Siteman cancer center OF LEADERSHIP CONTINUES

spring/Summer
2010
calendar of events
Siteman cancer center
2010
spring/Summer
2010
Non-Profit
Organization
U.S. Postage
PAID
St. Louis, MO
Permit No. 2501
a p u b l i c a t i o n f o r f r i e n d s o f t h e s i t e m a n c a n c e r c e n t e r
April 16
Second Par for the Cure Challenge
TPC Four Seasons Las Colinas, Irving, Texas
This golf event was created to honor
the memory of David H. Nickerson.
Proceeds support prostate cancer
research. Golfers may register as
individuals or teams. The day begins
with a continental breakfast and ends
with a long drive demonstration by
Art Sellinger and an awards ceremony.
For more information,
visit www.parforthecure.org.
may 15
illumination10 gala
Chase Park Plaza, St. Louis, Mo.
The Barnes-Jewish Hospital Foundation
will host its annual gala to benefit the
Siteman Cancer Center.
For more information, call 314-286-0602
or visit www.illumination10.org.
June 6
Third Annual Wilbert
Buechle Golf Tournament
12:30 p.m. Shotgun Start
Locust Hills Golf Course, Lebanon, Ill.
This 18-hole scramble cost is $65,
which includes golf, riding cart and
dinner. Proceeds benefit pancreatic
cancer research.
For more information, contact
craig.beach@alsautomotive.com
or call 618-420-4303.
June 12
Komen St. Louis Race for the Cure
6:30 a.m. Registration
7:30 a.m. Survivor processional
8:30 a.m. Run
9 a.m. Walk
Downtown St. Louis
Registration begins April 5.
June 19
6th Annual R.K. Boyer
Memorial Golf
Two Shotgun Starts, 7 a.m. or 1 p.m.
Fourche Valley Golf Course, Potosi, Mo.
This tournament costs $75, which
includes 18 holes of golf, riding cart
and lunch. Proceeds from this event
benefits leukemia research.
For more information visit
www.rkboyermemorial.org
June 20
KATY Trail Father’s Day
Family Bike Ride
10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Defiance, Mo.
This family bike ride features multiple
starting points, all ending in Defiance.
A barbecue lunch and soft drinks will
be available. Riders receive a T-shirt
and soft drink tickets. Proceeds benefit
prostate cancer research. Registration:
$10 in advance; $15 day of event.
For more information, visit
www.fathersdaybikeride.com.
june 21
4th Annual Swing Fore
Hope Tournament
Noon Shotgun Start
Sunset Hills Country Club, Edwardsville, Ill.
The cost is $250, which includes lunch,
a party pack, golf, riding cart and a prime
rib dinner, followed by an awards ceremony
and auction. This golf tournament is
sponsored by The Gilliland Group and
Northwestern Mutual Financial Network.
For more information, visit
www.swingforehope.org or
call 618-659-9900, ext. 138.
July 17
Healthy You, Healthy Planet Festival
9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, Mo.
This day is dedicated to living a healthy,
green lifestyle, and will feature lectures,
demonstrations, free health screenings
and more.
The event is free but regular garden
admission fees apply.
Aug. 7
20th Annual Buehrle Golf Classic
Two Shotgun Starts, 7:30 a.m. or 1:30 p.m.
Missouri Bluffs Golf Club, St. Charles, Mo.
Tournament cost is $150 to play in
one tournament or $250 to play in both
tournaments and includes golf, riding
cart, and lunch followed by an awards
ceremony and buffet. Proceeds benefit
colon cancer research. Registration
begins in May.
For more information, visit
www.buehrlegolfclassic.com.
Sitelines is published for donors,
supporters and friends of the
Siteman Cancer Center at
Barnes-Jewish Hospital and
Washington University School
of Medicine.
