Issuu

H U N T S M A N

C A N C E R

I N S T I T U T E

Fall 2021 | Free Magazine

CANCER CARE PACKAGE

101 The power of

BREATH HOW MINDFULNESS CAN HELP

RESEARCH OR

ART?

Scientists find beauty under the microscope

ADAM WHITT

The former professional pitcher talks baseball, golf, and his journey through cancer treatment

Our Vision Passionate individuals and teams delivering a cancer-free frontier through scientific discovery and human touch

huntsmancancer.org

Introducing

HELIX the magazine from Huntsman Cancer Institute Our patients and caregivers asked, and we answered! This magazine shares helpful tips, hopeful stories, and notable happenings across our cancer hospital, research labs, and community clinics. A DNA molecule is formed as two intertwined helixes. The helix helps tell the human story—it is a symbol of unity and discovery. The double helix is prominent in the Huntsman Cancer Institute logo and a meaningful emblem of our mission. We invite you to explore these pages and connect with us. Huntsman Cancer Institute’s mission is to understand cancer from its beginnings, to use that knowledge in the creation and improvement of cancer treatments, to relieve the suffering of cancer patients, and to provide education about cancer risk, prevention, and care. Helix is a free publication created by Huntsman Cancer Institute’s Communications and Public Affairs Office. View it online:

Table of Contents

Striking Out Cancer Adam Whitt shares stories from his journey on the diamond, through a cancer diagnosis, and now on the driving range.

Increasing Colorectal Cancer Screening Rates

Research as Art

Healthy Recipe

How to Create a Cancer Care Package

Mindfulness and Cancer

Meet the Macdonalds

A new initiative aims to improve screening rates and health outcomes for rural residents and Pacific Islanders.

The microscope reveals a kaleidoscope of color and pattern in human and animal cells.

Roasted fish with sweet peppers is a delicious recipe provided by dietitians with our Wellness and Integrative Health Center.

Kathryn F. Kirk Center for Comprehensive Care and Women’s Cancers From tons of rebar to mountains of conduit, see the impressive numbers behind the construction of this new patient facility.

SOCIAL MEDIA

SPOTLIGHT

Thank you for all you do for us cancer patients.

Sending light and love to all our cancer fighters, survivors, and caregivers. You are the real heroes.

I hope people fighting cancer don’t ever give up. Stay strong! I’m cheering for you.

The way we know what treatments work for cancer now is because patients agreed to participate in a clinical trial.

THERESA WERNER, MD Medical Director, Huntsman Cancer Institute’s Clinical Trials Office

WHAT IS A CLINICAL TRIAL?

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS?

These studies test new cancer treatments with the goal of improving current methods. Nearly all cancer treatments used today began with clinical trials.

Clinical trials may allow people with cancer to receive new treatments before they are widely available. Many patients also appreciate being part of the search for new and better cancer treatments.

LEARN MORE huntsmancancer.org/clinicaltrials

Striking Out CANCER dam Whitt has never shied away from a challenge. He played basketball, tennis, and baseball, but due to his small stature, he was not recruited out of high school. Growing up in Carson City, he enrolled at the University of Nevada in Reno, 35 minutes away. “In 2011, I went to the head coach’s office at Nevada, two weeks before the season, and asked to try out. I went to the prospect camp—pitched three innings—and the pitching coach gave me another onemonth trial in the fall. I went to my first meeting and all the people were bigger than me and could throw harder. It was intimidating, but I knew I could compete. I had a pretty good fall, but head coach Gary Powers said they didn’t have a spot. The plan was to practice

and work out every day on my own away from the team. I wound up putting on 60 pounds during the offseason.” Adam ate 10,000 calories a day. Many times, he ate until he got sick. He did whatever it took to put on the required weight. He gained 55 pounds to go from a gangly 150 to a thicker 205. His velocity increased as a result, topping out around 85 miles per hour. The next spring, he made the team. However, coaches told him he would be the last man on the roster and asked about changing his pitching style from a standard overhand to a sidearm or submarine style. Adam agreed and became an integral part of Nevada’s baseball team. After suffering through a losing campaign during his freshman year, the squad won the Mountain West Conference

