THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSISSIPPI MEDICAL CENTER
Cancer Institute News
Vol. 1, Issue 1 • March 2013
Treatment, research, education growing in 2013
Dear colleagues,
The Cancer Institute is experiencing a strong 2013 on all
fronts.
We have achieved U.S. News and World Report “best hospitals” status in cancer treatment, as we did last year.
We have revamped our clinical trials programs and created a Protocol Review Committee that reviews available
clinical trials for scientific merit, selects the ones best suited
for Mississippi’s patient populations and prioritizes them.
We have completed the first
phase in recruiting world-class
basic and translational cancer
scientists from top institutions into three basic research
programs: Molecular Cancer
Therapeutics, Tumor Cell Biology and Cancer Genetics and
Genomics. Now we are working
on translating what we learn
in research to the clinics and
what we see in the clinics to
Miele
research. To help accomplish
that, we created multidisciplinary translational interest groups
in prostate cancer, obesity-related cancer and sarcomas. A
breast cancer interest group also is in the works. Each includes physicians who treat patients and scientists seeking a
cure for that type of cancer.
These are challenging times for medical research funding. Yet, two of our newest recruits, Dr. Anait Levenson and Dr.
Keli Xu, recently obtained competitive grants in prostate and
breast cancer respectively, from the Department of Defense and
National Cancer Institute. Levenson is collaborating with our
Oxford colleagues to develop a novel phytochemical in prostate
cancer, and Xu has discovered a new mutation that is common
in highly aggressive “triple-negative” breast cancers.
After the first three and half years of building critical mass
and organizing infrastructure, we sought feedback from
nationally renowned cancer experts, convening an External
Advisory Board (EAB). This panel includes:
• Dr. Ed Partridge, professor and director, University of
Alabama in Birmingham Comprehensive Cancer Center.
• Dr. William T. Beck, distinguished professor of
pharmacology and molecular genetics and former Cancer
Center director at the University of Illinois at Chicago.
• Dr. Roy Weiner, Edward G. Schlieder chair of medical
oncology and former Cancer Center director, Tulane University.
• Dr. Susan Mooberry, professor of pharmacology and
co-leader of the Experimental Therapeutics Program,
University of Texas at San Antonio Cancer Center.
• Dr. Ruth O’Regan, professor of hematology and medical
oncology, Louisa and Rand Glenn Family Chair in Breast Cancer
Research, Winship Cancer Institute, Emory University.
• Dr. Kathryn Stein, senior vice president, MacroGenics, Inc.
and former division director, U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
• Dr. Debabrata Mukhopadhyay, professor of biochemistry and
associate director, Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center.
• Dr. Ralph Weichselbaum, D.K. Ludwig Professor of Radiation and Cellular Oncology, Chair, Department of Radiation
and Cellular Oncology, University of Chicago Cancer Center.
The group met in Jackson and reviewed our basic
research programs, core facilities, clinical programs, clinical
research, institutional support and leadership team. They
also received copies of our strategic plan. They provided
invaluable insights during the meeting and soon we will
receive their final written report. We asked them to highlight
our strengths and weaknesses, and to offer suggestions on
how to move to the next phase so we can compile a
competitive application for NCI designation.
As the year progresses, the Cancer Institute executive
committee and I will review the EAB report, share it with
faculty and institutional leadership, and incorporate its
input into our strategic plan.
Lucio Miele, M.D., Ph.D.
Cancer Institute Director
University of Mississippi Medical Center | 2500 North State Street | Jackson, MS 39216 | 601-815-6801 | CancerInstitute.umc.edu
CLINICAL
Teamwork essential to treat neurological cancers
before any treatment recommen The foundation was there,
dations are offered the family.
carefully poured by Dr. Owen B.
From 20 to 25 patients who
Evans, former chairman of pediathave finished treatment attend a
rics. Now Dr. Betty Herrington, the
Brain Tumor Clinic each month for
state’s only fellowship-trained pedifollow up testing or review. Some
atric neuro-oncologist is working to
come each month. Others, out of
build and maintain the state’s only
treatment longer, may come anpediatric neuro-oncology program.
nually. Patients’ ages range from
“We have everything in place
3 to 31, said Janie Criddle, an RN
to take care of children with brain
and clinic coordinator.
or spinal cord tumors,” she said
This team sees children from
from the Children’s Cancer Center Some members of Children’s Cancer Care pediatric neuro-oncology
around Mississippi, often providin Batson Children’s Hospital. “We team prepare to see patients recently. Team members include
seated from left, brain clinic coordinator Janie Criddle, pediatric
ing treatment for rare neurologihave good outcomes and we’re
neuro-oncology care team director Dr. Betty Herrington; pediatric
cal tumors and conditions. Team
close to home for treatment.”
neurologist, Dr. Bev Evans; standing from left, neuro-radiologist
members also offer second
The “we” is a crucial element. Dr. Todd Nichols; pediatric psychology fellow, Dr. Cynthia Karlson;
The program built at the
pediatric hematology/oncology fellows, Dr. Britni Hill and Dr. Jitsuda opinions for other centers.
“Anna” Sitthi-Amorn; neurosurgery nurse practitioner Toni Harris;
As a member of the Children’s
University of Mississippi Mediand
palliative
care
nurse
practitioner
Jackie
Carrillo.
