Document 6479136

®
Winter 2013 | cancer.uchicago.edu
MR-Guided Focal Laser Ablation Shows
Promise for Prostate Cancer Treatment
I
nvestigators at the
A Little More With…
Aytekin Oto, MD
Professor of Radiology and Surgery
If you were not a physician, what would your
profession be?
I would probably be an engineer. Almost all of my
close friends in high school chose to be
engineers.
UCCCC are developing a
new method that combines
magnetic resonance (MR)
imaging with a technique called
focal laser ablation to treat lowrisk prostate cancer precisely. If
proven effective, the technique
may offer patients a safe, new
treatment option.
What is the most rewarding part of your job?
Always being on the side of helping people who
cannot help themselves and learning something
new almost everyday.
Where have you been that you feel everyone
should go?
Prostate Cancer Detection
A longstanding issue in prostate
cancer, the second-leading cause
of cancer deaths in American
men, is the method by which
patients are diagnosed. Based on
abnormal results of a prostatespecific antigen (PSA) exam,
patients typically undergo a
biopsy to sample tissues from
different areas of the prostate
Aytekin Oto, MD, professor of radiology and surgery, and colleagues are pursuing image-guided focal treatment
gland using ultrasound guidance. Often, repeat biopsies are methods to expand existing therapeutic options for patients with low-risk prostate cancer.
needed to confirm a diagnosis.
A Less Aggressive Treatment Option
In May, the U.S. Preventive
UCCCC researchers are evaluating new
Services Task Force discouraged
methods to detect aggressive cancers
PSA screening, concluding that
more accurately, which have the potential
screening may be harmful due
to spare patients with indolent cancers
to “false-positive” results and
from unnecessary biopsies, surgeries, and
overtreatment of cancers that
treatments while simultaneously identifywould not have caused future
ing men with large or aggressive cancers
health issues.
who are most likely to benefit from
“Most people who are diagtreatment. Researchers are also pursuing
nosed with prostate cancer will
image-guided focal treatment methods to
not die of the disease, but there’s
expand existing therapeutic options.
no perfect way to differentiate
“We’re looking for better ways to
between deadly and non-deadly
Aytekin Oto, MD
determine who benefits from treatcancers,” said Aytekin Oto, MD,
ment and who could be safely observed or undergo focal
professor of radiology and surgery.
therapy––that’s really the ‘Holy Grail’ of prostate cancer
He explained that treatment options range from surgical
research,” said Scott Eggener, MD, associate professor of
removal of the entire prostate, which carries a 5-10% chance
surgery. Focal laser ablation therapy is a minimally invasive
of incontinence and up to 30% chance of impotence, to
treatment that precisely targets and destroys the cancer.
active surveillance, a strategy of ”keeping a close eye” on the
Drs. Oto and Eggener teamed up to develop a Phase I
cancer with the goal of never requiring treatment but interclinical trial to evaluate the feasibility and safety of using
vening in the future, if needed.
Most people who are
diagnosed with prostate
cancer will not die of the
disease, but there’s no
perfect way to differentiate between deadly and
non-deadly cancers.
Continued on Next Page
An ancient, seven-story underground city in Cappadocia, Turkey. It was built in the soft volcanic
rock many centuries BC and extends to a depth of
200 feet. The city has served as a refuge to many
people over the centuries. It was fascinating to
feel the history while going through the underground tunnels.
What projects are you working on at home?
We just completed redoing our kitchen, and I
think I will take a long break from home projects
for a while.
Who is the person you most admire?
I would say my dad, and this is kind of a secret
admiration. He passed away when I was 19, and I
could only recently realize how much impact he
had in my character development, major life decisions, and parenting.
What is your favorite way to relax?
I love the quiet moments at home after everyone
goes to bed and I relax either by reading my
book, listening to music, or even watching TV.
What was the last book you read?
On China by Henry Kissinger
What is the most daring thing you have ever
done?
I took my 7-year-old son parasailing last summer.
Looking back, it was not a wise decision.
If you had one piece of advice for someone
considering your field, what would it be?
I would advise them to be focused and have
patience. Patience creates confidence and the
ability to think rationally, which can eventually
lead to success. As the old saying goes, “A handful
of patience is worth more than a bushel of
brains.”
From the Director
As a world-class academic research center, we continuously pursue
new knowledge in cancer that could lead to life-saving treatment and
prevention. However, what makes us truly unique is our commitment
to public outreach and sharing our knowledge with those who can
benefit the most.
Michelle M. Le Beau, PhD
In this issue, we report on many
of our initiatives that build bridges
with our community. For example,
we are examining the role that
religion and spirituality plays in
the medical decisions made by our
patients with cancer. By understanding this relationship, we may
be able to add chaplains to enhance
our patients’ cancer care team.
We are also reaching out to our
older patients with cancer, many
of whom are afflicted with other
medical conditions that may be
affected by cancer treatments. Our
specialized geriatric oncology clinic
helps elderly patients maintain function and quality of life by factoring
each patient’s situation into treatment decisions.
The future generation of
researchers and physicians is another
group to which we are connected.
This past summer, we hosted high
school students interested in science
to give them valuable work experi-
cancer.uchicago.edu
ence in a cancer research laboratory.
More recently, we partnered with
an urban university to integrate a
cancer disparities concentration into
their curriculum, giving graduate
students the opportunity to make
a positive impact in the Southside
community.
In addition to health disparities,
much of our research is directed
at improving the quality of life for
patients. We are currently investigating a new method of treatment that
may precisely treat prostate cancer
without the risk of serious complications.
Finally, a young woman treated
by our lymphoma experts has a new
appreciation for life. Now a seven-
year survivor, she offers support
and encouragement to others going
through the cancer experience.
As we continue to develop innovative ways to reduce the devastating effects of cancer, we look for
every opportunity to strengthen ties
with the communities we serve.
Regards,
Michelle M. Le Beau, PhD
Director, The University of Chicago
Medicine Comprehensive Cancer Center
Arthur and Marian Edelstein Professor
of Medicine
Pathways to Discovery
Research Explores Role of Religion in Cancer Care
N
is examining how
religion and spirituality guide treatment decisions in patients with
cancer. By understanding this relationship,
UCCCC researchers may find new ways to
integrate religion and medicine to improve
outcomes for patients.
ew research
We hope to bring
scientific and religious
communities together
by opening dialogue
and creating discourse
that will ultimately
lead to improved
outcomes for patients.
