Oct. 26, 2005 (Vol. 2, No. 4) The LTFU newsletter is sent quarterly to people who have undergone treatment through Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center's transplant program. Read this e-newsletter online at: http://www.fhcrc.org/about/pubs/enews/ltfu-enews/2005-10/ Dear Friends: In this issue of the newsletter, we are honoring a former employee who recently passed away. Many of our former patients will remember Marion McCarty. Marion was an integral part of the transplant program and founder of our Social Work Department. As the mother of one of our early successful transplant patients, she was acutely aware of the needs of the families and patients before, during and after the transplant. If you did not have the pleasure of knowing Marion, we hope that the article about her contributions to the Center's transplant program will give you an appreciation of this remarkable woman. Best regards, Paul Martin, M.D. Director, Long-Term Follow-Up Frequently Asked Questions 1. Is my risk of getting skin cancer increased after transplant? Yes, your risk of skin cancer is increased if you received radiation therapy either as part of the initial treatment or as part of the preparation for the transplant. Read more details at: http://www.fhcrc.org/science/clinical/ltfu/faqs/skin_cancer.html#a 2. What can I do to prevent skin cancer? Avoid excess ultraviolet radiation that comes from the sun, tanning booths or sun lamps. This can be accomplished in several ways: for example, reduce time spent in the sun between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m., when the light is strongest. Read more detatils at: http://www.fhcrc.org/science/clinical/ltfu/faqs/skin_cancer.html#b 3. Is it OK to stop these prevention techniques once I am five years out from my transplant? No, you should continue to practice these protective strategies no matter how long ago you had your transplant. Read more details at: http://www.fhcrc.org/science/clinical/ltfu/faqs/skin_cancer.html#c 4. Where can I get more information on skin cancer? There are many excellent Internet sites with good information on skin cancer. Read more details at: http://www.fhcrc.org/science/clinical/ltfu/faqs/skin_cancer.html#d Patient Profile Steve Ross Conquers his Mountain Imagine standing on top of a remote mountain. Now imagine night falling with a ferocious blizzard approaching. Descending in the dark might be risky, but staying and facing the blizzard would be fatal. That's how Steve Ross pictured his predicament nine years ago as he considered whether to undergo a bone-marrow transplant to treat non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. For more information, go to: http://www.fhcrc.org/patient/patient_stories/steve.html Staff Profile Unforgettable: Marion McCarty There was the encyclopedic memory and the passionate patient advocacy. But first there was Marion McCarty's smile. "When I got there and met her, the first thing I noticed was her smile," said former Center chaplain Percy Randle, recalling his arrival in Seattle in 1983 as a transplant patient. "Marion had the prettiest smile and it was always on her face." For more information, go to: http://www.fhcrc.org/science/clinical/ltfu/staff/mccarty.html Featured Readings Breakthrough for ALL babies Dr. Jean Sanders has treated children with cancer for 30 years, long enough to know a success story when she sees it. She also knows that it takes awhile to change people's minds about what works. What works, Sanders announced in a study published earlier this year, is treating infants with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) in first remission with total-body irradiation followed by a bone-marrow transplant. For more information, go to: http://www.fhcrc.org/science/clinical/ltfu/news/article3.html Educational Events Brown Bag Discussion This group provides peer support and education to participants. All transplant and returning follow-up patients are welcome to attend and share their experiences. Participation can be in person or by conference call. A faculty member will join us one or two weeks a month to provide insight and education on various aspects of the transplant process. This group is co-facilitated by a clinical social worker and an LTFU nurse. Bring your lunch if pressed for time. Space is limited to 50 participants. When: Every Thursday, 12-1 p.m. Where: Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, 825 Eastlake Ave. E., Sixth Floor, Room 23 To participate in the discussion via conference call, dial 1-620-782-8214. At the prompt, enter 19427#. You will be charged a long-distance fee. If you need financial help, we can provide you with a phone card. Questions? Contact Noelle Meluskey at (206) 288-1137. If you have any medical or long-term follow-up questions, call (206) 667-4415. If you have comments or questions about the newsletter or would like to be added to or deleted from our mailing list, contact Kathy Erne at (206) 667-4745 or by e-mail at ltfunews@fhcrc.org. You are also welcome to subscribe to receive an electronic version of the newsletter via e-mail by visiting http://www.fhcrc.org/about/pubs/enews/ltfu-enews/index.html. Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, home of three Nobel laureates, is an independent, nonprofit research institution dedicated to the development and advancement of biomedical technology to eliminate cancer and other potentially fatal diseases. For information on Fred Hutchinson's privacy policy, go to: http://www.fhcrc.org/termsofuse_privacypolicy.html ISSN 1541-7177 Copyright 2005 Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center P.O. Box 19024 Seattle, WA 98109-1024 www.fhcrc.org