PROTEIN TRANSDUCTION: - Moores Cancer Center

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO
PROTEIN
TRANSDUCTION:
Work by the Cancer Center’s
Steven F. Dowdy and
colleagues is generating
excitement among
scientists around the globe,
and is the foundation
of an entirely new field
of research.
…Story Page 4
SPRING 2003

UCSD Cancer Center Foundation
PRESIDENT OF THE FOUNDATION BOARD
Cinda K. Lucas *
OFFICERS
Gordon P. Boerner *
Marilynn Boesky *
Howard I. Cohen *
William T. Comer, Ph.D. *
Frank M. Goldberg *
Charles F. Gorder Sr., Esq. *
Mary Rand Taylor *
John McDonnell *
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
J. Samuel Armstrong, IV
Terry Ash
Kathryn A. Bernert, Esq.
Howard C. Birndorf
Sophie Brody
Deborah J. Case
Carol L. Chang
Jay de Groot
Charles Faith
Yehudi Gaffen
Howard Goldfeder*
Donald W.Grimm
Andre R. Horn
Ernest Huang, Ph.D.
Al Hugo-Martinez
Jacqueline Johnson, Ph.D.
Maurice C. Kaplan, Esq. *
Jerome S. Katzin, Esq. *
Jeffrey Lipinsky
George L. Liggins,
M.P.H., Ph.D.
Joany Mosher
Henry L. Nordhoff
Carrie O’Brien
Anne S. Otterson
John W. Otterson, II
Cynthia Polak
Kenneth D. Polin, Esq.
ADVISORY BOARD
John R. Bonn, Esq.
Diane Clarke
Lois J. Crandell
Audrey S. Geisel
George L. Gildred
Irwin Jacobs, Ph.D.
Richard Levi
Art Lujan
Marianne McDonald, Ph.D.
John H. Moxley III, M.D.
Peter Preuss
Clayton D. Pruett
Ruth L. Schulman
John Walton
Walter Zable
EX OFFICIO MEMBERS
Robert C. Dynes, Ph.D.
Edward W. Holmes, M.D.
Robert Horsman
Katherine Kennedy
Sam Iacobellis, Ph.D.
Esther R. Nahama
Tom Nielsen
Rebecca Newman
INTERIM DIRECTOR, MOORES
UCSD CANCER CENTER
Gordon Gill, M.D.
DEPUTY DIRECTOR,
CLINICAL OPERATIONS
David W. Easter, M.D.
DEPUTY DIRECTOR,
RESEARCH OPERATIONS
Thomas J. Kipps, M.D., Ph.D.
ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR FOR
ADMINISTRATION
Ira S. Goodman
DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT
Sarah Godfrey
ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF
DEVELOPMENT
Cheryl D. Coate
DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANTS
Christa Collins
Maryann Lapthorn
Jennifer Mann
* Officers and Members of the Executive Committee
Moores UCSD Cancer Center News is a publication of the
UCSD Cancer Center Foundation. Comments are welcome.
UCSD Cancer Center Foundation
9500 Gilman Drive MC 0658
La Jolla, CA 92093-0658
(858) 822-0022
Executive Editor: Sarah Godfrey • Editor: Nancy Stringer
Contributing Writers: Cheryl D. Coate, Sarah Godfrey, Nancy
Stringer • Cover Photo: Dave Siccardi • Design: Janice Gordon
Message
from the
Director
As many of you may know,
at the end of last year Dr. David
Tarin stepped down as director of
the Cancer Center to return full
time to his research, teaching and
clinical activities at UCSD. At that
time, I was named as the interim
director to maintain the Center’s
forward momentum, and to continue its operations in a seamless
fashion while the university conducts an international search for
Dr. Tarin’s successor.
It is an honor to serve as interim director of the Cancer
Center, an organization I’ve been a part of since its founding
in 1979.
My UCSD roots go back even further. I’ve been a member
of the UCSD faculty since 1969 when the School of Medicine
was in its infancy. In those early days, there were no buildings
on our medical school campus! We rented space at the Salk
Institute, where we conducted research and went about the
business of organizing the curriculum and planning the facilities
for a brand new school.
That was an extraordinarily exciting time and, in many ways,
is similar to the excitement and energy all of us who are involved
in cancer feel with the new Cancer Center facility coming to life.
As the building takes shape, it acts as a catalyst to focus our
efforts on major decisions that will impact the future of the
Center.
