Our Worlds Unite!
An All-Cancer Center Appreciation event on Aug. 8 wasa time to appreciate and acknowledge the hard work of everyone responsible for moving our clinical and research organization together under one roof.  Themed “Our Worlds Unite!,” the occasion was historic.  Relocation occurs just one time, where first-generation occupants must suffer through a variety of frustrations:  things that do not work or learning how things are supposed to work; rooms too hot or cold; fire drill alarm tests; or adjusting to major space changes from other locations.  Thanks for your patience!

Nearly 400 faculty and staff convened on the Charmaine and Maury Kaplan Mesa for the celebration – an evening of food, fun, laughter, more food, and more getting-to-know-you fun.  Brief congratulatory remarks were offered by (pictured left, l-r) Deputy Director (Research) Thomas Kipps, M.D., Ph.D.; Center Director Dennis Carson, M.D.; Deputy Director (Clinic) Joanne Mortimer, M.D., and UCSD Medical Center CEO Rich Liekweg. Retractable identity card lanyards, affixed with the Cancer Center logo, were given to participants. 

Nobody stayed hungry or thirsty for long!  The pale ale was generously donated by Rock Bottom Brewery, and Salvatore Ercolano, owner/operator of ‘Come On In! Café' put out a fabulous variety of fresh hot and cold hors d'oeuvres and desserts. 

We are indebted to the following companies for their generous support of Our Worlds Unite!:  AMGEN, Aventis, Astra Zeneca, BD BioSciences, Milligord, Bristol Myers, Chiron, Fisher Scientific, MGI Pharma, Ortho BioTech, and Nalge Nunc BioProducts.  Most of the company representatives attended the event and had an opportunity to meet many of our folks and hand out cancer-relevant company literature. 

Our Worlds Unite! was the culmination of many months of planning by a core committee:  Dolvina Adkins-Buchanan; Deborah Davis; Gaylene Eisenach; Mercedes Garcia-Mohr; Anita Ihasz-Davis; Terry Lehmann; Caroline Mackenzie; Nancy Stringer; Abha Tirtha; Jaime Torres; and Wealthy Villariasa. 

Whether you attended Our Worlds Unite! or had to miss it, you'll enjoy viewing the Pictures of this historic event. High-resolution versions are available for purchase from the professional photographer, Melissa Jacobs.

Meet Our New Members
Gwen Anderson, Ph.D., R.N.
Associate Professor and Director of Research
San Diego State University
Program:  Cancer Prevention & Control
Research:  Dr. Anderson has just received an NIH grant titled, "Looking into Common Daily Practices of Gene Therapy Clinical Research," and will be exploring opportunities to collaborate with Cancer Center investigators. (Research Summary)

Elva M. Arredondo, Ph.D.
Assistant Adjunct Professor, School of Public Health
San Diego State University
Program:  Cancer Prevention & Control
Research:  Dr. Arredondo's research is in the area of health disparities, specifically involving cancer preventive behaviors in Latino populations.  (Research Summary)

Tracy M. Handel, Ph.D.
Professor
Scaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences
Program:  Cancer Biology
Research:  Dr. Handel is studying chemokines and their receptors, which are known to play a very important role in cancer metastasis.  (Research Summary)

Greg Norman, Ph.D.
Assistant Adjunct Professor
Dept. of Family and Preventive Medicine
Program:   Cancer Prevention & Control
Research:  Dr. Norman focuses on measurement, intervention, and evaluation related to health promotion and disease prevention, particularly related to physical activity, diet, and smoking behavior change.  (Research Summary)

Jay Thomas, M.D., Ph.D.
Associate Clinical Professor
Dept. of Medicine
Program:  Cancer Symptom Control
Research:  Dr. Thomas' research interests focus on the prevention and relief of symptoms experienced by cancer patients.  (Research Summary)

Binhai Zheng, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Dept. of Neurosciences
Program:  Cancer Biology
Research:  Dr. Zheng's research aims to understand the molecular mechanisms of axon regeneration failure in the mammalian central nervous system, two aspects of which are linked to cancer.  (Research Summary)

$50K Translational Grant Awarded
The Cancer Center has awarded a 1-year $50,000 Collaborative Translational Research Grant to co-PIs Sarah L. Blair, M.D., Assistant Professor of Surgery; Jessica Wang-Rodriguez, M.D., Associate Professor of Pathology; and Andrew Kummel, Ph.D., Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry.  Their project is entitled “Quantum Dot Arrays in Benign and Malignant Cancer Cells in Surgical Breast Cancer Patients.”

One in sevenwomen in the United States have aprobability of developing breast cancer in their lifetime, and a standard treatment is to surgically remove the tumor from the breast.  There is, however, no reliable or efficient method to test if all tumor cells are successfully removed during surgery.  Sometimes several days elapse before this critical answer is known – a source of protracted emotional and physical suffering for the patient.  Many women must undergo yet a second surgical procedure to “clean up” the remaining tumor cells. 

