SUMMER 2005 HOPEA PUBLICATION OF THE BARBARA ANN KARMANOS CANCER INSTITUTE Premiere Issue! HILLARY’S STORY: Interior designer beats lymphoma IN GOOD COMPANY Karmanos Cancer Institute among elite group of cancer centers STATE OF INDEPENDENCE Michigan’s first and only independent cancer hospital CRYOTHERAPY PIONEER Innovative breast cancer treatment PRESIDENT’S LETTER ................................................... SUMMER 2005 VOLUME 1 | NUMBER 1 ................................................... ABOUT THE INSTITUTE The Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute is committed to a future free of cancer. The Meyer L. Prentis Comprehensive Cancer Center of Metropolitan Detroit, operated by the Institute, is one of only 39 National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers in the United States. Federal designation as a Comprehensive Cancer Center is the pinnacle of translational oncology research. The Institute’s physician-scientists, doctors and researchers interact with hundreds of their colleagues across the nation and around the elcome to Karmanos Hope, the new magazine of the world. They consult on patient cases, share Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute. investigational data and conduct more than 500 cancer-specific scientific studies and clinical The stories you’ll read in these pages are glimpses into our trials. Last year, nearly 6,700 newly-diagnosed Wpeople, our technology and our achievements. These stories cancer patients from 28 states, Puerto Rico will mean different things to different readers. For our volunteers and donors, these and 77 of Michigan’s 83 counties were seen stories will be evidence of a wise investment in our organization. For our cancer at the Karmanos Cancer Institute. patients and their families, these stories will provide hope. ................................................... As for the people of the Karmanos Cancer Institute, our hope is for a cancer-free EXECUTIVE STAFF future. In the pages of this magazine, you’ll learn how we recently accomplished two important objectives in our quest. JOHN C. RUCKDESCHEL, M.D. President & CEO After reaching an historic agreement with the Detroit Medical Center, the NICK KARMANOS Karmanos Cancer Institute opened its doors on May 1 as an entirely new Vice President, Development institution. We’re now a stand-alone, independent cancer center – one of the WILLIAM BENNETT few such places in the United States. Our independence will enable us to Chief Financial Officer leverage and translate our research into better patient care. WILLIAM D. BLAUL Vice President, Institutional Relations At nearly the same time, we received a full, five-year renewal of the National Cancer Institute’s “comprehensive cancer center” designation, a prestigious indication ................................................... of excellence in cancer research. We earned the largest federal grant to operate the center in our nearly 62-year history. BARBARA ANN KARMANOS CANCER INSTITUTE I’m extraordinarily proud of the Institute and the thousands of physicians, 4100 JOHN R nurses, researchers, employees, donors and volunteers whose efforts have made DETROIT, MI 48201 our recent successes possible. www.karmanos.org With this premier issue of Karmanos Hope, we start a new journey in our (800) KARMANOS ongoing fight against cancer. We hope you’ll join us. (1-800-527-6266) Email: [email protected] Sincerely, KELLY C. SCHEER Editor Senior Director, Public Relations and Marketing JACQUELINE TROST Associate Editor Public Relations Specialist John C. Ruckdeschel, M.D. ................................................... PRESIDENT AND CEO BARBARA ANN KARMANOS CANCER INSTITUTE Copyright 2005 Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute. 06 CONTENTS 03 FEATURE IN GOOD COMPANY Karmanos ranks among the nation’s elite cancer centers A STATE OF INDEPENDENCE Michigan’s first and only 08 independent cancer hospital 06 PROGRAMS BONE MARROW TRANSPLANT Innovative new program breaks the age barrier 08 PEOPLE CRYO PIONEER Dr. Peter Littrup investigates cryotherapy for breast cancer 10 INNOVATIONS 10 GROUNDBREAKING THERAPIES Investigating promising new cancer treatments 12 DINNER WITH FRIENDS A FUNDRAISING TRADITION Annual event raises funds for the Institute 14 2003-2004 DONOR LISTS 22 WAYS OF GIVING 23 UP CLOSE: Manuel Valdivieso, M.D. 23 22 NEWS & NOTES 24 AROUND TOWN HOPE | SUMMER 2005 FEATURE | HOPE Hillary Waterman “My mother and I both started crying when we heard the cancer was gone.” InCOMPANY Good The Mayo Clinic. M.D. Anderson. Memorial Sloan-Kettering. Karmanos Cancer Institute. All have earned prestigious recognition from the National Cancer Institute as being among the nation’s elite cancer centers. When Hillary Waterman was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s affects various populations in Southeast Michigan. Our Lymphoma last year, she didn’t know about the Institute’s job is to keep pushing back this disease.” national reputation as a top cancer research and treatment center. The National Cancer Institute (NCI) designation is more “My only experience with cancer at that point was a friend who’d than just a feather in