Mays Cancer Center 2017 Annual Report

The SilverLining ANNUAL REPORT 2017

OUR MISSION The mission of the UT Health Cancer Center is to reduce the cancer burden in South Texas through the highest quality cancer care; groundbreaking research aimed at reducing the incidence and mortality of cancer; education of future cancer scientists and clinicians; and cancer prevention programs focused on our unique population.

DIRECTOR

Ruben A. Mesa, M.D., FACP

DEPUTY DIRECTOR Tim H. M. Huang, Ph.D.

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Mary Burch Salwa Choucair Cliff Despres Catherine Duncan Joe Michael Feist Rosanne Fohn Mary Jackson Sheri Ortiz Drew Roy Will Sansom

MANAGING EDITOR Catherine Duncan

DESIGN & PRODUCTION Kris Enders Doyle

PRINTING UT Print

Photos provided by Brandie Jenkins and Noell Vidaurri, Creative Media Services; and Catherine Duncan, Institutional Advancement 7979 Wurzbach Rd. San Antonio, TX 78229 210-450-1000

www.uthealthcancercenter.org

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ABOUT THE COVER No one knows for sure how or why people started making wishes on dandelions.

These flowers have been around for thousands of years, and people have grown and used dandelions for much of that time. Every part of the dandelion has found a unique use.

These hardy members of the sunflower family exist as about 100 different species around the world. Their flowers, leaves, and roots have been used for food and even medicine.

Much more common than these practical uses, though, are the many stories that have been attached to dandelions over the years. In addition to granting wishes, many people believe that dandelion seeds will carry your thoughts and dreams to loved ones as you blow them into the air.

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Español (Spanish)

ATENCIÓN: si habla español, tiene a su disposición servicios gratuitos de asistencia lingüística. Llame al 210-450-6101.

Tiếng Việt (Vietnamese)

CHÚ Ý: Nếu bạn nói Tiếng Việt, có các dịch vụ hỗ trợ ngôn ngữ miễn phí dành cho bạn. Gọi số 210-450-6101.

Research Briefs _____________________________ 27

Meet Ruben Mesa ___________________________ 4 Ruben A. Mesa, M.D. _________________________ 5 William L. Henrich, M.D. ______________________ 6 Ronald Rodriguez, M.D., Ph.D. ________________ 6 Peter Houghton, Ph.D. ________________________6 UT Health Cancer Center to Affiliate with UT MD Anderson Cancer Center ________ 7 UT Health Cancer Center Leadership___________ 8 New Faculty ________________________________ 10 New Cancer Center Members _________________10

Discovery of the Year _______________________ 28

PEOPLE

Research Briefs _____________________________ 29 Clinical Investigator of the Year _______________ 30 Research Briefs _____________________________ 31 Circles of Hope: Donors Join Forces to Support Cutting-Edge Cancer Research _______________ 32

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Drug Review Steps Simplified ________________ 33

GIVING

Riding Rings Around Cancer _________________ 13

SA Cancer Council: A History of Supporting the Cancer Center __________________________ 35

Wellness Team Offers Comprehensive Support to Patients, Their Families___________ 14

SA Cancer Council: Beverly Koehn ____________ 36

Cancer Battle Creates Advocate for Prevention, Health, Wellness ____________ 16

At the UT Health Cancer Center, a devoted team of physicians, nurses, researchers and support staff work tirelessly to make these wishes come true. They help patients and their families in their valiant battles against cancer. The Cancer Center’s wish is to one day eradicate cancer.

The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio (UT Health San Antonio) complies with applicable Federal civil rights laws and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, or sex. UT Health San Antonio does not exclude people or treat them differently because of race, color, national origin, age, disability, or sex. Language assistance services are available to you free of charge. Contact the clinic where you will be treated or call 210-450-6101.

GREETINGS

Federal, State Funding Supports Summer Research __________________ 17 Summer Internship Allows HTU Students to Perform Prostate Cancer Research________ 17 Collaborative Team Fighting Liver Cancer Through Screening, Educating the Public ____ 18 Liver Cancer in Latinos Linked to Contaminated Food ______________ 19

San Antonio Cancer Foundation: Gary Woods ______________________________ 37 Community: Philanthropic Investment in Innovative Idea Leads to Revolutionary Cancer Treatment _________ 38 Community ________________________________ 40 Board of Governors: Lori Wright ______________ 43 Leadership Community Support ______________ 45

Sondra Sugerman Award Winner 2017 John Boswell _______________________________ 20

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SA Cancer Council Volunteer of the Year Carla Bergner ______________________________ 21

RESEARCH Team Uncovers Novel Genetic Changes in Leukemia ________________________________ 23 Researcher Battling Cancer, Diseases

by Deciphering Molecular Mechanisms ________ 24 Research Briefs _____________________________ 25 NCI Awards Cancer Center $9.1 Million to Join Consortium _______________ 26 UT Health Cancer Center

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Meet RUBEN MESA

Ruben A. Mesa, M.D., FACP, most recently served as deputy director of Mayo Clinic Cancer Center in Arizona. He is an international expert on myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs), a group of bone marrow disorders that often lead to leukemia, and brings with him a sizable patient-centered research program.

Dr. Mesa has been involved in MPN research for more than 20 years. He serves as chair of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network’s panel that published the first U.S. guidelines on the diagnosis and treatment of myelofibrosis.

He has been principal investigator or co-principal investigator of more than 70 clinical trials. He was the major research leader contributing to the Food and Drug Administration’s approval of ruxolitinib for polycythemia vera and myelofibrosis. He is currently leading the investigation of several other drugs for these types of cancers.

Earning degrees in nuclear engineering and physiology, with minors in radiation biophysics and bioengineering, from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Dr. Mesa received his medical degree from Mayo Clinic Graduate School at Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science in Rochester, Minnesota. He completed his residency in internal medicine and his fellowship in hematology/medical oncology at Mayo Clinic.

He is a fellow of the American College of Physicians and is certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine in internal medicine and medical oncology.

During his time in Arizona, Dr. Mesa served as chairman of Mayo Clinic’s Division of Hematology and Medical Oncology. Under his leadership, the division doubled its number of physicians, allied health and advancedpractice nursing practitioners while quadrupling its patient care activities and research funding. He was named deputy director in 2012 and developed the largest stem cell transplant program in Arizona. He brought in state-of-the-art proton-beam therapy and maintained the broadest clinical trial portfolio for cancer patients in the state. During that time, Mayo Clinic (Arizona campus) became a partner organization of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network and Association of American Cancer Institutes.

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RUBEN A. MESA, M.D., FACP DIRECTOR, UT HEALTH CANCER CENTER

Mays Family Foundation Distinguished University Presidential Chair Professor of Medicine

A MESSAGE FROM THE DIRECTOR For more than 40 years, our Cancer Center has provided leading care and groundbreaking research, educated generations of cancer specialists and scientists, and, importantly, represented hope for thousands of cancer patients. Today, we are embarking on a new journey through an affiliation with our sister institution, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, to expand and enhance research, therapies and care for patients.

As we launch our affiliation with MD Anderson Cancer Center, it is almost impossible to overstate the importance of this very welcome development for San Antonio and all of South Texas. By combining the expertise of the faculty and staff of both organizations, we are championing health for all.

Through world-class scientific research, health education and exceptional patient-centered care, we will continue to excel as a premier academic cancer center that is transforming health right before our eyes.

We have the extraordinary opportunity to decrease the burden of cancers in our region by expanding treatment for patients suffering from both common and rare cancers, using not only cutting-edge treatment methods but also including a holistic approach to diminish toxicities and augment recovery with evidence-based therapies. Our team of scientists, researchers and doctors are working together to create better ways to

prevent, diagnose, treat and cure cancer, making it unnecessary to drive elsewhere for comprehensive cancer care.

It truly is an exciting time to work at the Cancer Center as our growth opportunities are endless. We want to retain and hire top talent to work for the preferred oncology provider in the region. We want our employees to have a sense of pride in their work and to be recognized for it. In our Cancer Center, I aim for our patients to come first and our faculty and staff to feel deeply valued.

We are extremely grateful for our community’s steadfast and generous support to advance the Cancer Center’s important programs, compassionate patient care and breakthroughs in innovative cancer research and drug development. Because of your continuing support, we are excited about our future and the future of cancer care in San Antonio and South Texas.

Sincerely,

Ruben A. Mesa, M.D., FACP

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A MESSAGE FROM THE INTERIM DEAN WILLIAM L. HENRICH, M.D., MACP PRESIDENT, UT HEALTH SAN ANTONIO

Professor of Medicine

RONALD RODRIGUEZ, M.D., PH.D.

Interim Dean, Joe R. & Teresa Lozano Long School of Medicine Professor of Urology, UT Health San Antonio

The newly named Joe R. & Teresa Lozano School of Medicine is proud of the UT Health Cancer Center and its legacy of world-class cancer care and translational cancer treatment programs. The Cancer Center now is in its 26th year of being recognized as a National Cancer Institute-Designated Cancer Center.

SPECIAL THANKS FROM THE PRESIDENT Thank you for supporting the UT Health Cancer Center and its mission to conquer cancer through research, prevention and treatment.

The Cancer Center has been in the forefront of cancer treatment and research for more than 43 years.

Because of the generous support of individuals, foundations and governmental entities, the Cancer Center has become one of the world’s premier cancer research and treatment centers. The center is dedicated to the development of novel therapies, compassionate and comprehensive care, outreach to diverse communities, prevention of disease, and promotion of wellness.

This past year the Cancer Center team also has been busy overseeing pre-operations preparations for its affiliation with The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. At this time, progress continues on a renovated Patient & Family Welcome Center, an expanded pharmacy, an infusion center designed around patient experience, a diagnostic suite, and a wayfinding system to help patients navigate easily around the center.

I also would like to take this opportunity to welcome the new director, Ruben A. Mesa, M.D., FACP. Dr. Mesa is a warm and engaging physician-researcher who has dedicated his career to being a patient advocate in cancer care. In addition to being a superb leader, he is an internationally renowned researcher involved in more than 70 clinical trials that has led to obtaining Food and Drug Administration approval on several new cancer drugs. Please join me in welcoming him here.

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This NCI designation is maintained by only four centers in Texas – with ours being the sole one in South and Central Texas. An NCI-Designated Cancer Center is recognized for scientific leadership, resources, and the depth and breadth of its research in basic, clinical and/or population science. Our ability to retain this designation is proof of the incredible dedication of our physicians, researchers, nurses and supporting team members.

WELCOME FROM THE DIRECTOR OF THE GREEHEY CHILDREN’S CANCER RESEARCH INSTITUTE PETER HOUGHTON, PH.D.

Director, Greehey Children’s Cancer Research Institute Greehey Distinguished Chair for the Children’s Cancer Research Institute

The Greehey Children’s Cancer Research Institute (GCCRI) was named in recognition of a transformational gift of $25 million from Bill Greehey and the Greehey Family Foundation in 2007. The Greehey Institute is one of only two research centers in the nation dedicated solely to childhood cancer research.

Our mission is to advance scientific knowledge relevant to childhood cancer and to accelerate the translation of knowledge into novel therapies. The Greehey Institute contributes substantially to understanding the causes of childhood cancer, and our scientists are focused on investigator-initiated trials in pediatric cancer that advance the field and help train the next generation of leaders.

The GCCRI adds a unique distinction to the UT Health Cancer Center, and we look forward to expanded opportunities for collaboration in the future. We are also grateful to the many community leaders who support our unique mission through their generous gifts to the Ambassadors’ Circle and other programs.

UT Health Cancer Center to Affiliate with The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center The UT Health Cancer Center’s mission is to diminish the burden of cancer in San Antonio and South Texas through innovative cancer prevention, early detection, breakthrough research and treatment.

Our affiliation with our sister institution, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, will help deepen and enrich our ability to deliver cancer care for both common and rare cancers using state-of-the-art methods – meaning people can stay in San Antonio for world-class cancer care.

This affiliation allows us to expand on our cancer care services to treat more patients, provide greater access to the finest cancer research and clinical trial protocols, and recruit and retain new researchers, faculty and staff. At the same time, we will bolster our patient-centered care environments and supporting survivorship care programs.

In the coming months, we will begin to implement phase one of developing integrated cancer care services across five of our cancer practice service lines: Breast Cancer, Head and Neck Cancer, Neuro-Oncology, Gastrointestinal (GI) Cancers, and Genitourinary (GU) Cancers, including prostate, kidney and bladder. By doing so, we will improve outcomes for cancer care delivery by enhancing quality outcomes for cancer patients, increasing the breadth and availability of services, and consolidating operations into a consistent framework.

In addition, the UT Health Cancer Center and the MD Anderson affiliation will improve efficiency for a better continuum of care. This aligns with the vision of UT System Chancellor Bill McRaven to create a “quantum leap” by building collaborative teams of UT System institutions based on the respective strengths and expertise of each institution.

The UT Health Cancer Center team in San Antonio is overseeing the renovation and relocation of the Family Center, the creation of a Welcome Center, renovation of an expanded and more efficient pharmacy, an infusion center designed around the patient experience, a diagnostic suite, and a wayfinding system to help patients more easily navigate the center. When these projects are completed, the Cancer Center will begin offering collaborative services.

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SENIOR LEADERSHIP

Ruben Mesa, M.D., FACP Director, UT Health Cancer Center

SCIENTIFIC PROGRAM LEADERS

Amelie Ramirez, Dr. P.H. Associate Director for Population Sciences

Gail Tomlinson, M.D., Ph.D. Population Science & Prevention Co-Leader

Pratap Kumar, Ph.D. Population Science & Prevention Co-Leader

Tim H. M. Huang, Ph.D. Deputy Director

Luzhe Sun, Ph.D. Associate Director for Basic Research

Andrew Brenner, M.D., Ph.D. Experimental and Developmental Therapeutics Co-Leader

Tyler Curiel, M.D., Ph.D. Experimental and Developmental Therapeutics Co-Leader

Virginia Kaklamani, M.D., D.Sc. Associate Director for Clinical Research

Susan Padalecki, Ph.D. Associate Director for Research Administration

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Robin Leach, Ph.D. Associate Director for Scientific Development

Robert Svatek, M.D. Experimental and Developmental Therapeutics Co-Leader

Rong Li, Ph.D. Cancer Development and Progression Co-Leader

Ratna Vadlamudi, Ph.D. Cancer Development and Progression Co-Leader

LEADERSHIP Peter Houghton, Ph.D. Director, Greehey Children’s Cancer Research Institute

FLOW CYTOMETRY Michael Berton, Ph.D. Director

Stephanie Shelton Administrator, UT Health Cancer Center, ad interim Associate Director, Finance and Administration, Radiation Oncology

Karla Gorena Technical Director

Ivan Reveles, Pharm.D. Pharmacy Supervisor Mariana Cagle Manager, Pharmacokinetics Laboratory Elizabeth Thompson Manager, Pathology Laboratory Mary Burch Senior Director, Development Sheri Ortiz Senior Director, Development Cynthia Smith Director, Financial Operations Melissa Nashawati Director, Quality Assurance Division Richard Markow Director, Special Events Mary Salazar, APRN-BC Adult Nurse Practitioner Medical Oncology Clinical Administrative Director, ad interim

GENOMICS Robin Leach, Ph.D. Director Teresa Johnson-Pais, Ph.D. Co-Director Mandy Hinojosa Research Associate MACROMOLECULAR STRUCTURE & INTERACTIONS Dmitri Ivanov, Ph.D. Director, MSISR, NMR P. John Hart, Ph.D. Co-Director, X-ray Eileen Lafer, Ph.D. Co-Director, MMI Kristen Cano, Ph.D. Technical Director, NMR Alex Taylor, Ph.D. Technical Director, X-ray Liping Wang, Ph.D. Technical Director, MMI

SHARED RESOURCES

MASS SPECTROMETRY Susan Weintraub, Ph.D. Director

BIOSTATISTICS Jonathan Gelfond, M.D., Ph.D. Director

Sam Pardo Research Core Facility Technologist-Sr.

