Fen Xia

Faith in Cancer Care Team Keeps New Mexico Woman at UAMS

Dec. 1, 2017 | Tina Farber arrived in Arkansas with one thing on her mind — meeting her two new grandbabies. Her son’s third child had arrived in April, and her daughter was expecting her third about one month later.

“I was planning to stay about two months,” said Farber, a native Arkansan who now lives in New Mexico. “I had a PET scan scheduled for July 7 and needed to return home in time for that.”

A stage 3 lung cancer survivor, Farber was considered to be in remission following surgery, chemotherapy and radiation in 2016. The PET scan was a routine follow-up to ensure the cancer had not returned.

Her plans were about to change, however, when she soon developed a cough, headache and fever, prompting a trip to the urgent care clinic. After returning to her daughter’s house with a diagnosis of pneumonia, Farber’s fever shot up to 102.4 degrees and the family took action.

“My daughter, Brittney, said to pack my bags. She was taking me to the hospital,” said Farber.

About a year earlier, while still undergoing chemotherapy, Farber also had made a visit to Arkansas. A bout with dehydration during her stay landed her in the UAMS Emergency Department, where she was impressed with the doctors and nurses who attended to her.

“Everything was in sync. They got me all taken care of. I told my kids that if I’m ever visiting again and need to see a doctor, don’t take me anywhere but UAMS,” she said.

After making the hour-long drive from her daughter’s home in Malvern, Farber again arrived at UAMS where she was quickly admitted and given the attention of a team of health care providers.

“Before I even got my wristband, they called me to triage and then immediately put me in a room where six people were waiting to take care of me. I was blown away,” she said.

After a series of tests, the doctor arrived with unexpected news. Lesions were found in her brain and bones that likely meant the lung cancer had spread.

“Once we found out the tumor had progressed to the brain and bones, we immediately got Mrs. Farber’s team together to carefully review her case and formulate an overall treatment plan,” said Fen Xia, M.D., Ph.D., chair of the Department of Radiation Oncology in the UAMS College of Medicine.

That team included Xia, who specializes in radiation therapy for brain cancer; medical oncologist Konstantinos Arnaoutakis, M.D., who specializes in lung cancer; and orthopedic oncologist Corey Montgomery, M.D., who specializes in bone cancer. Other specialists in neurology and neurosurgery also were consulted as the treatment plan took shape.

“Having a team of physicians who work together efficiently and in a timely manner is particularly critical in cancer patient care. At the UAMS Cancer Institute, our doctors and nurses communicate instantly and continuously to coordinate our patients’ care at every step, from diagnosis and care management planning to treatment delivery,” said Xia, who also works closely with nurse practitioner Nikki Baxter, A.P.R.N., at the UAMS Radiation Oncology Center.

Because radiation therapy requires daily treatments, Baxter is available to assist patients with symptom management and other issues that arise on a day-to-day basis.

“Communication and accessibility are the top priority with our patients. We all work together to provide the best care possible,” Baxter said.

That emphasis on communication and coordination have lightened the load for Farber and convinced her to postpone returning to New Mexico in favor of continuing treatment in her home state at the UAMS Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute.

“It’s hard to be away from my husband, but God put me here for a reason,” said Farber, who added that her family and long-time friends have offered endless support and encouragement during her extended stay in Arkansas.

“The doctors and nurses at UAMS have taken the time to get to know me. They all know my story, which is really important to me. I’m going to stay here and fight this battle because I know I’m in good hands,” Farber said.

After Brain Cancer Diagnosis, Morrilton Mom Starts 5K to Fund Research

Sept. 5 — Christmas 2013 was like no other for Julie Papini Session of Morrilton.

Having experienced symptoms including forgetfulness, nausea and severe headaches for several weeks, Session took the advice of a friend and saw her doctor Dec. 23. She received a call the following day — Christmas Eve — that “a little something” had been detected behind her right eye and that she should return for a second appointment in two days.

“My doctor was also my next door neighbor. He was trying to protect us so we could enjoy the holiday,” she said.

The “little something” turned out to be a 7.5 cm tumor. After a successful surgery on Dec. 27, it was confirmed to be glioblastoma multiforme grade 4 (GBM), an aggressive brain cancer that can quickly spread to other parts of the brain.

“It was a surreal experience. I was supposed to be enjoying Christmas with my family and suddenly I was having brain surgery,” said Session, the mother of four children ages 6 to 16.

Jump ahead to 2017, and Session is now on a mission to raise awareness and funds in the fight against brain cancer. The first-ever Go Gray in May 5K, organized entirely by Session and her family, was held May 20 in Morrilton and drew more than 200 participants. The race was presented by Going Gray for Julie, a nonprofit organization formed by the family.

On Aug. 1, a donation of $15,000 in proceeds from that event was presented to the UAMS Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute for brain cancer research.

Accepting the donation were radiation oncologists Fen Xia, M.D., Ph.D., and Jose Penagaricano, M.D., both professors in the Department of Radiation Oncology in the UAMS College of Medicine. Xia also is chair of the Department of Radiation Oncology.

“I can’t say enough about the dedication that Julie and her family have shown in rallying their community to raise funds for brain cancer research. Their spirit is sure to inspire many more people to get involved and help us improve our ability to prevent, diagnose and treat brain tumors in the future,” Xia said.

Session is thankful for the support of her community in sponsoring and participating in the first-ever Go Gray in May 5K, which is named in reference to the gray brain cancer ribbon. The second annual race is planned for May 19, 2018.

“There is no cure for GBM, but it is treatable. Until there is a cure, I will always be fighting GBM and supporting research,” Session said.

For information on the 5K, visit the Going Gray for Julie Facebook page or email gograyforjulie@gmail.com.

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.