Seek | Summer 2009

Avis Simms is a graduate student and

Ph.D. candidate at UAMS. 2.

PurPoseDrivenAnswering the Call to Heal

2 seek Looking Beyond Cancer’s Limits

A As the UAMs cAMpUs trAnsitions to its fourth chancellor, I want to extend deep heartfelt thanks to Chancellor I. Dodd Wilson for his years of dedicated service. I knew of this transition when I accepted the position to come to the Cancer Institute, but I never hesitated in my decision thanks to the leadership shown by Dr. Wilson. That’s the kind of trust and confidence he instills in his colleagues. Despite his thoughtful, sometimes understated manner, Dr. Wilson can move mountains. Medicine in Arkansas and programs at UAMS have grown and flourished under his leadership as chancellor and, before that, as dean of the College of Medicine. His handprint and influence are evident around every corner, and I’m not just talking about the physical landscape of the campus. I feel fortunate to have known Dr. Wilson as a boss, a mentor and a friend. Please join me in thanking him for a job well done. This issue of Seek includes stories that are a bit off the beaten path. We often say that the UAMS campus attracts patients from every state and more than 40 foreign countries, but we don’t say nearly as much about the great variety of people who work here. Some of our employees have overcome great odds and distances (and that doesn’t just mean actual number of miles) to help with the cancer research effort. Read some of those stories in this issue. We also feature the area of biostatistics. What’s that you say? Well, let me put it this way: How does a researcher know that his or her results actually have significance beyond their gut feeling? Well, that is the mathematical world of biostatistics — assigning a unit of measure demonstrating the significance of research results. Yet another story is a tribute to Greg Pacheco, a man with a very rare disease called Castleman’s and his efforts to help our research program. This issue goes to show that everyone can contribute, no matter where they start.

Peter D. Emanuel, M.D.Director, Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute

seekSUMMER 2009

Editor susan Van Dusen

Art Director Laurie shell

Photographer Johnpaul Jones

Seek is published quarterly for the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute by the Office of Communications & Marketing at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, 4301 W. Markham St. #890, Little Rock, AR 72205-7199; phone (501) 686-5686; Fax (501) 686-6020.

Director, Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute peter D. emanuel, M.D.

Associate Director of Administration, Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute shirley Gray

Executive Director, Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute Foundation rachelle sanders

Database Manager Kelly pollnow

WINTHROP P. ROCKEFELLER CANCER INSTITUTE

2 seek Looking Beyond Cancer’s Limits Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute seek 3

contents 9

Avis Simms is a

graduate student and

Ph.D. candidate at

UAMS. Page 12.

PurPoseDrivenAnswering the

CAll to heAl

“It was luck of the draw that I was fortunate enough to be born a Rockefeller. But with that comes the additional obligation, or I should say opportunity, to do some good.”

Winthrop P. Rockefeller 1948-2006

Cover photo by Johnpaul Jones

SUMMER 2009

20

18

69

16

20

18

features

here coMes DoUbLe troUbLe Volunteer duo brings their own brand of sunshine to patients.

GooD FortUne Four Cancer Institute staff members share their stories of providing hope.

behinD the scenes Biostatisticians leave an important mark on research.

riGht pLAce, riGht tiMe UAMS Chancellor I. Dodd Wilson’s support has made the Cancer Institute flourish.

MAKhoUL UnDer pressUre Issam Makhoul, M.D., is a master at managing multiple roles.

in every issue

profile .......................................................... 4Greg Pacheco travels halfway across the country to receive treatment for a rare condition.

Medicine bag .....................................................14Lung cancer specialists arrive National Cancer Institute grant Campsite dedication Upcoming events

expansion ..........................................................22The Cancer Institute from A to Z.

spotlight ............................................................26Care Caps Envoys


Frequent Flier

Greg Pacheco’s Castleman’s disease is under control thanks to treatment at UAMS.

GIvInG BACk

Greg Pacheco

knows the challenges

of living with a rare

medical condition,

and he is determined

to help others in the

same situation.