Inquiries regarding newsletter
editorial content or circulation
should be addressed to:
Siteman Cancer Center
Office of Development
7425 Forsyth Blvd.
Campus Box 1204
St. Louis, MO 63105-2161
Telephone: 314-935-4725
Jana L. Sharpley, CFRE
Executive director of development
sharpleyj@wustl.edu
Stacy Guadagano
Senior director of development
guadaganos@wustl.edu
Kevin Largent
Senior associate director
of development
kevin_largent@wustl.edu
Mueriel Carp
Director of community relations
carpm@wustl.edu
Joyce Romine
Managing editor/contributing writer
Mary Lee
Editor
leem1@siteman.wustl.edu
Jager Creative
Design
Pam McGrath
Contributing writer
a p u b l i c a t i o n f o r f r i e n d s o f t h e s i t e m a n c a n c e r c e n t e r
A Legacy
of Leadership Continues
Alvin J. Siteman continues his legacy of leadership with
a commitment to the Siteman Cancer Center and
Washington University for an endowment that will
provide at least $1 million annually to advance pioneering
investigations into cancer prevention, diagnosis and
treatment. The new endowment establishes the Siteman
Cancer Research Fund, which will provide support for
transformational scientific contributions that address
the challenges associated with overcoming cancer.
“This continuing gift will assure that
the Siteman Cancer Center continues
to maintain our national leadership
in developing innovative cancer
treatments for our patients.”
— Timothy Eberlein, MD
identifying significant initiatives from Washington
University faculty and research staff dedicated to
overcoming cancer. “This is a phenomenal expression
of support Mr. Siteman has given our cancer center
members,” Eberlein says. “This continuing gift will assure
that the Siteman Cancer Center continues to maintain
our national leadership in developing innovative cancer
treatments for our patients.”
In 1999, Alvin J. and Ruth Siteman committed
$35 million to the development of the Siteman Cancer
Center at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington
University School of Medicine, which was named
in recognition of the Sitemans’ gift.
Siteman is chairman of Site Oil Co. of Missouri and
president of Flash Oil Corp. He was president and chief
executive officer of the Siteman Organization, a major
real estate developer, property manager and leasing agent,
and chaired Mark Twain Bancshares Inc., the company he
helped merge with Mercantile Bancorporation in 1997.
The Alvin J. Siteman Cancer Center
Office of Development
7425 Forsyth Blvd., Campus Box 1204
St. Louis, MO 63105-2161
“The Siteman Cancer Research Fund will enhance the
impact of the Alvin J. Siteman Cancer Center and cancer
research throughout Washington University,” says
Washington University Chancellor Mark S. Wrighton.
“Siteman Cancer Center’s wide-ranging research programs
offer great hope for progress against cancer, and the
new Siteman Fund will give impetus to projects that
epitomize scientific ingenuity, allowing our most
inventive scientific minds to pursue new concepts
in the fight against cancer.”
Funds will be available to the leaders in many fields
of science, medicine and engineering at Washington
University and will also support the acquisition of
equipment and facilities needed to open new areas
of investigation. Siteman director Timothy J. Eberlein,
MD, Chancellor Wrighton and Larry J. Shapiro, MD,
executive vice chancellor for medical affairs and dean
of the School of Medicine, will be responsible for
A leader of many organizations in St. Louis, Siteman is
an emeritus trustee of Washington University and has
received several major awards from the institution for
his support and generosity. He is the former chairman
and a current member of the Barnes-Jewish Hospital
Foundation’s board of directors.
“It has been my great pleasure over many years to
have been associated with Washington University,
the School of Medicine and Barnes-Jewish Hospital,”
Siteman says. “With the continuing growth and
development of the Siteman Cancer Center, the progress
made in cancer research and treatment for people in the
surrounding region, and indeed across the country, has
been encouraging. I am happy to be able to contribute
further to that effort and especially to help support
projects on the leading edge of cancer research that
promise even greater hope for the future.”
inside
Endometrial Cancer
Research Award
Prestigious grant funds research on
causes, prevention and treatments.
Page 2
Community Volunteers
Create Unique Event
Fun evening educates party-goers
about Siteman.
Page 4
New Chief Named
Hallahan leads
radiation oncology
department.