One of the most important decisions is the recruitment of a
permanent director, and there is good news on this front. UCSD
has assembled a stellar search committee that is actively interviewing
candidates, all of whom are nationally prominent figures
in the cancer field. We are pleased both with the number of candidates
who have expressed interest in coming here, and with the
quality of the candidates. As you might imagine, the recruitment
process for such an important position is lengthy, but we hope to
be able to announce a new director later this year.
In the interim, the leadership and members of the Cancer
Center are engaged in an internal evaluation process, looking
at our current strengths and identifying areas to expand and
enhance. Out of this process will emerge our strategic goals —
an important aspect of our transition to the new Cancer Center
building, scheduled to open in Fall 2004.
Another area of activity as we plan for occupancy of the new
facility is that of continuing to build and strengthen our clinical
programs and our clinical research. In line with that, in this issue
Cancer Center News
2

of the newsletter, on page 9, we
introduce three new members
of our Cancer Center family —
clinical counselor Cynthia Sava,
medical oncologist Lakshmi
Vemuri, and cancer pharmacist
Susan Wilson.
In future issues we will bring
you news of additional recruitments
of clinicians with expertise
in clinical research, particularly
of innovative therapies. We are
continuing to actively recruit to
enhance our ability to translate
new discoveries into more
effective therapies.
To better understand the
importance of clinical research
in our ongoing efforts to
improve care for patients, I hope
you will read the feature article
about cancer vaccines on page 6.
This article showcases exciting
clinical research under way now
at the Cancer Center that may
lead to improved care for lymphoma
patients.
Clinical research and, ultimately,
new standards of clinical
care are founded upon basic
science discoveries. Our cover
story focuses on an intriguing
new field of basic research called
protein transduction, which is
generating excitement among
scientists around the world and
holds tremendous promise
for a broad range of clinical
applications.
We hope you enjoy learning
about new developments at the
Cancer Center as much as we
enjoy sharing them with you.
Sincerely,
Gordon Gill, M.D.
Interim Director,
Moores UCSD Cancer Center
Introducing…Gordon Gill, M.D.
Adistinguished physicianresearcher,
Dr. Gordon Gill has
been a member of the UCSD
faculty for 34 years. During his tenure
at UCSD, he has served as chief of the
Division of Endocrinology and
Metabolism in the Department of
Medicine (1971-95) and was associate
chair for scientific affairs in the
Department of Medicine (1992-95).
Most recently he served as Dean for
Scientific Affairs for the School of
Medicine.
He received his undergraduate
and medical degrees from Vanderbilt
University. After serving a residency
and a National Institutes of Health
post-doctoral fellowship at Yale-New
Haven Hospital, he joined the UCSD
faculty during the first year it taught
medical students.
IN THIS ISSUE
4 Cover Story:
Protein Transduction
6 Cancer Vaccines
7 Know Your
Breast Cancer Risk
8 Construction Update
9 New Clinical Staff
10 Development News
12 The Last Word
Dr. Gill has served on numerous
scientific boards and the editorial
boards of many professional journals.
Since 1995 he has been an associate
editor of Cecil’s Textbook of
Medicine. He is also a fellow of the
American Academy of Arts and
Sciences, and is a recipient of
Research Career Development and
MERIT awards from the NIH.
His research has often focused
on molecular abnormalities leading
to malignant transformation, and
his clinical practice in internal
medicine and endocrinology has
included a special interest in thyroid
cancer and endocrine tumors. He
holds a research grant from the NIH
that is in its 36th year of continual
funding, a rare accomplishment
among scientists.
ON THE COVER: The two cells, shown in red, illustrate the power
of protein transduction to change the biology of human cells. In the laboratory, two types
of the same protein, known to alter membrane architecture, were delivered into the cell
membranes. In the top panel, the protein contained an inactivating mutation and the cell
surface remained smooth. In the bottom panel, using a version containing an activating
mutation, spikes appeared within 10 minutes in more than 95 percent of the cells.
3
Cancer Center News

SPECIAL DELIVERY:
Supersize Cargoes
Pack
Big
Molecular
V
Punch
irtually all drugs that carry out their healing
mission inside of cells are comprised of small
molecules. Not because small molecules
make the best drugs, but because the cell only
allows small molecules to penetrate the pores of its
protective cell membrane.
Now a team of Cancer
Center researchers led by
Steven F. Dowdy, Ph.D.,
is rewriting the laws of
pharmacology with the
development of a method
to slip large, informationrich
molecules such as
enzymes and proteins
past the cell’s membrane.
The team’s technique
for inserting molecules
hundreds of times larger
than previously thought
possible is called protein
transduction. It is the
foundation of an entirely
new field of study that
in the last four years has
exploded, with more than
1,000 laboratories around
the globe now conducting
research based upon Dowdy’s method.