Coping with Cancer
Several years ago, Blase N. Polite, MD,
MPH, an assistant professor of medicine
who has expertise in colon cancer and
health disparities, interviewed patients to
understand why some failed to receive
chemotherapy treatment. He hypothesized
that social support was a factor; however,
questions related to religion and spirituality
drew the largest response. “It jumped off
the page,” he said. “That was what people
wanted to talk about.”
Dr. Polite conducted a larger follow-up
study and observed marked differences by
race. He sought help from religiosity experts
to understand differences in how people
view the role of God. For many patients,
particularly African Americans, religion and
spirituality played a prominent role in their
cancer diagnosis, but with varying implications. For example, although faith can be an
important resource for coping during illness,
it can also be an impediment to seeking or
adhering to treatment.
The data showed that patients who
strongly agreed with the statement, “God is
in control of my cancer,” and “If a person
prays about cancer, God will heal it without medical treatment,” were less likely to
complete curative chemotherapy.
Blase N. Polite, MD, MPH
Blase N. Polite, MD, MPH, an assistant professor of medicine who has expertise in colon cancer and health
disparities, consults with a patient. He is leading a study to explore how religion and spirituality guide treatment decisions in patients with cancer.
A Deeper Understanding
With funding from the Templeton Foundation, Dr. Polite and colleagues are now
pooling data from 600 patients at 9 different
hospitals across the Chicago area, including
the University of Chicago Medicine, to
analyze how spirituality is incorporated into
treatment-related decisions. The study will
focus on colon cancer, a disease for which
a widening survival disparity exists among
African Americans compared to other
ethnic groups.
Detailed surveys and focus groups will
capture how religion influences patient
healthcare decisions, as well as how healthcare teams might address the faith of their
patients. “Through a much more elaborate
set of questions, this study will provide us
with a much deeper understanding of how
people’s relationship with God relates to
cancer,” said Dr. Polite.
For the subset of patients who hold a
fatalistic view of cancer (“It’s God’s will”
and “God will decide what happens to
me”), the researchers are interested in
finding ways to help this group use their
religious faith as a source of strength and
comfort, rather than avoid care.
Chaplaincy-Based Interventions
Since religion has been traditionally left
out of patient-physician dialogue, Dr. Polite
and colleagues have teamed with George
Fitchett, DMin, PhD, associate professor of
Open Cancer Clinical Trials
Patient enrollment is under way for more than 350 clinical trials at The University of Chicago
Medicine Comprehensive Cancer Center. A few of our newly launched clinical trials include:
Phase II trial of sequential SGN35 therapy
A
with adriamycin, vinblastine, and dacarbazine
SAVD for older patients with untreated Hodgkin lymphoma – Sonali Smith, MD, principal
investigator.
n T
he CATCH prostate cancer trial: cabazitaxel
and tasquinimod in men with castration-resistant heavily pre-treated prostate cancer –
Russell Szmulewitz, MD, principal investigator.
n A
pilot study to evaluate magnetic resonance
thermal image-guided interstitial thermal
therapy for focal ablation of breast cancer –
Hiroyuki Abe, MD, principal investigator.
n A
multicenter, open-label, single-arm, Phase
1b/2 study of the safety and efficacy of combination treatment with pomalidomide, dexamethasone, and carfilzomib in subjects with
relapsed and relapsed/refractory multiple
myeloma – Andrzej Jakubowiak, MD, PhD,
principal investigator.
To learn more about these or any other UCCCC
clinical trial, call toll-free 1-855-702-8222 for
adult clinical trials or 1-773-702-6808 for pediatric clinical trials, or go to cancer.uchicago.edu
and click on Search Clinical Trials in the blue box.
n
Pathways to
Executive Editor
and Writer
®
Hoyee Leong, PhD
managing editor
and Writer
Pathways to Discovery is a quarterly publication of
The University of Chicago Medicine Comprehensive
Cancer Center.
Winter 2013, Volume 8, Number 1
Jane Kollmer
The University of Chicago Medicine
5841 S. Maryland Ave., MC1140, H212
Chicago, IL 60637
Michelle M. Le Beau, PhD
Marcy A. List, PhD
MR-Guided Focal Laser Ablation Shows Promise
for Prostate Cancer Treatment
Continued from Front Page
MR-guided focal laser ablation therapy to treat clinically low-risk
prostate cancer. Combining these two technologies is advantageous
because MR imaging guidance facilitates direct visualization and
targeting of prostate tumors in real-time.
Dr. Oto compared the procedure to
lumpectomy for breast cancer, where
surgeons remove the cancer instead of
the whole breast. “The goal of focal
ablation is to effectively treat the cancer
without serious complications,” he said.
Nine patients with low-risk prostate
cancer were treated without significant
complications. After one year of followup, residual cancer was detected in two
patients––the other seven remained
cancer-free. Because the Phase I trial
Scott Eggener, MD
successfully demonstrated the safety of
the procedure, the researchers are initiating a Phase II trial in early
2013 to evaluate the effectiveness of focal therapy in controlling lowrisk prostate cancer.
Dr. Oto is hopeful that the research will change the paradigm
for prostate cancer therapy, presenting an alternative to more aggressive treatment options. “With this focal treatment method, we hope
to one day tell our patients that we’re taking care of their cancer
without risk of serious complications,” he said. “That will be a huge
service to them.”
Gr aphic Designer
Photos
Adam Indyk
David Christopher
OCECD
UCCCC
UCCRF
UChicago
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Phone: 1-773-702-6180 • Fax: 1-773-702-9311
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© 2013 by The University of Chicago Medicine Comprehensive
Cancer Center. All rights reserved.
2
preventative medicine at Rush University
and a national leader in training chaplains,
to design a pilot chaplain-led intervention
program that acknowledges the importance
of spirituality when a patient is diagnosed.
“If we can work together with our
chaplains and patients to continue using
religion as a source of strength during their
treatments, then we may be able to address
an important factor in cancer disparities,” said Dr. Polite. He added that future
research will assess whether the chaplaincy
intervention improves patient satisfaction
and compliance with therapy.
“We hope to bring scientific and religious communities together by opening
dialogue and creating discourse that will
ultimately lead to improved outcomes for
patients,” he said.
Aasim Padela, MD, MSDc, assistant
professor of medicine, is also studying the
impact of religious beliefs on healthcare
behaviors among American Muslims.
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At the Forefront of Discovery®
UCCCC Partners with Chicago State University to
Address Cancer Disparities on South Side
C
are on the
rise on the South Side of Chicago,
creating an urgent need for cancer
prevention efforts at the community level.