Page 7

FROM THE DIRECTOR
A little over 10 years ago, Alvin and Ruth Siteman made
a $35 million commitment that helped establish the Alvin
J. Siteman Cancer Center at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and
Washington University School of Medicine as a standalone
center. The gift served as a catalyst for the center’s
rapid evolution to a National Cancer Institute-designated
Comprehensive Cancer Center and a member of the
prestigious National Comprehensive Cancer Network.
Now Al Siteman has again pledged to support the cancer
center through an endowment that will allow our researchers
to study novel approaches to cancer prevention, diagnosis
and treatment. I believe this gift will nurture scientific
work that will make a difference in the lives of people
across the country who are affected by cancer.
Washington University researchers at Siteman are a
creative and inventive group. But in order to obtain
large grants from the government, corporations and
foundations, they must first prove that their forwardlooking
ideas have the potential to be successful.
The Siteman Cancer Research Fund will give them
the opportunity to do that. And in the process, it will
help the cancer center stay at the forefront of the fight
against this disease.
All of us at the Siteman Cancer Center are immensely
grateful to Al Siteman for his generosity and continued
support. He and Ruth and our other supporters — including
donors, community partners and volunteers — play a
critical role in our mission. We are very fortunate to have
them as part of our team.
Timothy Eberlein, MD
Director, Alvin J. Siteman Cancer Center
Spencer T. and Ann W. Olin Distinguished Professor
Siteman Receives
Prestigious SPORE
Grant for Endometrial
Cancer Research
The National Cancer Institute (NCI) has for the first time awarded a prestigious
Specialized Program of Research Excellence (SPORE) grant to researchers at the
Siteman Cancer Center and Washington University School of Medicine. The threeyear
grant funds research in endometrial cancer, which is a cancer that originates
in the uterine lining. In addition to studying the causes of endometrial cancer,
the project focuses on strategies for preventing the disease and for development
of new treatment approaches.
“This SPORE grant recognizes the Siteman Cancer Center as one of the top cancer
research facilities in the country,” says Siteman director Timothy Eberlein, MD,
Spencer T. and Ann W. Olin Distinguished Professor. “It is a well-deserved honor
for our endometrial cancer research team and acknowledges their distinguished
reputation in the field.”
For Paul Goodfellow, PhD, and David Mutch, MD, leaders of the SPORE
team, the SPORE’s significance reaches beyond the prestige of having their
program recognized as a center of excellence for endometrial cancer research.
The Siteman Cancer Center SPORE is currently the sole SPORE grant focusing
on endometrial cancer. The award demonstrates a commitment to what these
investigators describe as a seriously underfunded area of women’s cancer research.
Paul Goodfellow, PhD, and David Mutch, MD, leaders of the SPORE team, examine
slides of endometrial cancer tissue as they study the causes of the disease and develop
strategies for prevention and new treatments.
“Endometrial carcinoma is the orphan disease of gynecological oncology,
despite the fact that its incidence is rising every year and its mortality is
increasing,” says geneticist Goodfellow, principal investigator for the SPORE
grant and professor of surgery, of genetics and of obstetrics and gynecology.
“The disease is largely ignored because the vast majority of women are cured
with surgery and adjuvant therapy (additional cancer treatment given after
the primary treatment to lower the risk of recurrence). For that reason,
endometrial cancer has been sorely understudied, even though 40,000 cases
are diagnosed yearly with more than 7,000 women dying annually from
the disease. That’s almost twice as many as die of cervical cancer. Currently,
if a woman’s endometrial cancer recurs, there are no good chemotherapy
treatments available to her.”
A Collaborative Marriage of Clinical and Laboratory Science
Goodfellow and Mutch, a gynecologic oncologist, clinical co-principal
investigator for the SPORE grant and the Ira C. and Judith Gall Professor
of Obstetrics and Gynecology, have collaborated for more than 15 years to
find the genetic roots of this disease, which is the fourth most common cancer
in American women. Their research focuses on the DNA repair mechanism
in endometrial cancer. When cells cannot repair small errors that occur as a
result of normal cell division and replication, the resulting genetic damage can
lead to the growth of a cancerous tumor. Most endometrial cancers caused
by this defect in DNA repair are not inherited. However, through their
work, the researchers identified a subgroup of women who are susceptible to
endometrial cancer because of inherited or acquired mutations in their DNA
repair genes. The discovery of the inherited mutations has led to changes in
clinical care for these women and their relatives, who are watched carefully
for signs of related malignancies, such as colon, bladder or ovarian cancer.