Oncology Group, Children’s
cal Center includes a weekly
Cancer Center has access to and can contribute to the latest
multi-disciplinary pediatric neuro-oncology conference, state
medical treatment protocols and clinical trials available to the
of the art treatment, follow up clinics and the ability to respond
COG’s 220-member strong group of children’s hospitals, cancer
to other patient needs. Today, this neuro-oncology team sees
centers and universities in eight countries. That also gives this
some 280 children and young adults annually for diagnosis,
pediatric neuro-oncology team ties to specialists around the
treatment and follow-up care.
world should they need a review of an especially rare cancer.
Children with brain and spinal cord tumors require multiple
Treatment and the equipment used to offer it, from IV lines
specialists. Patients may hear it called a multidisciplinary team.
to a surgeon’s tools, is geared toward children. Children who
This team includes Herrington, other pediatric oncologists,
have to receive chemotherapy do so in rooms designed just for
radiation oncologists, pediatric neurologists, pediatric neurosurthem and from pediatric nurses with medical oncology training.
geons, clinical research nurses, pediatric psychologists, neuro
Teachers help them keep up with school work.
radiologists, neuro pathologists, pediatric ophthalmologists,
This team also tries to relieve some of the stress for families.
pediatric audiologists, pediatric oncologic nurses, palliative care
Criddle works with parents to make appointments, coordinatspecialists, physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech
ing times for imaging, lab tests and visits with specialists. Once
therapists, counselors, teachers and more.
at the clinic, medical providers come to the patient rather than
Some parents think of it as having an army of aunts and
families traveling from clinic to clinic on campus.
uncles on call. In 2012 this group saw 25 new patients. They
“Families love it and providers love it,” Herrington said.
expect to see about 30 in 2013.
Older children and young adults may come one day for imaging
“Previously too many of these children had to go outside
tests and lab work and another to see their team. The coordinathe state to get care,” Herrington said. “This is a comprehensive
tor tries to make it a one-day trip for younger children, arranging
program. We offer everything other comprehensive centers offer.”
to have any needed imaging done in the morning and appoint Treatment close to home allows families to stay nearer their
ments in the afternoon.
support network, Herrington said.
“It’s a long day, but it’s one day,” Herrington said.
About 20 medical providers attend each week’s neuro Herrington and providers have another conference before
oncology conference. The conferences also provide training for
each clinic. They review images taken that day, blood work and
medical students, residents and fellows from each discipline.
other reports before they head to the rooms to see their patients.
At conference, physicians review a new patient’s medical
Criddle also is a patient’s answer finder. “Parents can call
condition, images of their tumor, surgical findings and pathology
her about any issue and she’ll find someone to respond,” Herand discuss treatment recommendations. The team deals with
rington said.
benign and malignant tumors.
Herrington said this clinic is about finding answers for its
Herrington said the team concept means multiple physipatients and their families.
cians, nurses and other specialists are evaluating each child
Cancer Institute Newsletter | March 2013 | PAGE 2
CLINICAL
New technique offers hope for earlier lung cancer detection
When research showed low
Have a smoking history
dose computed tomography (CT)
of 30 or more pack-years. A
screening could help detect lung
pack year is equivalent to smokcancers earlier and save lives, the
ing an average of a pack a day
University of Mississippi Medical
for one year.
Center’s lung cancer care team
Have no history of
jumped at the opportunity to use
cancer beyond basic skin
equipment already available to try
cancer.
to help Mississippians.
People who meet the crite “I want to save as many paria should talk to their primary
tients as I can,” said Dr. Frederico
physician about the low-dose CT
Souza, the team’s radiologist
screening or they may refer themMembers of University Cancer Care Lung Care Team include, seated
and the physician who will review from left, lung cancer patient navigator Leigh Anne Lamm, RN;
selves to this program. Souza
most of the scans. “This is great
said results will be reported to
pathologist, Dr. Rhyne Flowers; hematology/oncology fellow, Dr. Linda
for this population. We need to do Allee; and medical oncologist Dr. Calvin Thigpen; standing from left,
their referring physician.
pulmonologist Dr. Joe Pressler; pathologist, Dr. Jack Lewin; surgeon,
it as the primary cancer center in
“If they have no doctor, they
Dr. Pierre de Delva; pulmonology fellow, Dr. Michal Senitko; radiation
the state.”
will be referred to one here,”
oncologist Dr. Satyaseelan “Satya” Packianathan; radiologist, Dr.
According to the American
Souza said.
Anson Thaggard. Not pictured are radiologist Dr. Frederico Souza and
Cancer Society, lung and bron
Screenings are performed at
pulmonologist Dr. Trey Abraham.
chial cancers are the most comthe University Physicians’ offices
mon cause of cancer deaths nationwide for men and women,
at Grants Ferry, 101 Lakeland Place, in Flowood, Miss., or at the
followed by prostate and colorectal cancers in men and breast
University of Mississippi Medical Center main campus. Screenand colorectal cancers in women.
ings cost $150, which may not be covered by insurance.