California native

Pacheco and his

wife, Charlyn, raised

about $120,000 to

purchase equipment

dedicated to

Castleman’s disease

research at UAMS.

Pacheco was

diagnosed in 2004

with Castleman’s, a

rare and incurable

condition of the

lymph nodes.

The lab, which

is located in the

UAMS Winthrop P.

Rockefeller Cancer

Institute, was named

in honor of Pacheco.

It is run by Frits van

Rhee, M.D., Ph.D.,

one of the country’s

leading experts in

Castleman’s disease.

✈


Frequent Flier

profile

the wALK from Greg Pacheco’s front door to his car is not a long one. But in 2003, the 30-year-old could barely muster enough energy to take those few steps. Today, the California native is walking, driving and traveling halfway across the country thanks to a new therapy offered at UAMS. What started out as chest pains and progressed to severe fatigue and night sweats,among other symptoms, practically incapacitated Pacheco for about 18 months. “It was quite an ordeal,” said Pacheco, who saw 13 different doctors in his quest for answers. Finally, in 2004, Pacheco was diagnosed with an extremely rare condition of the lymph nodes known as Castleman’s disease. Only about 200 new cases of Castleman’s are diagnosed each year in the United States. “After my diagnosis, my wife, Charlyn, and I started doing research and quickly realized there was very little information available. We felt like we were in this alone,” he said. After about four months, Pacheco located a treatment program in California and was preparing to start it when he heard about the work of UAMS’ Frits van Rhee, M.D., Ph.D. As director of clinical research for the UAMS Myeloma Institute for Research and Therapy,

GREG PAChECo REGUlARly TRAvElS FRoM CAlIFoRnIA To ARkAnSAS FoR TREATMEnT oF An ExTREMEly RARE DISEASE. hE SAyS IT’S WEll WoRTh ThE TRIP.

van Rhee is internationally recognized as a Castleman’s expert and has developed one of the country’s top referral centers. “Our research includes examining the genetic differences that predispose a person to Castleman’s and whether those differences, if they exist, affect how the person responds to treatment,” van Rhee said. As a patient at UAMS, Pacheco travels from his Paso Robles, Calif., home to Little Rock about once a month to receive intravenous antibody treatment supervised by van Rhee. Pacheco has maintained this rigorous travel schedule for more than four years. His first two years of treatment required travel to Little Rock every two weeks. The drug he receives, which is in the clinical trial stage, is called MRA and is designed to block the interaction between the immune protein known as Interleukin 6 (IL-6) and its receptor. Castleman’s patients overproduce IL-6, which causes the debilitating symptoms. If left unchecked, Castleman’s can progress to non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma or other malignancies. The therapy, Pacheco said, has given him back his life. “I still have Castleman’s disease, but it’s under control and I feel great. I can’t ask for any more than that,” he said.

By SUSAn vAn DUSEn

Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute seek 5


Though they’re known as “Double Trouble,” the volunteer duo of Eileen Fulper (left) and Empie Byrne are more like the Cancer Institute’s own little Red Riding hoods, bringing goodies and smiles for patients and visitors each Thursday morning.

Here Comes Double TroublePAIR oF FUn-lovInG CAnCER InSTITUTE volUnTEERS TAG TEAM To BRInG SMIlES AnD GooDIES To PATIEnTS AnD GUESTS. By nATE hInkEl


thUrsDAy MorninGs on the first, sixth and seventh floors of the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute are nothing but trouble. And that’s a good thing. “People see Empie and Eileen coming into the room and they say, ‘Oh, no, here comes ‘Double Trouble,’” said Janie Lowe, director of volunteer services. “But it’s far from being a serious nickname. They’re just always together here and are so well-liked and appreciated that everyone likes to have a little fun with them.” Empie Byrne, 77, and Eileen Fulper, 82, make up the joke-telling, treat-baking volunteer duo affectionately referred to among Cancer Institute patients and employees as “Double Trouble.” They can be found most Thursdays volunteering their time and wit from 9 a.m. until noon, or until “they get so tired of us they kick us out,” Byrne said. “We really try to have a lot of fun and keep a light, positive attitude around the people who are here for treatment and their families,” Byrne said. “We’re always amazed by the friendliness and good attitudes of everyone we meet.”

