Promise Summer 2015
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A PUBLICATION FOR FRIENDS OF MD ANDERSON SUMMER 2015 ‘Putting’ an end to cancer PRO GOLFER COLIN MONTGOMERIE TAKES A SWING AS AN MD ANDERSON AMBASSADOR D.C. Living Legend RECORD-BREAKING BIPARTISAN EVENT RAISES $ 5.2 MILLION MY MOON SHOT THREE-TIME SURVIVOR KENNETH WOO FINDS HOPE IN AML RESEARCH SURVIVORS SAY, P.5 // 'PARTY' ON THE PRAIRIE, P.10 // iPROMISE, P.11 NEWS MAKERS For more on these and other MD Anderson news makers, visit www.mdanderson.org/newsroom. A MESSAGE FROM RON DEPINHO, M.D. American Society of AT MD ANDERSON, WE THINK BIG. That’s why our goal is to Clinical Oncology honors end cancer — not to slow it, detour it or delay it, but to end it, for good. We’ve set MD Anderson leaders out to eradicate this complex disease that indiscriminately takes ASCO-AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY AWARD our friends and family. Cites efforts in cancer prevention and control Our cancer fighters PHOTO BY ERIC KAYNE — more than 20,000 BY CLAYTON BOLDT employees and 1,000-plus volunteers — strive every ERNEST HAWK, M.D., vice president and head of day to make this vision a reality. We’re confronting H MD Anderson’s Cancer Prevention and Population Sciences, T cancer head-on with a message that’s loud and clear: I M S was recently honored at American Society for Clinical Oncology R “Cancer, you don’t have a chance.” E T R You may have seen installments of MD Anderson’s A (ASCO)'s annual meeting in Chicago with the American Cancer C . F new ad campaign, appropriately named Confronting Y Society Award. B O T Cancer, which elevates this message to a new level. O Executive director of the Duncan Family Institute for Cancer H Compelling TV spots showcase the real heroes P Prevention and Risk Assessment, Hawk holds the T. Boone carrying out our determined fight: donors, volunteers, Pickens Distinguished Chair for Early Prevention of Cancer and physicians, researchers, patients and survivors. I’m Ernest Hawk, M.D. co-leads the cancer prevention and control platform within struck by the emotion, the indefatigable courage MD Anderson’s Moon Shots Program (see page 8). and the stalwart resilience reflected in these deeply personal stories. And I’m grateful to have the opportunity to honor them in our journey toward Making Cancer History®. To end cancer is a bold idea. Some will say it can’t be done. But bold ideas, based on vision and resolve, are “The highlights of my career have been the incredible the hallmark of great institutions. For almost 75 years, mentors, friends, students and teams from diverse we’ve earned our reputation as the world leader in cancer care, research, prevention and education. In July, disciplines, experiences and backgrounds that I’ve been U.S. News & World Report's “Best Hospitals” survey once again named MD Anderson the No. 1 hospital for privileged to work with.” cancer care in the nation. We’re proud and pleased to be recognized for our excellence in this national survey. The true measure of our success, however, is the —ERNEST HAWK, M.D.,vice president and head of Cancer Prevention and Population Sciences number of lives we’ve positively affected. Last year alone, more than 127,000 people came to MD Anderson for innovative care, prevention services, diagnostics, second opinions and consults P at survivorship clinics. Our Moon Shots Program and H O T O clinical trials engine also had a notable year, providing B SCIENCE OF ONCOLOGY AWARD Y F . new hope for our patients who are faltering with C A Recognizes groundbreaking immunotherapy work R today’s standard of care. Our academic achievements T E R S reached new vistas, and, with 33 sister institutions in BY SCOTT MERVILLE M I T 23 countries, we're spreading our knowledge to those H in greatest need. JIM ALLISON, PH.D., chair of Immunology, accepted ASCO’s This is your impact. This is your legacy. Your Science of Oncology Award for pioneering research that led to a Jim Allison, Ph.D. generosity makes our world-class research and exceptional patient care possible, and it enables us new way to treat cancer. to provide hope for cancer patients and their families Allison’s studies focus on developing new drugs that block around the world. Thank you for fueling our fight. I am immune system checkpoints or stimulate immune responses. Allison also received confident that with your continued support and our He founded and directs MD Anderson’s immunotherapy the Pezcoller Foundation- collective will to succeed, cancer doesn’t stand platform for the Moon Shots Program (see page 8) to cultivate American Association for a chance. and test immunology-based drugs and combinations. Cancer Research (AACR) International Award Allison is also deputy director of MD Anderson’s David H. for Cancer Research Koch Center for Applied Research of Genitourinary Cancers and at its April meeting in holds the Vivian L. Smith Distinguished Chair in Immunology. Philadelphia. He remarked: He’s