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Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute

Chadley Uekman

UAMS to Host Cancer Survivorship Workshop April 16

LITTLE ROCK – A workshop at the UAMS Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute will focus on the needs and concerns of cancer patients, survivors and caregivers.

I Am a Survivor: Cancer Survivorship Workshop is set for 8 a.m. – noon April 16 on the 10th floor of the UAMS Cancer Institute. Registration begins at 8 a.m., and sessions begin at 8:30 a.m.

Interactive sessions will be led by a UAMS physician, physical therapist, social workers and cancer survivors. Topics include:

  • Female Sexual Health
  • Depression and Anxiety
  • Physical Activity and Rehab
  • You are the Teacher: Question and Answer Session

Pre-registration is requested by April 14 at (501) 603-1612 or wilsonavisf@uams.edu.

Free parking is available in Parking Deck 3 at the corner of Cedar Street and Capitol Avenue. Snacks will be provided.

Rasco Symposium Offers Insight in GI Cancer Treatment

March 21, 2016 | Health care professionals gathered at UAMS on March 11 for the opportunity to learn the latest research and treatment innovations in colorectal cancer and gastrointestinal (GI) malignancies.

Offered by the UAMS Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute, the 19th Annual Charles William Rasco, III Symposium on Colorectal Cancer and GI Malignancies brought together physicians, nurses, pharmacists, scientists and other health care professionals. Participants had the opportunity to visit booths representing a number of programs and services related to research and treatment of gastrointestinal cancers.

The symposium honors the memory of Charles William Rasco III, who lost his battle with the disease in 1994.

“One of UAMS’ primary missions is education. Events such as the Rasco Symposium are the perfect opportunity to keep up to date on the latest advances in treating colorectal cancer and other gastrointestinal conditions,” said symposium course director A. Mazin Safar, M.D.

Presenters included health care professionals from several UAMS College of Medicine departments and divisions:

  • Rajesh Banderudrappagari, M.D., second-year fellow in the Division of Hematology/Oncology, on “Liver-Directed Therapy for Hepatoma – The CAVHS Experience”

Also presenting were Lowell Anthony, M.D., professor of medicine and chief of the Division of Medical Oncology at University of Kentucky Health Care, on “Carcinoid Tumors” and Daniel K. Brown, M.D., staff gastroenterologist at CHI St. Vincent Multi-Specialty Clinic, on “Interventional Gastroenterology in GI Malignancies.”

Ten-year-old Donates Birthday Money to Cancer Institute

March 17, 2016 | Ten years ago, Lennon Tusieseina had just entered the world. Meanwhile, a team of doctors at UAMS was saving his grandfather’s life. Earlier this year, they saved his uncle, too. Lennon wanted to give something back.

Toting a jar one-third his size stuffed with dollar bills, 10-year-old Lennon recently took his birthday money to the UAMS Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute.  He had asked his friends to give money to donate instead of gifts.

It just seemed like the right thing to do. “I wanted to be a part of helping people,” he said. “I wanted to see my uncle standing up again.”

His uncle, Samuel “Tommy” Braswell, is still recovering at home. But the day was definitely a family affair, with grandparents John and Rebecca Foster, parents Linsay and Siona Tusieseina, and brothers Foster, 11, and Ryder, 7, all present and accounted for.

Peter Emanuel, M.D., and Mauricio Moreno, M.D., were there to welcome them. While the adults exchanged hugs and pleasantries, the three brothers amused themselves with a game of hide-and-seek around the Cancer Institute’s main lobby.

Moreno, a head and neck surgeon in the UAMS Department of Otolaryngology, had performed a 10-hour surgery on Braswell just two months earlier. He remembers the family and their dedication well, and was impressed by Lennon’s generosity.

“I was asking how this started, and basically it was his own initiative,” he said. “It’s pretty humbling to some degree to see a 10-year-old come up with that. Very impressive.”

Braswell was diagnosed with oral cavity cancer late last year.

“It all happened really quick,” said Linsay Tusieseina. “His throat was hurting for about a month, and then he went to the doctor. They found it pretty early.”

Because the cancer was close to his jawbone, it needed to be removed, along with a few of his teeth.  His jawbone was replaced with a titanium rod. A piece of an artery, veins and tissue from Braswell’s forearm were used to cover the area where the cancer was removed.

“And he got stitches,” said Lennon, who was sporting three small stitches of his own near his left eye. A pick-up basketball game had ended when he collided with a chain-link fence.