“SPOREs are designed to encourage
interdisciplinary research, which in turn
promotes translational research — moving laboratory
discoveries into clinical settings as quickly as possible
or bringing observations made in patient settings
to the laboratory environment for further study.”
— David Mutch, MD, gynecologic oncologist and clinical
co-principal investigator for the SPORE grant
The researchers’ landmark discoveries identifying the genetic abnormalities
that play a critical role in endometrial tumor development have been
described in numerous collaborative publications. Goodfellow and Mutch
are recognized as national leaders in their field, with Mutch currently serving
as president of the Society for Gynecologic Oncologists and Goodfellow
a member of the NCI’s Gynecologic Cancer Steering Committee. Both
have leadership roles in the Gynecologic Oncology Group, an NCI-funded
cooperative research group that conducts clinical studies at cancer centers
throughout the country.
What sets them apart from many research partnerships — and what the
SPORE reviewers immediately recognized — is the “marriage” they’ve
created between basic science and clinical research.
“Over the years, by combining basic science and clinical components into
our research program, we developed what the NCI considers the model for
SPORE research programs,” Mutch says. “SPOREs are designed to encourage
interdisciplinary research, which in turn promotes translational research —
moving laboratory discoveries into clinical settings as quickly as possible or
bringing observations made in patient settings to the laboratory environment
for further study.”
Researching All Aspects of the Disease
The four SPORE research projects currently under way cover all aspects
of endometrial cancer, from continuing to uncover its causes to developing
more effective treatments.
Projects 1 and 4 focus on targeted therapy. “Right now, it is a ‘one-size-fits-all’
treatment for patients with endometrial cancer,” Goodfellow explains. “If they
need something more than surgery, they get chemotherapy or radiation, both
of which kill cells in general rather than targeting cancer cells specifically.
These projects involve the development and testing of new, nontoxic therapies
that target cancer cells and reduce side effects.”
Project 2 is designed to develop tools to better understand which patients are
at the highest risk for having a recurrence of their endometrial cancer. While
most patients are cured with surgery alone, some will develop cancer outside
the uterus. Knowing how to identify those patients will prevent others from
having to undergo needless chemotherapy or radiation treatments.
“In Project 3, we are working to develop a clinically useful tool that
identifies women born with the gene that puts them at risk for inherited
endometrial cancer — that’s about 2 percent to 5 percent of women who
develop the disease,” Mutch says. “This would enable these women and
their family members to be identified before a cancer develops and undergo
screening or risk-reducing therapy, not only for endometrial cancer but also
for colon, bladder and ovarian cancer, which are all caused by the same
inherited gene defects.”
SPORE grants also are intended to foster collaborative work with scientists
at other research institutions, another element inherent in Goodfellow and
Mutch’s research.
“We have established a network that brings together some of the most
important endometrial cancer investigators and clinical groups in the
country, including translational genomics programs at Translational
Genomics in Phoenix, Ohio State University Cancer Center, University of
Texas Southwestern Medical Center and Roswell Park Cancer Institute,”
Goodfellow says. “We’ve developed what we think is a leading team to go
forward with the multiple research projects required by the SPORE grant.”
In addition, the SPORE grant will fund new projects that hold promise for
translation to clinical medicine and that provide career opportunities for
young investigators interested in a career in gynecologic oncology and cancer
research. In this way, the benefits of the SPORE extend even farther by
helping to develop future leaders and their commitment to this important field.
The Present — and Future —
of Endometrial Cancer
• Endometrial cancer is the
fourth most common cancer
in American women.