ADAM WHITT

after his junior season. Adam was named to the National Collegiate Baseball Writers of America Stopper of the Year Watch List, ranked third in career appearances and second in career saves. In 2015, he was drafted by the Houston Astros and spent the next two seasons playing minor league baseball. Despite early success, baseball did not pan out for Adam. He was released and joined his thengirlfriend in Salt Lake City where she was going to pharmacy school. Adam was “floating around” before getting a job at a tennis facility. In 2017, the couple got married. Just six months later, he started feeling sick and losing large amounts of weight. After experiencing vision problems, he went for a blood test. Another challenge, the most difficult of Adam’s life, began to take shape. “I remember Dr. T [Srinivas K. Tantravahi, MBBS, MRCP] calling on a Tuesday to say I needed a bone marrow biopsy. They met me at the front of Huntsman Cancer Institute (HCI) and expected me to be in a wheelchair because my white blood count was 300,000 [normal is 4,500–11,000]. It was difficult to get a sample because of how dense my 8

Top: Adam Whitt autographs a baseball for excited fans at a Tri-City Valley Cats game. Bottom: Adam pitched in the prestigious Cape Cod Summer League during college.

Left: Adam and wife, Sara, at a Quad Cities River Bandits home game in Davenport, Iowa. Top Right: Adam was drafted by the Houston Astros in 2015. Bottom Right: Adam played professionally in 2015 and 2016.

ther CML patients told me the same thing: keep a positive outlook. Don’t give up, because I had other people relying on me.

bone marrow was. Within three hours of the biopsy, I started chemo.” Adam was diagnosed with chronic myeloid (or myelogenous) leukemia (CML), a rare, slowly progressing blood cancer that typically affects older people. The average age at diagnosis is around 64 years old. According to the American Cancer Society, approximately 9,000 new cases of CML are diagnosed in the United States yearly. “The first five days after diagnosis were the hardest—physically and mentally. You’re doing these tests and biopsies; it is a whirlwind. When you get home, you can catch your breath and create a plan of action. Wondering is the worst part,” he says. During chemo, Adam barely had energy for anything other than walking around the block.

— Adam Whitt

It was a reality check—a far cry from the strenuous exercises he performed while chasing his baseball dreams. “You go from being a professional athlete to this. You go numb. Everything goes out the window. You adopt a mindset of living hour to hour, surviving day by day. I knew I could not change the fact I had cancer. I couldn’t feel sad for myself.” Adam’s competitive nature—something he relied upon during his baseball career—helped him during this new challenge. “I had pride in myself for working so hard to get my body to that of a pro athlete. Regressing physically made me insecure and weak. I could not trust my body. It was failing me. There’s just so much stress. You’re always thinking, will it get worse? Will it

get better? It’s easy to get depressed and focus on the negative. Not many people my age get CML, so most of the patients at HCI were older. I would talk to them to ask how they were doing so well. They told me the same thing: keep a positive outlook. Don’t give up, because I had other people relying on me.” Adam’s mother and father came to stay with him for about a week at the onset of his treatment. His younger brother Avery stayed in touch throughout the entire process and constantly checked in. Adam even built a relationship with someone he had never met—a man named Leonard, who saw him pitch at Nevada. “When I was first diagnosed, Leonard reached out to my dad and then called me. He had cancer and struggled as well. He knew what it was like to be scared and vulnerable. Once you share something with someone else, whether it’s playing a sport or dealing with cancer, you’re their teammate for life.” His best teammate through it all has been his wife, Sara. “She pushed me to get better. I remember getting the diagnosis of CML, the week before her finals, right before rotations. She so worked hard to get to this prestigious university. She grinded for two-and-a-half years and I told her she needed to stay in school. Her teachers were very accommodating. In May 2019, she graduated on time. I am so proud of everything she has accomplished while being there for me the entire time.” Adam’s outlook was also buoyed by Dr. Tantravahi and the atmosphere at HCI. “Dr. T and his team have been incredible. I could not ask for better treatment. You feel so safe here. Usually, when you go to the doctor,

it’s unnerving. But Dr. T and his team made it a safe haven. Top to bottom, people’s kindness and willingness to help make HCI a special place. I want to show people what they do here because it saved my life. I didn’t know why baseball ended the way it did. Now I know someone, somewhere put me in Salt Lake City for a reason.” Dr. Tantravahi set up some check marks for Adam within his first year to make sure he was responding to treatment. At the three-month mark, Adam was not doing well and started to panic. His numbers were improving but not hitting the goals set forth by his medical team. Adam began taking an oral chemotherapy every night. With it came side effects: nausea, joint pain, and flu-like symptoms. Dr. Tantravahi recommended increasing the dosages since Adam did not meet the goals expected at the three-month mark. “Tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs), a type of oral chemotherapy drug, are very effective in the treatment of CML, but most patients require long-term therapy,” Dr. Tantravahi explains. “Even though most patients are able to tolerate TKIs well, a majority experience side effects on a daily basis that could impair their quality of life.” “I felt a lot of effects, but at the six-month mark, my blood cell numbers were getting better,” Adam adds. “I kept improving over time and I am still taking the medication. I laugh because I’m kind of a case study at this point.” When Adam started feeling better, his doctors encouraged him to start to be more active. “That’s when the golfing really took off,” he says. Adam began working out and golfing every day. Despite being relatively new to the sport, he now has a ball head speed at almost 200 miles per hour—much higher than the average of