For example, a disproportionately greater
number of African American women die
from breast cancer than any other group
in the U.S., but in Chicago, the numbers
are even worse. One potential approach
to prevent these and other cancer-related
deaths is to increase the presence of underrepresented minorities from Southside
communities, which are predominantly African American, in the healthcare workforce.
“Part of filling the gap in disparities is
being able to encourage researchers and
scientists who are from those communities
to engage in disparities research and help
put the specific concerns and needs of the
community in context,” said Karen E. Kim,
MD, MS, professor of medicine and director of the UCCCC’s Office of Community
Engagement and Cancer Disparities.
nity members. In the subsequent two years,
content from the mini-courses will be
integrated into the MPH curriculum at
CSU and the Pritzker School of Medicine’s
Healthcare Disparities in America course
curriculum.
The UCCCC and CSU will also work
closely with community-based health organizations to prepare them for collaborative
projects with students, who will receive
mini-grants from the CSCDI to conduct
community-based participatory research,
which entails working side-by-side with
community members to help translate
knowledge into action.
Karen E. Kim, MD, MS, professor of medicine (middle), pictured here at a conference about health disparities
among minorities in the Midwest, is joined by colleagues from Chicago State University, Col. Damon T. Arnold,
MD, MPH, CMT (Ret.), director of the MPH program, and Thomas Britt, MD, MPH (left), assistant professor and
chair of health studies. Dr. Britt is also the co-principal investigator with Dr. Kim for the Chicago Southside Cancer Disparities Initiative.
A Timely Partnership
The UCCCC has partnered with Chicago
State University (CSU) to create opportunities for Master of Public Health (MPH)
graduate students interested in biomedical
and cancer research that addresses cancer
disparities in the surrounding community.
The partnership, called the Chicago Southside Cancer Disparities Initiative (CSCDI),
recently received funding from the National
Cancer Institute (NCI)1 to develop a new
cancer disparities concentration within
CSU’s MPH program, with an emphasis on
cancer education, training, and community
engagement.
As the largest minority-serving institution in the Midwest, CSU has a long
history of education, leadership, and
commitment to Chicago’s South Side. Their
MPH program was developed in 2010 to
focus on minority health and health promotion. The partnership presents a timely
opportunity to pair minority students with
nationally recognized UCCCC educators
and researchers.
University of Chicago faculty advisors include UCCCC members Dr. Kim
and Habibul Ahsan, MBBS, MMedSc,
Louis Block Professor of Health Studies,
Medicine, and Human Genetics, as well
ancer disparities
Grand Auction Raised $700,000
for Cancer Research
Women’s Board member Diane Thomas, Jim Haag, vice president of sales and
business development for Verdura, Women’s Board President Jill Pollock, and
Women’s Board member Cindy Chereskin
as Doriane Miller, MD, associate professor
of medicine and director of the Center
for Community Health and Vitality; and
Monica Peek, MD, MPH, assistant professor
of medicine.
Town hall meetings will be held at
the UCCCC, CSU, and in the Southside
community to gain a deeper understanding of the community’s needs and research
strengths. Over the next year-and-a-half,
information generated from the town hall
meetings will shape the development of
mini-courses that will be offered to CSU
students, University of Chicago Pritzker
School of Medicine students, and commu-
A Focus on Public Health
Although laboratory work and clinical
trials focus on the biological aspects of
health, leading research centers such as the
UCCCC also need to look at the “bigger
picture” of public health, according to
Dr. Kim. These efforts involve developing
community-based programs that sustain
healthy lifestyles and prevention, such as the
CSCDI.
“We have the wonderful ability to
disseminate scientific findings out into the
community to help reduce cancer disparities,” she said, commenting that the public
can also inform researchers about how to
approach their studies. “It’s the integration
of science and health.”
1
This project is being supported by grant number
CA165582 from the National Cancer Institute of the
National Institutes of Health.
The 46th Annual Grand Auction was hosted by the Women’s Board of the University of
Chicago Cancer Research Foundation at the Four Seasons Hotel Chicago. This year’s theme,
“Viva la Vida,” was celebrated with cocktails, dinner, dancing, and a live and silent auction.
Children of some of the Women’s Board members sold raffle tickets. Picture here: Allison
Finkel and Krissie Sullivan
(from left) UCCCC Director Michelle Le Beau, PhD,
Event Co-Chair Astrid McKinnon, Women’s Board
President Jill Pollock, and Event Co-Chair Wendy
Chronister
The entertainment included Spanish
music and dance provided by the Bill
Pollack Orchestra
Community Members Experience ‘The Journey’ Taken by Patients with Breast Cancer
The UCCCC Office of Community Engagement
and Cancer Disparities (OCECD) recently launched
“The Journey,” a program that brings community
members to the University of Chicago Medicine to
learn firsthand about diagnostic, treatment, and
survivorship services. The program began in October
with 30 members of Chicago’s Chinese community
and was conducted in Mandarin, Cantonese, and
English. The event was funded by a grant from
the Exelon Corporation. The OCECD held their
second event in November for 45 African American
Members of the Roseland and Washington Heights communities
women from the Roseland and Washington Heights visit breast cancer facilities in the Duchossois Center for Advanced
communities. “The Journey” walk-through event was Medicine at the University of Chicago Medicine.
designed to provide “experiential learning,” by which
participants gain knowledge through direct experience. Participants toured
(left to right) Dr. Kim presents an
hospital facilities, including procedural rooms for mammography, radiation
overview of breast cancer care
therapy, and chemotherapy, and met with breast cancer specialists who
while OCECD Community Health
explained how breast cancer is detected, diagnosed, and treated. Students
Educator Helen Vallina, PhD, RN,
from the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine helped OCECD
translates to Cantonese.
Director Karen E. Kim, MD, MS, professor of medicine, present information.
cancer.uchicago.edu
3
Pathways to Discovery
Cancer Researchers Mentor High School Students Interested in Science
E
for nearly a decade, the
UCCCC has welcomed highly motivated high school juniors into research
labs as part of the Illinois Division of the
American Cancer Society’s (ACS) Summer
High School Research Program. Students
spend 8 weeks learning about the scientific
process, attending lectures, touring laboratories, and contributing to ongoing research
projects at major academic institutions.
This past summer, Maryellen Giger, PhD,
professor of radiology, hosted Kathy Rodogiannis, a student at Dwight D. Eisenhower
High School in Blue Island, Ill.