He and colleagues wrote two landmark papers in
1999 proving the principle that you could ferry large
molecules through the cellular membrane and have
Steven Dowdy (center) reviews lab images with graduate students (l-r)
Eric Snyder, Courtney Havens and Bryan Meade. Above right: A mouse
model of human ovarian cancer provides a dramatic illustration of
protein transduction. Fifteen minutes after injection of a peptide
(green), most cells in the abdominal cavity, where ovarian cancer
cells have invaded, have taken up the peptide.
them intact and functioning
inside the cell. This is done
by chemically snipping out
a particular segment of a protein.
The segment, called a
protein transduction domain
(PTD), is positively charged.
The surface of the cell, any
cell, is negatively charged.
When the PTD comes in
contact with the cell membrane,
the two interact in a
powerful fashion, tethering
securely the PTD and its
large-molecule cargo.
“Then,” said Dowdy, a
43-year-old molecular oncologist,
“the magic happens —
that hulking cargo crosses the
cell membrane. We don’t yet
understand exactly how that
happens.”
But why is this generating so much excitement among
scientists Is it simply interesting molecular acrobatics
Far from it, according to Dowdy, who is also an investigator
of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s group
Cancer Center News
4

“
at UCSD. The larger molecules
contain much more information
— instructions that could be the
basis for new drugs that would be
more specific in their function,
meaning they would work at smaller
doses and have fewer side effects.
“I like to use the analogy of a
house with a mail slot,” says Dowdy.
“The small molecule is the equivalent
of a single-page letter. It can
go in easily, but contains limited
information. In contrast, with
protein transduction we can put
a computer through the same mail
slot, have it reassembled on the
other side, and get vastly more
information inside the house,
or cell, than ever before.”
Based on his work to date,
and the work now of many others,
it appears that virtually every
chemical structure can utilize this
approach — nucleic acids, proteins,
peptides, synthetic molecules,
carbohydrates and more.
“So now, in theory, scientists
could redesign the existing smallmolecule
drug libraries to these
larger size molecules and add much
more specific information,” he said.
“This could represent an entirely
new approach to treating disease;
not only cancer, but others ranging
from heart disease to headaches
and the common cold.”
Dowdy acknowledges that the
field has not yet matured enough
to know exactly how well this will
work in practice. Nevertheless, the
field is moving forward rapidly and
the preclinical work in animals
looks very promising.
His own laboratory is focusing
on using protein transduction for
cancer. He and his colleagues have
Protein transduction is like putting a
computer through a mail slot. We can
get vastly more information inside the
cell than ever before.
— Steven Dowdy, Ph.D.
”
been working to introduce tumor
suppressor proteins, such as the
p53 protein, into mice whose cells
have lost this function. They are
working with two mouse models
of cancer. One type develops
peritoneal malignancies, such as
ovarian or pancreatic cancer, and
the other develops lymphoma.
“About 50 percent of the mice
we’ve treated, all with aggressive
and terminal disease, have
achieved long-term survival,”
Dowdy said of the work that has
not yet been published. “However,
doing this in a mouse is a long
way from doing it in a human.
Still, we’ve shown that we can
reconstitute tumor suppressor
function and stop the cancerous
process in models that closely
mimic human disease.”
If his results continue to hold
up over time, the next step would
be to move this work into clinical
trials, which Dowdy says is still
several years away.
Dowdy’s laboratory is also
looking to develop new molecules
that could be tailored to the job at
hand. By attaching multiple cargo
domains to the PTD, like cars to
a train, he hopes to build highly
selective, composite molecules.
An example of the potential
utility of this approach is found
in doxyrubicin, a widely used anticancer
drug.
“Doxyrubicin is a great drug, but
it is susceptible to a protein called
p-glycoprotein, which acts like a
pump in the cancer cell to push the
drug out. This problem is often
worse in late-stage and recurrent
disease,” said Dowdy. “With our
transducible approach, we could,
theoretically, add modules that
would enable us to selectively
bypass the p-glycoprotein and
deliver the drug directly to the
nucleus in tumor cells and not the
normal cells.”
Dowdy also said it would be possible
to add an imaging compound
to a drug warhead and “simultaneously
image the death of the
tumor, which would give us an idea
of how well the drug is working.”
By adding these layers of selectivity,
the theory goes, one can get
further and further discriminations
to hit the bull’s eye of the tumor
while sparing the surrounding normal
cells.