Meet and Greet The duo has strong ties to UAMS. Byrne spent nearly the last decade before retiring at

age 69 working in several different areas on campus, most notably with the Grants Accounting department. Fulper, a former dairy farmer who raised six children in Booneville, Miss., moved to Little Rock in 1994 to be with her oldest, Laura Hutchins, M.D., a professor and director of the Division of Hematology/Oncology in the UAMS College of Medicine. After seeing the pair in action, effortlessly engaging patients’ minds with lighthearted conversation and their bellies with cheese and crackers or homemade goodies, the chemistry between them suggests they’ve been lifelong friends. But that’s not the case. “We met about seven years ago through a knitting class we were both taking and have been close ever since,” Fulper said. “I guess when we’re around each other the fun is just kind of contagious.” The knitting class was offered through the Little Rock nonprofit LifeQuest of Arkansas, and friends at the organization have taken to calling the duo the “Knit Wits.” After becoming fast friends at the class, Fulper kept asking Byrne about coming with her to UAMS to volunteer until

she finally took her up on the offer. “And the rest, as they say, is history,” Byrne said.

Patient Popularity Over the years the pair has formed quite a relationship with several patients while delivering blankets, talking and keeping the coffee fresh. Fulper said one patient from Texas brings her home-canned blackberries. Another “gabby soul” wanted a homemade pie, so she baked him a blueberry pie. And there was a patient from Pine Bluff who battled cancer for nearly three years who prompted her to bring his favorite Jolly Ranchers hard candy with her on Thursdays. “The people we see are remarkable, and despite what they might be going through they never complain,” Fulper said. “Some are terribly sick, yet they are a joy to be around.” Byrne has similar stories with her interactions with guests, but said it’s sometimes tough to run into people from church and other old acquaintances who are now experiencing cancer. The tables have turned since “Double Trouble’s” debut nearly seven years ago. The once dependable driver Fulper, who used to be chief carpooler, has stopped driving and now depends on Byrne as her “chauffeur.” And even though Fulper is sometimes slowed by her diabetes, the pair is on campus most Thursdays spreading its joy. You’ll know it when you hear someone say, “Look out, ’cause here comes Double Trouble.”


G.o.o.d F.o.R.t.U.n.e

The Winthrop P. Rockefeller

Cancer Institute is filled

with employees who consider

it a privilege to provide hope to

those who need it most,

whether through

research, patient care

or just offering a smile.

hERE ARE A FEW oF ThEIR SToRIES »

FoR CAnCER InSTITUTE STAFF

MEMBERS, ThE WoRk ThEy Do IS noT

jUST A joB. IT’S ThEIR GooD FoRTUnE.


the tropicAL wArM cLiMAte and

beautiful sandy beaches of Sri Lanka are a far cry

from the landlocked unpredictable weather in

Arkansas.

But opportunity in the Natural State knocked

and Priyangi Malaviarachchi answered. A desire

to pursue a computer science career after high

school brought her from the Sri Lankan capital

of Colombo to study in Arkansas’ capital at the

University of Arkansas at Little Rock.

Malaviarachchi’s aunt and uncle moved to

Little Rock from London in the 1990s so her aunt

could pursue a nursing career at Arkansas Children’s

Hospital. So following

high school, she moved

in with her Arkansan

relatives and began

college.

“The funny

thing is that I

came here to study

computer science, but after taking one biology

class, I realized that’s what I wanted to do,”

Malaviarachchi said.

The 29-year-old found her niche and has

been at UAMS since 2005, now working as a

leukemia research technologist. And though she

misses her mother, brother and sister back on

her native tropical island and visits at least once

annually, she’s found a home at UAMS.