a member of the National Academy of Sciences and the The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center “This award recognizes Institute of Medicine. Development Office - Unit 705 the efforts of my research P.O. Box 301439 • Houston, TX 77230-1439 713-792-3450 • 800-525-5841 team over the years to mdanderson.org/gifts • [email protected] develop strategies that Patrick B. Mulvey Miriam Spradling “I’m grateful for this recognition and will unleash the immune Vice President for Development Communications Specialist, system to treat cancer, as Sarah Newson Assistant Editor Associate Vice President Contributing Writers optimistic that immune checkpoint well as the many other for Communications Clayton Boldt Jim Newman Kellie Bramlet investigators, clinicians Director, Corky Hilliard blockade, in combination with other and patients whose External Communications Allison Ignacio efforts and courage made Sarah Watson Scott Merville therapies, may be curative for many Program Manager, Editor Perry Rupp immunotherapy of cancer Development Communications Miriam Spradling Marily Jacob Laura Sussman patients across different types of cancer.” a reality that benefits Senior Communications Designer cancer patients.” ON THE COVER: When the Moon Shots Program launched in 2012, hearing about the AML Moon Shot was “like winning the lottery” for survivor Kenneth Woo and his wife, Clara. —JIM ALLISON, PH.D., chair of Immunology Read "My Moon Shot" on page 8. PHOTO BY F. CARTER SMITH 2 PROMISE SUMMER 2015 A PUBLICATION FOR FRIENDS OF MD ANDERSON BREAST-CONSERVING IN THE WORKS: THERAPY FOR BLOOD TESTS EARLY-STAGE CANCER HAS INCREASED Access remains an issue, FOR LUNG CANCER study shows BY LAURA SUSSMAN A MOON SHOTS PROGRAM INITIATIVE THE FIRST comprehensive BY SCOTT MERVILLE national review of breast- EXACT SCIENCES CORP. conserving AND MD ANDERSON are therapy (BCT) collaborating to develop and shows that commercialize blood-based over the past 13 screening and diagnostics years rates of using tests for the early detection of the less invasive treatment for early- lung cancer. stage breast cancer have increased at “Lung cancer is, and will a steady pace. The review, published continue to be, America’s online in JAMA Surgery, also highlights important demographic factors that leading cancer killer unless we affect which patients have access to identify new approaches to BCT. MD Anderson researchers found diagnose it early, at its most declines in disparities related to age, treatable stages,” says Sam treatment facility type and geographic Hanash, M.D., Ph.D., director region, but they also identified several of MD Anderson’s Red and socioeconomic factors, such as Charline McCombs Institute insurance, income and travel distance, PHOTO BY ERIC KAYNE for the Early Detection and as key barriers to BCT. Treatment of Cancer. Hanash “Strides have been made to reduce “Lung cancer is, and will continue also holds the Evelyn and Sol disparities in the use of this effective Rubenstein Distinguished treatment for early-stage breast cancer. to be, America’s leading cancer Chair and is a professor in But despite significant progress, there are significant pockets of women where Clinical Cancer Prevention. killer unless we identify new this therapy is underutilized,” says The initiative is part of principal investigator Isabelle Bedrosian, approaches to diagnose it early, at MD Anderson’s Moon Shots M.D., F.A.C.S., associate professor, its most treatable stages.” Program (see page 8). Early Surgical Oncology, and medical director, detection is a flagship project Nellie B. Connally Breast Center at of the Lung Cancer Moon MD Anderson. “The socioeconomic —SAM HANASH, M.D., Ph.D., director of MD Anderson's Red and Shot, funded initially by the barriers are unlikely to be erased without Charline McCombs Institute for the Early Detection and Treatment of Cancer Lyda Hill Foundation. health policy changes.” ALL IN THE DNA NEURODEGENERATION Tumor sequencing study highlights RESEARCH LEADER ARRIVES benefits of profiling healthy tissue Ray to drive quest BY CLAYTON BOLDT for new therapies BY SARAH WATSON PROFILING NORMAL DNA while sequencing tumors of patients with advanced cancer provides an opportunity to JIM RAY, PH.D., has joined identify inherited mutations, say MD Anderson researchers. MD Anderson’s Institute Funda Meric-Bernstam, M.D., professor and chair, for Applied Cancer Science Investigational Cancer Therapeutics, reported an ongoing study’s as head of research for preliminary findings at the American Society for Clinical Oncology the Neurodegeneration annual meeting in Chicago. Consortium (NDC), a The MD Anderson research team sequenced tumor and normal DNA collaboration among from patients with advanced cancer, with the goal of sharing results with patients to MD Anderson, Baylor College of Medicine and better educate them going forward. Sequencing normal tissue isn’t routinely done in the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.