“This is the ultimate goal,” he
said. “It may be optimistic at this
point, but I believe some form of
this modular approach will be able
to move forward and will give us
the kind of selectivity and versatility
that small molecules simply are not
capable of providing.”
—Nancy Stringer, Director,
Cancer Center Communications
5
Cancer Center News

VACCINES
TAKE A SHOT
AT CANCER
ONE OF THE MAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENTS
OF THE LAST HALF-CENTURY has been
the development of vaccines to prevent such
diseases as polio, measles, diphtheria and influenza.
But now scientists at the Moores UCSD Cancer Center
and other major institutions across the nation and
around the world are working on vaccines for cancer.
Unlike their predecessors, which
prevent illness, cancer vaccines are
designed to prevent a recurrence in
those who already have the disease.
These therapeutic vaccines work by
teaching the patient’s own immune
system to recognize and eradicate
cancer cells.
Researchers at the Cancer Center
are conducting two clinical trials now
to test the effectiveness of a patientspecific,
or customized, vaccine
against non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma
(NHL).
The vaccine is made from a protein
found on the surface of lymphoma
cells taken from the patient’s lymph
nodes. This protein, called an idiotype
(Id), is unique to the lymphoma cells
of a particular patient. The Id is then
mixed in the laboratory with a substance
called keyhole limpet hemocyanin
(KLH), which is derived from
sea snails. The body recognizes KLH
as an invader and launches an
immune response.
“When the Id-KLH cocktail is
injected, the immune system not only
attacks the KLH but also recognizes
its own cancerous cells and destroys
them as well,” said the Cancer Center’s
Peter Holman, M.D., assistant professor
of medicine and principal investigator
of the two clinical trials.
In one study, the vaccine is injected
following an autologous stem cell
transplant. In this type of transplant,
the patient’s stem cells are removed
before high-dose chemotherapy is
administered, and then given back
afterward to replenish the body’s
supply of blood cells.
So far four participants have
completed this protocol at UCSD
and three have mounted an immune
response. The first patient on the
study received his final vaccination
in May 2002 and remains in remission
with no further treatment (see
sidebar).
“While it is early in the process,
the strength of the immune response
results gives us hope that we may
see prolonged remissions,” said
Dr. Holman.
To be eligible for the study, patients
Peter Holman, M.D.
must be diagnosed with
low-grade or mantle cell non-
Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL).
Also eligible are patients whose
low-grade NHL has transformed
to high-grade NHL.
This study is designed to test
whether or not post-transplant
patients would develop an
immune response to the
vaccine, and, if so, would this keep
patients in remission longer than
would be expected following a transplant
alone.
Dr. Holman is also conducting a
non-transplant clinical trial in which
patients receive the monoclonal antibody
Rituxan before receiving the
vaccine regimen.
Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma is one
of three cancers that have been
increasing in incidence over the past
20 years; the others are lung cancer
in women, and melanoma. There has
been an 81 percent increase in NHL
overall since 1973. The reasons for
this increase are not well understood,
although environmental agents have
been implicated, along with hepatitis
C and HIV. There were 54,000 new
cases of NHL in the U.S. in 2002,
representing 4 percent of all cancers.
For further information about these
and other cancer clinical trials available
at UCSD, please call the Cancer
Center’s Clinical Trials Office,
858-657-7020, or visit the Center’s
website: www.cancer.ucsd.edu.
Cancer Center News
6

Jerry Hermesch:
REGAINING
HIS FUTURE
For the last eight years, since
being diagnosed with Stage IV
non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma,
Galen “Jerry” Hermesch has been
living one day at a time. Before
enrolling in a therapeutic vaccine
study at UCSD, he had gone
through numerous treatment
approaches and had relapsed
three times.
The 56 year old from Rancho
Mirage is hoping that the third
time will prove to be the charm.
“Until now, my longest time
in remission was eight months,”
Hermesch said. “It’s been 19
months since my autologous stem
cell transplant, and almost a year
since my last vaccination and
there are no indications of any
recurrence.”
While Hermesch knows that
the vaccine is experimental and
that he may have a recurrence of
his disease, he is for the first time
in nearly a decade thinking about
the future.
“Without this treatment, I know
the disease would have been a continuing
issue until it took my life,”
he said. “While there’s no way to
say for certain that it’s the ultimate
answer, it offers the most positive
thing that I have experienced in the
last eight years. All of a sudden, it
seems, I have a future again.”
Calculating Your
BREAST CANCER RISK
A
new Web site, www.breastcancerprevention.com,
offers women a simple tool to estimate their individual
breast cancer risk and
provides information about the
STAR study, a clinical trial to
prevent the disease.