“I’m so grateful to the University of
Chicago for giving me the chance to do
research in their top-rated facilities,” said
Rodogiannis, who plans to pursue a career in
medicine.
very summer
Evaluating DCIS
Using quantitative image analysis methods,
Dr. Giger’s lab is investigating image-based
biomarkers for ductal carcinoma in situ
(DCIS), a non-invasive form of breast cancer
that may progress to become invasive and
metastasize. Currently, there are no methods
available to predict which cases of DCIS are
likely or not likely to spread, so women with
suspicious lesions are often subjected to biopsies and surgeries.
During her internship, Rodogiannis
helped collect and analyze a dataset of DCIS
cases imaged with digital mammography.
Using quantitative image analysis software,
her goal was to identify image-based breast
tumor characteristics that may potentially be
used to classify patients based on their risk
of developing invasive disease. Her summer
research yielded promising preliminary
results, facilitating future studies that will help
guide treatment decisions.
Dr. Giger called the early data promising, but stressed the importance of verifying
and expanding those results using a larger
database that includes images from both
mammography and magnetic resonance
imaging (MRI). Her research team has
already begun to increase the dataset by
collecting and analyzing MRIs.
The availability of an accurate and reliable
imaging method that can distinguish between
threatening and non-threatening cases of
DCIS would be highly beneficial in breast
cancer diagnosis and spare some women from
overtreatment, said Dr. Giger. “A potential
future scenario would be that a woman with
an initial diagnosis of DCIS could have her
mammographic and MR images assessed by
the computer’s quantitative analysis software,
which would provide additional information
to physicians for their patient-management
decisions.”
Mentoring Future Scientists
Patrick La Riviere, PhD, associate professor
of radiology, also hosted a student this past
summer. Kyler Gillespie from King College
Prep in Kenwood helped develop a novel
approach to high-resolution X-ray imaging
using light-field microscopy. Dr. La Riviere’s
lab is looking at how this approach could be
used to image tumor samples at very high
resolution without physically slicing the specimen. With additional testing, the light-field
microscope could potentially be used alongside full-size human X-ray imaging systems
as a new tool for cancer imaging.
“ACS’s past and future contributions are
important to the development and mentoring of our next generation of scientists,”
said Dr. Giger, who has mentored students
in the ACS program for the past 8 years.
“The earlier we bring students into the lab,
the more likely it is that they will go into
science.”
Kathy Rodogiannis spends time in a UCCCC laboratory working on identifying image-based biomarkers for ductal carcinoma in situ on mammography.
She was one of the high school students selected
to gain direct experience with cancer research
through the Illinois Division of the American Cancer Society’s (ACS) Summer High School Research
Program.
Clinic Provides Cancer Care for Older Adults
Cancer is predominately a disease of
with national leaders to discuss methods for
older adults, yet the majority of participants
generating the highest quality research in
enrolled in most clinical trials fall into much
older adults with cancer. Based on the success
younger age groups. As a result, a lack of
of this conference, a second meeting was
evidence-based data exists to guide oncolorecently held in Chicago to propose trials for
gists in properly tailoring therapy for patients
older, frailer adults with a number of types of
in their sixties, seventies, and even older. This
cancer.
limitation is especially troubling, since the
Dr. Dale’s research also focuses on
population of older patients with cancer is
improving treatment decision-making strateexpected to grow rapidly in the next 20 years.
gies for older men with prostate cancer. One
“Despite a robust outpouring of studies
study found that an increasing number of
on cancer and a similar number on aging
older men elect to start receiving hormone
separately, it’s remarkable and concerning how
therapy primarily because they are anxious
little we still know about the intersection of
about their prostate cancer, despite a lack of
the two,” said William Dale, MD, PhD, associclinical benefit for starting hormone therapy
ate professor of medicine and chief of the
early. Dr. Dale is currently testing decision
Section of Geriatrics & Palliative Medicine.
aids —such as an interactive video—to
To address these limitations, Dr. Dale
help patients understand the side effects of
founded the UCCCC Specialized Oncology Patient Thomas Percell (center) receives care in the UCCCC Specialized Oncology Care and Research in the Elderly hormone therapy. He is also studying the
Clinic with (left to right) Monica Malec, MD, William Dale, MD, PhD, James Wallace, MD, and Joan Bigane, APN.
Care and Research in the Elderly (SOCARE)
benefits of physical therapy before patients
Clinic in 2006. SOCARE is staffed with professionals with Adequate social support is another consideration, he said,
undergo such therapies.
since dehydration, muscle weakness, or memory loss may
expertise in oncology, geriatrics, and palliative care who
“We’ve reduced overtreatment in the elderly by just realmake it unsafe for patients to be at home alone during
coordinate and individualize care for older patients diagizing that they’re often overly nervous and need more explacancer treatments like chemotherapy. At SOCARE, vulnernosed with cancer. He explained that, because many older
nation about the tradeoffs,” said Dr. Dale. Overall, he and
patients have multiple conditions in addition to cancer, their able older patients are connected with community resources his colleagues are helping maintain function and quality of
to aid with transportation, safety evaluations, and home care life by matching therapy to the patient’s situation. He envioverall medical situation must be factored into treatment
services. In fiscal year 2012 alone, the clinic served over
decisions. For example, if a patient diagnosed with lung
sions SOCARE helping to increase the recruitment of older
1,300 patients.
cancer also has heart disease, osteoporosis, and recently fell,
patients into UCCCC-based clinical studies and implement Along with providing clinical care, Dr. Dale focuses
physicians must determine if needed chemotherapy can be
ing social support initiatives, such as a program that places
his research on improving the enrollment of older adults
tolerated.
older patients who live alone into supervised long-term care
in cancer clinical trials. “We want to include as many
“As people get older, two of their main health risks are
settings while undergoing treatments, thereby extending the
patients as possible in potentially curative therapies,” he
physical frailty and cognitive impairment,” said Dr. Dale.
group who can benefit from cancer therapy.
1
“Those can both be affected by many standard cancer treat- said. In 2010, with funding support from the National
This project was supported by grant number U13 AG038151 from the
1
National Cancer Institute of the National Institutes of Health.
Institutes of Health and the UCCCC, Dr. Dale and other
ments.” SOCARE evaluates the fitness of older patients in
geriatric oncology leaders held a conference in Chicago
tolerating treatments to help inform treatment decisions.