Joel Michalek, Ph.D. Co-Director

Dana Molleur Research Core Facility Technologist

NEXT GENERATION SEQUENCING AND BIOINFORMATICS Zhao Lai, Ph.D. Co-Director, Sequencing

Yidong Chen, Ph.D. Co-Director, Bioinformatics Dawn Garcia Technical Director, Sequencing OPTICAL IMAGING James Lechleiter, Ph.D. Director Exing Wang, Ph.D. Co-Director

Jimmy Wewer Imaging Technologist

MULTIDISCIPLINARY CLINIC LEADERS Virginia Kaklamani, M.D., D.Sc. Breast Center John Sarantopoulos, M.D. Cutaneous Oncology Sukeshi Arora, M.D. Gastrointestinal Oncology Robert Svatek, M.D. Genitourinary Oncology Georgia McCann, M.D. Gynecologic Oncology Anand Karnad, M.D. Thoracic, Head & Neck Oncology

Anand Karnad, M.D. Hematologic Malignancies Andrew Brenner, M.D., Ph.D. Neuro-Oncology Anne-Marie Langevin, M.D. Pediatric Hematology/Oncology John Sarantopoulos, M.D. Phase 1 Oncology Anand Karnad, M.D. Sarcoma

Randal A. Otto, M.D., FACS Professor and Chairman, Otolaryngology Frank Miller, M.D., FACS Professor and Deputy Chairman, Otolaryngology Director, Head and Neck Surgery Glenn A. Halff, M.D. Director, UT Transplant Center and Professor, Surgery David F. Jimenez, M.D. Chairman, Neurosurgery

Laura Tenner, M.D. Special Populations

Robert H. Quinn, M.D. Professor and Chairman, Department of Orthopaedics

DEPARTMENT/ DIVISION CHAIRS Pam Otto, M.D. Professor and Chairman, Radiology John H. Calhoon, M.D. Professor and Chairman, Cardiothoracic Surgery W. Brian Reeves. M.D. Professor and Chairman, Medicine Ismail Jatoi, M.D., Ph.D. Professor and Chief, Surgical Oncology & Endocrine Surgery Chul S. Ha, M.D. Professor and Chairman, Radiation Oncology Steve Kraus, M.D. Professor and Acting Chairman, Urology Deborah L. Conway, M.D. Associate Professor and Interim Chairman Obstetrics & Gynecology

Anne-Marie Langevin, M.D. Professor, Pediatric Hematology/ Oncology Gail Tomlinson, M.D., Ph.D. Chief, Pediatric Hematology/ Oncology Interim Chair, Pediatrics Howard T. Wang, M.D. Chief, Division of Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery Anand Karnad, M.D. Chief, Hematology/Oncology John Sarantopoulos, M.D. Interim Director, Institute for Drug Development Sandra S. Osswald, M.D. Chief, Dermatology and Cutaneous Surgery

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NEW CANCER CENTER FACULTY Elizabeth Bowhay-Carnes, M.D. Assistant Professor/Clinical Department of Medicine Division of Hematology/Oncology Clinical specialties: Hematology/ oncology, internal medicine, cancers of the blood, non-malignant disorders of the blood, and cancer of the soft tissue or bone.

Sherri Cervantez, M.D. Assistant Professor/Clinical Department of Medicine Division of Hematology/Oncology Clinical specialties: Lung cancers, head and neck cancers, and palliative oncology. She also serves as director of Palliative Oncology.

Xiao-Dong Li, Ph.D., M.D. Assistant Professor Department of Microbiology, Immunology & Molecular Genetics Research interests: Amplifying the immune system response to cancerous tumors.

Myron Ignatius, Ph.D. Assistant Professor Greehey Children’s Cancer Research Institute Research interests: Novel treatments in relapsed pediatric cancer by defining tumor heterogeneity and its effects on self-renewal and metastasis.

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Mio Kitano, M.D. Assistant Professor/Clinical Department of Medicine Division of Surgical Oncology & Endocrine Surgery Clinical specialties: Surgical management of both benign and malignant thyroid and parathyroid tumors, adrenal and neuroendocrine tumors, and gastrointestinal malignancies, including those of the stomach, small bowel, colon and pancreas.

Katsumi Kitagawa, Pharm.D., Ph.D. Associate Professor Department of Molecular Medicine Research interests: Neocentromere formation and resistance to cancer therapy

Elizabeth Leadbetter, Ph.D. Associate Professor Department of Microbiology, Immunology & Molecular Genetics Research interests: Enhancing the immune system’s “memory” to identify and attack cancer

NEW CANCER CENTER MEMBERS Ann Griffith, Ph.D. Assistant Professor Department of Microbiology, Immunology & Molecular Genetics Alexei Tumanov, M.D., Ph.D. Associate Professor Department of Microbiology, Immunology & Molecular Genetics Dimpy Shah, M.D., Ph.D. Assistant Professor Department of Epidemiology & Biostatistics Gangadhara Sareddy, Ph.D. Assistant Professor Department of Reproductive Research Yogesh Gupta, Ph.D. Assistant Professor Department of Biochemistry Corey Sparks, Ph.D. Associate Professor Department of Demography/UTSA Robert Taft, D.D.S. Professor and Chair Department of Comprehensive Dentistry School of Dentistry Savitri Singh-Carlson, Ph.D., RN Vice Dean of Faculty Affairs and Diversity School of Nursing David Morilak, Ph.D. Professor Department of Pharmacology

Cancer Center by the Numbers Did you know…

UT Health Cancer Center physicians subspecialize in specific cancers to create targeted therapies? our Cancer Center has 105 full members and 54 associate members all focused on finding new and better ways to prevent, understand and treat cancer?

UT Health Cancer Center has more than 180 clinical trials open to patients each year?

Cancer Center members secured more than $40 million in extramural grants in 2017?

UT Health Cancer Center physicians cared for more than 25,000 patients in 2017? our Cancer Center cared for more than 3,500 newly diagnosed cancer patients in the last year?

UT Health Cancer Center patients are evaluated in multidisciplinary clinics, allowing for input from numerous specialties at one time? our Cancer Center supports eight shared resource laboratories that provide our scientists with access to state-of-the-art technology to assist with their research? last year, the UT Health Cancer Center offered more than 1,300 patients the opportunity to participate in clinical trials­—where the newest life-saving therapeutics and techniques are tested and developed?

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Cancer Center members

180+

Open clinical trials

1,300+

Accrual to clinical trials

3,500+

New patients

Use of funds by type: Clinical & Research Faculty/Staff Technology & Equipment Education & Administration Other

38% 41% 15% 6%

Funding source:

Patient Care Research Grants & Contracts Community Support Other

UT Health Cancer Center

50% 36% 10% 4%

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Riding Rings Around Cancer Allan Kokinda is no ordinary cancer survivor. He has withstood every blow this disease can deliver: 34 operations, numerous chemotherapy sessions, and endless setbacks.

had bigger dreams. The motorcycle repairman retrofitted his bike for an epic journey, one that would take him from San Antonio up to Niagara Falls on the Canadian border. He changed to bigger tires and high-tech gear.

The 54-year-old from San Antonio was diagnosed in 2007 with osteosarcoma, a rare form of bone cancer that attacked his head. For eight agonizing years, he battled the disease that changed his appearance. “It just wore me out,” Kokinda recalls.

“I had no energy. I had gained a lot of weight because I was inactive.” He remembers that despair was his constant companion during his journey.

Kokinda plotted a route that would take him through 24 states. He would ride through portions of the United States that he had never seen, including 18 national parks. He added a couple of saddlebags to his bike.

He stuffed the bags with provisions, a change of clothes and camping gear. After a chat with his family, Kokinda began his solo adventure across America.

It took him four days just to leave Texas. He kept pedaling until he had racked up 7,052 miles during his four-month journey that included Canada and the Great Lakes. Along the way, he camped out wherever he could, including areas near churches or city halls. During his journey, he met many other cancer survivors who also shared their experiences.

He praises the doctors at the UT Health Cancer Center who treated his disease. “They were great every step of the way,” he says. “I won’t forget the day they told me I was cancer free.”

Kokinda received the good news in 2015.

During his exhaustive treatments, Allan often daydreamed about once again riding his bicycle.

During his time in high school and college, his bicycle was his only mode of transportation because he had no car. Before battling cancer, he was an active motorcyclist.

He figured he could recapture the joy of bicycling with the added benefit of healthy exercise.

Kokinda began riding his bike around San Antonio. Cycling was not only cathartic, but he lost 50 pounds in the process. He was eating better, too, thanks to recommendations from the Cancer Center’s dietitian.

Then he decided to bike to the Big Bend area near El Paso, a daunting challenge of some 500 miles.

After successfully completing the trip, Kokinda

“When I told them my story, they were amazed,” he says. “I hope it was an inspiration to other people.

That was one of my motivations for doing this.”

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IT TAKES A VILLAGE

(L-R) Francisco Salazar, Cheryl Arce, Lupita Martinez, Victor Correa, Breanna Price, Wade Marrs, Mary Jackson and Carol Sherman (Not pictured: George Longoria, Jasmin Perez, Jeslina Raj)

Wellness Team Offers Comprehensive Support to Patients, Their Families Mary Jackson, RN, and her team are devoted to helping patients during their cancer journey. A cancer diagnosis is devastating to the individual and his or her family because of the emotional, financial and physical toll it takes.

Jackson has 42 years of nursing experience with 18 years in support services.

As director of Patient and Family Services and manager of the Wellness Program, she leads services and coordinates projects to assist patients and their families throughout all stages of a cancer diagnosis — from cancer prevention to hospice and bereavement care. Survivorship, caregiving and improving quality of life are special areas of interest for her.

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Licensed Social Workers Lupita Martinez, M.S.W., and Carol Sherman, M.S.W., help patients navigate treatment and offer direction and support to patients and their families. Martinez has been at the Cancer Center for 15 years, while Sherman joined the team about a year ago. Prior to coming to the Cancer Center, Sherman worked as a hospice social worker for 19 years.

Both are compassionate caregivers who provide comfort by listening to each patient and then working to address whatever challenges he or she is facing.

The social workers are available to identify resources, make referrals and take an active role in helping patients overcome barriers to care.

Victor Correa is the coordinator for housing and transportation and has been working with patients at the Cancer Center for more than 19 years.

He works with the American Cancer Society, Thrivewell Foundation, and other nonprofits to help patients secure adequate lodging nearby while they are being treated here. Since many of patients travel long distances to be

(L-R) Lupita Martinez and Carol Sherman

emotional toll cancer has on them and their families. Dr. Raj says psychotherapy helps patients cope with their diagnosis and handle concerns such as depression, anxiety, anger and confusion that may result from news of their diagnosis. “An important aspect of therapy is to help patients address and cope with any life changes resulting from the treatment process.

Family therapy helps family members cope with the situation, learn how to better support the cancer-stricken patient, manage varied emotions they may feel such as grief, anger, stress and sadness and address any areas of conflict, which may likely arise in a difficult time,” she said.

treated and are unfamiliar with the city, his job is especially important. Correa also arranges angel flights for emergency situations. He coordinates transportation for local patients who are unable to get to and from their treatments.

Jackson said, “Dr. Raj has been a wonderful addition to our team because our patients and their families deal with so many emotional challenges. Dr. Raj is able to help them face the many obstacles that come their way.”

The Cancer Center’s two vans, driven each day by George Longoria, Jasmin Perez and Francisco Salazar, are provided through the generous support of the SA Cancer Council. Longoria and Perez have been transporting patients for more than 15 years each. The trio also serve as valets to our patients who are coming for their appointments. Courier Wade Marrs has been transporting labs to and from the Cancer Center for more than 20 years.

Administrative Assistant Cheryl Arce keeps this team organized by staying on top of the many activities and schedules that occur simultaneously. Her compassion and warm smile greet every patient who enters the Wellness Center.

Registered Dietitian Breanna Price has been at the Cancer Center for two years. She previously worked with inpatients at a local hospital. Price enjoys spending time with patients helping them understand the impact healthy food choices have on their recovery. One of her favorite roles is educating tube feeding patients and providing hands-on demonstrations prior to their surgery. “The most rewarding part of my job is working with patients here at the Cancer Center,” she says, “whether it is managing nutrition related symptoms they are experiencing or providing them with supplements to help them stop weight loss. Helping each patient is rewarding. I am fortunate to work in an area that is supported by generous grants and donors that provide funding to help patients with these critical nutritional needs.

Jeslina Raj, Psy.D., a licensed clinical psychologist, is available for patients struggling to deal with the

The Wellness Center offers patients educational lectures by medical professionals and community experts on topics such as prevention, symptom management, integrative therapies, treatment options, new research and more. Exercise and movement classes are also offered. Creative outlets can help cancer patients and family members cope with stress related to a cancer diagnosis. Activities offered provide nonverbal outlets for the expression of feelings, promote relaxation, and improve the person’s sense of well-being.

Victor Correa and Cheryl Arce

(Above) Jasmin Perez (Below) Breanna Price

Volunteers play a key role at the Cancer Center. They greet arriving patients, help medical personnel stock supplies, give patients a listening ear during their treatments, and support the work of the Wellness Center.

Patients at UT Health Cancer Center are not only supported by outstanding physicians and medical professionals, they are cared for by the devoted team of professionals in the Patient and Family Services area. These caregivers work alongside cancer patients to help them address the myriad issues faced during their fight against cancer. The Wellness Program team ensures that our patients and their families receive the best care possible for a better quality of life.

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Cancer Battle Creates Advocate for Prevention, Health, Wellness President and CEO of Texas Public Radio Joyce Slocum does not let cancer define her. An agonizing stomach ache more than two years ago kept her awake one night and led to a stage 3 colon cancer diagnosis, but today she is more than a cancer survivor. Today, she is an advocate for cancer prevention and health and wellness.

“If you were told years ago you had cancer, it was pretty much a death sentence, and it is still serious business, but I decided early on that I did not want my identity to be limited to someone who had cancer,” says Slocum, a community leader whose law career spans more than three decades. “I do not want my identity now to be ‘cancer survivor,’ because I’m more than that.

“People don’t talk about being a ‘pneumonia survivor.’ I had a serious illness.

I also had fabulous doctors and other health care professionals who told me what I needed to do to address this illness and what they told me to do was very effective. I am now a very healthy person.

“I do advocate, however. I will tell someone sitting next to me on a plane to go and have a colonoscopy, because one of the best tools our health providers have is early detection. They cannot make you get the colonoscopy. Your doctor can recommend it all day long, but if you don’t go do it, it’s not going to happen.

I am an advocate for people being proactive in their own health. That is what I’ve taken away from my experience.”

Slocum, 60, is also an advocate of the UT Health Cancer Center which is the region’s only National Cancer Institute-Designated Cancer Center. This NCI designation means the center has been carefully examined, tested and audited by the NCI and found to offer a comprehensive approach to all aspects of cancer, including new and improved ways to diagnose, prevent and treat cancer. With only 69 NCI-designated cancer centers in the United States, the San Antonio community is fortunate to have one in its own backyard with three more in Texas.

Within a few days of her initial cancer diagnosis, Slocum found herself looking for advice when it came to a treatment plan. Through her work at TPR, she had met several leaders from UT Health including President William L. Henrich, M.D., whom she contacted, and she found herself at the Cancer Center where she was introduced to a team of health care providers ready to guide her through her treatment options.

It turns out the stomach ache was an unusual sign for colon cancer which is known as the silent killer. According to Laura Tenner, M.D., assistant professor of hematology/oncology and Slocum’s oncologist, common symptoms of colon cancer are anemia and bleeding with stools, but for the most part, colon cancer does not present itself with symptoms until very late in its course.

“When most people are diagnosed with colon cancer, it is pretty shocking, and you never think it is going to happen to you, personally,” says Dr. Tenner who specializes in cancer of the gastrointestinal tract. “I think a lot of people end up feeling a little lost and confused about where to go first, and they reach out to friends and family for recommendations. As the only NCIDesignated Cancer Center in South Texas, we not only provide care for our patients, we also have more options in terms of clinical trials and therapies from which they can participate.”

Slocum participated in a clinical trial with Dr. Tenner involving medications to decrease the chance of colon cancer recurrence. Depending on the stage in which diagnosed, patients with colon cancer have a higher chance of the cancer recurring.

From the physical and emotional to the financial strains that often accompany a cancer diagnosis, patients at the Cancer Center are treated not only for their diagnoses, but for how that diagnosis affects every aspect of their lives.

“There is a lot to cancer,” Dr. Tenner says. “It is not just about treating the cancer, but looking at the person as a whole; I think we really try to do this at UT Health. We offer a lot of other services including nutrition and social work, financial and emotional counseling, support groups and more. We care for the entire patient.”

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Federal, State Funding Supports Summer Research This summer an impressive group of nearly 50 high school and college students participated in cancer research. The sixweek research program was led by faculty at the UT Health Cancer Center.

Robin Leach, Ph.D., professor of cell systems and anatomy, stands on the steps of the Greehey Children’s Cancer Research Institute with high school and college students who participated in a summer research program.

The program included students funded by two federal organizations: the National Cancer Institute and the U.S. Department of Defense-Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program on Prostate Cancer. State funding came from Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT), San Antonio Life Science Institute (SALSI) and the Greehey Children’s Cancer Research Institute (GCCRI).

Summer Internship Allows HTU Students to Perform Prostate Cancer Research Robin Leach, Ph.D., associate director of scientific development at the UT Health Cancer Center, was awarded a U.S. Department of Defense grant that is a collaborative effort between UT Health San Antonio and Huston-Tillotson University (HTU) in Austin.

The federal grant allows HTU students the opportunity to participate in an exciting 10-week summer research internship program at the UT Health Cancer Center, a National Cancer InstituteDesignated Cancer Center. The students perform state-of-the-art prostate cancer research in many focus areas, including biomarkers, genetics, tumor biology, therapy and imaging.

Summer intern Darrion Jemerson, who was honored for making the best poster presentation, discusses his research findings at the end of the 10-week program.