The ACS estimates that in 2013, some 2,630 Mississippians
A screening includes a low-dose CT scan, a review by a
will be diagnosed with lung cancer and 2,010 will die of it. The
radiologist experienced in detecting lung cancer and a visit with
key to reversing that trend, said Dr. Joe Pressler, a pulmonoloa pulmonologist on the University Cancer Care lung cancer care.
gist on the team, is catching lung cancers earlier.
Souza said if you are still smoking you also will be referred to a to “One of the biggest reasons the statistics are so drastically
bacco cessation program headquartered on the UMMC campus.
skewed towards death for lung cancer, as opposed to prostate,
The ACT Center for Tobacco Treatment, Education and Recolon and breast cancers, is that it is so often diagnosed in the
search offers free medications and counseling to Mississippians
late stages when treatment options are much more limited,”
who want to quit using tobacco. The center has sites throughPressler said. “Prostate, colon and breast cancers all have good
out the state. (www.act2quit.com)
screening programs, which is what we are trying to offer with
“I see this program as an outreach to the community and
this CT screening program.”
the state in an attempt to bring more awareness to lung cancer
Thoracic surgeon Dr. Pierre de Delva shares that frustration.
and the dangers of smoking,” Pressler said. “Anything we
“Surgery is most effective when lung cancer is diagnosed at an
can do to continue to stress how dangerous smoking is to a
early stage,” he said. “As a surgeon it is incredibly frustrating
patient’s health and to offer opportunities to discuss smoking
to see so many patients present with late stage disease and be
cessation programs with the people of the state and the local
limited in my ability to provide them life-saving therapy.”
community is an opportunity that we can’t let slip by.”
A National Cancer Institute study showed screening with
If your scan shows any signs of lung cancer or other lung
low-dose CT reduced lung cancer deaths by 20 percent among
conditions, the pulmonologist will discuss this with you and your
a high risk population. The population studied had a smoking
primary physician. Your results also may be presented to the
habit of 30 or more pack-years. The research was presented in
University Cancer Care lung care team.
the New England Journal of Medicine in August, 2011. Based on
A recommendation for further testing or to repeat the scan
the NCI research, the UMMC lung cancer care team is providing
in a year needs to be based on information presented to the
this screening to patients who may benefit from it. The NCI study
lung care team and your physician’s knowledge of you.
shows the screening is most effective for patients who:
To find out if you qualify, call (601) 984-5650 and press 2. If
Are 55 to 74 years old.
you are eligible, the lung cancer care team will make an ap
Are current or former smokers (a former smoker is
pointment for you. Physicians who are interested in this for their
someone who has stopped smoking within the past 15 years).
patients, may call (866) UMC-DOCS (862-3627).
Cancer Institute Newsletter | March 2013 | PAGE 3
CLINICAL
Patient Resource Center seeks to answer cancer questions
Visitors arriving at the University Cancer Care Patient Resource Center may see the hats and the smile first.
The center, down a short hall from the Cancer Institute
outpatient waiting area at Jackson Medical Mall, can become a
haven for those seeking information about the diseases affecting them or their families.
Janice Johnson, coordinator, makes sure it is. “I love helping
people,” she said.
The hand knitted hats? Volunteers make those for the adult
patients.
The smile? That’s Johnson’s standard welcome to all who
visit.
Providing information about the diseases patients or family
members now must battle is a pursuit she’s embraced. The
center opened in 2006 with a family’s gift to purchase materials for adult cancer patients. They made the donation in honor
of the late Diane Powell, a hematology patient of Dr. Stephanie
Elkins. Children’s Cancer Center provides similar information to
parents of children with cancer.
Johnson eagerly accepted the job. “I thought it was a neat
thing to do because you are able to come in contact with all
kinds of people and be helpful,” she said.
“I cry with them and laugh with them,” she said. “Sometimes it’s pretty sad. Sometimes people are afraid. Sometimes
they expect the worst and it may not be that bad.”
Johnson, a Jackson native, lived in Houston for many years
and worked at a facility for the mentally ill. Offering encouragement and love were big parts of that job and she finds they’re
crucial to this one.
“I try to supply information on any type
of cancer and if I can’t find it here, I go
to the Internet and get it,”
Janice Johnson
Some of her happiest moments occur when patients in
remission and in clinic for a follow-up appointment, stop by with
two simple words: “I’m here.”
“It’s really rewarding,” she said.
In a conversation sprinkled with memories of patients who
didn’t defeat cancer, her phrases carry a similar theme: “Sweetest lady,” “nicest man,” “always made me laugh.”
In some of those cases, a family member returns with a memento of their loved one. “She was so sweet,” Johnson said,
fingering a laminated photo on a keychain.
Johnson is a woman who believes that the little things matter, whether that’s a smile, a hug, a brochure or simply listening
to someone vent.
While she spends much of her day serving patients, she
also works to try to prevent anyone from needing the Resource
Center.
With others at University Cancer Care, she attends several
events each year to pass out materials on cancer prevention
and screening. Materials may center on cancers that occur at
higher than average levels in Mississippi, like breast, colon or
prostate cancer, or may focus on a specific cancer a group has
asked them to present, like skin cancers.
Within the resource room, Johnson tries to keep pamphlets
and brochures that provide information patients need. That information ranges
from what to
expect with chemotherapy and
radiation therapy
to how to talk to
children about
cancer.