Utilizing methodology, called nanotechnology, which manipulates matter at the atomic, molecular, and macromolecular levels to tackle problems, the PIs seek to completely bypass the need for a second surgical operation.  They propose to do this by testing the specimen in the operating room – while the patient is still under anesthesia.  Ultimately, they want to develop an automated system that quickly examines thousands of cells and separates cancer from non-cancer cells, based on the proteins they produce.  This work has the potential to offer several advantages:  it is highly accurate, it capitalizes on advanced imaging techniques now available, it reduces the expense of costly duplicate medical procedures and, most importantly, it reduces the pain and suffering among women with breast cancer.   

Activity Update - Community Open House
You've already heard about the Cancer Center's Community Open House on Sept. 10.  A variety of activities are planned, such as lectures like: 

• Do I Have to Eat Broccoli? Myths and Realities About Nutrition and Cancer – Cheryl Rock, Ph.D., R.D.
• Reducing Your Cancer Risk – Lisa Madlensky, Ph.D.

Click here for an early-bird roster of all the informative and interactive events that are planned. 

For further information on participating as an exhibitor or volunteer, please contact Connie Leung at coleung@ucsd.edu, or call x19370.

The event will showcase our building and the advanced medical and scientific activities that occur within it.We hope to see you there! 

Encouraging News from the Reid Team!
There is encouraging news for patients with metastatic colorectal cancer.  A Phase II study, sponsored by ADVENTRX Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and completed in June, found that 65 percent of 48 patients treated with a combination of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) and its new drug, CoFactor, achieved a clinical benefit following study therapy.  Cancer Center clinical investigator Tony Reid, M.D., Ph.D., Associate Professor of Medicine, helped design and led the study that opened at UCSD last summer.  Other sites in the U.S. and Europe participated, and the target accrual of 50 patients was achieved seven months sooner than anticipated. 

Reid and his UCSD colleagues have seen great results.  The UCSD site accrued eight patients, two of which went to surgical resection for potential cure.  One 85-year-old female experienced a 78% reduction in tumor mass, and nothing new was found in the liver for 8 months prior to resection.  A 75-year-old male showed no evidence of other metastases and underwent a successful resection in July.  Reid acknowledges that this work is a team effort with other UCSD professionals (pictured above, l-r):  Clinical Coordinator Kirsten Loureiro, M.P.H., Tony Reid, M.D., Ph.D., Medical Resident Carrie Costantini, M.D., Case Manager Cheryl Kosits, R.N., M.S., O.C.N. and Michael Bouvet, M.D., Associate Professor of Surgery.

The liver is the most common site of colorectal metastases, however only 5 percent of these patients are candidates for surgical removal, or resection.  When it can be performed, surgery has the potential to remove all of the cancer and effect a cure.   The first-line treatment option is neoadjuvant chemotherapy, which has the potential to “prepare” the patient for surgery by reducing the tumor burden, and thereby making resection a viable option. 

The target enzyme, thymidylate synthase (TS), is necessary for cancer cell growth. CoFactor acts like a "glue" to bind TS to the active metabolite (FdUMP) of the drug 5-FU to create irreversible inhibition. CoFactor stimulates DNA synthesis so that 5-FU is taken up by cancer cells, enabling the irreversible inhibition, which results in cancer cell death and successful treatment with 5-FU.

That's where CoFactor comes in.  CoFactor enhances the activity of 5-FU resulting in increased cancer cell death.  It does this by targeting and inhibiting an enzyme that is necessary for cancer cell growth, called thymidylate synthase.  Because the CoFactor regimen has fewer side-effects than other standard treatments, such as regimens used for metastatic colon cancer containing Oxaliplatin or Irinotecan combined with Leucovorin and 5-FU, the patients have fewer problems and complications.  This is particularly good for older patients, whose tolerance levels may be less than optimal. 

Efforts are underway to develop a Phase III clinical trial to be available later this year.  If consistent results are obtained, there is reason to believe that CoFactor can become the neoadjuvant chemotherapy treatment of choice for many patients with metastatic colorectal cancer patients, regardless of age. 

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Light The Night ® 2005
A fabulous event is on the horizon – although the sun will not be out, it is your opportunity to shine!  It is happening all across the nation – from Georgia to California -- The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Light The Night® Walk.  This year's 5K Walk will be held in Del Mar on Sept. 24. 

The evening stroll celebrates and commemorates the lives of people touched by cancer.  It builds awareness of blood cancers and raises funds for cures. Walkers carry special illuminated balloons – ending in a community celebration with music, refreshments and entertainment. 

San Diego's 2005 Corporate Walk Co-Chairs Richard J. Liekweg, CEO of UCSD Medical Center, and Edward D. Ball, M.D., Medical Director, UCSD/Sharp Bone Marrow Transplant Program, invite you to join them for this worthwhile event.  Team registration is convenient by following the simple, step-by-step instructions at http://www.lightthenight.org/. 

For those who cannot participate on Sept. 24, a second Light The Night® Walk is scheduled at Southwestern College on Oct. 1 in Chula Vista.  Please contact BMT Support Associate Iris Gonzales to join her “UCSD BMT Southbay Team,” Ext. 26394 or igonzales@ucsd.edu.