op to bottom, people’s kindness and willingness to help make Huntsman Cancer Institute a special place. — Adam Whitt

Left: Adam and Sara were married in 2017. Right: Adam has one of the 15 longest drives in the United States.

133 mph. His max drive of 427 yards is one of the top 15 distances in the country. Adam competed in the Utah Open and two other tournaments in August 2021, and he continues to teach golf in Salt Lake City. “I had no aspirations to be a professional athlete, let alone a golfer. When I started, it was easy to do from a physical standpoint. I can ride the cart. Be outside. Take my time. Not keep score. It was really the only sport I could play during the pandemic and be socially distanced.” And yet, golf seemed like the natural sport to take on after baseball. Both sports can be extremely humbling. They require an inordinate amount of mental fortitude and an acceptance that things do not always go as planned—a lot like a cancer diagnosis.

“I never understood why my mom made me do at least one season of a sport growing up,” Adam says. “Now I know. You hold yourself accountable. You pick other people up. Teammates and coaches form support staff, like doctors and nurses. When I pitched, I couldn’t control whether the batter swung and connected. So many things are out of your control. Sports teach you about life.” The Adam Whitt Foundation provides support services and equipment to encourage participation in youth sports. Learn more at adamwhittfoundation.com.

Bringing cutting-edge treatment close to home, so you have more time to do what you love.

LEARN MORE

huntsmancancer.org/proton

The Senator Orrin G. Hatch Proton Therapy Center expands our existing state-of-the-art radiation technology options. It is the first and only proton center in the Mountain West.

TAYLO R L A M B E RT Brain Tumor Patient and Artist 12

HOW TO CREATE A

Cancer Care Package

It’s difficult to know what to do when you learn a friend or coworker has cancer. Here are suggestions for ways you can help.

Toiletries

Words of Encouragement

Hand sanitizer

Handwritten cards

Lip balm

Inspirational quotes and messages

Tip: Steer clear of fragrances and choose sensitive skin products.

House Help Gift cards to grocery stores or restaurants Home-cooked meals that can be frozen and eaten later Child care and pet sitting

Edible Gifts Lozenges or hard candy to ease dry mouth Ginger chews for an upset stomach

The Gift of Presence

Favorite candy or snack

Just be there for the person Offer encouragement and support

Stylish Wearables Head wraps and hats Small gift such as a fun T-shirt or jewelry

Cozy Comforts Fuzzy socks and a fleece blanket to stay warm during chemo treatments

Entertainment

Microwave rice pack for hot (and cold) therapy

Movies, books, magazines, and games

Soft knit cap to keep warm while sleeping

Journal for personal thoughts or to track treatments 13

INCREASING COLORECTAL CANCER SCREENING RATES A Community Initiative

Kalolaine Tokomea Vaitai (left) and Mele Musie Tuiaki (right) 14

WHAT IS SCREEN TO SAVE? Started by the National Cancer Institute, Screen to Save (S2S) works with cancer centers to provide colorectal cancer education to people in their community. The Huntsman Cancer Institute (HCI) S2S program focuses on improving early screening rates and health outcomes for people in rural areas and the Pacific Islander community. S2S provides information about where and how to get screened for colorectal cancer. It also gives free at-home colorectal cancer screening kits to Pacific Islanders and rural residents who are 45–75 years old and at average risk of colorectal cancer. HCI is the sole cancer center involved with S2S in the Mountain West region. That includes Utah, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, and Wyoming. The Utah Pacific Islander Health Coalition and Pacific Islander Knowledge 2 Action Resources (PIK2AR) both support S2S. S2S is housed at several clinics, including the Maliheh Free Clinic in Salt Lake City and the Stansbury Health Center in Tooele. I am a Pacific Islander. Why should I get involved with Screen to Save?