Dr. Leach, professor of cell systems and anatomy and urology at UT Health, said one goal of the program is to encourage students to learn about the

graduate school experience and to equip them with research skills that will allow them to undertake careers in biomedical research focused on the field of prostate cancer.

This unique program matches each undergraduate trainee from HTU with a UT Health cancer researcher.

Participants engaged in research as part of an ongoing cancer research project, attended weekly scientific enrichment seminars, and went on tours of various research facilities.

The undergraduate students completed their summer experience by presenting the research to fellow students and faculty. An award was given for the best presentation. This year’s presentation winner was Darrion Jemerson who presented the results of his summer research at the poster session.

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HCV

STOP HCC

Collaborative Team Fighting Liver Cancer through Screening, Educating the Public A team of researchers and physicians from UT Health San Antonio and its sister institution, UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, are working together to fight hepatocellular cancer – which most commonly occurs in people with liver disease, particularly those with chronic hepatitis B and C – by creating a program to educate and screen the public.

With a $1.49 million grant from the Cancer Prevention & Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT), the Center for Research to Advance Community Health (ReACH) strives to Screen, Treat or Prevent Hepatocellular Cancer or STOP HCC by screening baby boomers for hepatitis C, developing an educational and community collaboration, practicing transformation, and increasing policy advocacy. ReACH is a multidisciplinary collaboration of researchers and clinicians from UT Health and UT Southwestern.

The goal is to decrease the rate of liver cancer, which is now a national crisis. The number of deaths caused by this disease is on the rise in the United States and is projected to continue to increase. New liver cancer cases increased by 38 percent in the last decade. Death rates have increased by 56 percent with more than 27,000 individuals dying each year.

Hepatitis B and C cause liver cancer. In fact, about 80 percent to 95 percent of all liver cancer cases are related to hepatitis B or C viruses. Most people do

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not know they have these viruses and do not receive treatment that can help prevent them from developing liver cancer.

Laura Tenner, M.D., a hematologist/oncologist at the Cancer Center and a member of the team, said, “By educating our community about ways to prevent and treat hepatitis C, we are optimistic that we will halt the alarming increase in liver cancer cases and, one day, see these numbers start to decline.”

STOP HCC INCLUDES: Offering education about the epidemic of hepatitis C and hepatocellular cancer, implementing preventive screening, and providing management for patients who are chronically infected.

Operating in primary care settings across South Texas and the Dallas region, building strong systems at each site for maintaining preventive screening, and delivering high-quality care for the chronically infected.

Providing physicians and staff with in-depth training and education about hepatitis C and hepatocellular cancer, emphasizing the importance of early detection, and explaining pathways to effective treatment for insured and uninsured patients.

Promoting public dialogue about this prevalent, dangerous and often-overlooked disease through an array of educational initiatives across the South Texas and Dallas regions.

For more information visit: www.stophepatitisc.com

Liver Cancer in Latinos Linked to Contaminated Food

Their 2014 study found that liver cancer incidence rates were 3.1 higher in men and 4 times higher in women than their non-Latino White counterparts.

South Texas Latinos had even higher rates.

Liver cancer risk factors may include:

Even as U.S. cancer rates decline, liver cancer rates remain on the rise, especially among Latinos.

But why?

A new UT Health San Antonio study found that Latinos with liver cancer had much higher levels of aflatoxins than those without liver cancer. Aflatoxins are cancer-causing chemicals produced by mold that can contaminate improperly stored foods.

People can ingest aflatoxins in contaminated corn, nuts, rice, sesame seeds, wheat, and some spices.

Dr. Amelie Ramirez

For the study, researchers gauged aflatoxin exposure in 42 liver cancer cases and 42 non-cases from clinics in San Antonio. Two-thirds of the pairs were Latinos.

Liver cancer cases had 6 times higher odds of having detectable levels of aflatoxins in their blood, compared to non-cases.

“This study means that Latinos have unique exposures that put them at higher risk for liver cancer,” said study leader Amelie G. Ramirez, Dr.P.H. Dr. Ramirez serves as associate director for population sciences for the Cancer Center. She also is director of the Institute for Health Promotion Research at UT Health San Antonio.

• diabetes and obesity, • hepatitis, • genetic predisposition, and • environmental contamination and hazards along the Texas-Mexico border, such as aflatoxin exposure.

Dr. Ramirez plans to continue examining the causes and potential solutions.

“Understanding the causes of increasing liver cancer in South Texas is critical.

We must develop interventions and identify high-risk individuals who may be screened and treated with the best available care,” she said.

Other UT Health San Antonio researchers contributed to the new study, including: Edgar Muñoz, Dorothy Long Parma, Joel Michalek and Alan Holden. Brad Pollock of The University of California, Davis, and Timothy Phillips of Texas A&M University also contributed.

Dr. Ramirez holds the Dielmann Chair in Health Disparities Research and Community Outreach, the Henry B. Dielmann Distinguished University Chair, and the Max & Minnie Tomerlin Voelcker Endowed Chair in Cancer Health Disparities & Outreach at the Cancer Center.

The study, published in the journal Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology, is the first to link liver cancer with aflatoxin exposure among Latinos.

Dr. Ramirez and her team previously found that Latinos in South Texas have the highest rate of liver cancer in the nation.

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Sondra Sugerman Award Winner 2017 Honoring an Outstanding Volunteer

JOHN BOSWELL John David Boswell was born and raised in Dallas, graduated with honors from Highland Park High School, and graduated cum laude from The University of Texas at Austin with bachelor’s and master’s degrees in history and political science. Following his graduation, Boswell married a high school and college classmate, Anne. The couple have two children. Following a tour in Vietnam, Lt. Boswell returned to Dallas to begin a career in banking, which brought the family to San Antonio in 1985.

Life in San Antonio opened up not only a fine career, but, through his involvement with Leadership San Antonio, Boswell became a dedicated volunteer. An avid tennis player, he coached a Saturday team at Edison High School, and also served on the board of San Antonio Youth Literacy.

After 30 years in the banking industry, Boswell retired to begin his second career as an adjunct professor of history at various colleges and

universities in San Antonio. His boundless energy included taking courses in art history and regularly attending UT’s alumni college.

Boswell’s appreciation of The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center began with his wife Anne’s diagnosis of cancer. Frequent stays in Houston gave Boswell firsthand knowledge of the care and dedication of cancer therapy volunteers who lovingly attended to both of their needs.

After Anne’s passing, he continued his teaching schedule, and began a new volunteer opportunity with the Memorial Service Honor Guard at Fort Sam Houston. These men perform the honors due a veteran, including gun salutes and flag folding for family members.

He courted and later married his second wife, another Highland Park classmate, Garda. Now married 11 years, Garda has watched him tirelessly give his time and efforts to others. He regularly gives lectures on historical, literary and entertainment topics to the Oasis Lecture Series, in addition to his self-scheduled volunteer career at the UT Health Cancer Center.

Boswell’s love of UT and his admiration for the care given to Anne inspired his interest, then dedication, to the UT Health Cancer Center Volunteer Program. His diligence, organizational skills, and desire for structure have been keynotes to his continuing excitement about the Cancer Center, its patients, nursing staff and volunteers.

His cheerful and modest demeanor shines through his personal experience with cancer to his dedication that enhances the experience of patients, nurses and supervisors. In honor of his legacy of volunteerism, Boswell has been awarded the Sondra Sugarman Award for 2017.

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SA Cancer Council Volunteer of the Year

CARLA BERGNER Carla Bergner is an exceptionally dedicated volunteer. She served as the SA Cancer Council’s vice president of patient services. Bergner was extremely visible in this capacity, searching for ways to improve patients’ access to care.

As a very hands-on volunteer, she looked for ways she could contribute in a meaningful manner. She first stepped up at the UT Health Cancer Center to become an Information Desk volunteer, welcoming patients and helping them find the resources they needed.

During this period, Bergner discovered that many patients suffered from a lack of basic necessities, including food.

She and B.J. Mamuzic, a friend and fellow SA Cancer Council member, reached out to the San Antonio Food Bank to explore the possibilities of developing a partnership to better serve the needs of Cancer Center patients.

Bergner and Mamuzic’s initiative and tenacious advocacy led to the development of the first medically based food pantry in San Antonio.

Bergner did not rest on her laurels; she wanted the pantry to succeed and knew that it would necessitate the manpower to sustain the service. This was no small feat. It required not only a considerable time commitment but organizational skills, managerial talent, physical strength and a large vehicle.

She has kept the food pantry stocked for the past three-plus years. She maintains the pantry’s inventory, communicates with staff about what needs to be ordered, organizes a team of volunteers to help with restocking the pantry, purchases the boxes to pack the food, drives to the San Antonio Food Bank to pick up the orders, loads and transports the food (sometimes in excess of 600 pounds), labels all the food items with expiration dates, stocks the pantry shelves, and packs food boxes for needy patients. She does all this at least once a month.

And, she is not shy about asking for help. To get the job done, she has enlisted the assistance of her husband, neighbor and even her neighbor’s son, not to mention many SA Cancer Council members. Her commitment to helping Cancer Center patients is amazing. Bergner’s efforts make a huge difference in the lives of our patients and their families!

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TEAM UNCOVERS NOVEL GENETIC CHANGES IN LEUKEMIA UT Health Cancer Center researchers discovered epigenetic changes that contribute to one-fifth of the cases of acute myeloid leukemia (AML), an aggressive cancer that arises out of the blood-forming cells in bone marrow.

The mutations also play a role in a large majority of low-grade gliomas, which are among the most-treatable brain tumors.

The Cancer Center scientists describe the finding in the May 2017 issue of Cancer Cell.

“The best way to treat a cancer is to understand it,” said Ricardo C.T. Aguiar, M.D., Ph.D., professor of medicine at UT Health San Antonio. “We have added to the understanding of a broad swath of cancers that carry what is called the IDH mutation.”

CANCERS CLASSIFIED BY GENETIC DEFECT Dr. Aguiar, a hematology-oncology researcher at the Cancer Center, is senior author of the study. He said in the future cancers will be classified not by where they are located but by their genetic defect – such as the IDH mutation. IDH is short for isocitrate dehydrogenase.

The UT Health team found that IDH mutations alter an epigenetic process called RNA methylation, which leads to deregulation of hundreds of other genes and processes inside the tumor cell.

CHANGES THAT AMPLIFY – OR SILENCE – GENES Epigenetic modifications change gene activity but don’t structurally change the body’s genetic blueprints. Diet, aging, environmental exposure and other factors can prompt epigenetic changes that amplify or silence certain genes.

A drug that inhibits the IDH mutant enzymes is in non-UT Health-related clinical trials. The UT Health discovery provides evidence for why the drug may help patients with AML and low-grade gliomas.

A DIFFICULT-TO-TREAT FORM OF LEUKEMIA “Acute myeloid leukemia remains a very difficult-to-treat tumor and, unfortunately, the majority of patients still die of their disease,” said Dr. Aguiar, a former Voelcker Young Investigator. “In this paper, in

Ricardo C.T. Aguiar, M.D., Ph.D.

addition to sophisticated genetic models created in our lab, we also studied primary AML samples to demonstrate that, in the very IDH-mutant tumors from the patients, we detected this change in RNA methylation. By better understanding how the IDH-dependent cancers work, we may be able to finetune future therapies and improve survival.”

The work in Dr. Aguiar’s lab was co-led by postdoctoral fellow Sara Elkashef, Ph.D., and Research Scientist An-Ping Lin, M.D. Patricia Dahia, M.D., Ph.D., professor of medicine at UT Health San Antonio, and Heinz Sill, M.D., University of Graz, Austria, collaborated with Dr. Aguiar’s group in this project.

This research was funded by an award from the Cancer Prevention & Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT). Dr. Aguiar is also funded by the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

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Researcher Battling Cancer, Diseases

By Deciphering Molecular Mechanisms One out of every eight women in the United States will develop invasive breast cancer during her lifetime.

In 70 percent of these women, hormone therapy provides the best treatment option. However, this treatment stops working in more than 30 percent of patients after five years, Dr. Zhijie “Jason” Liu and the cancer returns.

Ground-breaking research to target this problem is being conducted currently at the UT Health Cancer Center with Zhijie “Jason” Liu, Ph.D., leading the way.

1 IN 8

“Using next generation sequencing technologies and other omics or imaging methods – which includes using genomics, proteomics, and superresolution imaging to understand the function and alternations of DNA regulatory elements in cancer metastatic progression – we are very close to a new era of applying personalized medicine in breast cancer treatment,” says Dr. Liu, the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT) Scholar in Cancer Research.

“Unfortunately, the lack of biomarkers associated with breast cancers at different stages or with different hormone responsive phenotypes (observable traits) has held back these applications.

I hope my research results will allow us to identify more biomarkers that associate with hormone resistance phenotype, and provide more therapeutic targets to treat hormone/drug resistant cancers,” Dr. Liu says.

Recruited in early 2016 as a tenure-track assistant professor of molecular medicine, Dr. Liu’s laboratory is showing great strides in not only cancer research but other diseases.

“He is poised to play an integral role in our institution as one of our priorities is the understanding of molecular mechanisms of various diseases using systems biology methods,” says Tim H.M. Huang, Ph.D., the Alice P. McDermott President’s Distinguished University Chair in Molecular Medicine, the Max and Minnie Tomerlin Voelcker Distinguished University Chair in Targeted Cancer Therapy, and deputy director of the Cancer Center. “I expect him to develop into a scientific leader in this area of research.”

Dr. Liu’s research methods combine his expertise in biochemistry and genetics as well as his education in computer science. The scientific discoveries from his current project – investigating breast and prostate cancers which are considered hormoneresistant/metastatic cancers – have the potential to aid many other research fields and provide valuable information about new treatments for other diseases.

RESEARCH BRIEFS His work has been recognized with several honors and awards in the past year, including the CPRIT Award for the Recruitment of First-Time, Tenure-Track Faculty Members, the Susan G. Komen Career Catalyst Research Grant Award, the Max and Minnie Tomerlin Voelcker Young Investigator Award, the V Scholar Award from the V Foundation for Cancer Research, the Briscoe Women’s Health Scholar Award from UT Health Long School of Medicine and the UT Rising STARs Award.

Together with several other faculty members, Dr. Liu also serves as an experimental co-project leader in Project 1 of a National Institutes of Health-funded Cancer Systems Biology Center grant.

As a young child growing up in Southeastern China, Dr. Liu found himself interested in biology, chemistry, mathematics and physics. When several members of his family, including his grandmother and uncle, were diagnosed with cancer, he chose to dedicate his career to studying the disease.

“Cancer is the deadliest and most complex disease,” Dr. Liu says, “and it is worth spending my whole life to understand the molecular mechanisms underlying this disease and to try new ways to control it. I am especially interested in the gene regulation mechanisms that are happening at the chromatin level. From such deeper understanding, new treatments can arise.”

His education includes a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry from Lanzhou University in China, a master’s degree in molecular genetics from the Chinese Academy of Science in China, and a doctorate degree in genetics from the University of Georgia. He completed postdoctoral research on embryonic mouse development and transcriptional regulation and cancers.

Without a doubt, Dr. Liu’s commitment to cutting-edge research and devotion to uncovering the mysteries of cancer and other diseases ultimately will lead to better patient care and treatment options.

CPRIT Awards $3.5 Million for Recruitment, Research In August, the Cancer Prevention & Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT) gave UT Health San Antonio $3.5 million for cancer prevention programs and initiatives to recruit faculty.

This award brings total funding to UT Health San Antonio

by CPRIT to almost $75 million since the program began in 2008. The UT Health Cancer Center is a leader in cancer control programs.

Breakdown of this award: • $2 million: Recruitment of Siyuan Zheng, Ph.D., to UT Health’s Greehey Children’s Cancer Research Institute.

His faculty appointment will be in the Department of Epidemiology & Biostatistics in the Long School of Medicine. Dr. Zheng is currently at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center and has extensive experience in the development of computational tools and mining of high-throughput datasets. His primary research focus is using data analysis to gain understandings about the cancer genome, the complete set of genes present in cancer cells.

• $1.3 million: Grant to Amelie G. Ramirez, Dr.P.H., professor in the Department of Epidemiology & Biostatistics and director of the Institute of Health Promotion Research, to expand Quitxt, a bilingual service that sends texts with culturally and regionally tailored support to help South Texas young adults quit smoking. The funding will enhance the Quitxt service with a new social media support component. Quitxt is currently designed to turn a user’s phone into a personal quit-smoking coach by providing texts and links to online support, educational content, music and videos.

• $200,000: Grant to Hai Rao, Ph.D., associate professor in the Department of Molecular Medicine, to support a novel chemical strategy to treat lung cancer and potentially many other cancer types. Proteins called epidermal growth factor receptors frequently become hyperactive in lung cancers. “Our idea is to develop small molecules that will bring these proteins to the proteasome, which is cellular machinery that degrades proteins when they no longer are needed,” Dr. Rao said.

If this small-molecule approach is successful, this may lead to a novel, effective strategy for cancer therapy in general, said Dr. Rao, project leader.