Now recovering at home, Braswell is cancer-free. “All the scans are clear and good,” said Tusieseina. “We were very thankful that Dr. Moreno was able to get it all so that no chemo or radiation was necessary.”

Lennon’s grandfather, John Foster, was diagnosed in 2006 with tongue cancer. His wife, Rebecca Foster, is a nurse at UAMS and was working in the Cancer Institute at the time.

“I was shaving and felt a little lump, but I didn’t really think anything about it,” he said. “It never went away, so I asked my wife about it. She said I needed to go to the doctor.”

He had a biopsy right after Labor Day weekend and was treated with radiation and chemo. Brendan C. Stack Jr., M.D., Anne Marie Maddox, M.D. and José A. Peñagarícano, M.D., were his doctors. Foster has been in remission now for 10 years.

“I had total confidence in my doctors,” he said. “I never really worried. There’s no way to really thank people for saving your life.”

But Lennon still wanted to say thank-you. His jar full of dollar bills, $399 in total, will go directly to the Cancer Institute to help patients like his grandfather and uncle.

“I have 10 more dollars left to bring,” he said. “I left it at home.”

Internationally Known Physician-scientist to Chair Radiation Oncology at UAMS

LITTLE ROCK — Fen Xia, M.D., Ph.D., M.S., an internationally recognized radiation oncologist and physician-scientist, is joining the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) as chair of the Department of Radiation Oncology in the College of Medicine.

Xia, who will join the faculty on July 1, 2016, currently serves as a tenured professor and director of translational research in radiation oncology at the Ohio State University College of Medicine. She specializes clinically in radiation treatment of central nervous system benign and malignant tumors. Her research focus is in DNA damage response and repair and the impact of these processes on genomic stability, aging, carcinogenesis, tumor response and normal tissue injury in cancer treatment.

“Dr. Xia will be a tremendous asset to our educational, research and clinical enterprises,” said Pope L. Moseley, M.D., UAMS Executive Vice Chancellor and College of Medicine Dean. “She brings considerable expertise and oncologic leadership to our team and will also be invaluable as the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute prepares to apply for designation as a National Cancer Institute-designated center.”

Xia received her medical degree at Suzhou Medical College in Suzhou, China, in 1983 and a Master of Science in radiation toxicology at Suzhou in 1986. She received her doctorate in cancer biology in 1996 at Harvard University, where she also completed postdoctoral training. Xia completed her radiation oncology residency at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, becoming one of the few physicians in the nation to earn an R01 research grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) during residency training.

After her residency Xia served on the faculty of Vanderbilt’s departments of Radiation Oncology and Cancer Biology for five years, directing the Central Nervous System Clinic for 15 months prior to her recruitment to Ohio State in 2011. She was promoted to tenured professor at Ohio State and named director of translational research in radiation oncology in 2014.

Xia has remained continuously funded with multiple R01 grants since her residency training. She is also the principal investigator on an established investigator-initiated clinical study of cancer predictive biomarkers and novel therapeutic strategy. Xia is a charter member of an NIH/National Cancer Institute (NCI) study section and has served on many other national and international grant review sections for funding organizations.

Xia serves as editor, associate editor and editorial board member for several scientific research journals. She also serves on the American Board of Radiology/Radiation Biology and is active in the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) Science Council’s Research Evaluation Committee and ASTRO’s Research Direction Committee. Other recent national posts include the scientific program committees of the American Association for Cancer Research and the Radiation Research Society.

Xia has mentored many successful undergraduate and graduate students and postdoctoral fellows, medical students and residents, and junior faculty members.

Madonna Tribute Artist to Headline UAMS Cancer Institute’s RockStar Lounge April 21

LITTLE ROCK — “Get into the Groove” when Madonna tribute artist Chris America takes the stage April 21 at Little Rock’s hottest rock ’n roll party, RockStar Lounge.

The show starts at 7 p.m. at Club Level, 315 Main St., Little Rock. Tickets are $50 in advance and $75 at the door. Order tickets at www.therockstarlounge.com or by calling (501) 526-2277. Proceeds benefit cancer research at the UAMS Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS). Presenting sponsors are Natalie and Win Rockefeller and Little Rock Soirée.

Ticket price includes beer, wine and selections from local food trucks, and Little Rock DJ G-Force will entertain the crowd with pre- and post-show dance music. Guests are invited to participate in a Madonna-inspired costume contest.