• Every year, 40,000 cases
of endometrial cancer are
diagnosed with more than
7,000 women dying from
the disease.
• Nearly twice as many
women die each year from
endometrial cancer as
they do from cervical cancer.
• The incidence of endometrial
cancer is rising every year,
and its mortality is increasing.
• Through the SPORE at
Siteman, four research
projects are currently under
way that cover all aspects
of endometrial cancer, from
continuing to uncover its
causes to developing more
effective treatments.
2 www.siteman.wustl.edu
800-600-3606 3
800-600-3606 3

CUREiosity Satisfies Volunteers’
Need to Give Back
Throughout the year, St. Louis races, pedals and walks for a cancer cure.
Now, every November, St. Louis dances, indulges and parties at CUREiosity,
an event to benefit the Alvin J. Siteman Cancer Center at Barnes-Jewish
Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine.
With a New Orleans-style street party theme, more than 400 guests filled
Lumen in downtown St. Louis for the 2009 event on Nov. 6. CUREiosity
has become one of the most unique events of the year in St. Louis. It all
began with the desire by St. Louisan Barry Horn to create a fun evening
to benefit the Siteman Cancer Center.
Horn teamed up with Missy Fish to spearhead the first
CUREiosity in 2006. They wanted to create an event for
those curious about Siteman that both men and women would
enjoy. Their idea morphed into a party-style fundraiser that
allows people to meet doctors
and researchers from Siteman socially and
learn more about the cancer center.
Horn says he chose to channel his time
and resources into CUREiosity because of
Siteman’s value as a “local but world-class
and internationally recognized institution.”
After the inaugural CUREiosity, Fish then
focused on developing other successful
fundraising events for Siteman, including
Celebrate Fitness and Celebrate Spot,
with Kris Hansford.
For the past three years, Horn has
chaired CUREiosity with Carol
Staenberg. St. Louis Cardinals baseball
great Mike Shannon has been an
honorary chair for the past two years.
In 2009, Carla Grewe and Ken
Rosenthal were vice chairs.
Bottom left: Left to right,
Ken Rosenthal, event vice chair;
Carla Grewe, event vice chair; and
Gary Grewe. Middle: The Disco Ball
Dancer and “Stilt Doc” awe the crowd.
Right: An enthusiastic crowd soaks up
the ambiance at Lumen.
Left to right: Adam Kibel, MD; Kate Appleton, MD; Kate Wolin, ScD; Matt Ellis,
MB, BChir, PhD; Carol Staenberg, event co-chair; Barry Horn, event co-chair; and
Parag Parikh, MD.
Staenberg enjoys CUREiosity’s eclectic mix of entertainment and information.
“The event started as a way to bring awareness about Siteman to the community
in a fun and entertaining way,” she says. “We also wanted to honor Siteman’s
‘Rock Docs,’ the doctors who are making things happen in the cancer field,
whether it be research, patient care or other areas. The party theme is a
different way to bring in funds other than the usual dinner/auction.
We attract a wide variety of people. It’s very exciting to see an event
as important as this be so successful.”
Fundraising for Siteman is Personal
Horn’s commitment to Siteman is personal. A niece from Knoxville,
Tenn., was diagnosed with a rare form of thyroid cancer. “Her
doctor told her because her type of cancer was so rare, only two
doctors in the country could treat it,” Horn says. “One was
at Siteman. How fortunate we are to have this facility and
this talent in St. Louis!”
Staenberg also channels her time and resources to Siteman
because of a family member’s experience with the cancer
center. “It was an experience I will never forget, and
I want to give back in some way,” she says.
“Siteman has the best of the best in terms of a
comprehensive center. Everyone is top-quality,
from the doctors all the way to the support
staff who are part of treatment and care.
Also, the research being conducted at
Siteman is very exciting.”
Middle: Parag Parikh, MD,
gets a surprise checkup from
the roving “Stilt Doc.”
Teeing Up Support for Colon Cancer Research
Raising funds for cancer research can be an empowering way to make
a difference after losing a loved one to the disease.