The Web site is sponsored by the
National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and
Bowel Project (NSABP), a non-profit
cancer research group
funded by the National
Cancer Institute (NCI).
Researchers from the
NCI and the NSABP have
developed a computerized
formula, known as the
Gail model, that allows
a woman to estimate her
risk of developing breast
cancer in the next five
years and in her lifetime.
The model uses factors such as age, family history of breast cancer, and
other personal factors to determine these estimates. Most importantly,
the Gail model has been scientifically analyzed and found to be reliable.
“In my practice, I find that women tend to overestimate their breast
cancer risk leading to increased anxiety about developing the disease,”
said Anne Wallace, M.D., director of the Cancer Center’s Breast Care
Unit. “Information my patients get about their individual breast cancer
risk from the Web site allows me to have a personal conversation with
them and to map a strategy for good breast care.”
A decade ago, women at increased risk for breast cancer had no option
other than vigilant screening designed to detect the disease in its earliest
stage. That no longer is the case. In 1998, research showed that tamoxifen
— a drug used for over 20 years to treat breast cancer — could prevent the
disease from occurring in almost half the women at increased risk for it.
Armed with this finding, the NSABP and the NCI began a follow-up
study, called STAR (Study of Tamoxifen and Raloxifene), to compare the
proven benefits of tamoxifen to the promising effects of raloxifene, an
osteoporosis drug that has shown potential for reducing a woman’s risk
of breast cancer. STAR participants take either tamoxifen or raloxifene
daily for five years and receive close follow-up examinations. The drugs
are provided at no cost to study participants.
Postmenopausal women at increased risk for breast cancer can call
858-657-7083 for more information about STAR.
7
Cancer Center News

Bird’s Eye View
Construction on the new Cancer Center
facility is well under way, with completion
scheduled for late 2004. This picture, taken
from atop a large construction crane and
oriented to the northwest, shows a portion
of the concrete shell of the Cancer Center’s
lower level. The crane is positioned near
what will eventually be a 5-story research
tower. The structural steel marks the northwest
side of what will be a 3-story tower to
house clinical space, the infusion center,
women’s center, pharmacy and more. To
the left of the structural steel will be the
gardens outside the infusion center and the
meadow area that will separate the Cancer
Center from Thornton Hospital and the
Perlman Ambulatory Care Center. Their
parking lots are visible in the picture’s
top-left corner. The building in the top-right
corner is an addition under construction at
UCSD’s Shiley Eye Center that will house
its new glaucoma and retina centers.
New Director
of Development
Meet Sarah Godfrey, the new
Director of Development for
the UCSD Cancer Center
Foundation.
Sarah brings many years of
fundraising and administrative
experience to this position. She
has spent the major and most
recent part of her career at UCLA,
serving first as a major gifts
officer for the School of Medicine
Sarah Godfrey
and subsequently as the founding
Administrative Director of the Rhonda Fleming
Mann Resource Center for Women with Cancer.
Prior to her years at UCLA, Sarah honed her
skills in foundation relations and planned gifts,
serving as a program officer for the Pew Charitable
Trust, as the director of development for the Agnes
Irwin School in Pennsylvania, and as the director of
foundation relations for the University of Florida.
She did her undergraduate work at Vassar College
and graduate work at Cornell University.
“We’re truly fortunate to have Sarah’s collective
skills, training and experience to lead the Cancer
Center’s development efforts as we enter a new
and landmark phase in its history,” said Ira
Goodman, the Cancer Center’s Associate Director
for Administration.
Sarah may be reached by phone at
858-822-0070, or email: sgodfrey@ucsd.edu.
Survivors Day Event
Set for June 8
National Cancer Survivors Day is slated for
1 to 5 p.m. June 8 at Bloch Cancer Survivors
Park at Spanish Landing (directly across
Harbor Drive from the San Diego Airport.).
The free public event is sponsored by Cancer
Survivorship: San Diego!, an umbrella organization
comprised of cancer survivors, hospitals,
cancer centers, researchers and support service
organizations in San Diego County.
This 6th annual community event celebrates
progress in detecting and treating cancer, and
offers a wealth of information to individuals and
families with an interest in cancer-related issues.
The event will feature a health fair with more
than 30 exhibits, entertainment, dancing, food,
and group activities. Lectures by medical experts
on issues of interest to cancer survivors, their
families, and the general public will be offered
in English, Spanish and several Asian-Pacific
Islander languages. There also will be opportunity
for cancer patients to exchange information
about their experiences and to talk with local
health care providers.