Racetrack Event
Supports Cancer
Research
In August, the Arlington Million
Ladies held a luncheon, auction,
and raffle at the Arlington Park Race
Track. The group raised more than
$12,000, which was donated to the
University of Chicago Cancer
Research Foundation (UCCRF) to
benefit cancer research at
the UCCCC.
4
Linda Block and
Judi Duchossois
Front row, left to right: Janice Campbell,
Mary Zimmerman, and Kelcey Roberts;
Back row, left to right: Angie Cristel, Maxwell Skor, and Penny Ffitch-Heyes
cancer.uchicago.edu
At the Forefront of Discovery®
Member News & updates
The Cancer Research Foundation (CRF)
selected 1 Kenan Onel, MD, PhD, associate professor of pediatrics, and 2 Ernst
Lengyel, MD, PhD, professor of obstetrics and gynecology, as 2012 Fletcher
Scholars. Dr. Onel was awarded funding for his work, “Exploiting Darwin to
Overcome Drug Resistance in Leukemia,”
and Dr. Lengyel for “Characterization of
the Bi-directional Cross Talk between
Cancer Cells and Carcinoma-associated
Fibroblasts.” The CRF Fletcher Scholars
Awards were established in 1988 by the
estate of Eugene and Dorothy S. Fletcher
to fund the work of individual senior
cancer scientists.
3 Janet D. Rowley, MD, Blum-Riese
Distinguished Service Professor of
Medicine, Molecular Genetics and
Cell Biology, and Human Genetics,
won the 2012 iCON Innovator Award
from the Illinois Biotechnology
Industry Organization Institute. Dr.
Rowley was chosen for her influential work in identifying a chromosomal translocation as the cause of
leukemia and other cancers, which
paved the way for future breakthroughs. She received the award at
a dinner held at the Field Museum
on Oct. 4.
4 Samuel Volchenboum, MD, PhD,
assistant professor of pediatrics, has
been named an associate director of
the University of Chicago Institute
for Translational Medicine (ITM). Dr.
Volchenboum is involved in various
collaborative projects involving
7
biomedical informatics across the
institution. In his new role with the
ITM, he is promoting resources available
to investigators, including the Clinical
Research Data Warehouse, an electronic
data repository that houses patient data.
5 Philip Hoffman, MD, professor of
medicine, and 6 David Rubin, MD, who
was recently promoted to professor of
medicine, were selected as Senior Faculty Scholars by the Bucksbaum Institute
for Clinical Excellence, a unique initiative
created by the University of Chicago
Medicine in 2011 to improve the doctorpatient relationship and communication
in medicine. Drs. Hoffman and Rubin
are among four faculty involved in a
new program recognizing distinguished
senior clinicians for their superior skills as
physicians and teachers.
UCCCC Director 7 Michelle M. Le Beau,
PhD, Arthur and Marian Edelstein
Professor of Medicine, recently became
the new president of the Association of
American Cancer Institutes (AACI). The
organization unites 94 cancer research
2
1
3
8
9
4
6
centers to educate policy leaders and the
public about the important role cancer
centers play in reducing the burden
of cancer in their communities. Dr. Le
Beau bears the distinction of being the
association’s first female president. She
was elected as AACI’s vice president/
president-elect in October 2011.
UCCCC co-deputy director 8 Richard
Schilsky, MD, professor of medicine
and chief of the Section of Hematology/
Oncology, accepted the newly created
5
position of chief medical officer for the
American Society of Clinical Oncology,
effective February 2013. Dr. Schilsky, who
has served as a valued member of the
University of Chicago faculty since 1984,
will retire from the University at the end
of the year. Dr. Schilsky also recently received the 2012 Pinedo Cancer Care Prize
by the Society for Translational Oncology
(STO).
on a genomic approach for the assessment and treatment of acute leukemias
at the Argentina Society of Hematology’s
Symposium on Acute Leukemia in Buenos Aires. He also delivered two lectures
on acute lymphoblastic leukemia at the
3rd International Conference on Hematopoietic Stell Cell Transplantation in
the Treatment of Acute Lymphoblastic
Leukemia in Poznan, Poland.
In October, 9 Richard Larson, MD, professor of medicine, presented a lecture
UCCCC leukemia experts traveled to Beijing, China, in September to participate with their
colleagues in a hematologic malignancies workshop. Faculty from the University of Chicago, Peking University, and other universities in China are working together to develop
therapeutic strategies for hematologic malignancies using alternative donor stem cell
transplantation. Because finding a matched related or unrelated donor is much less likely
for patients in China, doctors are exploring the use of alternative donors, such as haploidentical (having the same alleles at a set of closely linked genes on one chromosome)
donors, cord blood stem cells, or combined haploidentical/cord stem cell transplantation. Hongtao Liu, MD, PhD, instructor of medicine, organized the workshop, and Richard (left to right) Wendy Stock, MD, her husband James Baird,
Larson, MD, professor of medicine, Wendy Stock, MD, professor of medicine, and John
former UCCCC member Koen van Besien, MD, and Richard
Larson, MD, visit the Great Wall of China.
Cunningham, MBBCh, MSc, professor of pediatrics, shared their expertise.
Elementary Students Don Pink,
Raise Money for Breast Cancer
Students at John V. Leigh School in Norridge, Ill., donated almost $200 to
the University of Chicago Cancer Research Foundation (UCCRF) in support
of breast cancer research and care. As part of a service-learning project, the
children asked anyone who wore pink to contribute $.50 and collected
donations from family and friends.
cancer.uchicago.edu
5
Pathways to Discovery
Research Highlights
The following represent some of the research accomplishments
of UCCCC members published August–October 2012.
PET/CT Scanning Predicts Overall
Survival Rates in Patients with NonSmall-Cell Lung Cancer
New research shows that tumor measurements from PET/CT scanning can be used
as a prognostic index of survival in patients
who have undergone surgery for nonsmall-cell lung cancer (NSCLC).
Yonglin Pu, MD, PhD, associate
professor of radiology, and colleagues
performed a retrospective study of surgical
patients diagnosed with NSCLC who had
baseline tumor measurements taken from
18
Flurodeoxyglucose (FDG)-PET/CT scans.
Whole-body metabolic tumor burden was
assessed by measuring the volume of tumor
tissue showing increased uptake of FDG
on PET, known as metabolic tumor volume
(MTV), and total lesion glycolysis (TLG), a
measure that reflects both the volume and
metabolic rate of tumors. High MTV and
TLG measurements were both associated
with decreased overall survival rates.