the Institute’s cap. It provides much been diagnosed and treated for cancer at Karmanos,” she said. “He needed funding for core research projects – the foundation survived and that was a good enough recommendation for me.” of all research at the Institute. The funding – called a “core grant” – also drives cross-departmental communication and After a few visits to the Karmanos Cancer Institute, Hillary synergy, which facilitates a fully integrated approach to cancer knew it was a special place. (See Hillary’s Story below.) She investigation and innovative treatment. received innovative treatments and personal attention from Earning the NCI designation is not easy. The review process is a multidisciplinary team of Hodgkin’s Lymphoma experts rigorous. The NCI designation recognizes scientific excellence – men and women on the forefront of cancer research. Her at Karmanos – excellence in research, institutional leadership team is one of 14 teams of physician researchers at Karmanos, and management. each focusing on a different type of cancer. While more than 2,500 patients are currently enrolled in It’s this combination of cancer research and focused patient care clinical trials at Karmanos, other patients – like Hillary that recently resulted in a prestigious five-year grant renewal for Waterman – benefit from research conducted at Karmanos the Institute’s Meyer L. Prentis Comprehensive Cancer Center without ever participating in clinical trials. of Metropolitan Detroit – one of only 39 federally designated comprehensive cancer centers in the United States. “Today’s conventional treatments were yesterday’s research and clinical trials,” said Dr. Ruckdeschel. “Only a handful of “Research is at the core of the Karmanos mission,” said institutions in the nation can take research from the laboratory John C. Ruckdeschel, M.D., president and CEO of and start applying it to patients and then take the results back Karmanos Cancer Institute. “We are charged with conducting to the laboratory to refine. We are one of them.” research, advancing the field and studying how cancer HILLARY’S STORY Hillary Waterman is an active, 26-year-old interior designer. She’s always At the end of her chemo, Dr. Zonder ordered a series of scans to been in good physical condition, so early in 2004,when she developed a determine the size of the mass. “It was amazing. The mass was “tight” feeling in her chest she didn’t give it much thought. completely gone. There was nothing left, not even scar tissue. It was “My job is fairly demanding so I just thought it was stress,” she said. the best case scenario,” Hillary said. “My mother was with me for that But it wasn’t. Weeks later a CT scan revealed a large mass above appointment and we both started crying when we heard it was gone.” her heart. It was Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. To maximize the chances of curing the lymphoma, Dr. Zonder and Based on the recommendation of a friend, Hillary called the Jeffrey Forman, M.D. – a radiation oncologist at Karmanos Cancer Karmanos Cancer Institute in Detroit. She scheduled an initial Institute – completed Hillary’s treatment protocol with 20 days of appointment with one of the Institute’s lymphoma specialists – radiation therapy at Karmanos Cancer Institute’s Lawrence and Idell Jeffrey Zonder, M.D. – within a week of her call. Weisberg Cancer Treatment Center in Farmington Hills, Michigan. “I immediately loved Dr. Zonder,” she said. “Even when I knew he Today Hillary lives on a lake in Linden, Michigan and feels great know- was busy, he took time to explain everything to me.” ing that she’s healthy again. But, in truth, she says she never really felt ill. That was important because Hillary was entering one of the most challenging periods of her life. In the summer of 2004, she started “That’s the scariest thing. I never felt sick,” she said. “I guess I’m 16 weeks of chemotherapy at the Karmanos Cancer Institute. lucky I found it when I did.” And, she says, she’s lucky she found She met many “fantastic nurses” during that time – people she Drs. Zonder and Forman and all the dedicated people at Karmanos says would “do anything for you.” Cancer Institute. AINDEPENDENCE State of Agreement Advances Metro Detroit’s Cancer Programs armanos Cancer Institute just took a giant step care advocates in the community are welcoming the move toward its goal of becoming one of the nation’s as a very positive step for the region. top ten cancer centers. Karmanos is now K “It’s wonderful to see the Detroit Medical Center and the Michigan’s only independent cancer institute – initiating a new relationship with the Detroit Medical Center (DMC). Karmanos Cancer Institute working together to create an independent cancer center owned and operated by the “The Detroit Medical Center has been a part of everything Institute,” said Vernice Davis Anthony, president and CEO we do here since the founding of the Institute, but being of the Greater Detroit Area Health Council – a health care part of a larger operation didn’t always enable us to focus coalition that addresses issues of health care quality, access our resources exclusively on cancer,” and cost in southeastern Michigan.