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Elite

The National Cancer Institute (NCI) selected the UT Health Cancer Center to become one of nine institutional members of the NCI’s elite Cancer Systems Biology Consortium. UT Health’s selection includes a five-year, $9.1 million grant to lead a group of more than 20 experimental and computational scientists from six institutions to study the broad, biological mechanisms of breast and prostate cancer.

The NCI consortium includes Stanford, Yale, MIT, Columbia, University of California at San Francisco, University of Utah, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and Oregon Health & Science University.

The Cancer Systems Biology Consortium (CSBC) Research Center at UT Health will be led by Tim Huang, Ph.D., chair and professor of molecular medicine, and Victor Jin, Ph.D., associate professor of molecular medicine.

As a research center, UT Health will coordinate the studies and provide core facilities, such as data collection, biological sample storage and analysis, and computational analysis. Researchers from Ohio State University and Baylor College of Medicine have a major research project through the UT Health research center, which also includes scientists from UT San Antonio (UTSA), Duke University and the University of Vermont.

“The center’s main area of research is to use all the technology available to study how cells are biologically programmed to initiate cancer in hormoneresistant breast and prostate cancers,” Dr. Huang said. “Previous studies suggest that complicated, large-scale genomic interactions involving DNAprotein complexes are an underlying cause of patients resisting anti-hormonal therapies for breast and prostate cancer.

“Investigating the three-dimensional architecture of these cellular complexes will yield a better understanding of drug resistance in hormone-driven cancers and may pave the way to new, individualized therapies that will counteract this resistance,” he explained.

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NCI Awards Cancer Center $9.1 Million to Join Consortium

Dr. Jin will oversee all aspects of computation modeling and data management and communications among the research partners.

He and Dr. Huang are co-leading a project focusing on three-dimensional transcriptional regulation as well as computational modeling in nucleosome regulation in cancer progression. Dr. Jin also is responsible for managing the core of data analyses and management. Also included are the following researchers and their projects.

Zhijie “Jason” Liu, Ph.D. Dr. Liu is the experimental project leader in Project 1.

A molecular biologist at UT Health, he will study the changes of DNA regulatory elements that are controlled by sex hormones in either breast or prostate cancer. Dr. Liu is an expert on various genomic high-throughput assays, and he will use these cutting-edge technologies to characterize the dynamic assembly of enhancer activation machinery during cancer hormone resistance progression. Jianhua Ruan, Ph.D., associate professor of computer science at UTSA, will work closely with Dr. Liu on computational modeling of mega-genomic assemblies and their function during cancer progression. He will build efficient and effective computational tools to analyze and model the vast amount of data generated in this project. With these tools, Drs. Ruan and Liu will characterize and compare regulatory networks between hormone-resistant and hormone-sensitive cancers, and develop machine learning algorithms that can utilize the derived network features to predict patient response to endocrine therapies.

RESEARCH BRIEFS Chun-Liang Chen, Ph.D. Dr. Chen, assistant professor/research of molecular medicine at UT Health, will be involved in developing methods for isolation and ex vivo expansion of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) for single-cell epigenome analysis.

During metastasis that leads to cancer fatality, tumor cells are shed into the bloodstream and colonized in distant organs. The expanded CTCs will open an important window to understanding the metastatic epigenetic mechanism of cancer, and will facilitate high-throughput drug susceptibility screening for precision personalized medicine.

Nameer Kirma, Ph.D. Dr. Kirma, associate professor/research of molecular medicine at UT Health, will lead the outreach core of the NCI U54 grant at the San Antonio site. The goals of the core are to enhance the awareness and knowledge of cancer systems biology, recruit next-generation trainees interested in genomics studies, and expand the scope of early-stage and established investigators to engage in whole-genome scale studies as part of their research portfolio. This includes seminar series, annual symposia, workshops and summer research programs that will provide didactic and practical training of novel technologies and advances in genomic interactions in cancer. The outreach program will promote the development of a new generation of scientists, focusing on underserved populations, to advance cancer-related studies at the systems/whole-genome level.

Virginia Kaklamani, M.D., and Michael Liss, M.D. Dr. Kaklamani, the Ruth McLean Bowman Bowers Chair in Breast Cancer Research and Treatment and the A. B. Alexander Distinguished Chair in Oncology, is the leader of the Breast Cancer Program. Dr. Liss is a urologic oncologist at UT Health Cancer Center.

As clinical investigators, both will closely work with the basic scientists within the Cancer Systems Biology Consortium Research Center and provide a resource of cancer patient samples for the validation of therapeutic targets and for facilitating the translational studies.

Curiel Lab Receives $3.3 Million From National Cancer Institute Tyler J. Curiel, M.D., M.P.H., professor of medicine (hematology-oncology) and professor of microbiology, immunology and molecular genetics, has been awarded a five-year, $3.3 million Provocative Questions grant by the National Cancer Institute. Dr. Curiel, the Daisy M. Skinner President’s Chair in Cancer Immunology Research, and his colleagues seek to optimize the effectiveness of immunecheckpoint drugs in treating melanoma and other cancers.

The work is at the leading frontiers of cancer immunotherapy. A Provocative Questions grant provides support for only the most daring, out-of-the-box ideas and is rarely given by the NCI. It’s the second such award for Dr. Curiel. He joined UT Health San Antonio in 2006.

Cancer cells express a protein called PD-L1 (programmed death-ligand 1). This protein inhibits anti-tumor T cells, protecting tumors from immune elimination.

Immune-checkpoint molecules are an emerging class of drugs that block this inhibition, resulting in successful treatment of many cancers. The drugs include anti-PD-L1 antibodies. These agents are very new; some were federally approved just this year for human use.

Dr. Curiel’s lab found that PD-L1 regulates more than 1,200 tumor genes, a plethora that explains why current markers to predict patient outcomes are not very accurate. “With the Provocative Questions funding, we will continue to fill major knowledge gaps in the mechanisms of PD-L1 antibodies – how they interact with tumors,” Dr. Curiel said. “We have turned the field on its head by showing novel mechanisms of action for these important anti-cancer drugs, which leads to insights into why the drugs work or fail and should help improve their clinical use,” he said. The ultimate goal is to develop new and moreeffective treatment strategies and better means to predict who can and cannot benefit from treatments.

The multi-institutional research team is establishing clinical trials of immunecheckpoint molecules and will test them in cancer patients at the Cancer Center in late 2017 or early 2018. Melanoma and ovarian cancer will be the initial focus because of the team’s expertise.

Grant collaborators include Mary Jo Turk, Ph.D., of the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth College; Curtis Clark, M.D.-Ph.D. student; Harshita Gupta, Ph.D., postdoctoral fellow; and Vincent Hurez, Ph.D., research scientist, all of the Curiel laboratory; Rong Li, Ph.D., professor of molecular medicine at UT Health; and Ratna Vadlamudi, Ph.D., professor of obstetrics and gynecology and cell systems and anatomy, UT Health.

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DISCOVERY OF THE YEAR

Breakthrough finding on BRCA1 shows why gene increases risks An estimated 250,000 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year, and 5 percent to 10 percent of them carry the faulty or mutated BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes which were proven 20 years ago to increase the chance of developing breast and ovarian cancer.

Today, those women and their families have a glimmer of hope with the UT Health Cancer Center’s 2017 Discovery of the Year. This breakthrough finding is leading scientists to better understand why women who carry the faulty BRCA1 gene have a higher chance of developing cancer in specific tissue – breast and ovary – than those who do not carry the faulty gene.

The discovery shows women who carry the BRCA1 gene have more gene expression-related stress or abnormal structures in their DNA which should not be there.

Rong Li, Ph.D., professor of molecular medicine in the Long School of Medicine at UT Health San Antonio and holder of the Tom C. and Patricia H. Frost Endowment to Advance Cancer Research and Education, explains the significance of his research finding.

“We see this ‘stress’ only in cells in the breast where BRCA1-related breast tumor originates. This could explain the specific connection of faulty BRCA1 to breast cancer. In our next study, we will see if the same applies to stress in cells in the ovary.”

For this study, Dr. Li and his team took a different approach to conducting research on the BRCA1 gene. First, they studied mouse models, specifically manipulating BRCA1 in mice mammary tissue which is very similar to breast tissue in humans. The second approach partnered Dr. Li’s research with clinical scientists and surgeons at the Cancer Center who provided donated breast tissue to the study. This breast tissue was removed during surgery from BRCA1 mutation carriers before they developed breast cancer. These are women who elected to have prophylactic mastectomies once they discovered they were carriers of the BRCA1 mutation gene.

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Rong Li, Ph.D.

“Because the abnormal structure that we detect occurs before any clinical evidence of cancer, our findings could help develop new ways of early diagnosis and even new targets for reducing breast and ovarian cancer risk among women with faulty BRCA1,” says Dr. Li, who has been working at UT Health for 11 years and has been asking the question of tissue specificity and the faulty BRCA1 gene since the gene was discovered 20 years ago. As in any scientific journey, this one did not follow a straight path but one that winded its way past curves, hills and dead ends until a connection between the faulty BRCA1 and the very specific signal was detected in the past three or four years.

Financial support through grants from the National Institutes of Health and Alamo Breast Cancer Foundation made this discovery possible.

“Funding is very competitive for the biomedical field, and I feel very fortunate that we have been continuously funded,” Dr. Li says.

“Personally, I am very humble and honored by this really prestigious recognition by my colleagues and leaders of the institution. Professionally, I see this as a recognition of the entire team including each of my collaborators.

It will serve as strong motivation for us to move forward to work on the next clinically relevant question and push the project forward.

“I have to say, however, what really drives my passion in doing research is that ultimately, it will relate to an understanding and cure of human disease, in my case, cancer. On a more intellectual level, I think the biggest excitement

RESEARCH BRIEFS Study Shows Weight Factor in Survival for Young Women with Breast Cancer

is that your own hypotheses in many cases will turn out to be either totally wrong or will need to be modified in a very significant manner.

That is where you have to look at the actual new data you generated.”

No matter where the data takes him, Dr. Li will continue to ask questions and look for answers. Some could say, it’s just in his DNA.

Obesity and weight gain have long been risk factors associated with death from breast cancer. In a study recently published in the journal Cancer, a multiinstitutional team of researchers, headed by Virginia Kaklamani, M.D., focused on the factors that affect weight gain in women diagnosed with breast cancer.

The researchers determined that women younger than age 60 diagnosed with breast cancer who have a genetic risk factor for obesity have a higher risk for gaining weight and therefore should begin a weight-loss program to increase their chance for survival.

The study was conducted from May 2009 to August 2014 with 393 women at the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center at Northwestern University, where Dr. Kaklamani was a faculty member before joining UT Health in November 2014.

“Obesity has been identified as a risk factor in developing breast cancer, in breast cancer recurrence and with a greater chance of dying from breast cancer,” said Dr. Kaklamani, a hematologist/oncologist and leader of the breast cancer program at the Cancer Center.

Previous studies have shown that women with breast cancer are more likely to gain weight after diagnosis than women without the disease. Several other studies had examined various factors, including the patient’s receipt of chemotherapy vs. tamoxifen, age at diagnosis, tumor characteristics, menopausal status and the role of genetic factors in relation to cancer diagnosis and weight gain.

“All these various factors were analyzed using data from past studies, but there have been no studies done that examined these factors in newly diagnosed breast cancer patients where the women could be followed,” Dr. Kaklamani said.

“The objective of our study was to evaluate the role of demographic, treatmentrelated, metabolic, genetic and lifestyle-related factors in breast cancer-related weight gain,” she said.

Blood samples were taken to identify risk factors for obesity and insulin resistance.

A statistical analysis was conducted to analyze various factors related to the patients’ demographic, clinical and treatment characteristics. The patients’ body mass index was taken at the beginning of the study and at six months, 12 months, 18 months and 24 months to measure weight gain or loss.

Results showed that after six months, 29.2 percent of women had gained 3.56 pounds; after 12 months, 37.2 percent of women had gained 3.97 pounds; after 18 months, 46.2 percent had gained 4.64 pounds; and after 24 months, 50.3 percent had gained 4.56 pounds. Weight gains were more common among patients younger than 60 years of age.

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CLINICAL INVESTIGATOR OF THE YEAR

Patients key to urologic oncologist’s research to improve treatments When it comes to advancing science, the 2017 Clinical Investigator of the Year believes every patient’s contribution moves his research one step closer to improving patient care. This simple philosophy has resulted in the enrollment of 260 patients into clinical studies and more than $1 million in financial support from numerous entities in just three years.

Michael Liss, M.D., M.A.S., who is the Roger L. and Laura D. Zeller Charitable Foundation Chair in Urologic Cancer, attributes these accomplishments to his invaluable financial benefactors as well as the dedicated research study team for their unwavering support.

“Everyone who comes into my clinic is asked if they would like to contribute,” says Dr. Liss. “Not only do I want to take care of them, but I also want to advance science, and they can help me do that.”

Patients are asked to contribute in various ways to Dr. Liss’ research from enrolling in clinical trials to donating blood, urine, or tissue samples. These valuable specimens become part of his lab research and are analyzed to further the advancement of science and ultimately provide patients with more treatment options from which to choose.

As a clinical investigator, Dr. Liss, a urologist who specializes in cancer of the genitourinary system and an assistant professor of urology, oversees clinical trials in order to discover new surgical techniques or new medications. His three main areas of focus are prostate cancer early detection, infection prevention and kidney cancer research.

His research with prostate cancer early detection involves enhancing the images from MRI scans. This study, his first at UT Health San Antonio, was how Dr. Liss, 37, garnered his initial grant funding when he was just starting his career – quite a feat for a young investigator, who received his medical degree in 2006 from the Medical College of Wisconsin and his Urologic Oncology Fellowship and master’s degree in clinical research from the University of California at San Diego in 2014. In his relatively brief career, he has already had more than 100 published articles.

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The second area of his research is infection prevention. On the national level, Dr. Liss is well known for infection prevention. He is currently developing an “in office” test that can guide antibiotic therapy recently funded by the National Institutes of Health.

In addition, his kidney cancer research entails looking for biomarkers and using MRI images. This research is funded by a Circle of Hope from the SA Cancer Council.

“We know that if we diagnose cancer early, we can cure it at much higher rates than those who present at later stages. Much of my research is focused on trying to identify patients who have early cancer which is going to cause harm. Identify early and treat. On the other hand, you sometimes find cancer

RESEARCH BRIEFS Clayton Foundation for Research Increases Grant to Study Liver Cancer in Hispanics

Dr. Francisco G. Cigarroa and patient Patient Sylvester Johnson credits Dr. Michael Liss with early detection of prostate cancer.

which may not be harmful and may not need to be treated right away because by treating it, you may cause more harm than good.

“The crux of my research is fine tuning the ability to find aggressive cancer very early to allow for a cure and have the confidence to distinguish a cancer that a patient may be able to live with for many years that can be monitored instead.”

For retired Army officer Sylvester Johnson, 70, and his wife, Madelyn, early detection meant options. Johnson, who began volunteering for a research study in 2003, has never missed his annual screening for prostate cancer and credits the study and Dr. Liss for detecting something unusual in his 2016 screening which resulted in the removal of his prostate and lymph nodes.

“Dr. Liss gave me my options and told me that it was up to me,” Johnson says. “He listens. He doesn’t just talk. He breaks the information

down until you understand, and he made sure my wife understood as well.

“I know that men really don’t like to talk a lot about their health, but I don’t understand that. If you have some type of information that can help others, why would you keep it to yourself? Let it help others,” he says.

Johnson knew it was personal for Dr. Liss, whose grandfather was diagnosed with prostate cancer, and he knew that Dr. Liss wanted to reach those who may be at a higher risk for prostate cancer in the community. When Johnson’s church, Bethel AME, hosted an educational symposium on prostate health, he invited Dr. Liss to speak, which he did without hesitation, staying long after it was over to answer questions from attendees.

“You can tell Dr. Liss has his heart and soul in his work,” Johnson says, pointing to the most important characteristic of this year’s clinical investigator honoree, his amazing capacity for empathy and putting the patient first.

The Clayton Foundation for Research is supporting UT Health San Antonio in the development of a biorepository and new strategies for treating hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), which is the most common liver cancer in adults.

The gift originally provided $300,000 in research support each year for five years, but the foundation recently increased the grant to $500,000 for the next fiscal year.

The foundation usually does not “increase funding to this amount within three years of a project, but the trustees are exceedingly proud of our progress, and because of the potential impact our research can have on Hispanics from South Texas,” Francisco G. Cigarroa, M.D., the Carlos and Malú Alvarez Distinguished University Chair in Pediatric Transplant Surgery and the Ashbel Smith Professorship in Surgery, wrote in a note to colleagues.

The research team is interested in learning why the morbidity and mortality of HCC is higher in Hispanics in South Texas than in Hispanics from elsewhere in Texas and the U.S., as well as in other ethnic groups.

Dr. Cigarroa directs the research project with LuZhe Sun, Ph.D., professor in the Department of Cellular and Structural Biology and the Dielmann Chair in Oncology.