She tries to
give each patient
who enters
basic materials
that others have
found helpful:
things to ask
their doctor,
what to expect
during treatment,
a list of resources they might
need or want
and information
on the cancer
they’re
Johnson
battling.
“I try to supply information on any type of cancer and if I
can’t find it here, I go to the Internet and get it,” she said.
Since University Cancer Care physicians see many people
with unusual cancers, that’s a task at which she’s become proficient.
The Resource Center offers brochures, books,
pamphlets, DVDs and other materials on cancer and cancerrelated topics. It also includes a quiet reading room and
computers for patients to use. Often, UCC patient navigators
and social workers usher new patients there. But any adult
patient or family member is welcome to come.
The Resource Center is open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday
through Friday.
Cancer Institute Newsletter | March 2013 | PAGE 4
RESEARCH
CI group searches plants for cancer cures
Dr. David Pasco makes it sound so
simple.
“We investigate plant extracts for
promising anticancer compounds,” the
director of the Cancer Drug Discovery Core
in Oxford said of this collaborative venture with the Cancer Institute in Jackson.
“When we find a compound that targets a
signaling pathway important for supporting
cancer, we can hand that off to someone in
Jackson doing research on that signaling
pathway.”
Researchers in the Cancer Drug Discovery Core, located within the National
Center for Natural Products Research
at the University of Mississippi will work
closely with their counterparts in the Cancer Institute at the University of Mississippi
Pasco
Medical Center in Jackson to develop
natural product derived anticancer compounds.
It’s a collaboration celebrated on both campuses.
“One of the unique characteristics of the Cancer Institute in
Jackson is this connection with us because not many other cancer institutes have this type of drug discovery program,” Pasco
said. “That’s going to be a strength for the Cancer Institute.”
The collaboration began several years ago. Today, the Cancer
Drug Discovery Core occupies about 1,320 square feet of lab
space in the National Center for Natural Products Research at
the Thad Cochran Research Center at Ole Miss. Two principal
investigators and four to five others work in those labs.
Dr. Kounosuke Watabe, the CI’s associate director for basic science, embraces
the collaboration. “The drug discovery
core is a very important asset for us. We
have to capitalize on it.”
During the Cancer Institute’s first
Research Day in October, 2012, Watabe
described how the campuses can work
Watabe
together. While investigators in Oxford
can find compounds that will act on cancer cells, they need the
investigators in Jackson to take the next step to determine the
mechanism of action, to test it in mice. Investigators in Jackson, who may find novel targets in cancer cells, need help from
Oxford to find compounds that affect those targets.
As the work progresses, pharmacological experts at Ole
Miss in Oxford also may work with physicians to design a trial
for humans.
Pasco said for him it all starts with the plants.
“We have various agencies around the world that collect
plants and then they ship them to us,” he
said. “We grind them up and we use an instrument that automatically makes extracts
from that material. We have tens of thousands of plant extracts in our freezers.”
Often research starts with extracts that
may have shown some cancer prevention
or cancer fighting properties previously.
Then researchers may move to similar
plants or extracts with similar chemical
profiles.
The testing is methodical and tedious.
“We never know if it’s promising from
the first round of in vitro tests,” Pasco said.
“We may search for years to find one that
works in people.”
His interest in cancer started decades
earlier, Pasco said. He did his graduate
work at Roswell Park Cancer Institute in
Buffalo, N.Y. Years later he heard about the
NCNPR. “When I heard about this place 18 years ago I said,
‘This is what I want to do.’”
“You need people with various types of
experience. It’s a long, slow process.
You can’t expect to find something and
get it into humans in months or a few
years. It takes a long time.”
Dr. David Pasco
While Pasco makes it sound simple, it’s never easy.
“You really need a wide range of expertise to find a compound to use in humans,” he said. “You need people with
various types of experience. It’s a long, slow process. You can’t
expect to find something and get it into humans in months or a
few years. It takes a long time.”
For example, the NCNPR includes faculty from the departments of pharmacognosy, medicinal chemistry, pharmacology,
pharmaceutics, pharmacy administration and pharmacy practice. The Cancer Drug Discovery Core widens that net to include
investigators and physicians at UMMC.
Pasco also continues to search for compounds that work
better together than individually. It’s an idea, he said, that he
shares with Dr. Lucio Miele, CI director.
“We both believe that you’re never going to cure cancer with
one compound,” Pasco said. “It’s my hope we’ll be able to use
combinations of much less toxic compounds that target cancer
cells and save normal cells.”
Cancer Institute Newsletter | March 2013 | PAGE 5
RESEARCH
Finding cancer signature brings hope for better treatment
At first glance, the frames on the walls hold abstract art. On
closer inspection, they’re models of the chemical compounds
and images of the cells Dr. Anait S. Levenson studies to find a
way to halt cancer.
Her research, a collaboration with investigators at the
University of Mississippi Medical Center’s Cancer Institute in
Jackson and the Natural Products Utilization Research Unit in
Oxford, focuses on hormone dependent cancers, primarily in
breast and prostate cancer.
“I’m trying to find strategies for prevention and treatment,”
she said. “One goal is if we can find a prognostic marker that
tells us if prostate cancer is going to be aggressive or if the
patient is going to develop prostate cancer. The idea is we can
treat the primary tumor but we can’t treat metastasis.”