“I feel at home at UAMS and am proud to be

working with people who are making a difference

in people’s lives,” she said. — Nate Hinkel

Priyangi MalaviarachchiResearch Technologist II

The 29-year-old found her niche and has been at UAMS since 2005, now working as a leukemia research technologist.

10 seek


soMe peopLe wonDer about their purpose

in life. Carl Rice isn’t one of those people.

Born in 1959 at University Hospital (now the

UAMS hospital), Rice’s career has brought him right

back where he started. “I knew I wanted to work at

UAMS,” he said. “It has the same mission that God

gave me, to help and serve people.”

Since 2007, Rice has spent his days in the same

spot, greeting patients as they arrive at the Cancer

Institute. In the rain, he’s there. In the snow, ice and

heat, he’s there. And as anyone who passes through

those doors will attest, he is

never without a smile.

“I’m the first person the

patients see, and I want to

uplift them. I want them to

know that there is more to life

than what they’re going through right now,” he said.

One of seven children, Rice credits his mother for

teaching him to respect and honor all people, regardless

of their circumstance. It’s a quality that helps him

approach each day with enthusiasm and hopefulness.

“I’m excited when I get here every morning. There is

hope in this place. The caring is genuine, and you can

feel it.” — Susan Van Dusen

Carl RiceGreeter

“I’m the first person the patients see, and I want to uplift them.”



the GrieF resULtinG FroM the

DeAth of a family member can be manifested

into a powerful motivating factor.

That’s certainly the case for Avis Simms,

24, who has seen firsthand a fair share of the

destruction cancer can create for a family. Her

aunt passed away seven years ago from pancreatic

cancer, just as Simms was finishing high school

and narrowing her course of study options.

“Her death was definitely a motivating factor

in wanting to pursue a career researching cancer

and treatment,” said Simms, a native of Gulfport,

Miss. “It’s always a constant reminder of the

important work that’s left to be done.”

And as if her aunt’s death wasn’t enough,

Simms’ grandmother died

in 2005 from leukemia,

serving as yet another sign

she chose the right career

path. After graduating

from Tougaloo College,

Simms came to UAMS and is now a graduate

student and Ph.D. candidate, working under

Thomas Kelley, Ph.D., researching breast cancer

metastasis angiogenesis.

“My aunt and grandmother are heroes to

me and I am reminded of them in my everyday

work,” Simms said. “Eventually I hope to be a part

of identifying better treatments for patients.”

— Nate Hinkel

avis simmsGraduate Student, Ph.D. Candidate

“It’s always a constant reminder of the important work that’s left to be done.”



Tim Chambers, Ph.d.Professor and Vice Chairman of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology

A trip “Across the ponD” from the

United Kingdom and a flirtation with private

industry out East were just two stops along the

way that led to the discovery of a well-kept secret.

“We stumbled upon a hidden gem in

Little Rock,” said Tim Chambers, Ph.D., whose

UAMS lab focuses on the basic aspects of cancer

chemotherapy, especially the mechanisms that link

drug-induced damage to destruction or protective

cellular responses.

“A very scenic and

recreational atmosphere

combined with the

wonderful things going on

at UAMS made it an easy

choice to settle down

here and raise a family.”

Following his doctoral training in

Portsmouth, UK, Chambers made his way to

America for postdoctoral training in biochemistry/

pharmacology at the University of Colorado

Health Sciences Center. He then dabbled in

private industry working in a research lab for a

pharmaceutical company.

“That wasn’t for me,” he said.

After a stint as a research assistant professor

at Emory University in the early 1990s, he found

what he was looking for.

“There’s always something wonderful right

around the corner here in Arkansas and at

UAMS,” said Chambers, who is celebrating his

15th year at the university. “We love it here.”