“The mortality of this tumor is extremely high,” Dr. Cigarroa said, adding that researchers are already interpreting project data from DNA and RNA sequencing.

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CIRCLES OF HOPE KATE LATHROP, M.D.

Donors Join Forces to Support Cutting-Edge Cancer Research Imagine having the ability to visit with scientists about their cutting-edge research or touring a lab to see the research for yourself. Well, you can. By joining a Circle of Hope – a group of 10 donors who contribute $2,500 each – you are able to advance science and have a front row seat while funding a pilot research project.

Physicians and scientists who have a theory about a new way to diagnose, treat or prevent cancer must test that theory for viability before significant funding is available. An investment of $25,000 allows these investigators to do that.

The SA Cancer Council started these Circles of Hope in 2015 and, to date, two groups have invested and participated in the four projects which are described in the adjacent list. A third circle just recently formed.

A $25,000 donation is daunting and unattainable for many, but a $2,500 commitment – which can be paid over the course of a year – is less so. Plus, it’s fun to participate in such a rewarding undertaking with your closest friends!

“I enjoy participating in a Circle of Hope because it is a wonderful way to make a huge impact for a relatively small investment. Getting to meet those who are on the cutting-edge of finding better treatments and cures for this deadly disease is an honor and privilege.”

Catherine Burzik Member of the first Circle of Hope, which is in the process of supporting a second pilot study

The first meeting, where several projects are presented by a leader from the UT Health Cancer Center, is usually held in a restaurant or someone’s home. After hearing about three projects, the group votes on which one they want to fund. Six months later, the group is invited to the Cancer Center to meet “their” scientist and hear a more formal, in-depth explanation of their work. Sometimes the meeting occurs in the lab where the research is being conducted. Six months later, the group is given an update about their project while meeting to discuss the second project they will fund. Participants are asked to make a two-year commitment.

The Cancer Center is extremely grateful to the SA Cancer Council for establishing the Circle of Hope program to fund innovative research that is vital to finding the next cure.

If you are interested in participating in a Circle of Hope, please contact Mary Burch, Senior Director of Development, at 210-450-2020 or burchm@uthscsa.edu.

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Integrating Fluoroestradiol (18F) PET Scanning Technology with the Molecular and Clinical Development of Novel SERDs FES PET scanning will be utilized to more efficiently develop novel cancer therapies for estrogen receptor positive breast cancers. This technology can help rapidly determine the most effective dose of new therapies and predict response to therapy with a shorter duration of therapy compared to standard means of tumor response evaluation. Thus, the Cancer Center will be a more competitive site for clinical trials of novel breast cancer, and patients will have the advantage of knowing if new medications are effective treatments for their breast cancer without waiting months for standard imaging reassessments.

MICHAEL LISS, M.D. Clinical Trial of Angiotensin Receptor Blockers in the Treatment of Stage 1 Renal Cancer: A Pilot Study Because the diagnostic ability of imaging is poor and needle biopsies of the kidney are more complicated than other organs (tumor spreading, missing the tumor, difficult pathology interpretation), it is difficult for physicians to tell how aggressive these tumors are to determine which ones could be monitored and which ones need surgery.

Therefore, Dr. Liss is proposing using novel imaging (MR Spectroscopy) in patients prior to surgery to predict the “bad” cancers from the less aggressive ones. His team will then get

biomarkers (blood and urine specimens) before and after the cancer has been removed to see if the biomarkers go away with the tumor.

SUKESHI ARORA, M.D. A Pilot Study to Evaluate the Chemopreventive Effects of Epigallocatechin Gallate (EGCG) in Colorectal Cancer (CRC) Patients with Curative Resections Although surgery and chemotherapy are effective for some, many patients develop other serious, and sometimes fatal, problems. While aspirin and anti-inflammatories are effective in decreasing malignancies, they can cause other long-term damage. A compound found in tea is a possible avenue for colon cancer chemoprevention and treatment. Given the lower toxicity profile, it is an ideal chemopreventive agent. Dr. Arora proposes to explore its use to prevent colon cancer recurrence in patients for a first-of-its-kind study.

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DRUG REVIEW STEPS SIMPLIFIED 9.

1.

Preclinical (animal) testing.

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0

6 2. An Investigational New Drug DAY

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(IND) application outlines what the sponsor of a new drug proposes for human testing in clinical trials.

3.

4.

5.

ANDREW BRENNER, M.D.

If the FDA files the NDA, an FDA review team is assigned to evaluate the sponsor’s research on the drug’s safety and effectiveness.

10.

The FDA reviews DAY

that goes on a 60information drug’s professional labeling (information on how to use the drug).

11. The FDA inspects

Phase 1 studies (typically involve 20 to 80 people).

Phase 2 studies (typically involve a few dozen to about 300 people).

the facilities where the drug will be manufactured as part of the approval process.

a

Phase 3 studies (typically involve several hundred to about 3,000 people).

12. FDA reviewers will approve the application or issue a complete response letter.

DAY

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6. The pre-New Drug

Profiling Metabolic Dependency in Breast Cancer Dr. Brenner, the Sandi and Bob Kolitz Chair in NeuroOncology Research, and his colleagues propose to study whether tumor dependence on the fatty acid pathway can be determined rapidly using a blood draw at the time of biopsy. They also propose a pilot trial of a new drug aimed at the fatty acid synthesis pathway in metastatic breast cancer.

Taken together, these studies hold the potential for rapidly identifying patients that would benefit from particular therapies.

DAY

Application (NDA) period, just before an NDA is submitted. A common time for the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) and drug sponsors to meet.

7.

8.

DAY

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Submission of an NDA is the formal step asking the FDA to consider a drug for marketing approval.

After an NDA is received, the FDA has 60 days to decide whether to file it so it can be reviewed.

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SA CANCER COUNCIL

A History of Supporting the Cancer Center

Lisa Grove, Shawne Stewart-Zakaria, and Laura Fritz-Holland help with sign-in at the Spring Luncheon

Since 1984, the members of the SA Cancer Council have worked to raise awareness of and funds for the UT Health Cancer Center. And they have succeeded at both by raising more than $4.5 million for patient care and research.

In the mid-1990s, the Council established an annual luncheon that engages hundreds of people into the life of the Cancer Center. Around 2000, the Partner Shopping Event was started inviting hundreds of retailers and restaurants to join the fight against cancer by offering a 20-percent discount to shoppers during a 10-day period.

These two events, plus the annual membership drives, have allowed the Council to fund two vans used for transporting patients in need to and from their treatments. Funds raised have also been used to support important cancer prevention research through an endowment named the SA Cancer Council Distinguished Chair in Oncology.

Council members provide vital volunteer support at some of the institutions key events, such as the annual Book & Author Luncheon, the annual free skin cancer screening event, the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium and many other special events. Many of the Council members volunteer their time at the Cancer Center every week to help patients in numerous ways.

Spring Luncheon’s featured speaker, Ed Whitacre, with Dr. William Henrich, president of UT Health San Antonio

Dr. Tim Huang, deputy director of the Cancer Center and chair of molecular medicine, explains his research to a group from the SA Cancer Council

The SA Cancer Council plays an important role in the lifesaving work of the Cancer Center.

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SA CANCER COUNCIL

A Message from the President The SA Cancer Council (formerly known as the CTRC Council) continues its 33year tradition of supporting the life-saving work of the Cancer Center.

Through the tireless efforts of our hard-working Board of Trustees and council Beverly Koehn members, we have raised more than $4.5 million supporting cancer research and patient assistance.

This year we sponsored three major fundraising events. The first was our Spring Luncheon held on April 10 featuring guest speakers Ed Whitacre, Jr. and Bob Rivard. This packedhouse event was a huge success, raising $85,880 that was distributed to Patient Assistance and Cancer Research.

Our second event was our Partner Shopping Event, held October 20 through October 29.

Through the efforts of our PSE Chair Ginny Peacock and her committee, more than 250 retailers and restaurants partnered with the SA Cancer Council to raise more than $125,211.

This year we held three very successful Lunch & Learn events featuring our distinguished

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doctors and researchers. These lunches are an opportunity for our Council members to hear about the cutting-edge research being conducted here. Our most recent speaker was Dr. Ruben Mesa, our Cancer Center’s new director. Dr. Mesa shared with us his knowledge, leadership skills and passion for patients. What a blessing to have Dr. Mesa on board as our new leader!

Friends enjoying the Spring Luncheon

Even though the above have kept us all very busy, we also have continued to provide support and volunteers for the annual Book & Author Luncheon, Breast Cancer Symposium, and, most importantly, patient assistance.

We at the SA Cancer Council are inspired by the excellence, compassion and brilliance of our doctors, nurses, scientists and staff. We also continue to be inspired by the courage of our patients and their families. Just knowing that we are playing an important part in their treatments and therapies at a very difficult time makes it all worthwhile.

Employees from Rudy’s presenting donation to Council members

2017 has been a very busy and rewarding year.

On behalf of our SA Cancer Council Board of Trustees and council members, thank you for allowing me to lead your charge. Together we are making a difference!

Beverly A. Koehn President, SA Cancer Council Arlene Wueste, Council secretary, with Dr. Tim Huang, deputy director of UT Health Cancer Center and his wife, Susan

Foundation Pledges $17 Million for Affiliation

SAN ANTONIO CANCER FOUNDATION GREETINGS FROM THE CHAIR

The San Antonio Cancer Foundation, formerly the CTRC Foundation, has pledged $17 million to support the UT Health Cancer Center in support of its new affiliation with The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston.

The San Antonio Cancer Foundation was founded in 1991 to move the needle for cancer care for San Antonio and the region. Built with an initial funding by Dr. Burton Grossman of $50,000 to what was then the CTRC Endowment Corporation, the endowment has increased substantially with the largest funding to date totaling $85 million from the sale of Ilex Oncology shares in 2005.

The affiliation brings together the UT Health Cancer Center and MD Anderson to create a comprehensive and clinically integrated cancer care program in San Antonio. The affiliation will maximize each institution’s expertise and strengths for the benefit of South Texas cancer patients.

As our mission of supporting cancer care in this community has advanced, so has the San Antonio Cancer Foundation including a name change for the Foundation in 2016. Previously, the CTRC Endowment Corporation transitioned to the CTRC Foundation following the 2007 merger of the Cancer Therapy & Research Center (CTRC) and The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. Our identity has evolved along with the changing nature of cancer care and the increasing demands for our community.

Gary Woods Over the past ten years, the San Antonio Cancer Foundation has pledged and or contributed $66.9 million to support the UT Health Cancer Center here in San Antonio. The Foundation’s current endowment balance is $30 million. Grants have been made to support high quality faculty recruitment, research programs, patient care, equipment and general operational needs, support to maintain the National Cancer Institute (NCI) designation, and substantive support for the affiliation with The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.

The landmark $17 million gift will be used for physician and faculty recruitment and also for key equipment, such as a linear accelerator.

Gary V. Woods, chairman of the board of the San Antonio Cancer Foundation, said, “With this gift, the San Antonio Cancer Foundation wants to provide some of the resources needed to help support this affiliation. We are proud to be a part of this exciting transition.”

UT Health San Antonio President William L. Henrich, M.D., FACP, said, “The San Antonio Cancer Foundation has been an exemplary partner to the Cancer Center throughout its history.

The foundation’s commitment to our success in this new affiliation continues the tradition of leadership support for our lifesaving mission for cancer patients. We are indebted to Gary Woods and to the entire board of the San Antonio Cancer Foundation for once again stepping forward to lead the way with this remarkable gift.”

The San Antonio Cancer Foundation consists of 10 Board Members: Louise Beldon John Kauth Mark E. Watson, Jr.

Jim Callaway Judy Palans Gary V. Woods

Barbara Dreeben Tom Ransdell

James W. Gorman, Jr. W. Lawrence Walker, Jr.

The San Antonio Cancer Foundation Board meets as necessary to review investments and consider funding requests from our cancer center for the continuation of endeavors aimed at fulfilling the primary mission of the organization — to serve the people of Central and South Texas by advancing cancer research, treatment, prevention and education.

As chairman, I proudly share in the continued commitment of our members to serve as stewards of the endowment fund established to serve the cancer care needs of our community today and into the future.

Gary V. Woods Chair, San Antonio Cancer Foundation Board

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COMMUNITY

Philanthropic Investment in Innovative Idea Leads to Revolutionary Cancer Treatment On a fateful day in 2008 Andrew Brenner, M.D., Ph.D., neuro-oncologist/ physician at the UT Health Cancer Center, attended a collaborative cancer research meeting with fellow UT Health San Antonio researchers William T. Phillips, M.D., nuclear medicine physician; Beth A. Goins, Ph.D., biochemist; and Ande Bao, Ph.D., medical physicist and pharmaceutical chemist.

While speaking with the three researchers, Dr. Brenner learned this dynamic team had developed an “out of the box” idea to treat head and neck cancers, but the delivery and the results were not very effective. They were injecting nanoparticles of radioactive Rhenium 186 into microscopic fat globules to deliver radiation directly to the tumor in the laboratory.

Dr. Brenner, who specializes in brain cancers, asked them if they had considered using this innovative cancer treatment in glioblastomas, the most deadly form of brain cancer.

While not all brain tumors are malignant, glioblastoma is the most common and most aggressive of the primary malignant brain tumors in adults. Approximately 13,000 cases of glioblastoma are diagnosed each year, with historical one-year and five-year survival rates of 50 percent and 5 percent, respectively.

Progress continued thanks to the generous support of Sandi and Bob Kolitz who established the Sandi and Bob Kolitz Neuro-Oncology Research Fund in Memory of Mark Kolitz, Bob’s brother who lost his battle with glioblastoma in 2004 at the age of 42.

Bob said, “When we met Dr. Brenner, we were extremely encouraged by this promising new approach to this deadly disease. Sandi and I were pleased to have the opportunity to ‘jump start’ this very important cancer research.”

In these early laboratory studies, Dr. Brenner and his team were successful in delivering these nanoliposomes (tiny fat globules measuring 100 billionth of a meter) armed with a powerful radioactive element (Rhenium 186), called Rhenosomes, which released small particles of radiation that penetrated only about an eighth of an inch. This method had the potential to kill the tumor cells without harming adjacent normal tissues.

In the laboratory, they were able to deliver the Rhenosomes directly to the tumor in a dose that was 30 times higher than was possible when using conventional radiation. What was truly exceptional in these early studies was the fact there was no clinical or tissue evidence of toxicity in the treated animals. The survival results were stunning, the animals treated with Rhenosomes had an average survival of nearly three times the survival rate of those not treated with Rhenosomes. Even more remarkable is when the tumor

Moreover, as the tumor advances, it affects the brain in unpredictable ways, often involving radical shifts in personality and behavior. “It’s a terrible thing for a family to lose a loved one to glioblastoma,” Dr. Brenner said. “It’s tough to lose them to any cancer, but with the brain tumor you see them change right before your eyes.”

Historically, current standards of care in the newly diagnosed cases consisted of chemo-radiotherapy using the drug temozolomide (brand name Temodar) and radiotherapy. With the median survival rate of up to 18 months, there was an urgent need to discover treatments that were much more effective.

Working with Drs. Phillips, Goins and Bao, Dr. Brenner began moving the research forward. That involved a dizzying array of tasks: getting funding, designing experiments that showed initial success, and then getting more funding for more experiments.

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(L-R) Dr. Andrew Brenner, Nicole Brenner, Sandi Kolitz and Bob Kolitz

locations were examined microscopically, those animals who received the highest doses had no evidence of cancer.

Dr. Brenner and his team’s next step was to conduct additional necessary animal studies required by the Food and Drug Administration and the Radioactive Drug Research Committee before moving this research into human clinical trials that would allow the researchers to determine if this new therapy would dramatically improve cure rates in glioblastoma in patients.

Each success led to more work at higher levels, until Dr. Brenner was setting up the collaboration with the nanotechnology characterization lab at the National Cancer Institute. The results were solid, and led to an investigational new drug application with the FDA – which requires a protocol and investigator brochure, teleconferences and submission of more data.

At this point, Sandi and Bob Kolitz stepped up once again and established the Sandi and Bob Kolitz Chair in Neuro-Oncology Research to support Dr. Brenner’s promising new treatment for brain cancer. This important endowment helped cover the extremely high costs of moving a drug from the bench into the clinic. Once these next studies were completed and proved successful and safe, the very first human trial was approved by the FDA and was conducted at the Cancer Center under the exceptional leadership and oversight of Dr. Brenner and his colleague and neurosurgeon, John R. Floyd, II, M.D. The excitement was brewing. On March 10, 2015, Dr. Brenner worked with Dr. Floyd to apply the first treatment to patient David Williams. “One of the biggest challenges is getting the highly radioactive nanoliposomes into the brain, and precisely into the tumor,” Dr. Floyd said. “Surgical targeting, precision and delivery became of the utmost importance.”