For now, Levenson and her colleagues have found an
association between the protein MTA1 and prostate cancer
metastasis in African American men. “We initially discovered
MTA1 as a part of a ‘bone metastatic signature’ in prostate
cancer,” she said.
After reviewing more than 300 prostate cancer tissue
samples, they found MTA1 was overexpressed in AfricanAmerican men who had aggressive cancers. Levenson and
her colleagues also are searching for ways to halt MTA1 and
therefore the metastasis.
“This protein can work as a prognostic marker in the
African-American population,” she said. That’s an important
advancement since black men tend to have prostate cancer at
a younger age and tend to have more aggressive forms of the
cancer with an associated higher death rate from it.
“It’s important to know who has an aggressive cancer,”
she said. With a small tumor, surgery often provides a cure.
Prostate cancer most often strikes older men and often is not
aggressive. Some choose no treatment and most die of other
causes.
When prostate and breast cancer grow, they often spread to
nearby bone. “Metastasis to the bone is very painful,” Levenson
said. If this protein can indicate who has an aggressive prostate
cancer, then doctors will know to offer more aggressive treatment earlier.
Each question answered raised new ones. Now Levenson
and her colleagues are:
Trying to find out why MTA1 didn’t work as a prognostic
marker for white men. In white men, it was high at all stages of
prostate cancer. In African-American men, it showed up in high
levels when they also had a high Gleason score. The Gleason
score is the method physicians use to grade prostate cancer.
They look at cancer cells under a microscope to see whether
the tissue looks more like normal cells or is very different from
normal cells. Scores range from 2 to 10 and higher scores mean
the cancer is more advanced.
Trying to find out if MTA1 can be used as a prognostic
marker in other ethnic groups. Those haven’t yet been studied.
Trying to find ways to halt MTA1 and promote the P53 tumor suppressor gene, one of the body’s natural defense fighters.
Levenson
In her previous work Levenson found that resveratrol, a
compound found in red wine, can inhibit MTA1. In collaboration with Dr. Agnes M. Rimando, a chemist from the USDA and
University of Mississippi’s National Center for Natural Products
Research, they searched for similar, but more potent compounds and they found one in blueberries, pterostilbene, that is
stronger.
“It inhibits MTA1 seven times better than resveratrol,” she said.
Now the two are seeking a way to make this compound stronger
or find a way to combine it with other natural compounds to offer a
more potent one, a kind of chemical power couple to fight cancer.
In the recent experiments in mice, Levenson’s lab demonstrated that resveratrol and pterostilbene can inhibit prostate cancer
progression and metastasis, pterostilbene with more potency.
These studies provide a foundation for clinical trials in humans.
“We hope to identify dietary substances and then find more
potent compounds,” Levenson said. Resveratrol and pterostilbene are needed in such large quantities, people could not
consume enough to affect the cancer so finding a way to boost
its power or linking it with other similar cancer-fighting agents is
one route they’re searching.
“Chemotherapy is very toxic so we want to study how dietary
compounds can help in therapy. My idea is if we have this kind of
compound that inhibits MTA1, we can search for a compound to
provide safer, less toxic targeted treatment,” she said.
————————————————
Levenson’s research is supported by funding from the University of Mississippi Medical Center, the Cancer Institute and
the Department of Defense. She is among 13 Cancer Institute
principal investigators researching for new ways to halt cancer.
Cancer Institute Newsletter | March 2013 | PAGE 6
RESEARCH
First Cancer Research Day deemed a success
The Cancer Institute held its first Cancer Research Day in November.
University of Mississippi Medical Center Cancer Institute
investigators held a Cancer Research Day Nov. 19 to showcase
their research, hear what others in the medical community are
doing, to form new collaborative research efforts with colleagues and to information the community how research money
is being spent.
Investigators and students from UMMC, the University of
Mississippi in Oxford and Tougaloo College were among those
who attended.
The day was designed to allow investigators to spotlight
their work, receive feedback on it, form new partnerships with
other investigators and learn of new equipment and procedures
available in various labs, some on different campuses.
Dr. Kounosuke Watabe, the Cancer Institute’s associate
director of basic science, said the exchange generated a
new level of excitement among those seeking a cure for
cancer.
Dr. Lucio Miele, Cancer Institute director, said it reinforced
collaborations among Mississippi’s research entities. No one
laboratory has the means to find a cure for cancer, so
collaboration is essential to find cancer’s roots and then
seek ways to halt it, he said.
Investigators on the UMMC campus already work with
counterparts at Ole Miss, Tougaloo, Jackson State University,
Mississippi State University and the University of Southern
Mississippi.
More than 120 physicians, researchers, medical and
doctoral students and community leaders attended the
inaugural Cancer Research Day.
Cancer Institute Newsletter | March 2013 | PAGE 7
RESEARCH
Researchers, doctors work together to seek cure
Researchers and physicians at the University of Mississippi Medical Center’s Cancer Institute are focusing on the
cancers most deadly in Mississippi.
Dr. Kounosuke Watabe, a biochemist and the CI associate
director for basic science, said forming interest groups with
physicians who treat cancer every day and researchers who
seek to unravel cancer’s mysteries will help both sides.