In her 30-year career as a Madonna tribute artist, Chris America has performed at venues around the world, including the White House and Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve in Times Square. She can be seen in two documentaries: “Just About Famous,” which looks at the inner workings of the celebrity impersonator industry, and “Mad for Madonna,” a film about Madonna’s fan base.

RockStar Lounge is hosted by the Envoys, an advocacy group of the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute Foundation whose mission is to advance the outreach efforts of the Cancer Institute by promoting its physicians, scientists, programs and vision. Membership is free, and volunteering hours are flexible.

UAMS Event to Offer Free Legal Assistance For Cancer Patients April 6

LITTLE ROCK —Free legal assistance on important personal documents will be provided at a clinic April 6 to anyone in cancer treatment or who has completed treatment, based on financial need.

The estate planning clinic will be held at the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) as a free service by local attorneys. One-hour appointments are available at either 4 p.m. or 5 p.m. Lawyers will assist cancer patients and survivors in preparing wills, powers of attorney and living wills.

Advance reservations are required by contacting the UAMS Cancer Institute Social Work Department at 501-603-1612 or wilsonavisf@uams.edu. The event will take place in the Patient Support Pavilion on the first floor of the UAMS Cancer Institute. Free parking is available in parking deck 3 at the corner of Cedar Street and Capitol Avenue.

UAMS Researcher’s HPV Vaccine Holds Promise for Saving Lives, Preventing Premature Births

LITTLE ROCK — A human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, discovered by a University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) researcher and recently shown to be safe, is being made available to a larger group of Arkansas women for further testing.

In her recently completed phase I study involving 34 women, researcher Mayumi Nakagawa, M.D., Ph.D., demonstrated the drug’s safety and got a glimpse of its promise for curing HPV patients. Supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Nakagawa’s research will receive an additional $3.5 million over the next five years.

In the phase II clinical trial now underway, Nakagawa’s vaccine will be tested in 80 patients with precancerous cervical lesions. She is seeking women ages 18 – 50 whose Pap smears show high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (HSIL), or that HSIL cannot be ruled out.

Women interested in participating in learning more about the study may contact Shawna Owens, (501) 526-7657 or email owensshawnas@uams.edu.

Nakagawa’s vaccine differs from an existing HPV vaccine for women or girls who have never been exposed to HPV and don’t have the virus. Her vaccine is designed to cure HPV, cause the pre-cancerous lesions to disappear, and provide future protection against HPV.

If proven effective, the vaccine could significantly reduce the incidence of preterm births. It would do so by giving women an alternative to surgical treatment for HPV-related precancerous lesions called HSIL. Surgery increases the incidence of preterm delivery from 4.4 to 8.9 percent.

For women who still plan to have children, a therapeutic vaccine such as the one being developed by Nakagawa could become the first line of therapy when it is approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

HPV, a sexually transmitted virus, is associated primarily with cervical cancer, the fourth-most common cancer in women worldwide. Cervical cancer is almost always caused by HPV, which also causes anal, oropharyngeal, penile, vaginal and vulvar cancers. It is estimated to be responsible for 5.2 percent of cancer cases in the world.

During the phase I safety study, Nakagawa saw the vaccine’s potential effectiveness.

Patients were divided into groups that received different dosages. For those who got the lowest dose — which was determined to be the most effective — their precancerous lesions disappeared in half of the patients in three months. The vaccine also appeared to be effective against the most aggressive form of HPV, she said.

At three months, however, Nakagawa could no longer track the vaccine’s effect on the precancerous lesions because the study participants had the lesions removed in a surgical procedure. Given more time to observe the patients who received the vaccine, Nakagawa believes the number of patients in which the lesions disappeared could double as shown in similar study, essentially curing them.

“It could be nearing 100 percent regression at six months,” she said. “In phase II we’re extending the observation period to 12 months.”

If at 12 months there’s no evidence of the virus or cervical lesions, study participants will be considered cured and not have the surgical procedure. This will leave the cervix intact and lower the risk for a future preterm delivery. For women who don’t respond to the vaccine, the study will pay for them to have the surgical procedure.

Nakagawa’s HPV research is also supported by the UAMS Translational Research Institute, which has provided pilot funding and a full-range of research services, including study planning and coordination, nursing, regulatory startup and budget development.

New Tradition Bonds Friends Fighting Breast Cancer

March 8, 2016 | During one of her many trips to the UAMS Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute, Tammy Alexander spotted an old friend browsing in the gift shop.