Previous studies have already shown
the prognostic value of these PET/CT
measurements in nonsurgical patients with
NSCLC. However, this is the first study
demonstrating its value in surgical patients
with NSCLC independent of disease stage.
(Zhang et al., Acad Radiol published online
ahead of print, September 2012)
Stress Lowers Prostate-Specific
Antigen (PSA) Screening Rates
Researchers find that perceived stress and
anxiety significantly influence the likelihood of prostate-specific antigen (PSA)
screening for prostate cancer among men.
Current guidelines emphasize the
importance of men making shared,
informed decisions about PSA screening
for prostate cancer. However, the impact
of psychological health and emotions on
these decisions is unclear. William Dale,
MD, PhD, associate professor of medicine,
and colleagues evaluated the relationship
between stress, anxiety, and depression on
PSA testing rates in over 1100 men between
the ages of 57 and 85 without prostate
cancer from the National Social Life, Heath
and Aging Project (NSHAP). This sample
is representative of older men across the
United States. They found that increasing levels of perceived stress significantly
lowers PSA screening rates. Furthermore,
anxiety influences rates depending on how
often patients visit their doctors—men
who visit their doctors frequently and are
anxious receive much more screening.
These findings suggest that more attention to patients’ emotions like perceived
stress and anxiety may improve the appropriateness of PSA screening. (Kotwal et al.,
Medical Care 50:1037-44, 2012)
This work was supported by the National Social Life Health
and Aging Project (grant number R01-AG021487 from the
National Institutes of Health).
Study Identifies a New Biomarker
for Breast Cancer Progression and
Metastasis
Researchers discover that the WAVE3 gene
promotes breast cancer metastasis and can
be used as a predictive marker for patient
survival.
Swati Kulkarni, MD, associate professor of surgery, and colleagues from
Cleveland Clinic and Roswell Park Cancer
Institute, analyzed the expression of
WAVE3 in the peripheral blood cells of
women with breast cancer. They found that
WAVE3 was highly expressed in patients
with metastatic breast cancer, and that
expression levels were positively correlated
with aggressive tumors that are classified
as “triple-negative,” or those lacking HER2,
estrogen receptor, and progesterone receptor expression.
These findings support the use of
WAVE3 as a biomarker for the early detection of women who may be at risk of their
cancer progressing to a more aggressive
and metastatic disease. Identification of
these women would help physicians determine which patients would most benefit
from additional therapies. (Kulkarni et al.,
PLoS One 7:e42895, 2012)
This work was supported by the Cleveland Clinic Foundation, grant number W81XWH-08-1-0236 from the U.S.
Department of Defense, grants P01 HL073311 and P50
HL077107 from the National Institutes of Health, and pilot
funding from the Case Comprehensive Cancer Center (P30
CA043703).
Aspirin Is Associated with a Reduced
Risk of Prostate Cancer Mortality
A recent clinical study suggests that the use
of anticoagulants, particularly aspirin, is
associated with a lower risk of death in men
undergoing therapy for prostate cancer.
The study investigators, including
Stanley Liauw, MD, associate professor of
radiation and cellular oncology, analyzed
a large registry of nearly 6,000 men with
prostate cancer who were treated with either
radical prostatectomy or radiotherapy.
The death rate from prostate cancer was
significantly lower in men who were taking
anticoagulants compared to those who were
not. This reduction was most pronounced
in patients with high-risk disease (4% versus
19% at 10 years after diagnosis).
Follow-up clinical trials are required to
confirm these results before aspirin can be
routinely recommended to patients with
prostate cancer. (Choe et al., J Clin Oncol
30:3540-4, 2012)
This work was supported by Abbott Laboratories, grant number 5RC1 CA146596 from the National Cancer Institute, and
grant number 1U01 CA88160 from the Agency for Healthcare
Research and Quality of the National Institutes of Health.
Genomic Markers Predict Sensitivity to
Common Chemotherapy Drug
A team of UCCCC investigators identified
new genetic variants and genes associated
with sensitivity to capecitabine, an oral
chemotherapy drug widely used to treat
breast, colorectal, and gastric cancers.
The researchers conducted a genomewide association study to identify underlying genetic factors that influence the
response to capecitabine treatment. They
examined genetic information in cell lines
derived from over 500 individuals across
world populations and found a new genetic
variant near the 5-methyltetrahydorfolatehomocysteine mehtyltransferase reductase
(MTTR) gene, as well as a genetic variant
of the DNA regulating SMARCAD1 gene,
associated with drug sensitivity.
Results from this study may help physicians personalize cancer therapy by selecting patients who would most likely respond
to treatment. M. Eileen Dolan, PhD,
professor of medicine, Peter O’Donnell,
MD, assistant professor of medicine, Nancy
Cox, PhD, professor of medicine, and
Stephanie Huang, PhD, assistant professor
of medicine, were among the study authors.
The group is also evaluating top genetic
variants from the preclinical study in a
clinical trial of capecitabine initiated by Dr.
Just the
Stats1
O’Donnell with the Translational Breast
Cancer Research Consortium. (O’Donnell
et al., Cancer 118:4063-73, 2012)
This work was supported by grant numbers P50 CA125183
from the University of Chicago Breast Cancer Specialized
Program of Research Excellence (SPORE), U01 GM61393
from the Pharmacogenomics of Anticancer Agents Research
Group and K08 GM089941 funded by the National Institute
of General Medical Sciences, F32 CA136123 from the National Cancer Institute, and TL1 RR25001 from the National
Institutes of Health.
Researchers Discover How a Drug Used
in Transplant Patients Increases Skin
Cancer Risk
Cyclosporin A, an immunosuppressive
drug used to prevent rejection following
organ transplantation, increases the risk
for skin cancer by inhibiting the repair of
and the response to DNA damage from
ultraviolet B (UVB) exposure.
Immunosuppression has been widely
assumed to be the major cause for skin
cancer in organ transplant recipients,
which occurs up to 250 times more
frequently in this group of patients than
in the general population. Yu-Ying He,
PhD, assistant professor of medicine, led
a study to determine the mechanisms of
skin carcinogenesis using mice that lack an
active immune system, as well as human
skin cells. Results showed that following
UVB exposure, cyclosporine A increases
activation of the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway, which deregulates normal expression
of the XPC gene and cyclophilin A protein,
leading to a reduced ability to repair
DNA damage and activate DNA damage
response.