The Prostate Cancer Interest Group has started meeting and two more groups are being formed: one on
breast cancer and one studying links between obesity
and cancer.
“I want to build a bridge between clinical and investigators,” Watabe said. “It’s very important.”
He believes each side of this medical equation can
learn from the other. Basic scientists, the investigators,
can bring some of the latest research results to clinicians,
what’s available or will be soon.
Vijay
“My goal is to put all these people
together and create a spark that
will ignite some very new ideas in
research.”
Dr. Srinivasan Vijayakumar
Physicians can raise questions based on what they see
among their patients every day. Sometimes that can help
guide scientific investigations, help keep the basic scientists
on track, he said.
“I want to build a bridge
between clinical and
investigators . . . It’s
very important.”
— Dr. Kounosuke Watabe
Watabe
The Prostate Cancer Interest Group, which is meeting
monthly, already is exploring those avenues and others.
Dr. Srinivasan Vijayakumar, Dr. Vijay to most, who
heads the University Cancer Care Department of Radiation
Oncology, leads the prostate group. He has a long-time
interest in solving the prostate cancer puzzle and conducts
research into using radiation therapy more efficiently and
safely.
About a dozen physicians, basic scientists and others already have reaped the benefits of the meetings, he said. The
group includes specialists from radiation oncology, pathology, nuclear medicine, bioinformatics, diagnostic radiology,
cancer biology, pharmacology and genetics.
“We have to make research multidisciplinary,” Vijayakumar said. “No one can really accomplish great things working
alone. You need a lot of cross links in research.”
He explains that gathering people from so many specialties gives all in the group a larger view of the puzzle they are
trying to solve.
The amount of information and knowledge is growing
quickly and “is beyond the ability of one person to digest
and keep up with,” he said. Sharing knowledge from each
segment of treatment and research can offer patients big
dividends in the long run.
“My goal is to put all these people together and create
a spark that will ignite some very new ideas in research,”
he said. His hope is that the research leads to new ways to
prevent prostate cancer or better ways to treat it.
After just a few meetings, new collaborations were forming, Vijayakumar said. For example, four basic scientists now
present their research at his faculty meetings and the group
members recently critiqued a research paper for one member
at her request.
Watabe and Vijayakumar hope to accomplish results
faster through the groups, lowering the deaths from prostate
cancer in Mississippi or helping to find ways to prevent it.
Cancer Institute Newsletter | March 2013 | PAGE 8
RESEARCH
Research Recognition
New associate members of
Raucher receives patent
the Cancer Institute include:
Randy Wadkins, Ph.D., associate professor of chemistry
and biochemistry at the University of Mississippi.
Xinchun Zhou, M.D., Ph.D., assistant professor of pathology at the University of Mississippi Medical Center
Kenneth Sufka, Ph.D., professor of psychology and pharmacology and research professor at the Research Institute
of Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of Mississippi.
The Cancer Institute accepts physician and research members from UMMC and other institutions who contribute to
its goals of research, education, patient care or community
outreach. To receive details of membership criteria or to
inquire about joining, call 601-815-6802 or email fturpeau@
umc.edu
Raucher
Dr. Drazen Raucher, a biochemistry profession and member of the
Cancer Institute, was recognized
in October for a patent he received
this past fall. His patent for a cancer
fighting therapy may reduce the
amount of chemotherapy some
cancer patients need.
The method he and his research team found sends
anti-cancer drugs directly into tumors. Now, Raucher
and others will work to find out if it is safe and works in
humans. <LINK: Centerview story: http://www.umc.edu/
News_and_Publications/Centerview/2012-10-08-04_Biochemistry_professor%e2%80%99s_invention_increases_
efficacy_of_tumor-targeting_cancer_treatment.aspx >
Cancer Institute Newsletter | March 2013 | PAGE 9
RESEARCH
Recognition
Cancer Institute members work with many organizations
worldwide. Many have been recognized for that work or tapped
to serve on or lead boards within those groups. Members who
have been recognized recently include:
opment of Notch Inhibitors in Oncology” at the Bose Institute, named in honor of the Indian Novel Laureate H.C. Bose.
Indian news media also attended the lecture.
Dr. Chindo Hicks, associate professor of medicine,
director of the Cancer Bioinformatics Core in the UMMC Cancer
Institute and director of translational genomics and bioinformatics for the Children’s Cancer Center, has been selected by the
National Cancer Institute to serve on the Review Board for the
Specialized Programs of Research Excellence (SPOREs). The
SPORE (P50) is a Specialized Center grant mechanism for the
support of a multi-project, interdisciplinary and often multiinstitutional research program. The NCI SPORE program started
through a special appropriation from Congress in 1992. It is the
largest Specialized Center grant mechanism awarded by the
NCI.
Dr. Lucio Miele, Cancer Institute director, returned to
his native Italy in November to receive the International Research Award, “Scuola Medida Salernitana,” from the Salerno
School of Medicine, the oldest medical school in the world. The
school, started in 900 AD, was closed by Napoleon in 1802 and
reopened six years ago. The day before receiving the award for
a lifetime of work in cancer research, Dr. Miele was asked to
deliver the commencement address to the school’s first class to
complete their medical studies after the reopening.