— Nate Hinkel

“There’s always something wonderful right around the corner here in Arkansas and at UAMS.”

seek 13


lUnG CAnCER SPECIAlISTS ARRIvE lung cancer specialists ThADDEUS BARTTER, M.D., and MATThEW A. STElIGA, M.D., have joined the UAMS staff. Bartter has been named professor and director of Interventional Pulmonology in the Pulmonary and Critical Care Division of the UAMS College of Medicine. he previously held a position at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of new jersey. Steliga is an assistant professor in the UAMS Department of Surgery’s Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery. he was previously at the University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center in houston.

october brings

several opportunities

to support the

Cancer Institute.

RoCk STAR loUnGE – oct. 1 at the home of Edward o. and Angela Moody in little RockThis first-ever event will feature a Rolling Stones tribute band, a Rock Band game competition, festive food and specialty cocktails. For info: (501) 526-2277

QvC Presents FFAny Shoes on Sale – oct. 13A portion of the proceeds from the sale of more than 100,000 pairs of shoes will benefit the Cancer Institute’s breast cancer program. For info: www.ffany.org

TIny hAnDS MonSTER BASh – oct. 23 at Annunciation Greek orthodox ChurchThis family-friendly costume party benefits the UAMS Family home, an affordable housing option for long-term patients and their loved ones. For info: (501) 765-0717

PARTnERS CARD WEEk – oct. 30-nov. 8Purchase a $50 card and receive a 20 percent discount at almost 200 central and northwest Arkansas shops. Proceeds benefit the Cancer Institute Auxiliary. For info: (501) 686-8286


The new medical extended-stay campsites are celebrated with a ribbon

cutting by (second from left) Peter Emanuel, M.D.; Richard Pierson;

lt. Gen. Robert l. van Antwerp; patients; and guests.

vladimir Zharov is using a $1.5 million grant to move his laser-triggered nanoparticles research into clinical trials that could revolutionize cancer detection and treatment.

hoPE FoR EARlIER DIAGnoSES

After almost a year in the making, the dream of opening10 long-term patient campsites was realized at a May ceremony. An agreement between UAMS and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers was announced july 29, 2008, to establish the Maumelle Park campsites for patients undergoing extended medical treatment. Interest in the campsites is high, and they are expected to maintain an ongoing waiting list. According to the Corps, more than 81 campers in Maumelle Park during the previous year sought long-term stays related to medical care. however, federal regulations limited the time that individuals can stay at the Corps-operated park, often requiring them to move before their treatment was complete. UAMS provided $90,000 for the partnership led by UAMS’ Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute, Myeloma Institute for Research and Therapy and Medical Center. The Corps obtained seed money for construction management, septic needs, and daily utilities and maintenance.

hoME AWAy FRoM hoME

A first-of-its-kind clinical trial exploring a way to diagnose cancer in its earliest stages is being conducted at the Cancer Institute. The five-year national Cancer Institute grant of about $1.5 million was awarded to vlADIMIR ZhARov, Ph.D., professor and director of the Phillips Classic laser and nanomedicine laboratories at UAMS. The clinical trial builds on a technique known as in vivo photoacoustic flow cytometry, previously developed by Zharov and colleague Ekaterina Galanzha. The technique allows researchers to identify and count a wide range of cell types, including those related to cancer, infection, cardiovascular disease and the body’s immune system. With this grant they will focus on detecting so-called circulating tumor cells that might predict if the tumor will spread from the original site to neighboring blood vessels and occur as tumors in other parts of the body.

16 seek Looking Beyond Cancer’s Limits16 seek Looking Beyond Cancer’s Limits

lIFT ThE CURTAIn on A WEll-DESIGnED

SCIEnTIFIC STUDy AnD yoU’ll

FInD ThE hAnDIWoRk oF

A BIoSTATISTICIAn.

