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January 18, 2015
Come together, Champion the cause and Conquer cancer
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From the PresidentLiz Conklyn
We have just finished the 30th year of supporting the patients, doctors and scientists of the
CTRC, and what an amazing legacy! Every individual whose hard work, financial
contributions and creative thinking shaped that legacy deserves a standing ovation….. with
many curtain calls.
As we launch our 31st year, our commitment remains to support the inspirational vision
thatDr. Ian Thompson, Jr., CTRC Director, and his team have set for themselves. At the
end of this month, your Board will have our annual Strategic Retreat to see how we can keep
pace with the CTRC, and I’m looking forward to sharing the results of that meeting with you
in the February letter.
In the meantime, please know how important your membership is. Your financial support
allows us to make many needed contributions. Your volunteer hours are priceless to the
patients and staff. If you’ve been a member, thank you and welcome back. If you’re a new
member, welcome to a great community of caring people.
If you’ve read last year’s Annual Report, you can see all that we accomplished together –
and there were 29 more years before that one!
Please spread the word about joining the CTRC Council. Every new member allows us to
do more in the fight against cancer. Some points to share with potential members:

Who is the Cancer Therapy and Research Center? The CTRC is a medical gem in
San Antonio dedicated to compassionate patient care and ground-breaking
research.

Who are we? The CTRC Council is the non-profit fund-raising partner of the CTRC.

What do we do? 1) assist patients whose financial situation is a major burden as
they battle with their medical needs, 2) fund innovative research to fight, treat and
prevent cancer, and 3) endow chairs to attract world-renowned doctor-scientists to
San Antonio.
Like so many of us, I have watched loved ones battle cancer. Although four are still part of
my life today, two are not and are missed. I am looking forward to doing all we can in 2015 to
change those odds.
Thank you for being part of this fight.
Welcome New Trustees!
Standing (left to right) Laura Fritz-Holland, Cheryl Wright, Irene Black, Beverly McClure,
Cynthia Parsons and Ceslie Armstrong
Sitting (left to right) – Michelle Lair, Donna Muslin, CTRC Council President Liz Conklyn
Not Present – Lacey Ashworth-Barriga, Kathy Elder, Patricia Mitchell, and Tammy Mallaise
2015 Officers, Chairs and Assistant Chairs
Standing (left to right) Terri McDowell, ) Laura Fritz-Holland, Carmen Kamiya, Jan Newton,
Lora Watts, Liz Conklyn, Kathy Glascock, Rhonda Gurinsky, Ceslie Armstrong, Elaine
Palance, Holli Ticknor, Sharon Manning, Cynthia Schluter, and Lavonne Garrison
Sitting (left to right) - Arlene Wueste, Melinda Urion, Patricia Sabella, Kathy Littrell, Judy
Ezra, and Lisa Grove
Not Present –Joyce Brown, Beverly Koehn, Meg Salvadore and Sara Stumberg-Walker
Mark Your Calendar!
The Membership Coffee will be held on February 17, 2015, at 10:00 a.m. at the home of
Margie and Bill Klesse. Invitations will be mailed soon, so please think of a prospective CTRC
Council member you may want to bring as a guest. We must receive your RSVP by
February 13 to give names to the gate guard for admission. Hope to see you there!
Have You Renewed Your Membership for 2015?
It’s time to renew your membership for 2015. Dues letters were mailed in early January
and we hope you will join us again this year to make a difference in the lives of cancer
patients. In 2014, we received 551 memberships and dues of $74,125. As a result of our
collective efforts, the CTRC Council has donated more than $4.3 million to the CTRC over
the past 30 years. We appreciate you and hope you will continue your support. Membership
dues must be received by March 1, 2015 to be included in the membership directory. You
may also renew your membership online.
Business Memberships Available!
Last year the CTRC Council introduced a new Business Membership. There are two
levels available: Guardian Partner Level at $250 and Angel Partner Level at $500. If you
are a business owner, please consider a Business Membership for your company. You may
join online.
We are very grateful to the following that have recently joined us as a CTRC Council
Business Partner:


Angel Partner
o Cappy's Inc.
o Frost Bank
Guardian Partner
o Banker Associates
o Iclean Company
o Joseph's, Inc.
o Phyllis Browning Co.
o RiverCity Cardiovascular
o The Interior Edge LLC
o You're Invited Fine Stationery
CTRC Needs You!
Volunteers are the heart of CTRC. Everyday caring individuals give of their time and
talents to make cancer patient’s lives a little easier. They do this unselfishly, asking nothing in
return but the satisfaction of knowing they made a difference.
Each CTRC volunteer has their own unique talents and strengths but the common thread
is that they all care. Some have been personally touched by cancer. They might have
witnessed a parent, sibling, spouse or a friend undergo the rigors of a cancer diagnosis. They
know how cancer impacts a life and they give of their time to make the experience a little
better for someone else. A CTRC volunteer might be a college student, just starting to
explore a career in the healthcare field. The lessons learned volunteering at CTRC will stay
with them throughout their life, making them a more compassionate doctor or nurse. Or the
volunteer might be someone with a special gift they want to share – an artist, a massage
therapist, a yoga teacher.
Volunteers put the pieces together. They do this by greeting new patients with a smile and
a welcoming word. They do this by finding a wheelchair, showing the way, providing
information. They do this by offering a snack, playing a game, giving comfort with a warm
blanket and a soft pillow. They do this by putting medical kits together, keeping supplies
stocked, making sure staff have the equipment they need to do their jobs. They do this by
teaching new skills and helping patients discover inner resources to cope with their disease.
They do this by offering a listening ear, an understanding heart and a shoulder to cry on.
Working as a CTRC volunteer brings a sense of satisfaction to the volunteer as well.
Volunteers end their shift knowing they made a difference. They connected with someone
who needed to talk, helped someone forget their troubles (if even for a moment) and made a
life just a little bit more comfortable. Small things that add up to a big impact.
CTRC is expanding the Information Desk volunteer role. Starting in 2015, a Patient
Ambassador will be the first person patients meet when they come through the doors. The
ambassador will not only be a greeter but take a much more active role in making the patient
feel welcomed and cared about. The goal is to have two ambassadors present at all
times: one to greet at the main entrance and one to roam the halls, helping those that may
have lost their way.
Compassionate, energetic and committed volunteers are needed for this innovative new
program. If you are over 18, can spare two three-hour shifts a month and are interested in
making a difference, CTRC would love to tell you more about being a patient ambassador.
Call210-450-5574 to speak to the volunteer coordinator.
The Dominion Magazine Features CTRC Council
The CTRC Council is being featured in the charity section of the January 2015 issue of
The Dominion Magazine on pages 68-69. Pam Burdick is the contributor for this article and
is being featured along with other members of the Dominion who are members of the CTRC
Council. You can access the magazine online so be sure to check it out.
CTRC Launching New Drug Study that makes Researchers
into Detectives
A still-experimental class of drugs called PARP inhibitors has shown promise in BRCApositive patients. They could help more people still – but it will take a medical detective to
figure out who.
Virginia Kaklamani, M.D., director of the breast cancer program at the Cancer Therapy &
Research Center at the UT Health Science Center, is leading a study here that will focus on
PARP inhibitors and which types of breast cancer they can treat.
“These drugs are a lot more useful for a lot more patients,” Dr. Kaklamani said. “We just
have to figure out which ones.”
Kaklamani presented the study in a poster at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium,
where during the second week of December the best new information in the world on fighting
breast cancer was revealed to an international gathering of more than 7,000 oncologists,
researchers and advocates.
To gather the most relevant information possible, Dr. Kaklamani’s team is working with
other top research sites, including Northwestern University, University of Wisconsin and Emory
University. Participation in the study will be simple, as the researchers can work with biopsy
samples that will be taken in the normal course of diagnosis and treatment.
The 37th annual SABCS was presented by the Cancer Therapy & Research Center at the
UT Health Science Center, the American Association for Cancer Research and Baylor College
of Medicine and ran from Dec. 9-13, 2014 at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center.
For current news from the UT Health Science Center San Antonio, please visit our news
release website, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.
Elizabeth Allen
Media Relations Officer
The UT Health Science Center at San Antonio
7979 Wurzbach Road MC 8035
San Antonio, TX 78229-4427
work: 210-450-2020; mobile: 210-621-7592
Spotlight on CTRC
Council Trustee
Patricia Frinee Sabella
I would like to thank the CTRC Council for allowing me to share my story. I am originally
from Mexico, though I have lived here for twenty-two years now. While growing up I always
had an interest in medicine and that is the reason why I studied to become a medical doctor
in Monterrey, MX. After becoming a doctor, during my internship, I had the opportunity to
interact with cancer patients and their families.
When I moved to San Antonio, I devoted myself to my children and left my medical career
behind. After so many years dedicated to my family, I began to work in a different field from
that of medicine.
A few years ago, during a routine mammogram, the doctor found an image that was
suspicious for cancer. Due to a referral, I had my first encounter with the CTRC. After some
tests, the results indicated a ‘negative’ for cancer. I then promised myself that I would help
the center in any way that I could. Time passed and due to a busy daily routine, I put aside
my desire to help.
Three years ago, however, Mrs. Pam Burdick asked me to become part of the CTRC
Council. I started out as a volunteer for the yearly skin cancer screening. In 2014 I was
appointed as a member of the Board in addition to having the role of Assistant VP of Patient
Services. This year I will fill the role of Chair of Patient Services. Truthfully, I admire the
Board members’ dedication to help the CTRC in many ways such as fundraising, donating,
and giving their time.
Pain Relievers and Preventing Cancer
Michael J. Wargovich, Ph.D., CTRC Council Distinguished
Chair in Oncology
About 20 years ago it was first reported that people who used common anti-inflammatory
pain relievers, especially aspirin, had a lesser risk for some common cancers than people who
did not use these drugs. Just last month the largest study (conducted in AARP members)
confirmed what about 30 other studies had found: use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs
(NSAIDs) for at least 5 years dramatically reduces risk for head and neck, esophagus, colon,
breast, liver, lung, and pancreatic cancer. NSAIDS include aspirin, ibuprofen, naproxen, and
other pain-relievers but not acetaminophen. How much needs to be consumed to enjoy this
protective effect? The answer is not clear but 81 mg (baby aspirin) to 325 mg (regular aspirin)
seems to be effective and for all other NSAIDs the data are not clear. Anyone taking NSAIDs
(by a doctor’s prescription or on their own) should be aware that NSAIDs can cause serious
side effects including bleeding, intestinal ulcers, and impaired kidney function. More is
definitely not better with these drugs! And, the studies published so far suggest that the
reduced risk for these cancers (up to 50% reduction in risk) may only kick in after 5-10 years of
use. As you all know my research has identified many plant and food compounds with NSAIDlike activity, and they are much safer to consume!
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The mission of the CTRC Council is to support the Cancer Therapy & Research Center
(CTRC) at The University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio through cancer
education, community outreach, fundraising, patient assistance and volunteer service.
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CTRC Council 7979 Wurzbach Suite U600, San Antonio, Texas 78229
Phone: 210.450.5571 | Email: CTRCcouncil@uthscsa.edu
http://CTRCcouncil.org
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