That’s one reason why Chris and Becky Buehrle of Chesterfield, Mo.,
launched the Buehrle Golf Classic in 1991 to honor Chris’ mother, Sharon,
who died of breast cancer at age 46. While the 2009 tournament, held in
August at the Missouri Bluffs Golf Club, was the 19th year for the event,
it was the first year that the Siteman Cancer Center was included as a
beneficiary. The 2009 tournament raised more than $100,000 to support
colon cancer research at Siteman and breast cancer research at the John
Wayne Cancer Institute in Los Angeles.
What began as a family outing that included 20 people has grown into a
large, highly organized event that attracts nearly 300 people from all over
the country, including friends such as former NFL quarterback and Super
Bowl XXVI MVP Mark Rypien. “We’re the anti-stuffy tournament,” Becky
Buehrle says. “Celebrity friends play in the tournament along with other
friends and family, but we keep costs low so everyone can participate. We
don’t want to leave out anyone who has been supporting us all these years.”
Coordinating the tournament is a family affair. Chris and Becky’s
large extended family and children all participate in some way. In the
tournament’s early years, Becky’s father, Alan Pinkstaff, would tee off
first so he could rush home to start the barbecue in the Buehrle’s backyard.
“The tournament kept snowballing over the years,” Becky says. “We’ve
grown from our backyard post-tournament barbecue to where we’re all at
the golf course helping with a huge lunch, cocktail party and auction.”
Becky’s father, “the master barbecuer,” died in 2005 at age 62 from colon
cancer. “He was a lively person and always found the good in people,” Becky
says. “Two weeks before he died, he was working at the golf tournament.
Now his friends either play in the tournament or send support.”
After Becky’s father died, the family decided to expand the scope of the
tournament to support colon cancer research. They visited Siteman and met
with Nick Davidson, MD, one of the leaders of Siteman’s gastrointestinal
The 2009 Buehrle Golf Tournament raised $100,000 for breast and colon cancer
research. Left to right: Christopher Buehrle; Nick Davidson, MD, Washington
University gastroenterologist; Becky Buehrle; and Mark Rypien.
cancer program. “We wanted the funds to go straight to research,” Becky
says. “When we talked to Dr. Davidson, he told us about the different clinical
studies at Siteman. We were impressed because he talked about working with
patients in addition to his lab. He was able to put a face on the research he
was working on. He made it more personal for us.”
Becky says the golf tournament is their way to proactively help those
battling cancer. “When you’re upset about losing a family member to cancer,
do something about it. Our mentality is to get involved and change it.
We’re trying to do that by supporting research.”
The date for the 2010 event has been set
for Saturday, Aug. 7. To learn more about
the Buehrle Golf Classic, please visit their
Web site at www.buehrlegolfclassic.com.
Community Supports Children of Cancer Patients
1 2 3
More than 250 friends of the Alvin J. Siteman Cancer Center attended the second
Holiday Tree Lighting at the Four Seasons Hotel St. Louis on Dec. 1. Guests
were encouraged to bring new, unwrapped toys or games for children whose parents
are being treated at Siteman.
“Understandably, this time of year is particularly difficult for patients,” says Siteman
director Timothy Eberlein, MD. “In this holiday season, we are grateful that our
friends and the Four Seasons Hotel St. Louis embody the spirit of giving.”
1) Thierry Kennel, general manager of the Four Seasons Hotel St. Louis with
Mary Colleen; 2) Sean; 3) Santa delivers gifts to the Siteman Cancer Center.
Special Note to FundRaisers
The Siteman Cancer Center appreciates all fundraising
efforts by area organizations and individuals. However,
it is necessary for Siteman to approve all events that use
the Siteman name and logo. If your group would like to
organize a fundraising event to benefit Siteman, please
call Mueriel Carp at 314-935-5511.
4 www.siteman.wustl.edu
800-600-3606 5

NEWS TO NOTE
On Oct. 16, more than 125 Siteman Cancer
Center supporters attended a special evening in
the intimate setting of The Playhouse at Westport
Plaza in St. Louis. The guests had come to see
UNBEATABLE!, a new musical about Tracy
Boyd, a woman diagnosed with breast cancer
and how it affects her life and relationships.
