Nancy's Promise
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PHOTOS 2014 Sarcoma Symposium Nancy’s Promise Newsletter of the University af Iowa Holden Cancer Center Melanoma and Sarcoma Tissue Bank Since 2008, the melanoma IN THIS ISSUE and sarcoma programs at the University of Iowa have been rapidly growing. We have two strong teams in Foreword both programs with highly page 2 specialized scientists Michael Henry, Ben Miller and Mo Milhem and physicians who are Patient Profiles dedicated to these fields. Melanoma Symposium pages 3-5 These teams have led and opened numerous clinical trials which have enhanced Patient Advocates research in both diseases. page 5 One of the most important resources to transpire is the MAST (Melanoma And Sarcoma Tissue bank). The MAST is a repository of new or Mast Poster previously diagnosed patients with proliferative disorders of the skin, ocular or pages 6-7 connective tissue disorders. The purpose of the MAST is to generate a comprehensive bank with biospecimen and clinical information that will contribute to the success of many multidisciplinary and translational research projects at the University of Iowa. Social Media By the Numbers pages 8-9 This is our first publication for you to meet the team at the University of Iowa for both (Follow us!) disease types, learn about initiatives, collaborations, new research ideas and patient stories. Research Groups page 10 The MAST is possible thanks to the generosity of grateful donors who support our 2013 Facebook: work and trust in our expertise to further research in these two diseases. Sarcoma Iowa Grant Recipients Melanoma Iowa pages 11-12 Mohammed M. Milhem, MD Twitter: Photos Deputy Director for Clinical Cancer Services pages 13-16 Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center @SarcomaIowa University of Iowa @MelanomaIowa Blog: ISSUE NUMBER 1 www.doctormoiowa.com 2014 Fall/Winter 2014 16 MAST Newsletter their way to do things for me much more than they needed to. I am so grateful for them and what they did for me during this time, and during my whole fight. I primarily spent this time Foreword going back and forth between my apartment in Iowa City and Patient Profiles my parents’ houses in Cedar Rapids, when I was not at UIHC Nancy White for treatments. This was an uneventful time, to say the least. My days were filled with watching movies, Netflix, and playing videogames. It was the lazy time you fantasize about when you We discovered Care Pages at the University and that became Nikolas Jiruska – Ewing’s Sarcoma the cancer had spread anywhere else. After the initial blow are living a normal, busy life, but believe me when I say this very important therapy for Jim. He would write about his from this horrifying diagnosis, we only received good news lifestyle gets old very fast. thoughts and feelings on this new, unexpected journey in life. from then on. All of the tests revealed that the cancer was After beating five video games and watching countless movies All the inspiring responses he received back meant so much to localized in my hip and had not spread to the brain, lungs, or and TV shows, my three-month appointment with Dr. Miller him and helped him keep up the fight. bone marrow, which are three locations that this could likely arrived on November 14th and he gave me the OK to start spread to. bearing weight on my left leg. Goodbye, walker and crutches. I Through it all, Jim had a passionate doctor fighting right along started practicing to walk immediately when I got back to my his and his family’s side…Dr. Mo. Jim felt that the Holden At this point, I started my chemotherapy treatments and talked apartment after that appointment. It was an awkward and Cancer Center was the right place for him to be during his with my oncologist, Dr. Mohammed Milhem (just “Mo” for exciting feeling. I had, and still have, an overwhelming feeling battle. The U of I Hospital became a second home for us for every one who knows him), to get an idea of what the next few of thankfulness that I have the opportunity to walk, because over a year. It was not as overwhelming as we thought it might months would entail. I would receive chemotherapy not everyone is fortunate enough to be able to keep their limb be, as the doctors and their teams worked together as one unit, treatments every two weeks, alternating between two and when they are diagnosed with Ewing’s Sarcoma. deciding on what was the best treatment for Jim though many five-day treatments. I would have five rounds of chemotherapy changes in his condition. They kept us and the family informed and then have more scans to see how it reacted to the At this point, life was getting pretty good. I was walking again on everything going on so we could make the best decisions we treatment. Shortly after, Dr. Benjamin Miller would perform and only had four more chemotherapy treatments to go. need for Jim. surgery to remove the tumor. We thought I would have to However, my last few treatments were delayed because I was receive a hip replacement, but there was a chance I could also really feeling the negative effects of the chemotherapy and I Jim passed away March 23rd, 2011. Even though Jim could not My name is Nikolas Jiruska and I recently finished receiving have a bone allograft surgery depending on how the tumor was not meeting the required blood counts to be able to start win his fight against Melanoma, it was his hope that others chemotherapy treatments to fight a rare form of bone cancer reacted to the treatment. After the surgery, I would go on to the next round of treatment. I had to receive a handful of could learn from his struggle. Jim wanted to use the lesson called Ewing’s Sarcoma. This disease primarily affects children receive nine more rounds of chemotherapy for 18 weeks. blood transfusions during this time to help meet the blood learned from how his body reacted to the disease in effort to and adolescents, but I was diagnosed at the age of 20. It was a count requirements. Thinking about it now, these setbacks support the doctor’s and research teams when it comes to long journey, and I am fortunate enough to be able to say that It took me a few rounds of chemotherapy before I started to were not a big deal at all compared to what can happen when gathering data needed from his tissue samples, blood and how I am now back at The University of Iowa nine months later feel the effects. One of the effects that was the most difficult receiving chemotherapy treatments. At the time, though, it the cancer moved through his body. He knew towards the end and enjoying life more than ever. Now, let’s go back to April for me to grapple with was losing my hair. It was sort of my seemed awful because I was so anxious to finish and get on that new findings would probably not benefit him directly, but 2013 where my journey began. trademark and was a big adjustment in my life. However, a with my life. wanted others with this horrible disease to be able to win this small price to pay, considering it would grow back eventually. Finally, January 3rd came around and it was time to go in for fight and have a chance to enjoy a life after a melanoma I started feeling pain in my left hip towards the end of April. It Some of the other side effects I felt throughout my treatments my final chemotherapy treatment. Unfortunately, this had to diagnosis, as well as bringing awareness to others about was a fairly mild pain and it would come and go every so often. were lightheadedness, fatigue, and nausea. be a five-day treatment. The longest five days of my entire life, preventing this disease. I thought it might have been a pulled muscle or a pinched I think. My girlfriend stayed with me every night in the nerve. This persisted for a few weeks before the pain started to The first five treatments flew by much faster than I had hospital, as she did during my treatments in the summer My husband Jim White had been diagnosed with melanoma in So to make Jim’s wish a reality his family decided to donate get worse. Fortunately, the intense pain waited until I was done anticipated, and all of the sudden it was August. I had my scans months, which made everything a lot more bearable because 1999. We did not know that much about melanoma at that funds from The Jim White Foundation that was created shortly with my final exams for the spring 2013 semester. I went to the and my cancer had reacted very well to the chemotherapy she is a very comforting person to be around. The wonderful time. All we knew at the time was that Jim had a funny looking after his passing. These funds were given to the tissue and emergency room at St. Luke’s Hospital in Cedar Rapids the treatments, shrinking the tumor a lot. Dr. Miller determined nurses of 4JPE in UIHC presented me a beautiful cookie cake mole on his shoulder that they had to remove. It was stage II blood bank for Melanoma patients at the Holden Comprehen- first time the pain in my leg became unbearable. It started in that I would be able to have the bone allograft surgery. There to congratulate me on my final day.