The Pacific Islander community has the highest incidence and mortality rates of colorectal cancer compared to all other racial groups in Utah. This means Pacific Islanders get colon cancer and die from colon cancer more often than other groups. The Pacific Islander community also has low screening rates (62.3%) compared to the state average (70.7%). Due to low screening rates, Pacific Islanders are not diagnosed with colorectal cancer at early stages, when it is easier to treat. Screening is the best way to find cancer in its early stages. As someone who lives in a rural community, why should I get involved?

Residents of rural areas are at a greater risk of early onset colorectal cancer than those in urban areas. According to study results published in the journal Cancer, early onset colorectal cancer cases increased 35% among rural populations, from 2000 to 2016. Colorectal cancer is very aggressive, so catching it early is extremely important.

FOR MORE INFORMATION huntsmancancer.org/community

HOW BEING CAN HELP Having cancer is hard on a person. So is taking care of someone who has it. The good news is that practicing mindfulness can help. Mindfulness keeps thoughts focused on the present. Breathing and movement techniques help you stay in the moment and relax.

The Linda B. and Robert B. Wiggins Wellness and Integrative Health Center offers a number of mindfulness programs and services. LEARN MORE: huntsmancancer.org/wellness

Conscious breathing—focusing on breathing fully and deeply—can reduce stress and help you relax. It also sends a calming message to the body. Here are three breathing techniques to practice.

F L O W E R B R E AT H Imagine inhaling the scent of a fragrant rose, breathing in through your nose and sending the breath to the tension in your body. As you exhale through your mouth, visualize the tension leaving with your breath.

F E AT H E R B R E AT H Visualize that you’re holding a large, soft feather by its quill. Inhale long and deeply through your nose. Breathe out your mouth as if you are blowing bubbles. Your breath should be slow and long, like a low whistle. As you exhale, focus on the base of the imaginary feather, release it, and watch it rise. As you inhale, watch the feather fall gently.

PROLONGED O U T B R E AT H Inhale through your nose, pause; exhale through your nose, pause. Breathe in to a count of 5, breathe out to a count of 5. Breathe in to a count of 5, breathe out to a count of 6. Breathe in to a count of 5, breathe out to a count of 7, and so on, until you reach your limit of prolonging your outbreath. This will slow your heart rate and regulate blood pressure.

RESEARCH AS A RT

It might look like abstract art, but these images are in fact pictures of cells taken under a microscope. Researchers stain tissue samples with different dyes to distinguish between cell types or cell parts. The striking colors reveal shapes and patterns found in biology that could as easily have come from an artist’s brush. As Leonardo da Vinci said about the science of art and the art of science: “Everything connects to everything else.”

MOUSE LUNG TUMORS STAINED WITH ALVEOLAR MARKERS | MCMAHON LAB

U2OS OSTEOSARCOMA CELL SHOWING INTRACELLULAR CYTOSKELETAL STRUCTURES | BECKERLE LAB

ELEPHANT NEUTROPHILS | SCHIFFMAN LAB

METASTATIC MELANOMA TISSUE | HU-LIESKOVAN LAB

MOUSE SKIN SHOWING DNA DAMAGE | GROSSMAN LAB

ROASTED FISH i

SWEET PEPPERS

WHAT YOU’LL NEED Makes 4 servings 1 small bunch of lemon thyme or regular thyme Kosher or sea salt Freshly ground black pepper 1–1½ lbs. red snapper or other white fish 3 bell peppers (1 red, 1 orange, and 1 yellow), thinly sliced 2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil, divided ¼ c. pitted, sliced green or black olives 1 tsp. sherry vinegar, plus more to taste 1 garlic clove, grated 1 c. loosely packed Italian parsley, chopped

Nutritional Facts* *using 1 lb. of red snapper (4 servings)

320 calories

30g protein

18g fat

8g carbs

HOW TO MAKE IT Preheat oven to 400° F. Pull 1 tbsp. of thyme leaves off the bunch and finely chop. Season fish all over with a pinch of salt and some freshly ground pepper. Rub with chopped thyme leaves. Let rest at room temperature while you prepare the peppers. Spread the sliced peppers on a large, parchment-lined sheet pan. Toss with 1 tbsp. olive oil, ½ tsp. salt, and black pepper. Top the peppers with the remaining thyme sprigs. Roast, tossing occasionally, until peppers are softened and golden at the edges, about 15 minutes. Increase oven temperature to 500° F. Push peppers to the edges of the pan, clearing a space in the center. Lay the fish out on the empty space in the center; drizzle with olive oil. Scatter the olives over the top of fish and peppers. Roast until the fish turns opaque and is cooked through, about 6 to 10 minutes. While the fish cooks, make a vinaigrette by mixing the vinegar, garlic, and a pinch of salt in a bowl. Whisk in the remaining 1 tbsp. olive oil, then whisk in parsley. Taste and add more salt or vinegar, or both, if needed. Serve fish with peppers, drizzled with vinaigrette. RECIPE PROVIDED BY Joan Elizondo, RD, CSO | Dietitian, Wellness and Integrative Health Center