To register, please send your contact information
(name, address, phone) to event coordinator
Nicki Hobson by email (nohobson@aol.com),
fax (760-598-7304) or mail (2070 Ridgeline
Ave., Vista 92083).
Cancer Center News
8

CENTER EXPANDS
CLINICAL STAFF
As part of the Cancer Center’s planned enhancement of its clinical services, we are
pleased to introduce three new members of our clinical staff.
Cynthia Sava, M.S.W.
A diagnosis of cancer can change
the entire landscape of an individual’s
environment, impacting family
and close friends, and creating a
new set of circumstances that can
throw an otherwise normal life —
marriage and relationships, career,
finances – into a tailspin. Cynthia
Sava, M.S.W., is a clinical counselor
whose primary responsibility is to
formulate, manage, and deliver
psychosocial treatment plans for
our cancer patients. Just as there
are many kinds of cancer, each
affecting an individual in its unique
way, there are also many factors to
consider in developing a treatment
plan. Taking age and gender into
account, Sava identifies a patient’s
support network and assesses
coping skills, education, spirituality,
cultural beliefs, family roles, and
socio-economic status that may
hinder ability to access services.
Other physical or mental health
issues may further complicate matters.
Sava is also developing several
group programs that are specially
designed for patient groups, and for
patients and their family caregivers.
Lakshmi Vemuri, M.D.
Dr. Vemuri is a medical oncologist
who recently joined the UCSD
faculty as an Assistant Professor
of Medicine in the Division of
Hematology/Oncology. Prior to
joining the faculty, she trained at
UCSD as a hematology/oncology
fellow. During that time she worked
as a co-investigator with Asad
Bashey, M.D., Ph.D., Assistant
Professor of Medicine, on a national
Phase III clinical trial involving a drug
being tested as a treatment for
chronic myelogenous leukemia.
Based upon the results of this trial
the investigational drug, now known
as Gleevec, was approved by the
FDA and today is widely available to
cancer patients. Vemuri’s clinical and
research interests include brain
tumors, gastrointestinal cancers,
breast cancer, and melanoma. She is
currently working to develop clinical
trials for patients with brain tumors
and with gastrointestinal cancers.
She sees patients in the Theodore
Gildred Facility at UCSD Medical
Center in Hillcrest, and at the Perlman
Ambulatory Care Center adjacent to
Thornton Hospital in La Jolla.
Susan Wilson, Pharm.D.
Susan A. Wilson, Pharm.D.,
is coordinating the clinical and
administrative aspects of our
inpatient and outpatient pharmacy
services, a new position in the
Cancer Center. After obtaining her
Doctor of Pharmacy degree from
the University of Nebraska Medical
Center, Susan spent four years as a
staff pharmacist in their bone marrow
transplantation program. She
became a staff pharmacist for
Thornton Hospital in 1993, and also
worked closely with our Blood and
Marrow Transplantation Program.
Susan is responsible for managing
the costs associated with our
chemotherapy program. While developing
procedures that streamline the
administration of drugs to cancer
patients, Susan keeps focused on
the most important factor – safety.
Directly relevant to this administrative
responsibility, she is a member of a
task force that is reviewing software
programs to facilitate online drug
reporting and ordering.
9
Cancer Center News

Aviara Events
Help Cancer Research
Aceremony was held at the Four
Seasons Resort Aviara in Carlsbad
to acknowledge the success of the
2002 Terry Fox 5K Run/Walk and its sister
event, the Terry Fox Golf Classic, and to
present a $60,000 check to benefit
research at the Cancer Center.
Brian Parmelee, Aviara General Manager,
recognized all of the companies and volunteers
whose hard work and sponsorship
resulted in these very successful events.
Theresa Silva, a cancer patient and Aviara
employee, earned a special acknowledgement
for raising the most money from individual
pledges — a remarkable $4,400 for
2001 and 2002. The front-line organizing
team — Nicole Mars and Christina Del
Castillo from Aviara — were recognized
for their outstanding efforts. Foundation
and Cancer Center representatives were
on hand to express appreciation for this
generous gift.
New Saks Event
Builds on Earlier Success
Something new is coming to town
this fall. “Key to the Cure,”
a 4-day charity event hosted
by Saks Fifth Avenue in its stores
nationwide, will be unveiled locally
September 17 to 20 in its Fashion
Valley and downtown La Jolla stores.
This new event expands Saks’
former program, which for the last
four years raised funds exclusively
for breast cancer research and
treatment. The new program will
benefit all female reproductive
cancers — breast, ovarian, uterine
and cervical.
