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May 3, 2006
(Vol.
3,
No. 2) 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/2006-04/ Dear Friends: Last summer the Hutchinson Center unveiled a tribute to all the patients and families who have contributed to the development of bone-marrow transplantation. This tribute, the Patient Recognition Project, recognizes the courage of these patients and families and acknowledges them as our partners in the development of this treatment. Staff, board members and visitors have a strong visual reminder of what motivates the Center's research. The project reminds all of us of the need to take on the courage, pain, gratitude, dignity and hope of those we have treated as we continue our work to conquer cancer and other diseases. Only in this way can we truly honor the legacy of our patients' contributions. Best regards,Paul Martin, M.D. Director, Long-Term Follow-Up Frequently Asked Questions The history of transplantation Q: What role has Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center played in the development of bone marrow and stem cell transplantation? A: When the Center opened its new facility in 1975, the primary clinical focus was the pioneering work of Dr. E. Donnall Thomas in bone marrow transplantation. Dr. Thomas' work, which was considered radical at the time, had attracted scientists from around the world. Read more details at: http://www.fhcrc.org/science/clinical/ltfu/faqs/transplantation.html#a Q. Who performed the first successful human bone marrow transplant? A: The first successful transplant was performed by Dr. E. Donnall Thomas in Cooperstown, New York in the late 1950s. The transplant involved identical twins, one of which had leukemia. Read more details at: http://www.fhcrc.org/science/clinical/ltfu/faqs/transplantation.html#b Q. When was the first non-twin sibling bone marrow transplant performed? A: It wasn't until 1968, in Minnesota, that the first successful non-twin (allogeneic) transplant was performed. In this case, the donor was a sibling of the patient. Read more details at: http://www.fhcrc.org/science/clinical/ltfu/faqs/transplantation.html#c Q. When was the first unrelated bone marrow transplant performed? A: The first successful unrelated donor transplant took place in 1973 in New York when a young boy with a genetic immunodeficiency disorder received multiple marrow transplants from a donor identified as a match through a blood bank in Denmark. Read more details at: http://www.fhcrc.org/science/clinical/ltfu/faqs/transplantation.html#d Q. How did bone marrow registries develop? A: In 1979, Laura Graves, a patient with leukemia, was referred to Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. Laura did not have a matched donor in her family, so Center staff searched through their database of platelet donors in an attempt to find a match. Read more details at: http://www.fhcrc.org/science/clinical/ltfu/faqs/transplantation.html#e Former Patient Profile Sarah Larson: No fear Twelve-year-old Sarah Larson is a kid you can't help hugging, she's that sweet. She appears the picture of health with her chubby cheeks, peachy skin and joyful smile. And she keeps her poise when the conversation shifts from pets and friends to the grueling year of treatment for acute myelocytic leukemia (AML). For more information, go to: http://www.fhcrc.org/patient/patient_stories/sarah.html Staff Profile Caring for Results More than 35 years into her Hutchinson Center career, Clinical Research Division nurse Jane Jocom is still caring for patients — though not in the same way she did when she began. Jocom, who coordinates clinical trials for stem-cell transplant patients within the Long-Term Follow-Up (LTFU) Program, started out in the 1970s as a nurse in the intensive-care unit in the transplant ward, a position she held for about 10 years. For more information, go to: http://www.fhcrc.org/science/clinical/ltfu/staff/jocom.html Featured Readings Patient Recognition Wall Celebrates You Walk down the main hallway of the Thomas Building at the Hutchinson Center and along one wall you will pass displays celebrating Nobel laureates, corporate donors and special-event fund-raisers. There's the requisite mission statement and institutional description, even a donated sculpture by Rodin. However, just past these is a display that is quite different. The panels and three-dimensional elements on this section of hallway wall congratulate the Center's patients. People like you, those alive and those who have passed on, memorialized for what you — and they — did. For more information, go to: http://www.fhcrc.org/science/clinical/ltfu/news/article5.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 1-620-635-9555. At the prompt to enter a PIN number, enter 368333 followed by the # symbol. You will be charged a long-distance fee. If you need financial help, we can provide you with a phone card. Questions? Contact Long-Term Follow-Up at (206) 667-4415. Questions 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 2006 Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center P.O. Box 19024 Seattle, WA 98109-1024 www.fhcrc.org |