, PsyNPDouglas Campos-Outcalt, MD, MPALouise Canfield, PhDJohn Carpten, PhDScott Carvajal, PhD, MPHSetsuko K. Chambers, MD *vicki Chandler, PhDLaurie Chassin, PhDHsinchun Chen, PhDZhao Chen, PhDMarie Chisholm-Burns, PharmD, FCCP, FASHPH-H. Sherry Chow, PhDKathryn Coe, PhDJill Cohen, MD, PC
Deirdre Cohen, MDStephen Coons, PhDLee Cranmer, MD, PhDAnne Cress, PhDClara Curiel, MDWilliam Dallas, PhDThomas Davis, PhDMichael Demeure, MDMichael Descour, PhDKathleen Dixon, PhD *Thomas Doetschman, PhDRobert Dorr, PhD, RPH *Graeme Dougherty, PhDShona Dougherty, MB, ChB, PhD, FRCPLeona Downey, MDTomislav Dragovich, MD, PhDDavid Duggan, PhDKaterina Dvorak, PhDJanine Einspahr, PhDArdith el-Kareh, PhDEniko Enikov, PhDRobert erickson, MDHanna (Johnny) Fares, PhDRonnie Fass, MDEllen Feigal, MDKory Floyd, PhDJanet Foote, PhDDenise Frank, PhDDouglas Fridsma, MD, PhDArnold Friedman, MDJanet Funk, MDBernard Futscher, PhD *Matthew Gage, PhDDavid Galbraith, PhDSandra Gallagher, PhDJean-Philippe Galons, PhDA. Jay Gandolfi, PhDFransciso Garcia, MD, MPHHarinder Garewal, MD, PhDLinda Garland, MDRobert Gatenby, MDEugene Gerner, PhD *Fayez Ghishan, MDRobert Gillies, PhDArthur Gmitro, PhD *Gerald Goldberg, MDSteve Goldschmid, MDFelicia Goodrum, PhDMichael Gordon, MD *Michael Graham, MDPer Granstrom, MDSylvan Green, MD *
e. Robert Greenberg, MDRobert Greenes, MD, PhDThomas Grogan, MDAngelika Gruessner, MS, PhD *Rainer Gruessner, MD, FACS *Stefano Guerra, MD, PhD, MPHLeslie Gunatilaka, PhDIman Hakim, MD, PhD, MPHAlton Hallum, MDAllan Hamilton, MDRussell Hamilton, PhDMichael Hammer, PhDHaiyong Han, PhDMichelle Hanna, PhDDavid Harris, PhDRobin Harris, PhD, MPHKaren Hastings, MD, PhDKenneth Hatch, MDRonald Heimark, PhDevan Hersh, MDDaniel Holterman, PhDvictor Hruby, PhDLaurence Hurley, PhDNatalia Ignatenko, PhDJani Ingram, PhDAyaaz Ismail, MDElizabeth Jacobs, PhDelaine Jacobson, PhD, FACNMyron Jacobson, PhDMike Janicek, MDJoanne Jeter, MDJennie Joe, PhD, MPHWilliam Johnson, PhDKristine Kaemingk, PhDemmanuel Katsanis, MD *Colleen Keller, PhD, Rn-C, FNPSuwon Kim, PhDTamara King, PhDMary Kay Klein, DvMSteven Knope, MDIan Komenaka, MDPaul Krieg, PhDJennie Kronenfeld, PhDRobert Krouse, MDSandra Kurtin, RN, MS, AOCN, ANPDoug Lake, PhDM. Peter Lance, MD *Terry Landowski, PhDJulie Lang, MDR. Clark Lantz, PhDLinda Larkey, PhDBrian Larkins, PhD
ARIZOnACAnCER CEntERmEmBERS
22 | Journal of DISCOVERY
Pr e v en t i on Re s e a r c h Cl i n i c a l Ou t r e a c h Giv i n g
Nicolas Larmonier, PhDSerrine Lau, PhDMichael Lebowitz, PhD, FCCP, FACe, FCRScott Leischow, PhD *Alan Levin, MDNorman Levine, MDMichele Ley, MDKirsten Limesand, PhDZhonglin Liu, MDRobert Livingston, MD *Lois Loescher, PhD, RNTimothy Lohman, PhDAna María López, MD, MPH, FACPRonald Lynch, PhDDaruka Mahadevan, MD, PhDCatherine Marshall, PhD, CRC, NCCRobert Martin, edDMaría Elena Martínez, PhD *Jesse Martinez, PhD *William Martz, MDEugene Mash, PhDJohn McGrath, PhDNaja McKenzie, PhD, RNLaura McRee, RN, MS, LMTLinda Meade-Tollin, PhDMatthias Mehl, PhDDeirdre Meldrum, PhDDavid Mendelson, MDEmmanuelle Meuillet, PhDShari Meyerson, MDRoger Miesfeld, PhDThomas Miller, MD *Ernesto Molmenti, MD, PhD, MBAWilliam Montfort, PhDRodolfo Montironi, MD, FRCPathIda Moore, DNS, RNDavid Mount, PhDMyra Muramoto, MDPaul Myrdal, PhDRaymond Nagle, MD, PhD *Mark Nelson, PhDMark Nichter, PhD, MPH Mimi Nichter, PhDCheryl Nickerson, PhDBrian Nickoloff, MDJanko Nikolich-Zugich, MD, PhDJesse Nodora, DRPHMichael O’Brien, MDBogdan Olenyuk, PhDEric Outwater, MDRoy Parker, PhDClaire Payne, PhD