To broaden its scope, Saks corporate
has entered into a new agreement
with Hollywood’s
Entertainment Industry Foundation,
a long-time leader in raising money
and awareness for women’s cancer
research. This new venture will
provide local Saks stores and the
Cancer Center an opportunity to
raise even more money to help
improve women’s lives. Katherine
Kennedy and Robert Horsman
will serve as local co-chairs.
The new program will keep in
place the blueprint that has made
Saks’ prior program so successful:
A percentage of sales made during
September 17 to 20 at each local
Saks store and Off 5th outlet will
be donated directly to the Cancer
Center. So be sure to mark these
dates on your calendar and save
your Saks purchases for this four-day
charity benefit.
For further information contact
Maryann Lapthorn in the
Foundation Office at 858-822-0023.
ANGLERS HOOK THE
$1 MILLION MARK
T
he 2002 “For Pete’s Sake...”
Pete Lopiccola Memorial
Marlin Tournament was a
milestone event. Proceeds from
the latest tournament pushed the
group’s total contributions to the
Cancer Center over the $1 million
mark. This achievement was recognized
recently during a reception
in which representatives from the
Pete Lopiccola Cancer Research
Foundation presented a $75,000
check to the Cancer Center, bringing
the non-profit organization’s
12-year giving total to $1,045,500.
“We are so very grateful for
Lopiccola’s longstanding commitment
to the Cancer Center,” said
Cinda Lucas, president of the
UCSD Cancer Center Foundation,
who accepted the check on behalf
of the Cancer Center. “The
Lopiccola Foundation and
the tournament committee are
to be commended.
As a result of the
Foundation’s tireless
efforts, the Cancer
Center has been able
to purchase critically
needed equipment and
to fund bright young
researchers who are
making important
scientific contributions
to the world’s knowledge
about cancer.”
Much of the money raised to date
has gone to support 17 young cancer
researchers, called Lopiccola Fellows.
In fact, the $460,000 applied to the
Fellowship program, has helped
to generate over $8.1 million in
extramural grant funding.
“It is incredibly satisfying to
be able to support these young
people,” said Chuck Faith,
Chairman of the Lopiccola
Left to right: Ira Goodman, Associate Director for
Administration, UCSD Cancer Center; Dr. David Tarin,
UCSD faculty member whose lab will receive support for
a Lopiccola Fellow; Terri Brodeau, Lopiccola Foundation
Board Member; Cinda K. Lucas, UCSD Cancer Center
Foundation Board President; Charles “Chuck” Faith,
Lopiccola Foundation Chairman; Tom Nielsen, Lopiccola
Foundation Co-Chair; Donald Middleton, Lopiccola
Foundation President.
Foundation. “They are the new
generation of pioneers, and our
hope for a future without cancer.”
The Moores UCSD Cancer
Center extends its heartfelt
congratulations and appreciation
to the many Lopiccola Board
members and volunteers to
have worked tirelessly to break
the $1 million milestone while
“Fishing for a Cure.”
Cancer Center News
10

MOONLIGHT & ROSES
the Theme for 2003 Gala
Planning for the Celebrities
Cook for the UCSD Cancer
Center Gala is in full swing.
UCSD Cancer Center Associates,
a long-time UCSD support group,
will host the 22nd annual blacktie
event on May 17 at the
Sheraton San Diego Hotel &
Marina. Chair Esther Nahama
and Co-Chair Carol Chang have
chosen “Moonlight & Roses”
as this year’s theme. Mary and
Ron Taylor are serving as Honorary Chairs.
The evening begins with a two-hour chef’s reception during
which celebrity chefs from upscale restaurants in San Diego
and across the country will prepare and serve some of their
most creative appetizers. Each appetizer will be paired with
a specially selected premium wine. Following the chef’s reception
will be a formal dinner, and dancing ‘til midnight.
Last year’s event raised over $330,000 for cancer research,
treatment, education and community outreach programs of
the Moores UCSD Cancer Center.
To ensure that you are on the advance reservation mailing
list, or to become involved with this year’s Gala, please contact
Maryann Lapthorn at the Foundation Office, 858-822-0023.
Bon Appetit!
10th Gorder Walk
SETS GOAL OF $100K
T
he 10th Annual Bruce Brunner Gorder Memorial
Walk-A-Thon is scheduled for May 31. This is a
fun-filled, family-oriented 5K walk that traverses the
scenic UCSD campus. Walkers of all ages and fitness
levels are invited to participate as we take strides to
fund new advances in the research and treatment of
skin cancer.