By delivering these microscopic particles via a thin catheter recently developed by Brainlab, the physicians could give much more radiation to the tumor site without affecting surrounding healthy tissue. Drs. Brenner and Floyd were very excited about the results of the first few patients on this innovative clinical trial which has demonstrated the potential

Imaging reveals glioblastoma

to revolutionize brain cancer treatments throughout the world.

“The results are extremely promising and we are blessed to have this amazing team of scientists, physicians, surgeons and nurses at the UT Health Cancer Center who are making such a profound impact,” said Sandi Kolitz.

“Bob and I are overjoyed to be able to provide philanthropic support to help advance this cutting-edge research.”

As of October 2017, nine brain cancer patients have been treated with increasing doses. None have shown the harsh side effects that often accompany radiation treatment.

Despite patients achieving doses that are nearly seven times the level of conventional radiation, they haven’t shown any negative side effects. “In the laboratory animal models, we were able to give 30 times the amount of radiation that would be delivered with standard therapy, and all of them did well,” Dr. Brenner said. “We’ve started slowly with our patients; now we’ll be able to try larger doses and start treating larger tumors.”

“The main limitation right now is that we have to start with small-sized tumors, until we get a better handle on our delivery methods, to make sure we can cover larger tumors,” he said.

Caution is the word on new therapies in general. That’s why they go through such an enormous vetting process before they ever get to the first willing patient. But Dr. Brenner has a good feeling about this one.

“I don’t like to oversell an unproven drug or therapy,” he said, “but I would like to say the results are very encouraging. Other applications for its use in other types of cancer are also being explored.”

Dr. Brenner re-emphasized the power of philanthropy in this process, “We are deeply grateful for the vital support of $1 million from Sandi and Bob Kolitz. It was essential in moving this innovative research forward from the laboratory to the patient so quickly and paving the way for new ‘breakthrough’ discovery that holds great promise to have a transformative impact for all patients with brain cancer.”

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COMMUNITY Give Cancer the Boot Fun Run/Walk Second Annual Event Celebrates Survivors

The Second Annual Give Cancer the Boot Fun Run/Walk was held on Saturday, March 25. It was a fun day for survivors to celebrate and those in the midst of their cancer journey to be encouraged.

The family event had something for everyone – Zumba warmed up the crowd, a not-toodifficult route, face painting and games for the children, information booths, and a food truck.

Give Cancer the Boot participants pose for a photo.

Cancer Center clinics competed for the most participants’ award, which the team from Radiation/Oncology claimed for the second year.

The Give Cancer the Boot Fun Run/Walk was a wonderful event to celebrate cancer survivors and their families as well as to raise awareness about cancer survivorship.

Special thanks to the following sponsors:

Skin Screening for Community Members

On August 11, the Cancer Center held its annual skin cancer screening giving those who are underinsured or uninsured the opportunity to be examined by a dermatologist at UT Health. This invaluable community service is one of the many ways the Cancer Center fulfills its mission to provide care to people in San Antonio and South Texas.

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MANY THANKS TO THE FOLLOWING ORGANIZATIONS IN OUR COMMUNITY WHO SUPPORT THE WORK OF THE CANCER CENTER: CITY OF SCHERTZ Proceeds from the WILENCHIK WALK FOR LIFE, held each fall in honor of Tony Wilenchik, benefit the Cancer Center’s Institute for Drug Development.

Wilenchik, a former city councilman and civic leader, was a Phase I patient at the Cancer Center before losing his cancer battle in 2009. Mary Spence, events coordinator for the City of Schertz, and her devoted team organize and produce this event each year, which has raised a total of $169,878.

Faculty, staff and volunteers from UT Health hosted a lunch for Schertz city manager, John Kessel, and his team in appreciation for their efforts in producing the annual Wilenchik Walk for Life.

SAKS FIFTH AVENUE In October 2016 during Breast Cancer Awareness month, Saks Fifth Avenue San Antonio donated 100 percent of the sales from their Key to the Cure designer T-shirts and 2 percent of all sales during a four-day Friends and Family shopping days to the UT Health Cancer Center. The store also generously hosted a luncheon and style show for friends of the Cancer Center and honored physician Dr. Niko Papanikolau and nurse practitioner Wendy Crabbe. Additionally, Lora Watts was recognized as a devoted volunteer and advocate for the Cancer Center. Saks has been supporting UT Health Cancer Center through this event and special shopping days since 2010.

VULCAN MATERIALS ANNUAL FUNSHOOT AND GOLF TOURNAMENT Vulcan Materials has been supporting the Cancer Center through its special events – the Funshoot for 23 years and Golf Tournament for three years.

The incredible team from Vulcan recruits sponsorships, participants and auction items and works tirelessly to put on these successful events. Since starting the Funshoot in 1994, Vulcan has raised more than $2.5 million to support research and patient care at the Cancer Center.

SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS BOOK & AUTHOR LUNCHEON For 26 years, the San Antonio Express-News has sponsored the iconic Book & Author Luncheon to raise money for the Phase I Clinical Research Program at the Cancer Center which supports new treatments and therapeutics for cancer patients. This event has raised $3.9 million since it began in 1991.

(L-R) Tom Hill, Jeff Lott, Dr. Tim Huang and Susan Huang

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COMMUNITY CHECKS FOR A CAUSE Checks In The Mail, Inc., a division within Harland Clarke, currently sells a line of products with images of the various ribbons supporting treatment for cancer, especially breast cancer.

As part of this program, the company donates a percentage of sales to a cancer charity that works diligently in the fight against this disease.

Checks In The Mail believes it is important to offer customers a chance to show their support by having these products and to contribute financially to this important cause.

Checks In The Mail, Inc. started donating to the Cancer Center in April 2010. Because several employees had been affected by breast cancer, the company made the decision to keep their support locally while still supporting a national cancer charity. “It was an easy choice to work with the Cancer Center because of all the wonderful research and help they provide,” said Cindi Champion, marketing manager, Product & Licensing.

Rudy’s BBQ generously supported the Cancer Center through their Pink Cup Fundraiser held in October 2016. Thanks to their efforts and that of members of the SA Cancer Council and the breast cancer team they raised $34,042.20 for breast cancer treatment and research. (The donation was made to the SA Cancer Council, previously the CTRC Council, who then donated the funds to the Cancer Center.)

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NIMITZ MIDDLE SCHOOL AND PROVIDENCE CATHOLIC SCHOOL The Cancer Center is grateful to the students at these two schools for their fundraising efforts on behalf of cancer research. Nimitz Middle School students were able to make a donation and have a “free dress” day — a day with no uniform — to support breast cancer awareness. Athletic Director Jennifer Hall reported the students embraced this effort and many shared stories of family and friends who battled this disease.

The young women of Providence Catholic School lost a dear classmate to cancer last year and wanted to do something significant in her honor. They held a change drive and awarded special prizes to the grade that raised the most money. On the final day of the contest, Dr. Kate Lathrop was invited to speak about recent advances in breast cancer research and the importance of breast cancer screenings.

Students from Providence Catholic School have fun counting coins.

GREETINGS FROM THE UT HEALTH CANCER CENTER BOARD OF GOVERNORS

BOARD OF GOVERNORS

On behalf of the UT Health Cancer Center Board of Governors, please accept our most sincere appreciation and gratitude to each of you for your continued contributions of time, talent, expertise and treasure to the Cancer Center.

Lori Wright

Each of you works diligently to provide support and feedback for Cancer Center initiatives and recruitments by investing in our innovative and exciting cancer research with the goal of providing more effective, personalized care for all patients. A special thanks to each of you for your philanthropic support and your willingness to be an ambassador to spread the news, the hope and the will of our Cancer Center that strives to find cures for this deadly disease.

Our Cancer Center is committed to excellence in its quest to eradicate cancer. This goal begins in the research labs through Phase I, II and III clinical trials – which means we move laboratory discoveries into treatment options for our patients as quickly as possible.

Our physicians strive to provide each patient and their family the same compassionate and outstanding care they would provide to their very own family members. The Cancer Center continues to recruit world-renowned researchers and clinicians; invest in the latest equipment, therapies and treatments; and train the next generation of cancer physicians, scientists and nurses to provide superior care for cancer patients from our region and around the world.

This community is most fortunate to have the UT Health Cancer Center which is recognized as a National Cancer Institute-Designated Cancer Center. We are one of only four such designated Cancer Centers in Texas! This designation is very difficult to earn and to maintain. However, our Cancer Center is dedicated to advancing our goals and mission to provide world-class cancer care and research benefiting residents of San Antonio, South Texas and beyond.

Board members Lora Watts and Cynthia Schluter with her husband, Thomas Schluter

Board member Lisa Cohick and husband, Don, with Board members Yona McNish and husband, Dr. Tom McNish

It takes each one of us acting individually and in partnership to give the support necessary for the continued success of our Cancer Center to find the cancer cures of tomorrow. We thank you for your dedication and invaluable support.

Lori Wright Board of Governors, Chair (L-R) Board members Donna Block and Louise Beldon

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BOARD OF GOVERNORS Lori Wright, Chair

Patrick B. Frost Dr. Homero Garza Steven W. Garza James W. Gorman Rhonda Gurinsky Patricia Hayes Roxana C. Hayne Christine L. Haynes Karen L. Heintz Roger R. Hemminghaus Adel Hernandez Karen H. Herrmann Janet Holliday Robert L. Jemerson Kathryn Mays Johnson Laurie A. Kaplan John L. Kauth Edward B. Kelley Nancy L. Kelley Margie Klesse John C. Korbell Carolyn Labatt Andreae LeMaistre Molly Light Jeff Lott Louise Mandel Mike Manuppelli Janey Briscoe Marmion Tracie Martin Charles McAleer III Edith S. McAllister Walter W. McAllister David P. McGee Joe C. McKinney Sherry McNeil Dr. Thomas M. McNish Yona McNish Mark Meador Balous T. Miller Lou Miller Jennifer Moriarty

Christine D. Alderete Wayne Alexander Ernesto Ancira Yolanda Anderson Dr. Forrest Aven Rose Marie Banack Louise D. Beldon Michael D. Beldon Nel Belt Michael Belz Beverly A. Birnbaum Michael L. Birnbaum Stanley L. Blend Donna Block Mary Ballenger Brook Jamie Browning J. Bruce Bugg, Jr. Pam Burdick T. Randall Cain Jim Callaway Dya C. Campos Charles E. Cantu Jean Cheever Graciela Cigarroa Lisa H. Cohick Liz Conklyn Col. (Ret.) Gil Coronado Bob Cowan Lynn Finesilver Crystal J. Russell Davis Laura Dixon Barbara B. Dreeben Gerald Z. Dubinski Stephen M. Dufilho Arthur Emerson Cheryl Ernst Helen Eversberg Brian Feld Renee Flores Dr. Kelley Frost

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Karen Norman Mueller Gregg E. Muenster Terrie E. Musselman Dr. Dacia H. Napier Jan Newton Michael J. Novak Margie K. O’Krent Sam O’Krent Judy Palans Camilla M. Parker Donna M. Pasacrita Phil Pfeiffer Jane Cheever Powell Karen Presley Dr. Carl F. Raba, Jr. Thomas R. Ransdell Andrea F. Rodriguez Robert A. Rosenthal Dianna Roy Jane R. Satel Cynthia Schluter Lisa M. Sechler Stephen D. Seidel C. Frederick Shannon Dr. Gurvinder P. Singh James B. Smith Lauren Stanley Harris J. Sterling Ruth Eilene Sullivan Nancy Torgerson Mary West Traylor Jon Turner W. Lawrence Walker, Jr. Mark E. Watson, Jr. Lora Watts Charles Martin Wender Mertie Wood Gary V. Woods Mark H. Wright Lois F. Yancy Karen Lee Zachry

Board member Jane Satel and husband, Jimmy Satel

Board member Pam Burdick and husband, Art Burdick

(L-R) Gretchen Burkholder with Board members Mark Meador and wife, Christy Meador, and Karen Heintz

LEADERSHIP COMMUNITY SUPPORT CASH DONATIONS, PLEDGES AND BEQUESTS TO SUPPORT THE UT HEALTH CANCER CENTER (Received during the Fiscal Year 9-1-16 through 8-31-17) MAJOR GIFTS

Sustainer’s Circle ($2,500 +)

San Antonio Cancer Foundation Anonymous Donor The Max and Minnie Tomerlin Voelcker Fund SA Cancer Council William and Ella Owens Medical Research Foundation H-E-B DEW Foundation Mr. and Mrs. William Eugene Powell Roger L. and Laura D. Zeller Charitable Foundation

Mr. and Mrs. William D. Balthrope Beverly and Mike Birnbaum Phyllis and Jamie Browning Dr. Kelley L. Frost and Mr. Patrick B. Frost Gail and Bob Gurwitz Sally Halff Molly Light Jan and Bob Marbut Carl Raba Ann and Tom Ransdell Courtney and Mark E. Watson, Jr.

CABINET GIFTS (updated as of 10-31-17)

Barbara and Wayne Alexander AT&T, Inc. / Renee Flores J.R. Avant Dr. and Mrs. Forrest Aven Rose Marie and Buddy Banack Louise and Michael Beldon Susan and Brad Beldon Nel Belt Donna Block Mr. and Mrs. Michael Bolner Ron and Genie Calgaard Paula and Jim Callaway Charles E. Cantu Catholic Life Insurance / Michael Belz Jean M. Cheever Lisa and Don Cohick Helen and Gil Coronado Diane and Bob Cowan Lynn Finesilver Crystal Mr. and Mrs. Charles H. Davis Gene and Mary Duane Dawson Justice Preston H. Dial, Jr. Barbara and Alan Dreeben Mr. and Mrs. Gerald Z. Dubinski, Sr. Steve and Adele Dufilho Cheryl and Joe M. Ernst Mr. and Mrs. Brian Feld Phyllis Gallay Homero R. Garza, MD

Patron’s Circle ($20,000 +) Charles C. Butt Lori and Mark Wright Leadership Circle ($10,000 +) Robert and Kathey Anderson Thomas and Wilma Boyd Checks In The Mail, Inc. Patty and Bob Hayes Rose Marie and John Hendry Margie and Bill Klesse Dacia and Lanham Napier Gary V. Woods Director’s Circle ($5,000 +) Lexie and Rowan Altgelt Pam and Art Burdick Nancy and Charlie Cheever Dr. Elizabeth D. Conklyn Betty Ebrom Karen L. Heintz Camilla M. Parker Sandra Schlather Pat and Marcy Stehling Lucille and Jim Travis Karen Lee and David Zachry

Partner’s Circle ($1,500 +)

Dr. and Mrs. Roy R. Gonzales, Sr. Lynn and Peter Hennessey Dr. Glenn A. Halff and Ms. Mindi Alterman Roxie and Jim Hayne Tina and Joe Haynes Dot and Roger Hemminghaus Dr. and Mrs. William L. Henrich Karen and Ronald Herrmann Anne Holt and C.D. Schultz Mr. and Mrs. Leonard Holzman Terry and Glenn Huddleston Laurie and Michael J. Kaplan David E. Kehl Joan and Pat Kennedy Lisa and Ed Kopplow Carolyn and Joe Labatt Judith R. Lachman Sarah and Milton Lee Morgia H. Lepick Janey Briscoe Marmion Tracie Martin Charles F. McAleer, III Lida and Bo McAllister Mr. and Mrs. W. W. McAllister, III Joe and Jennifer McKinney Sherry and Laird McNeil Yona and Tom McNish Julie and Balous Miller Dr. Brant S. Mittler and Ms. Louise A. Mandel Judy and Palmer Moe Jan and Frank Newton Sheri and Manny Ortiz Judy and Seymour Palans Leo Perron Diane and Phil Pfeiffer Jane Cheever Powell Katie and Jim Reed Dianna and Drew Roy Jane and Jimmy Satel Scantland Charitable Foundation Mr. and Mrs. Richard T. Schlosberg, III Cynthia and Thomas Schluter Lisa and Kelly Sechler Stephen D. Seidel Jon H. Smith Francie and Harris Sterling Patricia G. Steves Nana and Julian Stewart Ruth Eilene Sullivan Mr. and Mrs. Richard C. Traylor AnaPaula and Mark E. Watson, III

Lora and Jim Watts Martha and Geoffrey Weiss Dr. and Mrs. Dale Allen Wood Barbara Wulfe 2017 SAN ANTONIO BREAST CANCER SYMPOSIUM SPONSORS Premier ($200,000 +) Lilly Oncology Angel ($125,000 +) AstraZeneca Genentech Genomic Health Novartis Pfizer Oncology Major Supporter ($50,000 +) Amgen Biotheranostics Eisai Merck & Co, Inc NanoString Technologies Puma Biotechnology TESARO Contributers ($25,000 +) Agendia, Inc Celgene Corporation Elsevier HERON Therapeutics Menarini Silicon Biosystems R-Pharm US Wolters Kluwer Donors ($10,000 +) AirXpanders CardinalHealth - Lymphoseek Caris Life Sciences Cascadian Therapeutics Celldex Therapeutics Cepheid Cianna Medical Color Genomics Faxitron Foundation Medicine, Inc. GeneDx, Inc Guardant Health Helsinn Impedimed Integrated Oncology

