cancerUNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center linesSpring 2016 2016: A new year, a new you As the ambulance sped to the emergency department at UNC- Chapel Hill, Debra Jackson was struggling to breathe. At 340 pounds, she was classified as morbidly obese and suffered from Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) due to emphysema caused by years of heavy smoking. Heart disease plagued her. Jackson was only 47 years old, but her poor health was slowly killing her. “I was admitted to the hospital, and my doctor began running some tests,” Jackson explains. “During that hospital stay, I was diagnosed with early stage I adrenal cancer. I was devastated.” Jen Jen Yeh, MD, a UNC Lineberger member, associate professor and vice chair of research in the UNC Department of Surgery, removed Jackson’s cancerous tumor on March 3, Faculty Profile: 2013. “I’m very honest with my patients,” says Yeh. “I told Leeza Park, MD Debra that we were able to get all of the cancer, but I was 4 very worried about her heart and her ability to recover from surgery. She needed to make some pretty drastic lifestyle changes if she wanted to get better.” Change is hard Jackson’s fight with obesity began when she was just 10 years old. Eventually, years of overeating and lack of exercise led to excess weight gain, until her body began to rebel. “I was always short of breath, and I could hardly walk without becoming dizzy,” says Jackson. “I was simply miserable, and depression set in. I didn’t want to leave my house. I tried to ignore the warning Family makes $250K gift to new signs of obesity, but I was physically and emotionally broken. As mammography suite 6 scary as it was, my hospitalization was the wakeup call I needed.” Debra Jackson, happy and healthy in 2016 continued on page 3 Der lab finds promising drug to fight pancreatic cancer Just five months by his family, and he has big plans for the future. after receiving an “There are so many things I want to see and do, and that my unexpected diagnosis children are going to do, and I don’t want to miss those,” Boyette of pancreatic cancer, says. If his health is good, he wants to take a cross-country Betty Ray McCain Andy Boyette gathered motorcycle trip to San Francisco so he can eat all the lobster receives Davie Award 7 88 of his family he wants. And as a father of four, Boyette recently had the members and friends opportunity to watch one of his daughters graduate with honors for a “celebration of from N.C. State University. He expects to see his youngest the inside line up life” party in Raleigh, graduate in May. At nearly every visit to his doctor at the N.C. complete with Cancer Hospital, he shares his dream of walking his girls down barbecue and balloons. the aisle. Diagnosed with “I want to give them away,” he says. “I want to be there in stage IV pancreatic spirit and in body.” cancer that had spread To help improve the outlook for patients like Boyette, to his liver, Boyette was researchers at the UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer told he might have Center are working to find new treatments for pancreatic cancer. Eric Strand, Keynote just 12 months to live. In the lab of Channing Der, PhD, a UNC Lineberger member at 29th Lineberger Pancreatic cancer is a and a Kenan Distinguished Professor in the Department of 8 Club Brunch Channing Der, PhD particularly aggressive Pharmacology, researchers believe they have found a promising and deadly cancer, with just seven percent of patients surviving strategy to target a type of pancreatic cancer that is notoriously after five years. At his party, Boyette tried to talk with each of resistant to treatment—pancreatic cancer that has a mutation in a his loved ones, thinking it could be the last time. gene called KRAS. Ironically, it’s been nearly three years since Boyette, now 64, Their strategy, published in the journal Cancer Cell, is to received his diagnosis. He’s considered to be a walking miracle use a drug designed to target the last of a series of signals continued on page 2 cancer lines leesa.indd 1 3/18/16 9:58 AM director’smessage A new year often gives people new metastatic breast cancer for more than four years, passed away last September. opportunities. Whether it’s a new job, a new She and Padrick were very appreciative of the care their family received here at relationship, or a new commitment to good UNC Lineberger, so as part of Padrick and Phong’s gift, they have chosen to name health, a new year seems to give people hope the N.C. Cancer Hospital’s mammography reception area in honor of Minhthu. for wiping the slate clean and starting afresh. Although Minhthu is no longer with us, her spirit of hope, kindness, and