“Stacy Sells and I were classmates at Hendrix College, but we hadn’t seen each other in quite a while,” she said. Having seen a UAMS advertisement featuring Sells, Alexander immediately knew they shared a common bond.

“I had recently been diagnosed with breast cancer, and Stacy is a survivor. We even have the same doctors,” she said.

It wasn’t long after their chance meeting that Alexander received a surprise delivery: a pair of pink boxing gloves signed by Sells and three other Hendrix graduates. Next to each name, the classmates listed their graduation year and the date they were diagnosed with breast cancer.

“The gloves are signed and passed along whenever we hear of another classmate who has been diagnosed. They symbolize our fighting spirit and the camaraderie of the Hendrix community,” Alexander said.

The tradition began when Sells received the boxing gloves from a friend after her 2010 diagnosis with inflammatory breast cancer.  After that friend was diagnosed six months later, Sells returned the gloves to her and started their journey among the Hendrix alumnae.

“I hope there’s no one for me to give them to anytime soon,” Alexander said as she completed her final round of eight chemotherapy treatments. Because the treatment was successful in shrinking her tumor to the size of a pea, she has opted to undergo a lumpectomy, rather than a mastectomy, followed by radiation therapy.

“I cannot express how pleased we are with the care we’ve received at UAMS. I start each chemo day with a little bit of dread, but when I leave I feel so blessed and filled with encouragement. Each person on the infusion clinic staff and in the Medical Oncology Clinic is a blessing in their own unique way,” Alexander said.

In conjunction with her treatment, Alexander chose to participate in a clinical trial studying the effectiveness of a vaccine to prevent breast cancer recurrence. Developed at UAMS by Thomas Kieber-Emmons, Ph.D., the vaccine — which is a first of its type tested in humans — is being used in conjunction with chemotherapy in women with early stage disease to see if it helps trigger tumor shrinkage prior to surgery. Kieber-Emmons is a professor of pathology in the UAMS College of Medicine.

“The clinical trial included six shots early in my treatment. They are now monitoring my blood work and will continue to do that for about a year. I’m thrilled to be part of something that could improve treatment for other women in the future,” she said.

The trial is being conducted with eligible patients at UAMS and Highlands Oncology Group in northwest Arkansas. Kieber-Emmons’ collaborator on the study, Laura Hutchins, M.D., is professor in the Division of Hematology/Oncology in the UAMS College of Medicine and medical director of the Cancer Service Line.

Gwendolyn Bryant-Smith, M.D., Named Director of Breast Imaging at UAMS

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Gwendolyn Bryant-Smith, M.D.

Gwendolyn Bryant-Smith, M.D., a fellowship-trained radiologist, has been named director of breast imaging at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS). She sees patients in the UAMS Breast Imaging Center on the first floor of the Outpatient Center.

Bryant-Smith has been an assistant professor in the UAMS Department of Radiology since 2006 and served as director of breast imaging in the Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System (CAVHS) Department of Radiology/Imaging and Therapeutic Service since 2008.

A graduate of the UAMS College of Medicine, Bryant-Smith completed her internship at UAMS, followed by a residency in diagnostic radiology and fellowship training in the UAMS Breast Imaging Fellowship program.

She has served as chair of the National Veterans Affairs Mammography Advisory Committee, clinical image reviewer for the Arkansas Mammography Accreditation Program, and member of the CAVHS Women Veterans Advisory Committee, among other appointments.

She is a member of the Radiological Society of North America and the Society of Breast Imaging.

Geneticist Brian Walker, Ph. D., Joins UAMS Myeloma Institute

LITTLE ROCK – Brian Walker, Ph.D., has joined the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) as a professor of medicine in the College of Medicine and director of the Myeloma Center’s basic research team.

Walker’s most recent post was as a senior research scientist with the Centre for Molecular Pathology at The Royal Marsden Hospital in London, a renowned myeloma research and treatment institution.

Walker received his doctorate in Molecular Immunology from Imperial College, University of London in 1999. In 1992, he completed a bachelor’s degree in medical microbiology from the University of Edinburgh. Walker completed a fellowship in hematology/oncology in 2008 at The Institute of Cancer Research in London.

Since 2004, his research has focused on the genetics of myeloma. His research team is involved with investigating the genetics of myeloma using cutting-edge technologies to elucidate the mechanisms of disease initiation, progression and response to treatment.

The UAMS Myeloma Center is one of the largest centers in the world for research in and treatment of patients with myeloma and related diseases. Patients come to the UAMS Myeloma Center from every state in the U.S. and more than 50 countries.