These findings, indicating that cyclosporin A increases the risk for skin cancer
independent of its immunosuppressive
effects, facilitate efforts to improve skin
cancer prevention in patients who receive
this drug. (Han et al., Cancer Prev Res
(Phila) 5:1155-62, 2012)
This work was supported by grant number ES016936 from
the National Institutes of Health, pilot funding from the
University of Chicago Comprehensive Cancer Center (P30
CA014599), the Clinical and Translational Science Awards
program (UL1 RR024999) funded by the National Institutes
of Health, and University of Chicago Friends of Dermatology Research Funds.
Tumor Endothelial Inflammation
Predicts Cancer Outcome
A new study identifies the first cancer gene
signature associated with inflammation of
endothelial cells, which line the inner layer
of blood vessels. The signature predicts
lower survival rates in four types of cancer.
Ralph Weichselbaum, MD, professor
of radiation and cellular oncology, and
colleagues demonstrated that endothelial
inflammation promotes tumor growth.
By disrupting inflammatory gene expression in tumor-associated endothelial cells,
the researchers inhibited tumor growth
in mice. Following up on this observation, they analyzed the expression of over
500 inflammatory genes and identified
six genes associated with reduced overall
survival in lung, breast, and colon cancer,
as well as glioma. Results indicated that
patients expressing this gene signature have
an increased risk for death from cancer
compared to those who do not express the
gene signature.
These findings indicate that the gene
signature is predictive of overall survival
in multiple human cancers, and may serve
as a potential target for the development of
new cancer therapies. (Pitroda et al., PLoS
One 7:e46104, 2012)
This work was supported by the Virginia and D.K. Ludwig
Fund for Cancer Research, Lung Cancer Research Foundation, Chicago Tumor Institute, Brain Tumor Program Project (P01 CA07193312), grant numbers HL58064, HL98050,
and HL105371 from the National Institutes of Health, and a
gift from the Foglia family.
6
cancer.uchicago.edu
At the Forefront of Discovery®
Young Woman’s Experience with Hodgkin Lymphoma
Changes Her Outlook on Life
I
n 2005, Cheryl Albovias, then 31,
became so sick that her doctor in
Orland Park suspected she had either
pneumonia or cancer. She was referred
to associate professor of medicine Sonali
Smith, MD, at the University of Chicago
Medicine Comprehensive Cancer Center
(UCCCC).
A biopsy confirmed that the source
of Albovias’ symptoms was Hodgkin
lymphoma. A large tumor in her chest had
already spread to her neck. Albovias’ initial
reaction was shock and fear, as her mother
was diagnosed with breast cancer 2 years
earlier and she had lost other relatives to
cancer. “Once you hear cancer, you think of
it as being really negative,” she recalled.
Without lifesaving treatment, Albovias
was facing a potentially fatal outcome
within a matter of months. She experienced
a range of emotions. As someone fully
engaged in her career and preparing to buy
a house, she felt that the cancer diagnosis
came just as she was beginning her life.
“I felt a lot of regret,” she said. “There
were still so many things I hadn’t yet
accomplished.” Albovias was so nervous
that she broke out into hives on the first
day of chemotherapy treatment, but she
soon began to feel more at ease. She credits
this to the nurses who patiently explained
everything to her, her friends and family
who remained by her side, and the team of
Cheryl Albovias (left, middle & above, top)
celebrates her remission status with her
family. She was treated for Hodgkin
lymphoma by doctors at the UCCCC.
volunteers who encouraged her.
Fortunately, cure rates for Hodgkin
lymphoma are as high as 70 to 80 percent,
making it one of the most treatable cancers.
After 6 cycles of chemotherapy, Albovias
was amazed to see the image showing
that her tumor had vanished. In most
cases, radiation therapy would be the next
step; however, Albovias’ lymphoma had
responded so favorably that Dr. Smith and
her colleagues recommended against further
treatment.
“We really try to avoid unnecessary radiation therapy in younger patients to protect
them from long-term complications, such
as infertility and increased risk for therapyrelated cancers,” said Dr. Smith. At the
UCCCC, ongoing studies are evaluating the
long-term effects of treatment on cancer
survivors. This knowledge helps physicians
consider all factors that may affect a patient’s
quality of life before choosing a course of
therapy.
Now 38, Albovias remains cancerfree, but her experience left her with a
newfound appreciation for life. She created
a list of what she wants to accomplish
during her lifetime and has been working
toward crossing each item off. Her career
has taken a backseat as she spends her time
visiting with friends and family, reading
books, learning to cook, and traveling to
new destinations. She recently zip-lined
in Hawaii, overcoming a lifelong fear of
heights. She also offers support and encouragement to others battling cancer and has
become involved in fundraising for cancer
research.
“I don’t think I would take any part of
the experience back,” she said. “It opened
up my eyes and changed my life in a positive direction.”
Focus on:
Core Facilities
High-Performance Computing Facility
Assists Researchers with Imaging Needs
Imaging plays an important role in cancer research, both
in the clinic and the laboratory. Studying cancer from all
angles requires not only state-of-the-art imaging tools, but
also the expertise to analyze and integrate the resulting
data properly. Such tasks require sophisticated computing
power and storage capacity that researchers generally do
not have in their own laboratories.
Researchers at the UCCCC can access computing and
analysis services from the Image Computing, Analysis, and
Repository (ICAR) Facility, one of the UCCCC’s shared
resources. The ICAR Facility includes a computing cluster
optimized for image processing, analysis, and visualization,
and an animal imaging repository (AIR), which provides
network file sharing services for animal researchers.
“One of the advantages of the ICAR Facility is that
researchers have access to high-speed computing power
with real-time interactivity and a fast turnaround,” said
Scientific Co-Director Robert M. Nishikawa, PhD. For
example, developing a computer algorithm for image
processing may take months to a year on a standard desktop computer, but ICAR can complete the task in a matter
of days.
From basic consultation to shared development of new
analysis software, the ICAR Facility helps researchers who
may not have imaging expertise take advantage of state-
of-the-art imaging modalities. Services
include modeling and simulations, the
development of new image analysis
methods, data construction and reconstruction, as well as computer-aided diagnosis (CAD). The University of Chicago
Medicine pioneered the field of CAD
and leads the field of breast imaging.
With support from the ICAR Facility, UCCCC researchers
are now developing new methods to obtain high quality
images while lowering radiation exposure to patients.
ICAR Technical Director Chun-Wai Chan, MS, said,
“It’s much easier and more efficient to have the job done
by expertly trained personnel within a dedicated core
rather than scattered throughout the University.” Staff can
perform new emerging techniques, such as image fusion,
where images of the same object taken by different modalities are combined.