Miele also received
the Acharya P. C. Ray
Gold Medal Award for
Pioneering Research presented by the Indian Science News Association in
December in Kolkata, India. The award is named
in honor of Ray, considered the father of Indian
chemistry. This year was
the 150th anniversary
of Ray’s birth and had
special significance for
the Indian science community. Prafulla Chandra Ray was the first Indian to receive
a doctorate in chemistry (in Edinburgh) and returned to India
to become the first Indian-born chemistry professor there as
well as founding the first Indian pharmaceutical company.
The award is given to internationally renowned scientists who
show pioneering vision in starting new organizations and/or
new fields of research. Miele also gave a lecture on “Devel-
Hicks also was selected by the University of South
Africa (UNISA) in the Republic of South Africa to serve as an
external examiner. In this role, Hicks will assess and evaluate the
Ph.D. theses for UNISA’s Ph.D. candidates in bioinformatics and
make a report and recommendations to the Board of Examiners about the candidates’ fulfillment of the requirements for the
doctoral degree in bioinformatics.
Cancer Institute Administrator Stephen Roth was
selected to serve on the Association of Cancer Executives’
Education Committee for 2013.
Three Cancer Institute members received Excellence
in Research Awards at the University of Mississippi Medical
Center’s annual program to recognize investigators who receive
significant extramural funding for their research programs.
CI members who were recognized include:
• Dr. Azeddine Atfi, professor of biochemistry and
director of the CI Tumor Cell Biology Program, bronze award.
• Dr. Radhika Pochampally, associate professor in
the Department of Biochemistry and member of the CI Cancer Genetics Program, bronze award.
• Dr. Thomas Payne, associate director of the ACT
Center for Tobacco Treatment, Education and Research
and member of the CI Cancer Epidemiology Program, gold
award.
Cancer Institute Newsletter | March 2013 | PAGE 10
RESEARCH
Research Grants
Cancer Institute investigators and clinicians receive grants and
conduct research on a variety of topics. Activity in the final
quarter of 2012 includes:
Grants received:
Cancer Institute researchers have received multiple national,
regional and local grants, including many which provide
research funding for multiple years. New grants they
received October through December 2012 include:
Dr. Drazen Raucher, $50,000 from the National Science
Foundation to study thermo-responsive biopolymers for tumor
targeted delivery.
Dr. Kounosuke Watabe, $289,320 from the National
Cancer Institute to study the functional role of tumor metastases
suppressor gene, KAl1, in tumor progression.
Dr. Kounosuke Watabe, $288,069 from the National
Cancer Institute to study the mechanism of tumor metastasis
suppression by Drg1.
Dr. Seongbong Jo, $66,282 from Mississippi State
University/National Science Foundation to study computational
modeling-aided design, synthesis and optimization of redoxsensitive polymer nanoparticles with optimal colloid-forming
and DT-diaphorase-substrate properties.
Published research:
Hand, W., Robinson, J. C., & Creel, E. (December, 2012).
Ethical Issues Surrounding Weight Bias and Stigma in
Healthcare. Online Journal of Health Ethics, 8(2).
Resveratrol 2012, 2nd International Conference of Resveratrol
and Health, Leicester, United Kingdom, Dec. 5-7, 2012, Invited
Oral Presentation “In Silico Studies of Resveratrol Interaction
with Nuclear Receptors.”
Guri Tzivion:
Tzivion G, Leicht DT, Balan V, Kaplun A (2012) Regulation of
C-Raf kinase by phosphorylation and protein-protein interactions. Oral Presentation at the Conference on the “Biochemistry,
Biology and Pathology of MAP Kinases,” Maale Hachamisha,
Jerusalem Hills, Israel.
Novel aspects of AKT regulation and function: Implications in
cancer and lifespan control. Cancer Research Day, University of
Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS, Nov. 19, 2012.
The nicotinamide-sirtuin axis: a new modulator of DNA damage
response, longevity and metabolism. Department of Molecular
Cancer Research, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht,
The Netherlands, Oct. 12, 2012.
Keli Xu:
Fringe-Modulated Notch Activation in the Triple Negative Breast
Cancer. Cancer Research Day, University of Mississippi Medical
Center, Nov. 19, 2012.
Jennifer Robinson:
Moore, M. M., Robinson, J.C., Rachel, M., & Boss, B. (2012).
Poster. “Planning Phase of a Population-Specific Healthy Lifestyle Program.”5th Annual DNP Conference. St. Louis, Mo.
Robinson, J. C. (2012). Invited Speaker. “Organizing for Scholarly Writing: Parts 1 & 2.” Advanced Practice Providers Council.
University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, Miss.
Presentations:
Anait Levenson:
Research Symposium of UMMC Cancer Institute, Jackson, MS.
“Mechanism-based preclinical studies with resveratrol and its
potent natural analogue pterostilbene in prostate cancer,” Oral
Presentation, November, 2012
Resveratrol 2012, 2nd International Conference of Resveratrol
and Health, Leicester, United Kingdom, Dec. 5-7, 2012, Invited
Oral Presentation “ Mechanism-based preclinical studies with
resveratrol and its potent natural analogue pterostilbene in
prostate cancer.”