If you have any questions about the event, or wish to learn more about the festivities or other teams that are forming, please contact Nancee Whitson, Ext. 26845 or nwhitson@ucsd.edu.

• Do it because … every five minutes, someone in this country is diagnosed with blood cancer.
• Do it because … leukemia is the leading cause of cancer death among children and young adults under the age of 20.
• Do it because … every ten minutes, someone dies of a blood cancer.
• Do it for the more than 712,000 people in the United States and Canada who have blood cancer.

Use your balloon – white for survivors, red for supporters – to Light The Night® for those touched by cancer.

The Test of Taste
If it looks good, tastes even better and is also healthy, you can bet that our on-site “chefs” from the WHEL -- Women's Healthy Eating and Living – Study group can take the credit for generating the wonderful gastronomic delights.  Efforts are led by Vicky Newman, M.S., R.D., Associate Clinical Professor of Family and Preventive Medicine (pictured left), who works with a counseling team to test recipes that are published in the Study newsletters and on the Cancer Center website, as well as used in Study cooking classes. 

Before they are recommended, 7-8 recipes developed by the Study team or adapted from a variety of published sources, are selected each month for testing.   Members of the nutrition team bring the prepared recipes to the Healing Foods Kitchen, present their recipe cooking experience to cancer prevention staff, and answer questions.  Was it easy to make?  Were ingredients easy to find?  Were any substitutions made to enhance the recipe? 

But the best part is the taste test.  Everyone samples each recipe, rates them, and provides written comments.  All feedback is consolidated, assessed, and discussed among the nutrition counselors.  The process is fun, it's festive, and each selection features foods that are promoted as part of a cancer prevention diet.  What a great combination.  

Plans are underway to offer cooking classes in the Healing Foods Kitchen for our patients and staff and the general public, beginning in October.  Look for more information next month. 

Vicky and her colleagues will conduct continuous cooking demonstrations at the upcoming Community Open House on Sept. 10.  Starting at 1 p.m., the following recipes will be available for tasting:

We Grace the Face
Pictures of the Moores UCSD Cancer Center are featured on the “face” of the 2005-2006 UCSD Telephone and Email Directory, scheduled for delivery to all campus and Medical Center locations in October.  Here is your early-bird look.  

Transitions
A new web section is now available in OncLINE, called “Transitions.”  It is a fresh face to the former New Building site – featuring a bit of the same information, but evolving into a handy reference site for contacts and operational issues regarding the facility. 

‘Building Occupants' is an alphabetical listing of people in our building, and is a work in progress.  Not all individuals are currently represented.  Our page is automatically and dynamically driven when information is submitted to the central UCSD database (i.e. Blink).  We wish this list to be an accurate representation of our occupancy, and strongly encourage you to take just a few minutes at thislink to add your information.  It will appear on our site shortly after a 2-stage UCSD review process occurs. 

‘Living in the Building' provides how-to tips about accomplishing certain tasks, such as scheduling repairs, or learning about the scope of work provided by the custodial staff. 

‘Lab and Furniture Central' is a clearinghouse for people in the building who wish to let their neighbors know about furniture and/or lab supply items available to  obtain, trade or release.  This service is intended to help you manage your new space wisely.  Please -- no other types of business or personal items will be accepted for posting at this time. 

It is our goal to update the ‘Floor Plans' section so that you can locate anyone in the building with this visual aid -- protected access would be adopted so that a password is required before someone can find your office.  We'll let you know when this service is available. 

Be sure to bookmarkTransitions for your future use and reference.

Free Prostate Screening in September
Once again, it is time for the Rebecca and John Moores UCSD Cancer Center Prostate Cancer Screenings.  Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men (other than skin cancer), and the second most common cause of cancer-related death in the United States. This year, more than 200,000 men in the U.S. will be diagnosed with prostate cancer. One out of six men will develop prostate cancer at some point during their lifetime.

The screenings, to be held in our new facility, are scheduled for: 

• 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.  Mon., Sept. 12, 2005
• 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.  Tues., Sept. 13, 2005
• 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.  Wed., Sept. 14, 2005

The screening takes a few minutes and consists of a rectal examination and a PSA blood test. All participants will be notified of test results by mail.   Representatives will be on hand to answer questions and light refreshments will be served. For further information, please call 1-800-926-UCSD.   

Kiosk Opens for Business
Great news!  Our on-site food vendor, Come On In, has completed the health inspection of the outside kiosk and will be open for business on Monday, Aug. 22.  The kiosk will be located adjacent to the building entrance, and will provide hot and cold beverages, pastries, sandwiches, and salads.  The Come On In Kiosk can only accept cash until their phone is activated by Pacific Bell, after which they will also accept credit card payments. Let's give them a warm welcome on opening day!

Ask CIS – Month
The following topics were issued by the NCI as part of its information service for friends, family and patients affected by cancer.  These and other topics are located in the Patient Care section of our website.