Patricia Penn, PhDDaniel Persky, MDEskild Petersen, MDEmanuel Petricoin, PhDBarbara Piper, DNSc, RN, AOCN, FAANPamela Pollock, PhDFrank Porreca, PhDAnil Prasad, MDKeith Provan, PhDNatarajan Raghunand, PhDSanjay Ramakumar, MDRamesh Ramanathan, MDJames Ranger-Moore, PhDChristopher Reardon, MD, PhDJohn Regan, PhDLisa Rimsza, MDCheryl Ritenbaugh, PhD, MPHPatrick Roche, PhDDenise Roe, DRPHHans Roehrig, PhDMichael Rohrbaugh, PhDDonato Romagnolo, PhDMarek Romanowski, PhDRaymond Runyan, PhDRichard Sampliner, MDSamuel Schluter, PhDMonika Schmelz, PhDJoyce Schroeder, PhDAnna Schwartz, RN, MS, FNP, PhDLee Sechrest, PhDTimothy Secomb, PhDJoachim Seeger, MDChris Segrin, PhDHerbert Severson, PhDDaniel Shapiro, PhDPaul Sheppard, PhDJiaqi Shi, MD, PhDvarda Shoham, PhDEdward Skibo, PhDGrant Skrepnek, PhD, MSc, RPhCatharine Smith, PhDDavid Smith, PhDedward Smith, MD, MPHCatherine Spier, MDBaldassarre (Dino) Stea, MD, PhD *Diane Stearns, PhDWilliam Stini, PhDJeff Stone, PhDAlison Stopeck, MDSteven Stratton, PhDM. Suzanne Stratton, PhDDaekyu Sun, PhD
G. Marie Swanson, PhDDouglas Taren, PhDNicolette Teufel-Shone, PhDPatricia Thompson, PhDCynthia Thomson, PhDRaoul Tibes, MD, PhDJeffrey Trent, PhDKatrina Trevor, PhDTed Trouard, PhDMichael Trujillo, MD, MPH, MSGeorge Tsaprailis, PhDevan Unger, MDUrs Utzinger, PhDRichard vaillancourt, PhDHugo villar, MDDaniel von Hoff, MD, FACPJonathan Walker, MDMichele Walsh, PhDJames Warneke, MDRonald Watson, PhDGeorge Watts, PhDKaren Weihs, MDTed Weinert, PhDRonald Weinstein, MDNeil Weinstein, PhDJean Wilson, PhDMarlys Hearst Witte, MDJohanna Wolford, PhDDonna Wolk, PhDGeorg Wondrak, PhDJames Woolfenden, MDRaymond Woosley, MD, PhDMin-Jian Xu, MDSamuel Yalkowsky, PhDDanzhou Yang, PhDAndrew Yeager, MD *Donna Zhang, PhDWenxin Zheng, MDYitshak Zohar, PhD
* Director’s Committee Members
ex-officio Director’s Committee members:Donna BreckenridgeKaren MlawskyScott Thompson
Journal of DISCOVERY | 23
Cancer Prevention & Control ($12,428,899)therapeutic Development ($6,973,910)Gastrointestinal Cancer ($5,233,375)Cancer Biology & Genetics ($3,672,253)Cancer Imaging ($2,205,974)
tOtAL: $30,514,411
GRAntS BY RESEARCH PROGRAm (includes only funds managed by the Arizona Cancer Center)
DIStRIBUtIOn OF GIFtS
Breast & Ovarian Cancer ($1,159,143)Gastrointestinal Cancer ($662,599)Prostate Cancer ($591,535)Skin Cancer ($512,448)Lymphoma ($464,001)Lung Cancer ($461,465)Colon Cancer ($240,898)Pancreatic Cancer ($230,558)non-designated Gifts ($1,254,146)
tOtAL: $5,576,793
During 2006-07, the Arizona Cancer Center’s total funding for research amounted to almost $67 million, including direct and indirect costs. The various sources of this research funding are broken down in the chart below on the left.
The Arizona Cancer Center ranked 29th nationally in research dollars awarded from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) among 736 grantee institutions and 26th among the 63 NCI-designated cancer centers during 2006-07.
The lists below on the right provide further information on Arizona Cancer Center funding sources and how monies are distributed.
Donations to the Arizona Cancer Center, which amounted to approximately $5.6 million during 2006-07, not only help fund our research but make our success in obtaining federal funding and other research grants possible. Donor funding also provides crucial matching funds and the infrastructure required to support our research.
national Cancer Institute ($38,660,187)national Institutes of Health ($11,717,475)Other Peer-Reviewed Grants ($9,793,574)Industry non Peer-Reviewed Grants ($5,021,034)American Cancer Society ($902,717)Other non Peer-Reviewed Grants ($603,241)national Science Foundation ($170,896)
tOtAL: $66,869,124
tOtAL CAnCER RESEARCH GRAnt FUnDInG (includes direct and indirect costs)
Funding and Expenditures
Gifts ($5,576,793)Income from Research Services ($4,380,377)miscellaneous Income ($2,205,696)State ($1,256,959)
tOtAL: $13,419,825
OtHER SOURCES OF FUnDInG
24 | Journal of DISCOVERY
PHOtOGRAPHY:
Robert Canfield T. Greg D’Anna Margaret Hartshorn Colin Reischl
COntRIBUtInG WRItERS:
Amy AlabasterDonna Breckenridge T. Greg D’Anna Colin ReischlJanni Lee Simner
PRIntInG:
AlphaGraphics Commercial Printing Services
Journal of DISCOVERY
PRODUCED BY:
David S. Alberts, MD Director, Arizona Cancer Center
Thomas Brown, MD, MBA Chief Operating Officer
Donna Breckenridge, MADirector of Public Affairs
T. Greg D’Anna Publications manager/Editor
GRAPHIC DESIGn:
Kayla M. Coe, MA
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