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Lumicell MacroGenics, Inc Med Fusion Medtronic Mitra Biotech The Oncologist PathGroup Paxman Coolers Limited Philips Molecular Pathway DX PreludeDx Radius Health, Inc SeattleGenetics StatLab Medical Products Syndax Pharmaceuticals, Inc. TerSera Therapeutics Thermo Tek Inc. Special Thanks AACR Susan G. Komen Foundation 2017 SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS BOOK & AUTHOR UNDERWRITERS Nobel Laureate ($20,000 +) Klesse Foundation San Antonio Express-News USAA Foundation, Inc. Valero Energy Foundation Pulitzer ($10,000 +) AT&T Foundation Mays Family Foundation Scantland Charitable Foundation Silver Eagle Distributors Best Sellers ($5,000 +) Ancira Auto Group Argo Group Darla and John Barger Frost Bank H-E-B Nancy and Ed Kelley Sherry and Laird McNeil / Lori and Mark Wright The Tobin Endowment Program Design Sponsor Causality Studios Volunteer Sponsor SA Cancer Council

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First Editions ($2,500 +) Argyle Foundation Burdick Custom Homes C.H. Guenther & Sons, Inc. Karen and Tim Hixon Julian Gold, Inc. Phyllis Browning Realty Company Whataburger, Inc. Zachry Corporation Classics ($1,500 +) Bank of San Antonio Mary and Steve Brook Catholic Life Insurance Nancy and Charlie Cheever Susan and Jeff Edwards Helen K. Groves IBC Bank Sharon Koenig Tejas Anesthesia, PA Mertie and Dale Wood

MetLife Mutual of Omaha North Park Lexus of San Antonio O’Krent’s Abbey Flooring Center Pristine Pools SPS Designs Sutherland Cloud Senior Resourcing The Law Offices of Robert Cowan, Jr. The UPS Store / Lora and Jim Watts Thyroid & Endocrine Center of South Texas Trinity University Trinity University Press United Healthcare UT Health Cancer Center Veltman and Associates Virtuoso Builders Wortham Insurance Lori and Mark Wright 2016 VULCAN MATERIALS COMPANY GOLF TOURNAMENT Platinum Sponsors ($5,000 +)

Special Thanks

Urban Concrete

Causality Janet Holliday and the CE Group Dr. Coleen Grissom The Prestigious Mark

Gold Sponsors ($2,500 +)

2017 SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS BOOK & AUTHOR PROGRAM ADVERTISERS Akin, Dougherty, Klein & Feuge PC Beckwith Electronic Engineering Co Budget Movers Builder’s Interior Products Burdick Custom Homes Bygones Cheever Books Chicago Title Judy Dalrymple DOCUmation Dominion Design & Integration Dr. Rogers Weight Loss Center Eva’s Heroes Ferguson Enterprises Guardian Life Insurance Company Humana Inside Outside Wellness Center Institute for Drug Development (IDD) Keller Williams Portfolio Luxury Homes Maldonado Nursery and Landscaping

Annual Report 2017

Alamo Cement Austin Powder Buckley Powder/Jason Mims Clark Construction G5 Gencor Industries GNW Concrete Lone Star Paving Company McCourt & Sons Rush Administrative Services Superior Commercial Concrete WT Byler Co., Inc. Silver Sponsors ($1,500 +) Capital Aggregates, Inc Cemex Ergon Emulsion GCP Applied Technologies Holt Cat Keystone Concrete HA Kuehlem Survey Company Martin Asphalt Old Castle Materials Four Person Team Sponsors ($1,000 +) 8T1 Construction LLC Aggregate Haulers

Alamo City Trailers Sales Austin Materials Beck Industrial Bluebonnet Motors BSNF Railway Boral Material Technologies Casey Carnes CKJ Transport Clement Industries Continental ContiTech Cuatro T. Construction DNT Lee Elms Harmon Macchia, PLLC GCR Tires & Services Grey Forest Utilities Jebco Lone Star Paving Company Odessa Pumps & Equipment PC Concrete Proline Pavement Maintenance Service Line Transport Superior Industries T & W Tire United Rentals Van Keppel Valero Waukesha Pierce, Ind. Wayne Rodgers Construction Winco Contractors Individual Players ($300 +) Evans and Evans, Inc. McNeils Truck & Mfg. Niece Equipment Buckley Powder/Jason Mims Ingevity Pipe Movers, Inc. Warren Caterpiller Golf Ball Sponsor ($3,000 +) Pro-Line Pavement Meal Sponsors ($1,000 +) Haynes & Boone Texas Sterling Construction Closest to the Pin Sponsors ($500 +) MG Machinery LLC Plant Fabricators Service Line Transport Unifirst

Longest Drive Sponsors ($500 +) Lee Tran Service, Inc. Niece Equipment Individual Hole Sponsors ($400 +) Baldor-Dodge Beck Industrial CKJ Transport CL Dews & Sons CMI Cuatro T. Construction Future Concrete Hydraulic Supply Jebco Kirby Smith McNeilus Plant Fabricators Terracon Texas Lehigh Cement Warren Caterpillar Waukesha Pierce, Ind. Supporters ($1,000 +) K.L. Durham Construction Pro-Line Pavement Starco, Inc. Supporters ( under $1,000) Alamo Concrete Boulder Contracting Company Herbst & Associates Future Concrete Structures LLC Texas Lehigh Cement Williams Supply Company 2017 VULCAN MATERIALS COMPANY FUNSHOOT Platinum Sponsors ($5,000 +) Bexar Concrete G5 Industrial Services Ryan Construction, Inc. Urban Concrete Valero Marketing & Supply WT Byler Diamond Sponsors ($2,500 +) Alamo Cement Co. Buckley Powder Co. Burlington Northern / BNSF Railway Cemex Gencor Industries

Holt Cat Lone Star Paving Midstate Environmental Rush Truck Center San Antonio Waukesha-Pearce Industries Gold Sponsors ($1,500 +) Buckley Powder Co. / 4 Teams Austin Powder Company / 2 Teams Capitol Aggregates / 2 Teams Great Northwest /2 Teams Industrial Electric Service / 2 Teams P & S Scale Co. Inc. / 2 Teams Paloma Blanca / 2 Teams Plant Fabricators Inc. / 2 Teams Superior Industries / 2 Teams Alamo Concrete Products Anthony Machine Applied Industrial Technologies Bill Hall Trucking Brannan Paving Co, Ltd. Brown Excavation & Utilities California Wired / Unified Screening & Crushing CEI Enterprises Inc. Clark Construction Curran Contracting Ergon Asphalt & Emulsions E-Z Bel / Ish Garcia GCR Tire Centers Grey Forest Utilities Hydraulic Supply & Service ICPG / Stephen Boudreaux Jebro Kirby Smith Machinary Lone Star Paving Mesa Equipment Nalco Padgett Stratemann & Co. Pape-Dawson PC Concrete PPI Ranch Hand Truckfitters San Antonio Armature-Hanson San Antonio Armature-Lahoist Stewart Builders/Keystone Concrete T&D Moravits Texas Lehigh Venture Drilling / Doosan Heavy Equip.

Venture Drilling Supply Virgil K. Knowlton Westward Environmental Inc. Williams Supply

Individual Players ($350 +)

Specialized Transport Services SPAW Glass Urban Concrete VMC NTX Vulica Shipping White Wing Ranch

KLP Commercial Supporters ($5,000 +) Ishmael Garcia Jeremy Perkins Milo Abercrombie Stephen & Nancy Boudreaux

AMBASSADOR’S CIRCLE TO SUPPORT THE GREEHEY CHILDREN’S CANCER RESEARCH INSTITUTE (updated as of 10-31-17)

Supporters ($1,000 +)

Gifts ($10,000 +)

APAC - Texas Inc. Brian Lindsay Byron Fischer Clarence Campbell Doorbrute (Carl Register) Dews Foundry EZ-Bel, VMC South TX Great Northwest Concrete Gulf Coast Limestone (Bob Harris) Jason Williams Jebro Jeff and Sharla Lott Mesa Equipment Starco, Inc. Rennie Truss T&D Moravits Thomas Mathews Tom Hill VMC Coastal Will Glusac

Louree and Bill Greehey The Klesse Foundation The Honorable Thomas G. Loeffler Barbie and Toby O’Connor Ms. Terri Katherine Rogers-Ivie Mr. Meryle Richard Stewart Gifts ($2,500 +) Fraternal Order of Eagles Aerie No. 70 Marci and Charles Granstaff Gifts ($1,000 +)

Supporters (under $1,000) Amber Langley Arias Geoprofessionals BNSF Capitol Aggregates CDW CMI Doggett Freightliner E.N. Bisson & Son Ergon Asphalt & Emulsions Erik & Nikki Remmert Ford Steel Co. Grey Forest Utilities Gulf Coast GCP Applied Technologies H.A. Kuehlem Survey Herbst & Associates Kirby Smith Machinery Lone Star Paving Pat and Denise Bendele Sauls Seismic Silver Eagle Distributors

Colleen and Bruce Barshop Louise and Michael Beldon Susan and Brad Beldon Mrs. Debra S. Black Mr. and Mrs. Charles E. Cheever, Jr. Mrs. Helen K. Groves Mr. and Mrs. Herb Kelleher Mr. and Mrs. Red McCombs Professor Linda M. McManus Minnie Stevens Piper Foundation Mrs. Judith N. Morton Mr. and Mrs. William Nash Beverly and Will O’Hara Mrs. Susan R. Oppenheimer Katie and Jim Reed Dr. and Mrs. Jeffrey S. Rosenbloom Mr. and Mrs. George M. Williams Gifts ($500 +) Lorraine and Curt Anastasio Dr. Perry Bassett Mr. and Mrs. John W. Bellinger Michael Scott Ciskowski Dr. and Mrs. Taylor P. Cotton Dr. Ralph A. DeFronzo Mr. Shuhei Fujio Mrs. Georgia Garcia Dr. and Mrs. William L. Henrich

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Debbie and Frank Morrill Ms. Emilie Pitman-Kreager Gifts ($250 +) Dr. Everett Bratcher Mr. and Mrs. Richard C. Dietz Dr. and Mrs. Julio E. Figueroa Mr. Roy J. Gilbert Roxie and Jim Hayne Karen and Ron Herrmann Dr. and Mrs. Robert L. Jones Mr. and Mrs. Gary Ray Light Mrs. Janey B. Marmion Mr. and Mrs. Boone Maurer Mr. and Mrs. Alexander N. Onyirioha Mr. and Mrs. David Oppenheimer Ms. Sharon Parrillo Mr. and Mrs. Richard M. Peacock, Sr. Dr. Jessica L. Pierce and Mr. David Pierce Mrs. Jane Cheever Powell Dr. Amelie and Mr. David Ramirez Mrs. Ruth Bowman Russell Mr. and Mrs. Jack M. Vexler

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Mr. James W. Ross Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth A. Sanchez Drs. Susan and Michael Schmitz Mr. and Mrs. Stanley Schoenbaum The Doctors Steven R. Seidner and Laura Beizer Mrs. Janice M. Stong Mr. Patrick H. Swearingen, Jr. Mrs. Patricia G. Westfall Dr. Rex Edward Wilcox Mr. and Mrs. James G. Wueste Mrs. Barbara R. Wulfe Gifts (under $100) Ms. Anne D. Burney Mr. Nathan Beatty Clark Dr. Thomas J. Puskas Guadalupe G. Ramirez ASCO TEXAS REVIEW Gifts ($10,000 +)

Dr. Elizabeth D. Conklyn Dr. and Mrs. Alex A. DePeralta The Honorable and Mrs. David Ezra Mr. and Mrs. Richard T. Gilby Mr. James E. Hawkins and Mrs. Karen A. Hoppes-Hawkins Donna L. Muslin (Deceased) Elaine R. Palance Dr. and Mrs. Bob Gracy Teri L. Wenglein BREAST CANCER RESEARCH S.P.O.R.E. PROJECT Gifts ($1,000 +) Bettie G. Burton Mr. and Mrs. Charles Warren Goehringer Paula and Ben Smith Sherry Woodlee Gifts ($500 +)

Anonymous Donor

Mr. and Mrs. Michael G. Othites Mr. and Mrs. John William Pieper

Gifts ($100 +)

BRAIN CANCER RESEARCH

Gifts (under $300)

Dr. Max F. Adler Dr. and Mrs. Mohammad Mitwalli Ahmad Mr. and J. R. Avant Dr. and Mrs. Glen D. Blanchard Dr. Bonnie L. Blankmeyer Mr. Sam A. Bybee Ms. Isabel Christian Lisa and Don Cohick Johanna U. Comuzzi Mr. and Mrs. Bruce Cotter Colette and Ty Edwards Mr. Jack Frost Gail and Bob Gurwitz Ms. Barbara Haley and Mr. Larry Sanders Mr. and Mrs. James C. Hasslocher Mr. and Mrs. Albert Hinojosa Dr. David Joseph Jones Carolyn and Henry Lang Dr. and Mrs. Philip T. LoVerde Dr. James K. Lowry Colonel (Ret.) and Mrs. Jerry Eugene Marshall Dr. Mary Jo McGuire Cottie and Ashley Miles Ms. Roberta Tiner Nelms Mr. and Mrs. William Byron Osborn, III Ms. Gayle S. Ramsey Mr. and Mrs. Louis Thomas Rosenberg

Gifts (under $300)

Barbara Smith Akins Mr. and Mrs. Harold O. Koch Brenda J. Tinsley Mr. William N. Lewis and Ms. Merilee Melton-Lewis Mr. and Mrs. James A. Sayers

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Dr. Michael R. Fontana Sheri and Manny Ortiz SA Cancer Council BREAST CANCER RESEARCH Gifts ($25,000 +) Leon Springs Gas, LLC Gifts ($15,000 +) Susan G. Komen for the Cure San Antonio Gifts ($5,000 +) Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Michael Barker Gifts ($1,000 +) SAKS Incorporated - Key for the Cure Nimitz Middle School Mr. and Mrs. William D. Fisher Gifts (under $400) Rita Kay Driggers Elementary School Mr. and Mrs. Jack Edward Calentine Laura Holland Margie and Sam O’Krent Mr. and Mrs. David V. Schneider Mr. and Mrs. Arthur L. Riklin

Annual Report 2017

CANCER RESEARCH PILOT PROJECTS Gifts ($25,000 +) SA Cancer Council SA Cancer Council - Circle of Hope #1 SA Cancer Council - Circle of Hope #2 Ann C. Vineyard CANCER RESEARCH FUND Gifts ($5,000 +) Mr. and Mrs. William Lee Norwood Gifts ($1,000 +) Providence Catholic School Gifts ($500 +) Mr. and Mrs. Ray Cole Mr. and Mrs. James R. Garner Diane and Phil Pfeiffer Dr. Luzhe Sun and Ms. Junhua Yang

Gifts (under $500) Barbara Smith Akins Mr. and Mrs. Vincent Joseph Bila Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Birdwell Marilyn Bonaguro Mr. and Mrs. Robert L. Bowling Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth L. Bull Bettie G. Burton Diane Daniels Lucy Evans Mr. and Mrs. Raymond Forsthoffer Rozanne Frazee Rosa C. Garcia Mr. and Mrs. George A. Gates Mr. and Mrs. Charles Warren Goehringer Graceland Family Care PLLC Tammy Hacker Mr. and Mrs. Greg W. Hale Dr. and Mrs. David Kent Harris Mr. and Mrs. Paul V. Hester Mr. and Mrs. David A. Hill Jennifer Hill Sara Hill Mr. and Mrs. A. Jackson Holt Shari Horne Diana K. Johnson Kathy Knott Mr. and Mrs. Harold O. Koch Yolanda Laurel Mr. William N. Lewis and Ms. Merilee Melton-Lewis Molly C. Little Mr. Albert C. Molter, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. John E. Monday Susan Moseley Mr. and Mrs. Nicholas Mumford Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth L. Nibling Mr. and Mrs. Peter E. Norman Mr. and Mrs. Harold McCann Northington, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. James N. Parmigiano Sharon Petre Mr. and Mrs. Daniel J. Petrie Mr. and Mrs. John William Pieper Marcia M. Pratt Mr. and Mrs. Thomas R. Ransdell Mr. and Mrs. Curtis M. Samford Mr. and Mrs. Charles H. Schofield Siri Schuchandt Mr. and Mrs. Jeffry Schwarz Craig T. Scott Kathy Shelton