The Walk-A-Thon is organized by UCSD Cancer
Center Foundation Board member Chuck Gorder as
a tribute to the memory of his son, Bruce, who succumbed
to melanoma at 37. Each year, Mr. Gorder
matches the first $25,000 raised by this event. Since its
inception, the Gorder Walk has raised over $625,000.
This year, in celebration of its 10th Anniversary, Walk-
A-Thon organizers have set a goal to raise $100,000 —
and they can do it with your help! A brochure containing
detailed information for sponsors and participants is
included in this issue of the Newsletter.
In addition to generating funds for new melanoma
research initiatives, the Gorder Walk-A-Thon includes
free refreshments, gifts and prize drawings, skin cancer
screenings, and education about prevention and early
detection.
For additional information, contact Christa Collins
at 858-822-0175.
Blue Skies On Order
for 10th Annual
Luau & Surf Event
Mark your calendars for blue
skies, good surf and lots of the
“aloha” spirit for the 10th Annual
Luau & Longboard Invitational, which
will return August 24 to the oceanfront
setting of Scripps Institution
of Oceanography in La Jolla.
Longtime Luau volunteer Sam
Iacobellis will serve as event chair,
with Eric Cusick and Greg Rose
serving as event co-chairs.
This year’s event will mark the
return of some of the most respected
names in surfing history along with
local and national business leaders.
A pre-Luau event held recently at
the La Paloma Theatre featured a
private showing of “Heart of the Sea:
Kapolioka’ehukai,” a beautiful and
moving documentary of the life of
Rell Sunn, a pioneer of women’s
professional surfing who died of breast
cancer in 1998. Luau committee volunteer
Ben Wood organized this event.
Since 1994, the Luau & Longboard
Invitational has raised over $1 million
in net proceeds to support cancer
research at the Cancer Center. Please
Original artwork for the 2003 Luau & Longboard
Invitational by Eric Gordon.
consider becoming a part of this
special tradition as we celebrate a
“decade of aloha” this year.
For further information contact
Maryann Lapthorn in the Foundation
Office at 858-822-0023, or visit
the Luau website at
www.longboardluau.org.
11
Cancer Center News

THE LAST WORD
A Few Facts about the Rebecca and John Moores
UCSD Cancer Center:
● We are the only cancer center in the San Diego area designated as
a Comprehensive Cancer Center by the National Cancer Institute.
This prestigious title signifies a full range of cancer research activities,
including basic and clinical science, population studies, community outreach
programs and cancer prevention activities. Only 39 cancer centers
in the U.S. have this designation.
● We sponsor nearly 200 cancer clinical trials at any given time.
● Our Cancer Symptom Control Program was one of the first research
programs in the nation to focus on the impact of pain, emotional distress,
lack of sleep, fatigue and other quality-of-life issues that arise with cancer
and its treatments.
● We are the only institution in the San Diego region to be approved
by the federally funded National Marrow Donor Program to perform
adult bone marrow and stem cell transplants from unrelated donors. Such
transplants are the only curative treatments for certain leukemias, non-
Hodgkin’s lymphomas, severe aplastic anemias, and other blood disorders.
● Our California Smokers Helpline is the largest smoking cessation
program in the nation and has helped over 100,000 people stop smoking.
This model program has been replicated in 33 states across the U.S.
● DepoCyt, a new chemotherapeutic agent that received FDA approval,
was conceived, developed and tested here and found to produce a significantly
better response rate in controlling a life-threatening complication
of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
Your participation in our events and your individual gifts continue to
make these and other accomplishments the hallmark of the Moores UCSD
Cancer Center. As we fulfill our promise to deliver outstanding care based
on the most advanced research, your support will make the difference.
For more information about ways in which you can help, please call
Sarah Godfrey, Director of Development, at 858-822-0070. Thank you!
Rebecca and John Moores
UCSD Cancer Center
Helping You
GET CONNECTED!
The following phone numbers and
website address are provided here
to help you quickly and easily
access the information you need:
General Information
858-822-1212
If you are a new patient:
619-543-3456
or toll-free 866-558-7933
If you would like information
about clinical trials:
858-657-7020
If you are a physician:
888-539-8741
If you would like to make
a charitable donation:
858-822-0175
Web site:
www.cancer.ucsd.edu
UCSD Cancer Center
9500 Gilman Drive MC 0658
La Jolla, CA 92093-0658
(858) 822-0022
Non-Profit Org.
U.S. Postage
PAID
San Diego, CA
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