By DAvID RoBInSon


how MAny biostAtisticiAns does it take to change a light bulb? Answer: 1.69 OK, not too funny, but the point is biostatisticians work in a world with more mathematical nuance than the average person. They help scientists reach valid conclusions, and whenever there’s a scientific breakthrough, there’s more than likely a biostatistician whose mathematical design enabled the project to withstand scrutiny. In 2003, UAMS, recognizing the expanding role of biostatistics on campus, established the Department of Biostatistics and named Paula Roberson, Ph.D., chairwoman. Roberson has been recognized nationally for her work and serves on a National Institutes of Health (NIH) cancer review panel.

Prepared for Growth Last year Roberson’s

faculty and research staff collaborated with 219 UAMS

investigators and on 58 published manuscripts

and book chapters. That compares

to the

and who specializes in the development of clinical trials. “It was a real plus for me that Dr. Emanuel was here, and the new Cancer Institute is very appealing.”

Dynamic Career In most cases, Lee works closely with UAMS’ cancer researchers in designing their studies. But as important as the biostatistician’s role may be, they aren’t usually the stars of the project. “If you choose to be a biostatistician, that’s just the reality,” Lee said, but quickly noted that new statistical methods developed by biostatisticians are often published in elite medical journals. Both Lee and Roberson said that people are often surprised to learn there’s so much active research in their field. “The statistical methods are not all set in stone,” Roberson said. “There’s not a bible of statistical methods that gives you the answer to every situation.” Roberson said it is that challenge, plus the diversity of research at UAMS that keeps her fascinated. “I get to stay on the cutting edge of research in a variety of fields,” she said. “I’m constantly learning.”

previous year’s 205 investigators and 47 publications. Research at UAMS is expected to grow even more in the coming years with the 2010 completion of the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute expansion. Peter Emanuel, M.D., director of the Cancer Institute, envisions UAMS as a major cancer research presence in the region. Fulfilling that vision will mean further expanding the Cancer Institute’s research programs in the manner of its highly successfully Myeloma Institute for Research and Therapy, which has an international reputation as a premier research institute.

hiring the Best In addition to the bricks and mortar of the new Cancer Institute, Emanuel last year put into place a cornerstone for the research that will be done there; he recruited Jeannette Lee, Ph.D., professor and biostatistician. Lee, like Roberson, is nationally recognized for her work, serving on several NIH and National Cancer Institute review and advisory committees. She and Emanuel were colleagues at the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine before joining UAMS. “There are a lot of opportunities here at UAMS,”

said Lee, who received her doctorate from the Johns

Hopkins School of Public Health Jeannette Lee also is director

of the statistical center for the national cancer institute-funded AiDs-Associated Malignancies clinical trials consortium.


Place, Time

right

WIlSon’S UAMS ARRIvAl

CoInCIDED WITh ThE

EARly DAyS oF ThE

CAnCER InSTITUTE.By jon PARhAM

right

UAMS Chancellor I. Dodd Wilson will retire this fall after nine years at the post.


Wilson said an early memory of his at UAMS was attending fundraisers across the state supporting the Cancer Institute and in honor of the young daughter of then-Arkansas Razorbacks basketball coach Nolan Richardson, Yvonne, who would succumb to leukemia as a teen. “It really impressed me how people from all over Arkansas would come together … who rose to the occasion to support a good cause,” Wilson said. Westbrook credited Wilson’s work as chancellor to secure funding for the latest Cancer Institute expansion. “He worked with supporters. He worked with the bankers on the bond details. He helped garner legislative support for creating the state matching fund for the expansion. “Dr. Wilson went to the Legislature and said the Cancer Institute was critical to the UAMS campus and to the state and was doing things of national importance. This expansion would not have been possible without his creative thinking.” Added Hutchins: “He has seen the Cancer Institute grow from the beginning and has done everything he could to help it grow.” Barlogie called Wilson a strong advocate for cancer programs at UAMS. “I am grateful for his unwavering support of the Cancer Institute as well as the 2001 establishment of the Myeloma Institute for Research and Therapy and its continued development,” said Barlogie, who noted that Wilson never took personal credit for these advances. Wilson credits Barlogie with an uncommon drive to cure multiple myeloma, a goal that has come within reach. Wilson believes the future of the Cancer Institute is bright. “The thing that’s exciting is that the expansion gives us the opportunity to continue to grow — attracting more clinicians and researchers who will care for more patients and find new cancer treatments,” he said.