The ICAR Facility frequently collaborates with the
Integrated Small Animal Imaging Research Resource
(iSAIRR), a separate UCCCC shared facility that provides
comprehensive small animal imaging services. Researchers obtain initial consultation from iSAIRR to identify
appropriate imaging studies and to learn of methods to
achieve maximum imaging quality. The data generated from
Radiology and radiation oncology experts
at the UCCCC use sophisticated computer
models to simulate how X-ray beams scatter. They are investigating strategies to
reduce the X-ray dose to patients resulting from computed tomography (CT) used
for image guidance in radiation therapy.
Normally, these simulations consume
500-1,000 hours of time on standard
desktop computers, but the ICAR Facility’s
computer cluster can return results in a
day or less.
imaging studies is stored in the ICAR Facility’s AIR, a
centralized repository that streamlines research workflow by
storing, retrieving, and backing up data from multiple imaging modalities. After imaging, the ICAR Facility analyzes
the data and extracts the desired information. For example,
researchers are currently using the Facility’s imaging analysis expertise to measure the effect of treatment on tumor
shrinkage.
The ICAR Facility also collaborates with the Human
Imaging Research Office’s Biomedical Imaging Repository
to develop methods to connect researchers with large imaging databases, which are useful for developing algorithms
to detect and diagnose diseases such as cancer by radiologic
imaging. These and other ICAR Facility services facilitate
groundbreaking cancer research and new collaborations at
the UCCCC.
Cancer Survivor Support Group Offered in Chinese Community
In September 2012, the UCCCC Office of Community Engagement and Cancer Disparities
(OCECD) held its first Chinese Cancer Survivor Support Group meeting at the Chinese American
Service League (CASL). Participants included Chinese cancer survivors who were diagnosed with
cancer within the past 2 years and participated in the Cancer Transitions™ program (funded by
the LIVESTRONG® organization) held by the OCECD for seven consecutive weeks from April to
May 2012. The Cancer Survivor Support Group is a joint effort between the OCECD and CASL to
help Chinese cancer survivors take control of their survivorship. Adapted from the LIVESTRONG®
program, the meeting is conducted in English, Mandarin, and Cantonese, and is the first cultureand language-specific cancer support group in Illinois. The group meets every 2 months and is
open to all Chinese cancer survivors in the community and their family members.
cancer.uchicago.edu
Cancer survivors
in the Chinese
community come
together at the
first meeting of
the Chinese Cancer
Survivor Support
Group.
7
Pathways to Discovery
UCCRF Board of Trustees Steers Philanthropic
Efforts to Aid Cancer Research
save the dates!
The University of Chicago
Cancer Research Foundation
(UCCRF) presents a list of
upcoming fundraising events:
United by the common goal of reducing the devastating effects of cancer, members of the University of Chicago
Cancer Research Foundation (UCCRF) have worked together to raise money to support cancer research since
the 1940s. This non-profit organization continues to play an important role in helping the UCCCC accelerate
research discoveries that improve cancer care.
T
UCCRF comprises four
boards—one governance board
(Board of Trustees) and three fundraising boards (Women’s Board, Auxiliary
Board, and Associates Board). The Board
of Trustees comprises leaders from all
sectors of the business and healthcare
communities, grateful patients, and the
leadership of the Foundation’s three
auxiliary boards. Although these boards
are distinct and operate independently,
Margaret Benjamin, who has served as
the Board of Trustees president for the
past year, plans to use her leadership role
to create more opportunities for the four
boards to coordinate their efforts.
“By doing so, we will give the Foundation a more unified voice so that our
messaging is as compelling as our cause,”
she said. Benjamin, who worked in business before raising her children, became
involved with the UCCRF 16 years ago
when she tagged along to a Women’s
Board event with a friend. Benjamin feels
passionately about giving back to the
community, so raising money for cancer
research was a perfect fit.
“As volunteers and philanthropists,
he
Aux iliary Boar d
we are exposed to
sion of the UCCCC’s
wonderful, interesting
Cancer Prevention
people who are workand Control research
ing to solve problems in
program, designacancer,” Benjamin said.
tion of the UCCCC
“We feel really privias a National Cancer
leged to hear about their
Institute-designated
latest findings, strategies,
Comprehensive Cancer
and accomplishments.”
Center, and a new
Part of Benjamin’s
UCCRF Women’s
strategy to foster
Board Laboratory in
collaboration among
the Gwen and Jules
the Boards is to identify
Knapp Center for
ways to use their unique
Biomedical Discovery.
strengths to learn from
Looking forward, the
each other. For example,
Board of Trustees will
every year the Women’s Margaret Benjamin, UCCRF Board of
work in concert with
Trustees President
the fundraising boards
Board organizes the
to embrace the next opportunity to
Grand Auction, which has become a
launch a campaign and further propel the
highly regarded event in the City of
UCCCC’s mission to personalize
Chicago. Benjamin said that this type of
cancer care.
success happens when everyone comes
together to work toward a common goal. “We are lucky because our group is
concentrated solely on raising money
In 2005, the Board of Trustees
for cancer research,” she said. “Under the
collaborated with the Women’s Board
direction of Dr. [Michelle] Le Beau, there
to launch a 5-year capital campaign,
will continue to be promising research
successfully raising $7 million for cancer
research. This effort supported the expan- opportunities at the UCCCC.”
“Light the Way to a Cure”
Auxiliary Board Auction
and Gala
• S aturday, February 2, 2013
Michigan Shores Club, Wilmette
A ss o c iate s Boar d
“Gatsby Gala” No Tie Ball
• F riday, March 1, 2013
The Palmer House, Room 1512,
Chicago
K u h lman ’s K r usad e r s
Family-Friendly Fundraiser
• S unday, April 21, 2013
Harry Caray’s, Lombard
For more information, please
contact [email protected].
Pathways to
Winter 2013
cancer.uchicago.edu
®
In this issue…
1
2
A new method to treat prostate
cancer may give patients more
options.
3
Research explores religion’s role in
cancer care.
The University of Chicago Medicine
5841 S. Maryland Ave., MC1140 H212
Chicago, IL 60637
[email protected]
The UCCCC helps graduate students address cancer disparities in
the Southside community.
4
Older patients with cancer receive
specialized care at the UCCCC.
4
Cancer researchers mentor high
school students during summer
program.
7
Young Hodgkin lymphoma survivor
gains new appreciation for life.
Support cancer research
through the UCCRF:
cancer.uchicago.edu/donations