generosity In this issue of Cancer Lines, you’ll meet lives on to help others who are fighting breast cancer, a disease that affects one in Debra Jackson, a patient of surgical oncologist nine women. Dr. Jen Jen Yeh. Debra was battling morbid While the weekly ‘Caregivers Dinner’ in our Oncology Unit isn’t necessarily a obesity, COPD, and adrenal cancer, and her new event, you may not be aware of this patient- and family-centered service. Each Ned Sharpless, MD prognosis was bleak. But the story doesn’t Thursday, UNC Health Care volunteers host a buffet dinner for the caregivers — end there. Her inspiring journey of courage and the desire for a new way of life the family members, friends and clinical staff who care for, support and advocate will prove the point that if you want something badly enough, hard work and for inpatient oncology and bone marrow transplant patients. I think you’ll enjoy determination can get you there. hearing this story from the perspective of Liz Swaringen, a breast cancer survivor As the cancer center director, I’m very proud of the new research and discoveries and caregiver to her father, who was a lung cancer patient. She now volunteers at the taking place at UNC Lineberger on a daily basis. We’re pleased to tell you that our N.C. Cancer Hospital serving up more than just a meal; she’s serving up comfort researchers in Dr. Channing Der’s lab believe they have found a promising strategy and friendship to those going through very stressful situations. to target a type of pancreatic cancer that is notoriously resistant to treatment. In fact, And finally, we are pleased to welcome Bill Schaller, our new director of nearly 50 percent of the human pancreatic cancer cell lines they tested responded communications and marketing at UNC Lineberger. He comes to us from Brandeis to this drug. And even though their work isn’t done, I believe they are on the cusp University and prior to that, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, where he was director of some exciting scientific breakthroughs. of media relations. Since Bill is new to ‘southern living’ and all things ‘UNC,’ I hope On the philanthropic front, we are the grateful recipients of a new $250,000 gift you’ll join us in showing him the hospitality for which we are famous. that has been made in memory of Dr. Minhthu Nguyen by her husband Padrick It’s a time of new discoveries, new opportunities and new friends. I’m so glad Barrett and her brother Phong Nguyen. Minhthu, a local dentist who bravely battled you’ve joined us on the journey. Pancreatic cancer continued from page 1 that drive abnormal growth in KRAS- survival, but also preserving his quality of life. Boyette’s cancer continues to respond mutated cancer cells. The RAF-MEK-ERK to the treatment. pathway becomes aberrantly activated in “Andy, however, is the exception to the rule, and while the results of sequencing cancers with KRAS mutations, Der said. of his tumor may provide insight into his positive response to chemotherapy, many In preclinical studies in cells and in mice, patients with pancreatic cancer only respond to chemotherapy for short periods of they tested an investigational drug that time. Therefore, more effective therapies are urgently needed with less toxicity and blocks the protein ERK. improved durations of response,” says McRee. Researchers found that nearly 50 Boyette also wants to see more research dollars go to attacking pancreatic cancer, percent of the human pancreatic cancer as well as increased awareness about the disease, which is the fourth leading cause of cell lines they tested responded to the cancer death in the United States. drug. The drug also had a significant effect “It’s killing a lot of people—men and women,” he says. “I’m one of the lucky ones.” Andy Boyette on tumor growth in animal models. They Personally, he finds strength in his doctors at UNC, in his former wife Pattie believe their findings pave the way for Moore-Boyette, and his church. He distracts his mind with baking, and with clinical trials; however, their work is not done. working when he can. But he gives most of the credit to God as well as to his body “We don’t think that an ERK inhibitor is just the miracle drug and we’re done,” and his mind, which have sustained three years of treatment. Der explains. “We believe these cancers will figure out a way to develop resistance. He said the night before he started his first chemotherapy treatment, he decided And we believe that while these ERK inhibitors may be better than existing drugs to have a positive mindset and attitude so that the next day would be a pleasant targeting this pathway in this particular cancer, to really activate a successful long- experience.