to sAy UAMs chAnceLLor i. DoDD wiLson, M.D., arrived at the ground floor of the Cancer Institute’s development is not a stretch. When he came to Arkansas in 1986 to become dean of the UAMS College of Medicine, fundraising was under way to build the first four floors of a facility to house the Arkansas Cancer Research Center, the precursor to the Cancer Institute. Wilson, who will retire this year as chancellor, saw that first building open in 1989. As Wilson marked a decade as dean in 1996, a seven-floor expansion was opening on the Cancer Institute’s Walker Tower. In his seventh

year as chancellor in 2007, Wilson presided over groundbreaking for the 12-floor expansion now under construction. “I take the most joy from seeing

success. And to me it’s the people who had the vision and who worked tirelessly to get it started,” Wilson said. “The facility offered the Cancer Institute the opportunity to grow, but you have to have the people — the clinicians, the researchers and caregivers — to make it work.” He cited the late Chancellor Harry Ward, M.D., who supported early plans by surgeons Kent Westbrook, M.D., and James Suen, M.D., for a cancer center at UAMS. He also pointed to medical oncologist Laura Hutchins, M.D., who helped create early cancer programs at the Institute and internationally known multiple myeloma expert Bart Barlogie, M.D., Ph.D., who succeeded Westbrook and preceded Suen as director of the Cancer Institute. “Dr. Wilson has always been very enthusiastic about what we were doing,” Westbrook said. Westbrook described Wilson’s leadership as College of Medicine dean and later as chancellor as “quiet and steady” with a thirst to know all of the details of any project.

“This expansion would not have been possible without his creative thinking.”

CAnCER InSTITUTE DoCToR TEAChES,

TREATS AnD TESTS.By lIZ CAlDWEll


GrowinG Up in syriA, Issam Makhoul, M.D., knew he wanted to be

a physician. He had a strong passion for physics and biology, and he knew that being a doctor would bring

greater opportunities in life. But he never expected he would become a cancer specialist who today supervises medical students, fellows and residents in hematology/oncology, chemotherapy and pharmacology at the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute. As a young physician in Syria and then in Paris, where he and

his wife, Hanan, also a doctor, moved to practice, he focused

on endocrinology. He practiced there 13 years, the last six

working in intensive care, which he found extremely

demanding physically and emotionally. His interest began to turn toward oncology. Cancer treatment options had been limited when he first became a physician. But research was changing all that. The couple moved to Danville, Penn.,

where they both trained in internal medicine at

Geisinger Medical Center, which

eventually merged with Penn State. He obtained a fellowship at Hershey, Penn., driving 160 miles

round trip each day from his home in

Danville.

In the United States on a training visa, he wanted a working visa, then a green card, that would allow him to remain. That opportunity came at UAMS. He and his family, which by then included three sons, moved to Little Rock in 2002. At the Cancer Institute, Makhoul does clinical research in breast and gastrointestinal cancer and sees patients. He recently took over leadership of the Hematology/Oncology Fellowship program from Laura Hutchins, M.D., where he supervises 12 fellows and mentors two medical students, as well as works with resident physicians. “It’s very interesting to be able to see these young souls grow in front of your eyes and learn to think for themselves.” All his roles are interrelated, he said. Observations made in clinic he then takes to basic scientists to test his theories. “Everybody brings their perspective to build something none of us can build separately,” he said, adding that he has a deep desire to bring new ideas to the table that will help his patients. His love of patient care is particularly important in the Division of Hematology/Oncology, which carries a high patient load. “I enjoy interaction with patients. Cancer is serious, but we have room to laugh, talk and joke. We don’t want to be terrorized by death and disease — we laugh in its face and have room for joy.” While Arkansas was a big change from Paris, it was not unlike rural Pennsylvania. Makhoul likes how the city of Little Rock is intermingled with woodlands. He designed and built his house, and does all his own gardening. “I don’t let anybody touch my yard,” he said. His oldest son, 26, is doing postdoctoral work in biophysics at Harvard University. His other boys, 14 and 11, are musically talented, playing the guitar, piano and saxophone. His wife continues to practice pulmonology and intensive care medicine. Speaking of both Arkansas and his work at UAMS, Makhoul said, “I fell in love with the place. I feel like it’s home.”