In the play, Boyd feels a lump nearly a year
before she finally has a mammogram. She
has been too busy with her career and caring
for others to take time to care for herself.
Unfortunately, this scenario is all too common
among women. At each performance of
UNBEATABLE!, which ran through Nov. 21
in St. Louis, Siteman distributed breast health
information that underscored the importance
of breast cancer screening.
Some of the Siteman
supporters who attended a
special UNBEATABLE!
evening included:
1) Eriko Lee Clevenger and
Anthony Randal Pope;
2) Bob and Lori Duesenberg;
3) Dean and Cheryl Wolfe
and Marty Satz.
2
4
UNBEATABLE! Shines the Spotlight on Breast Cancer
1
3
The lead character is based on the real-life
experience of Laurie Frey, who was diagnosed
with stage III breast cancer in 2002. Frey kept
a journal of her experiences in her journey to
beat cancer, which she used to conceptualize
the musical comedy. While it was difficult to
imagine how the subject matter could be funny,
UNBEATABLE! pulls it off with a balance of
poignancy, optimism and a keen sense of humor.
One audience member in her 60s had been
diagnosed with breast cancer the day she was
leaving on vacation five years ago. She says the
play truly captured the roller coaster of emotions
that occurred with her diagnosis and subsequent
treatment. “This play was so true to life,” she says.
“I could relate to much of what the character was
going through.”
In the end, UNBEATABLE!
conveys a message of hope
and the importance of living
life to its fullest.
Emery Entertainment produced the play,
which featured the talents of several local
actors, including Stellie Siteman, daughter
of Ruth and Alvin Siteman.
The week before UNBEATABLE! made its
national premiere on Oct. 15, the Siteman Cancer
Center hosted “Survivor Week,” which offered
seven complimentary performances for patients,
survivors and their loved ones. Frey, the play’s
inspiration, joined the Siteman Cancer Center for
its special events in October and continues to live
a vibrant life seven years after her initial diagnosis.
5) Laurie Frey, Stellie Siteman and Timothy Eberlein, MD.
4) Sally and Fred Hermann and Mary Lee and Bob Hermann. 6) George and Diana Holway; 7) Jerry and Pam Brown.
6
5
7
New Chief
of Radiation
Oncology
Brings Expertise
in Drug
Development
Dennis Hallahan, MD, newly appointed
chief of the department of radiation
oncology at Washington University
School of Medicine, has spent the past
20 years researching new ways to deliver
drugs to patients using beams of radiation.
He compares these targeted drug delivery
methods to the “smart bombs” used by the
military — only these promising weapons
are for use in the fight against cancer.
“A significant need in cancer treatment is
drugs that help people with often incurable or
inoperable diseases like malignant brain tumors,
pancreatic cancer, liver tumors or lung cancer,”
says Hallahan, the first Elizabeth H. and James
S. McDonnell III Distinguished Professor of
Medicine and a member of the Siteman Cancer
Center senior leadership team. “All of these
patients are treated with radiation therapy. What
I’ve learned in the laboratory is that radiation
activates receptors and antigens in the cancer
cells. Placing drug delivery systems on molecules
that bind to these receptors shows promise as an
effective means of treating these difficult cancers.”
Hallahan’s goal is to grow the department’s
cancer biology and clinical investigations
programs. He sees this planned growth as being
key to developing radiation-enhanced drug
delivery systems as well as drugs that improve
cancer cells’ response to radiation therapy while
minimizing radiation’s effects on normal tissues.
The many resources available at Siteman for
advancing this research was a deciding factor in
his move to Siteman from Vanderbilt University
in Nashville, Tenn., where he served as Ingram
Professor of Cancer Research and chairman of
radiation oncology.
“For instance, there are only a handful of
Good Manufacturing Practice facilities in
universities throughout the country, and one
of them is located at Siteman,” Hallahan says.