DINE AT HCI

THE

BISTRO THE

POINT

monday–Friday 7 a.m.–8 p.m. AT THE POINT

monday–Friday 8 a.m.–2 p.m.

monday–Friday 6 a.m.–3 p.m.

Weekends 7 a.m.–6 p.m. 21

TOMMY MACDONALD (LEFT) AND JAREM HALLOWS AT THE 2018 HUNTSMAN SPORTSFEST

MEET THE

Macdonalds Tommy Macdonald began working at TruHearing, a company that partners with insurance to offer affordable hearing aids, when the company was in its infancy. He immediately wanted his friend Jarem Hallows—“a hard worker and good guy”—to join him. Jarem did, and their friendship grew. In addition to the bond they shared through work, they shared a love for life.

After careful consideration, Tommy and Ashlee chose to support a project researching cancers of the oral cavity that primarily affect young people. This new project would not have been possible without the Macdonald family. Their financial gift led to the appointment of a postdoctoral fellow to assist the head and neck team, and collaboration with another institution.

When Jarem was diagnosed with tongue cancer, friends and family rallied to show their love and support. For a time, his cancer was in remission, but in 2018, it returned. To honor Jarem, a team was created for the Huntsman SportsFest (HSF), an event to raise funds for research at Huntsman Cancer Institute (HCI). Friends and family came out in droves to participate. Tommy and Jarem’s colleagues from TruHearing, and the company itself, played a significant role in supporting the HSF team.

Tommy knows Jarem never backed down from cancer. Supporting this research helps fortify the Macdonalds’ resolve to keep moving forward. Their commitment gives hope for the future and is a reminder that we can make a difference.

Jarem focused on fundraising even though his prognosis was poor. After facing cancer for several years, Jarem passed away in 2018. His example inspired Tommy and his wife, Ashlee, to keep fighting cancer even after their friend was gone. They met with the head and neck cancer team at HCI to learn about research needs. TOMMY AND ASHLEE MACDONALD WITH THEIR FAMILY

The Kathryn F. Kirk Center

FOR COMPREHENSIVE CANCER CARE AND WOMEN’S CANCERS

The Kathryn F. Kirk Center for Comprehensive Cancer Care and Women’s Cancers at Huntsman Cancer Institute (HCI) is a new, 220,000-square-foot patient care facility that will add 48 new inpatient hospital rooms. It will include four floors of clinical space, an expanded Wellness and Integrative Health Center, two floors of faculty offices, and two floors available for future build-out based on patient needs. The Kathryn F. Kirk Center for Comprehensive Cancer Care and Women’s Cancers will increase HCI’s clinical care capacity by 50%.

HCI Hospital executive director Don Milligan (right) visits the construction site.

HCI leaders and special guests break ground for the Kathryn F. Kirk Center on September 5, 2019.

Patients, visitors, and employees were invited to sign the last beam to be placed.

An aerial view of the construction site.

CONSTRUC TION FAC TS

320

TON S

OF REBAR USED, THE WEIGHT OF TWO BLUE WHALES

37,995

FEET

The Ultimate Mission: Eradicating Cancer

OF DUCT WORK, 26 TIMES THE HEIGHT OF THE EMPIRE STATE BUILDING

327,642

FEET

OF CONDUIT, 11.28 TIMES THE HEIGHT OF MOUNT EVEREST

3,500

Dedicated to world-class compassionate care, our teams of doctors and researchers collaborate to provide the best possible treatment options for individuals and families facing a cancer diagnosis. Your support brings hope to families everywhere. Make a gift online today. thehuntsman.org/givehope

HOURS

OF WORK PER WEEK

100%

of your donation supports Huntsman 25 Cancer Institute

Cancer doesn’t stop for COVID-19. Cancer screening saves lives. Take action today to schedule health and cancer screenings for yourself and your family.

Learn more: huntsmancancer.org/screening