Issam Makhoul, M.D., with hematology/oncology fellows Brooke Brander, a doctor of osteopathic medicine, and Mark kyei, M.D.

seek 21

A look AT ThE CAnCER InSTITUTE

ExPAnSIon FRoM A-Z.


By jon PARhAM


Bookout translational research center. This fourth floor facility dedicated to the memory of longtime state legislator Jerry Bookout will promote the translation of scientific advances into new medical treatments.

clean rooms. The fifth floor pharmacy will have clean rooms where medication can be prepared in a sterile environment.

DumBwaiter. Another name used for the small elevators that will ferry medications between the pharmacy and clinical floors. The existing facility does not have this convenience.


(Above) An aerial shot of UAMS shows the Cancer Institute expansion in the center of campus, and a closer view

(right) shows how the expansion connects to

the Walker Tower building.


care capswho: Mary Philips, founder of Care Caps; Robin Dean, coordinator of the Cancer Institute’s Auxiliary Cancer Support Center; and volunteers

what: The Care Caps program, based out of Heber Springs, uses volunteers to make caps for women and children who have lost their hair due to cancer treatment.

when: The fourth Monday of every month

where: UAMS Family Home

why: The first 50 caps made each month are distributed free of charge to patients at the Cancer Institute’s Patient Support Center, the Myeloma Institute for Research and Therapy, the UAMS Family Home and the UAMS hospital. Extra caps are sent to other locations across the country serving cancer patients.

linda Simpson jamie Foster

(l-R) Robin Dean, lynda Allen, Esther Crawford, Pam Christian and jean hill

Glenda McClain Sadie lamaire, judy Mobarak and Sally Tanner


envoyscare capsspotlight

who: Envoys president Hatim Smouni and members

what: Envoys is a newly organized group of community leaders engaged in supporting the Cancer Institute by promoting its physicians, scientists, programs and vision.

when: June 1, 2009

where: UAMS Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute

why: Envoys held their first meeting to elect officers and discuss plans for promoting the Cancer Institute in central Arkansas and beyond.

New officers include Hatim Smouni, president; Page Atkins, president-elect; Chance Tharp, treasurer; Tiffany Robinson, secretary; Win Rockefeller Jr., secretary-elect; Ross Cranford, marketing chairman.

For information about Envoys, call Cory Leigh Taylor at (501) 296-1504, Ext. 1686.

Members of the Envoys

Hatim Smouni (left);Beth Roberts (bottom left);and Jennifer Ronnel (bottom right)

WINTHROP P. ROCKEFELLER CANCER INSTITUTE

NONPROFITORGANIZATION

U.S. POSTAGE

pAiDLITTLE ROCK, ARPERMIT NO. 1973

4301 W. Markham St., #623Little Rock, AR 72205

Symptoms of the disease include extreme fatigue, night sweats, fever, anemia,

weight loss and loss of appetite.

Only about 200 new cases of Castleman’s disease are diagnosed each year in the

United States.

Castleman’s disease is extremely rare and results from non-cancerous tumors of

the lymph nodes.

Castleman’s disease may occur in a single lymph node or be spread throughout the body.

When Castleman’s disease is caused by just one diseased lymph node, it can be treated

by surgically removing the lymph node. surgery is not an option when multiple

lymph nodes are involved, and treatment generally focuses on relieving the symptoms.

health notes: castleman’s Disease

Seek | Summer 2009

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Transcript of Seek | Summer 2009