“These facilities are essential to developing
Dennis Hallahan, MD
and manufacturing new drugs for use in ‘first
in human’ or phase I clinical studies. Having
immediate access to this capability eases the
process of testing drugs, getting them approved
by the FDA and then licensing them to industry
for further clinical development.”
Hallahan also appreciated the collaborative spirit
and collegiality he found at Siteman and the
high caliber of faculty members in the radiation
oncology department. “They are among the best
researchers in the nation, and their research and
patient care is supported by technology that is
literally the best in the world,” he says. “Our new
Kling Center for Proton Therapy is the first of its
kind, and when it opens, it will greatly enhance
our ability to treat adult and pediatric tumors in
sensitive areas such as the head and neck, spinal
cord and optic nerve as well as tumors located
near vital organs like the heart, lungs, kidney
and liver. And this is in addition to the advanced
image-guided therapy systems and brachytherapy
program already in place.”
“Dennis Hallahan is highly regarded for his
expertise and innovative research in radiation
oncology, and we are fortunate to welcome this
top-notch scientist, physician and administrator
to the university,” says Larry Shapiro, MD,
executive vice chancellor for medical affairs
and dean of the School of Medicine.
Hallahan received his medical degree from
Rush University in Chicago. He completed an
internship and residency in internal medicine, a
residency in radiation oncology and a postdoctoral
research fellowship in radiation and cellular
oncology at the University of Chicago. He joined
the faculty of that university’s cancer center in
1990, moving to Vanderbilt University in 1998.
24/7 Cancer
Care Clinic
Gives Siteman
Patients a Place
of Their Own
The Alvin J. Siteman Cancer Center at
Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington
University School of Medicine is among
the first in the country to establish a 24/7
cancer care clinic for its patients. The clinic,
located on the hospital’s north campus,
resulted from Siteman physicians’ desire
to keep their patients out of emergency
departments as well as requests from
patients, who asked for a place of their
own to receive medical help for side
effects caused by cancer treatments.
“For cancer patients dealing with fatigue
and weakness, nausea, vomiting or fever,
the last place they want to go for help is
a hospital’s emergency department,” says
Amy Determann, RN, the clinic’s manager.
“During what can be exhausting, hours-long
waits, cancer patients risk coming into
contact with contagious illnesses and bacteria
that their compromised immune systems
can’t easily fight off. In addition, emergency
medicine physicians and nurses may not
be familiar with cancer patients’ treatments
and medicines.”
The 24/7 Cancer Care Clinic is staffed
with nurse practitioners familiar with
cancer treatments and Siteman’s clinical
studies. These nurse practitioners work
with Washington University physicians
to provide care. Patients simply need a
referral from their Siteman physician or
nurse coordinator to visit the clinic at any
time throughout the week.
“A survey of patients showed that if they
felt sick over a weekend, they often didn’t
seek help until their physician’s office
opened on Monday,” Determann says.
“However, patients with infections need
antibiotics right away to avoid hospitalization.
Now that the clinic is open, we see patients
asking for help more quickly.”
SITEMAN SPECIFICS
40,000
Siteman
INDIVIDUALS
reached
more than 40,000
individuals in 2009
through community
education and
screening programs.
3,000
Siteman
TEAM MEMBERS
had more
than 3,000 people
join its team for
the 2009 Komen
St. Louis Race for
the Cure.
350
Siteman
CANCER FIGHTERS
offers the
expertise of more
than 350 Washington
University physicians
and researchers
focused on cancer.
21,000
More
SCREENING
MAMMOGRAMS
than 21,000
screening mammograms
were performed at the
Joanne Knight Breast
Health Center in 2009.
2,700
More
PATIENTS AND
FAMILY MEMBERS
than 2,700 patients
and family members were
served through programs
offered by the Barnard
Health and Cancer
Information Center in 2009.
100
Siteman
RESEARCHERS
RECRUITED
has
recruited nearly
100 new researchfocused
faculty
over the past
five years.
6 www.siteman.wustl.edu
800-600-3606 7