Sheri and Manny Ortiz Mr. and Mrs. Daniel S. Shook Mr. and Mrs. Jeffrey V. Smith Mr. and Mrs. Ben Smith, III Patricia A. Stanley Mr. and Mrs. Richard B. Stephens Ann Sweeny Brenda J. Tinsley Mr. and Mrs. Daniel C. Turk Dr. Jane R. Wilhour Dr. and Mrs. Aldon B. Williams Mr. and Mrs. Vinson Woodlee Mr. and Mrs. Larry Wynn Mr. and Mrs. Art F. Yeager DERMATOLOGY RESEARCH AND PROGRAM FUND Gifts ($4,000 +) Mr. Michael Roth and Mrs. Jutta Von Borg-Roth Elizabeth J. Williams Gifts ($2,000 +) Mr. and Mrs. Alan R. DeLay Mr. and Mrs. Ronald Herrmann Dolores Moseley Gifts ($1,000 +) Dr. Adreain Ross Clark Dr. Gavin Richard Corcoran Kay Green Sonia M. Hasty-Lott Celeste Lira Mr. and Mrs. Keith A. Martin David L. Ray Gifts ($400 +) Jeanette Brodeur Alicia Nelson Lisa J. Pruitt Dr. Lilian Sarfati Jessica L. Schoenfeld Maureen F. Tantaros Karen Tramell Lezlie Yurrita DIRECTOR’S CRITICAL NEEDS FUND Gifts ($5,000 +) CITI Business Services Mr. and Mrs. James C. Browning

Gifts ($1,000 +) McCourt and Sons Equipment, Inc. St. Mary’s University Wells Fargo Community Support Campaign Benevity Community Impact Fund AT&T Services, Inc. (PACs) Minnie Stevens Piper Foundation Karen Salsman Gifts ($500 +) Courtney and Mark E. Watson, Jr. Dr. John C. Sparks, Sr. Dr. Roxanne Carmichael-Rosales Jackie Arnold Bartlett Cocke General Contractors Mr. and Mrs. Jonathan C. Calvert Colonel (Ret.) and Mrs. Kenneth E. Crow Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund Holt Atherton Educational Foundation Chairman Marsha C. Kinney and Mr. Gregory M. Kinney Peggy Stevens Mr. and Mrs. Jeffrey Train Gifts (under $500) 2M Lighting, Inc Dr. and Mrs. Ronald Addlestone Michael Aguirre Financial Services Linda Allen Patricia S. Allen Glenda L. Alter Dr. Nancy Fix Anderson Melinda De Arman Lasca A. Arnold Arte De Ana Montoya Mr. and Mrs. Linus L. Baer Esther M. Barlow Mr. and Mrs. Mike Bauer Mr. and Mrs. Bill Bendele Frieda M. Bleeck Mr. and Mrs. Craig Lawrence Boyan Dr. and Mrs. Arthur E. Bradley Dr. James M. Brennan Mr. and Mrs. John Briseno Susan Brown Mary Brown Mr. and Mrs. J. Bruce Bugg, Jr. Sharon Callaway Capital Therapy Group Marcy Cato

Kimberly Chapman Gerald J. Cohn Jose A. Colunga Cram Roofing Company, Inc. Shirley M. Crane Susan Croom Lynn Finesilver Crystal Mr. and Mrs. Emil A. Delgado Mr. and Mrs. A. Baker Duncan, III Mildred V. Ehrenberg Mr. and Mrs. James C. Embrey Mr. and Mrs. C. Lee Evans Faherty Property Co. LTD Coy Maxton Farrell Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund Firstgiving Fitwell Lorenzo Garza George Garza Mr. and Mrs. Lukin T. Gilliland Jillian Gayle Gomez James Randy Goode Jack and Valerie Guenther Foundation Mr. and Mrs. Robert E. Gurwitz Mr. and Mrs. Bill R. Haddock Richard F. Halter Sylvia R. Harrington Michael A. Harrison Mr. and Mrs. John T. Harvey Mary Teresa Hatten Shawn Hatter Carol Hausler Mr. and Mrs. Greg Hazleton Mr. and Mrs. Peter J. Hennessey, III The Herrmann Family Charitable Foundation Colonel and Mrs. William Hill Hilton San Antonio Hill Country Hotel and Spa Mr. and Mrs. Albert Hinojosa Holt Cat Dr. and Mrs. Minor L. Huck Mr. and Mrs. Wayne E. Huebinger Sandra Hughey Mr. and Mrs. Robert F. Jalnos Beverly Jarmon JC Penney Change for the Better Campaign Viki Johnson Dr. and Mrs. David Joseph Jones Mr. and Mrs. Jeffrey Jost Dennis Junior Mr. and Mrs. Ergun Kahramanoglu Doris Keese Judith Kerr

Kerrville Public Utility Board Barbara Klauer Mr. and Mrs. Richard M. Kleberg, III Mr. and Mrs. William M. Kline Martin Kramer Kliff Kuehl Mr. and Mrs. Louis F. Lagleder Mr. and Mrs. Billy D. Langley Mr. and Mrs. Louis S. Lecocke Willene Leeder Thelma Lettman Jeanette M. Lowell George Milton Luhn, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Brett Lum M Capital Advisors Arthur Magers, Jr. Patricia M. Maxi Dr. and Mrs. Michael S. McArthur Mr. and Mrs. Paul E. Menchen Mr. and Mrs. William J. Merrill Dr. and Mrs. Michael David Dennis Barbara B. and C. Michael Gentry Colonel and Mrs. Patrick Michel Mr. and Brian Mitchell Mr. and Mrs. Floyd A. Mockert, Jr. Virginia Evers Mohr Mr. and Mrs. Juan B. Morales Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Mota Dr. and Mrs. Claude L. Nabers Dr. and Mrs. Neil Arthur Morgan Mr. and Mrs. Tommy L Newton, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Joseph P. Nuccio, Jr. Mr. Michael Patrick O’Boyle Dr. and Mrs. Gerald V. O’Gorman, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Edward Olivera, Jr. Pat and Keith M. Orme W. B. Osborn Oil and Gas Operations, LTD Mr. and Mrs. G. Ozuna Mr. and Mrs. Seymour M. Palans Camilla M. Parker Sharon Parrillo Janice Payer Brenda Pedersen Bradley Perkins Mr. and Mrs. Jeff Pimentel Ben Plummer Mr. and Mrs. William J. Porter Dr. Thomas J. Puskas Mr. and Mrs. Jack Rips Mr. and Mrs. Harold Rodgers Baldemar Rodriguez, Jr. Maria F. Rodriguez Colonel William T. Rogerson

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Mr. and Mrs. Leonardo Salinas San Antonio Medical Foundation Mr. and Mrs. Carson Sandlin Magdalena Santos Uttara M. Sawant Mr. and Mrs. Stanley Schoenbaum Mark Seamans Ami Sewell Donia R. Sievers Mr. and Mrs. Bryan Sievers Silver Ventures, Inc. Judy M. Spalding Doris Barshop Spector Dr. and Mrs. James M. Stedman Mr. and Mrs. James E. Sullivan, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Aaron Tawil Mr. and Mrs. Michael Taylor The Texas Cavaliers Charitable Foundation Roberta Tiner Revocable Trust Mr. and Mrs. Arthur A. Tolbert, Jr. Monica Trevino Truist Mr. and Mrs. Robert Edwin Tucker, Jr. Ralph Vasquez, II Madison T. Wilson Dr. and Mrs. Hugh L. Wolff Womens Transportation Seminar SA Region Chapter Jean Wood Hillary Youngman Mr. and Mrs. Felipe Zuniga

JESSE H. AND SUSAN R. OPPENHEIMER FELLOWSHIP IN NEW ANTICANCER DRUG DEVELOPMENT

GASTROINTESTINAL MALIGNANCIES RESEARCH

Daniel Anzak American Legion Post 667 Mr. and Mrs. John J. Bryant Teresa Lewis Crane Middle School Dr. Shanmugasundaram Natesan Pamela Tyler

Gifts ($100 +) Louise and Michael Beldon Mr. and Mrs. William Lee Norwood Gifts (under $100)

INSTITUTE FOR DRUG DEVELOPMENT Gifts ($19,000 +) City of Schertz - Wilenchik Walk for Life Gifts ($9,000 +) J.C. Heyser and Irene H. Heyser Memorial Fund Gifts ($300 +) Mr. and Mrs. Michael C. Fisher

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UT Health Cancer Center

The Jesse H. and Susan R. Oppenheimer Foundation / Sue Oppenheimer KAREN AND RONALD HERRMANN BLADDER CANCER AND BREAST CANCER PROGRAM FUNDS Gifts ($200 +) Mr. and Mrs. J. Scott Beckendorf Mr. and Mrs. Mark J. Berridge LUNG CANCER RESEARCH Gifts ($100 +) Terry Jo Phillips NUTRITION PROGRAM Gifts ($15,000 +) AT&T Foundation OSCAR P. ANDERSON MEMORIAL FUND Gifts ($100 +) The Doctors Barbara and Robert Christy Mr. and Mrs. Keith E. Hottle Gary N. Hottle Gifts (under $100)

PARAS PATEL MEMORIAL CANCER RESEARCH FUND

Mr. Alex Drabant Missouri Valley, Inc.

50

Gifts ($20,000 +)

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Gifts ($1,000 +) Ranjan Patel Gifts ($500 +) Dhruti and Arvind Patel Nilesh, Jasmin, Saagar, Avani Patel Gifts (under $500) Anonymous Donor (12) Kishan Bhaga Nayna and Natvar Bhakta

Annual Report 2017

Raj Bhakta Ranjanbhen and Bhulabhai Bhakta Sapna and Bharath Brahmanda James Carrillo Dharti Patel Christo Arti Desai Darshan Desai Jitu Desai Elizabeth Diaz Isaac Esparza Chris and Ashley Everett Nainamasi, Nisha, & Heena Mariela Hession Jigna Joshi Shantilal Karavadia The Kennells Ting Lu Fred C. Delaney and Patricia J. McCarroll Dr. Deva Mahalingam Marisol Mendez Ann Patel Bhailal Patel Chandni Patel Deepak and Vishal Patel Dinesh Patel Dipti Patel Gautam Patel Geeta Patel Hemangini Patel Jagir Patel Jashmini Dushyan Patel Jesal Patel Kairavi Patel Kalpesh and Purvee Patel Kanti Patel Kirit Patel Meeta and Saumya Patel Nalini Patel Nipun Patel Nirav and Roshani Patel Nishi, Risha, Visha Patel Raj Patel Sangita Patel Seema and Vaibhav Patel Shail Patel Shire Patel Smit Patel Sonal Patel Trupti Patel Vimlaben Patel Vipul Patel Yuval Patel Tanvi Patil

Balu Ragoonathan Rakhee Roumain Devki and Salil Falguni Shah Bradley Sheffield Jennie Stephens Nic White PATIENT AND FAMILY SERVICES Gifts ($5,000 +) St. Luke’s Lutheran Health Ministries, Inc. Courtney and Mark E. Watson, Jr. Gifts ($4,000 +) The Parker Foundation, Inc. Phyllis Browning Company Individual Realtors Gifts ($1,000 +) Generations Federal Credit Union Jon H. Smith Michael A. Aguirre Dr. Sukeshi R. Arora University Health System Gifts ($500 +) Mr. and Mrs. Jean Pierre Lair Mr. and Mrs. Vaughn Zimmerman Louise and Michael Beldon Rikli Family Foundation Gifts (under $500) Sister MonaLisa Adams Thelma Aguirre Carol M. Ahlm Sergeant Elizabeth Alexander Yvonne Allen Karla N. Almazan Carthal Jonathan Anderson Anonymous Donor Nestor Rodrigo Astorga Dr. and Mrs. Forrest Aven, Jr. Kimberly Ayala Crystal Baker Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Boening Diane Boren Jennifer Brixey Mary G. Burch Dr. Patricia A. Candia Yvonne Castro Judith G. Cavender Amanda Ceballos

Dr. Sherri R. Cervantez Albert Chapa Lisa Chapa Chayo Cobb Mr. and Mrs. Matthew L. Crabbe Cynthia Crandle Katherine Crow Richard L. Crownover, MD, PhD Cindy G. Cruz Mary Cuellar Melissa De Leon Nancy Diaz Camille Dillard Alma R. Duenas Susan Dulske Catherine E. Duncan Dr. and Mrs. Harry J. Eastman Dr. Richard M. Elledge and Dr. Carole Marie Elledge Cassandra Eng The Doctors Terry and Tony Eng Ms. Sandra A. Faust Jill Feinstein Mr. Ernest Franco Mary E. Fuselier Samantha Gallegos Dr. Eva Mercedes Galvan Angel Garcia Brenda Garcia Lora A. Garcia Verlene Garrahan Mary Garza Mary A. Garza Kelsey Gaylord Lori George Valerie Girard Susan W. Githu Joan Gohn Melanie Gohn Mark Goldman Dr. Mary Gonzalez Steve Angelo Goodwin Whitney Gravey Mrs. Burton E. Grossman Jack and Valerie Guenther Foundation Charlene Hacha Mary Denise Haley Dr. and Mrs. Floyd Wright Hartsell Karen L. Heintz Mr. and Mrs. Edward Henk Angie Hernandez Lisa Marie Hernandez Luis Hernandez

Cari S. Hill Dorothy Hill and Family Anita Hines Mr. and Mrs. Dennis Carroll Holland Dr. Elise Katherine Holmes Neva Hughes Irma Veronica Infante Mr. and Ms. Allan B. Jackson, Jr. Christopher Nickolas Kabat Dr. Virginia G. Kaklamani Jackie L. Keene Kelley Kelch Mr. and Mrs. Verne F. Knickerbocker Sharon Kolodziejczyk Stephanie W. Krueger Anthony Kuchta Titus Kyenzeh Katherine V. Lamb Veronica A. Leal Anna Laura Licon Eric Martinez Julie Martinez Kristen Alycia McConnell Maureen Patricia McConnell Luz Maria McDaniel Christina Morales Dr. and Mrs. John Gordon Myers Dr. Tiffany Saenz Neal Holly Nicole Nefford Kevin J. Nicol General William Nordwick Gwendolyn J. Notestine Serina Ortiz Sheri and Manny Ortiz Rachel Ortiz-Wong The Doctors Randal and Pamela Otto Amy O’Shea Ron Owens Mrs. Kairavi Patel Sarah Pendley Guadalupe C. Perez Tony Perez Nina Petrow Charles R. Pheasey Devin Adam Quiroz Tyles Raby Mr. and Mrs. Willie Rainosek Dr. Rajiv R. Rajani Luvine Ramos Annette Rangel Francelia Reyna Abigail Risley Alexius Roberts

Christopher Rodriguez Janina Rodriguez Jenny Rodriguez Stephanie Romero SA Cancer Council Lori G. Saathoff Melanie Sanchez Mr. and Mrs. Fredric F. Sanchez Michael Sandoval Mr. and Mrs. James L. Satel Mr. and Mrs. Stephen Paul Scales Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Schluter Dr. Martin G. Schwacha Vicki J. Shapiro Stephanie Shelton Taylor Sherman Dana Simmons Lauren K. Smith Michael A. Smith Saren Spicer Nicholas Spyker Robin Starr Elaine Estes Staton Bryan Stetzer Dr. and Mrs. Ronald Mack Stewart Tracy Stewart Maria Tambunga Belinda Tamez Dr. Laura Tenner Master Sergeant (Ret.) Francis R. Tienda Amy Tovar Robert William Travis Alex Turner Barbara Tyler Rafael A. Ugalde Juan Edgardo Vargas Mr. and Mrs. Louis Vontur Mr. and Mrs. Robert Vontur Latrenda Ware Mr. and Mrs. James R. Watts Mrs. Jamie Woodring Martha Wright Dr. Karri Zumwalt

PLANNED GIFTS (UNREALIZED)

PEDIATRIC CANCER RESEARCH

Gifts ($20,000 +)

Gifts ($6,000 +)

Richard K. Carnwath

Fraternal Order of Eagles Aerie No. 70 Gifts ($1,000 +)

SHERILL LYNN ALLEN MEMORIAL FOR OVARIAN CANCER RESEARCH

Network For Good

Gifts ($5,000 +)

Gifts (under $1,000)

Don W. Allen

Estate of Charles E. Cantu Estate of Alvin Hayes Estate of Sharon Koenig PROSTATE CANCER RESEARCH S.P.O.R.E. PROJECT Gifts ($5,000 +) H. Albert Napier SA Cancer Council Gifts ($2,500 +) Dr. John S. Belew Francisco Juaristi Gifts ($1,000 +) Mr. and Mrs. Marion Benfield Roger Festor Dr. Joseph M. Lazor and Ms. Denise J. Doyle Mr. and Mrs. John A. Malitz Ignacio O’Higgins Gifts ($500 +) Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth W. Allen Robert Claiborne Rodolfo Villareal Ferrara Gifts (under $500) Mr. and Mrs. Warner F. Fassnidge Colonel and Mrs. John H. Sherner Mr. and Mrs. Albert B. Clayton Robert E. Godfrey Ronald Green Mr. and Mrs. Leroy P. Muehlstein William L. Kean Reverend Lewis E. Lee Jesse Ortiz Craig Radtke Mr. and Mrs. Manuel Bernal Antonio Cabral William Riggs RICHARD CARNWATH CANCER RESEARCH FUND

Chicago Title of Texas, LLC

UT Health Cancer Center

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Annual Report 2017 | 51

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