Cancer Institute Newsletter | March 2013 | PAGE 11
EDUCATION
Speakers: October - December
The Cancer Institute strives to bring physicians, educators and researchers who are leaders in their field to the university each month
to offer their perspective in their fields. Other UMMC departments do the same. Visits for many speakers below were sponsored by
the Cancer Institute.
Mukhopadhyay
Collins
Dr. Debabrata Mukhopadhyay,
professor of biochemistry and molecular
biology and associate director of the
Mayo Clinic Cancer Center, presented
“Anti-angiogenesis Therapy: Past,
Present and Future” on Oct. 3 in the
Arthur C. Guyton Research Center
Research Library.
Dr. Francis Collins, director of the
National Institutes of Health visited
the campus Oct. 12 to hear from
representatives of several state
universities about NIH funded programs.
Cancer Institute researchers, including
those who hold NIH grants, were among
those who heard Collins speak.
Dr. Jamie Newman, research
assistant professor at Louisiana
Tech University presented a seminar,
“Investigating the Role of Environment
on Genome Structure and Function”
on Nov. 27.
Newman
Dr. Fazlul Sarkar, professor of
pathology at the Karmanos Cancer
Institute and professor at the Center
for Molecular Medicine and Genetics,
Wayne State University, discussed
“Deregulation of MicroRNAs and Their
Targets by Natural Agennts: Translational Research” Dec. 3 in the Arthur
Sarkar
C. Guyton Research Center. The
UMMC Cancer Institute sponsored his presentation.
Cancer Institute Newsletter | March 2013 | PAGE 12
EDUCATION
Outreach
University Cancer Care physicians and staff at the
University of Mississippi Medical Center participated in
several events to raise money for cancer patients or research,
to provide education materials to the public about cancer or
discuss advancements in cancer detection and treatment
with Mississippi physicians. Those included:
Dental hygiene students sold “Passion for Prevention”
T-shirts to support dental hygiene and breast cancer awareness
efforts in October. Many also participated in the Oct. 27 Making
Strides against Breast Cancer Walk in Jackson.
The University Cancer Care breast care team held a
survivor’s reception Oct. 2 to kick off its first survivor’s clinic, to
encourage the women and men currently in treatment and to
celebrate with those in remission. The clinic will provide followup care for breast cancer patients who are in remission. Held
every three months, it is for those in remission for six months or
longer.
The University Cancer Care breast care team participated in the American Cancer Society’s Making Strides Against
Breast Cancer walk. The UCC team, with 61 members, raised
more than $5,000 for breast cancer education, screening and
research. A second UMMC team, the Pink Panthers, with six
participants, also participated in the walk. The teams helped raise
funds or distributed educational information at the events. The
UCC team also participated in the Jackson Public School’s fitness
walk and the Central Mississippi Steel Magnolias Pink Tie Gala.
The Steel Magnolias is a Susan G. Komen for the Cure affiliate.
Dr. Tondre Buck, spoke to the Celgene Corporation in
Ocean Springs. His topic was “Multiple Myeloma: A Focus on
Mechanism of Disease.”
Staff from the Cancer Institute and University Cancer
Care handed out cancer education materials at the Mississippi
State Fair in Jackson. UCC members, including Jimmie Wells
and other 5 south staff members, Janice Johnson, Dacia Green
and Kaylin Johnson worked at the UMMC booth, which also
provided some health screenings.
The UCC Patient Resource Center in recognition of
Breast Cancer Awareness Month give out cupcakes, water,
snacks and other small items along with breast cancer information to patients and their families. Patients, families and
friends helping them also entered a drawing for a snack basket
donated by Flowers by Cheryl.
Janice Johnson, UCC’s Patient Resource Center coordinator, and Dacia Green, UCC oncologic dietitian, helped staff
a UMMC booth and provided cancer information to participants
at the 19th Annual Senior Health & Wellness Fair held at the
Jackson Convention Complex.
Johnson and Green also provided cancer information at Pastoral Care Week 2012 observances. UCC and other
UMMC departments participated in “Giving Voice,” a Clergy and
Clinicians Luncheon and Health and Education Fair at the Norman C. Nelson Student Union.
Dr. Carolyn Bigelow discussed “Treatment of aHUS”
at a lunch sponsored by Alexon at AJ’s Seafood and Steaks in
Flowood.
Dr. Roy Duhe’ and Elizabeth Nichols, a high school
intern, were interviewed by WJTV for a segment on Breast
Cancer Awareness. Click on the link to view it: http://video.wjtv.
com/v/65303962/making-strides-for-research.htm?q=cancer ).
Many members of the Cancer Institute and University
Cancer Care enrolled in the American Cancer Society’s Cancer
Prevention Study 3 (CPS3) with enrollment held at the medical
center and Jackson Medical Mall.
Dr. Gail Megason was a keynote speaker at the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society educational program, “Staying
Connected: Facilitating the Learning Experience During and
After Cancer,” held at the University of Southern Mississippi in
Hattiesburg.
Dr. Christopher Friedrich gave a presentation at the
St. Dominic Hospital Tumor Board Conference in Jackson. His
topic was, “Recognizing Patients at High Risk for Breast, Ovarian, Colon, or Endometrial Cancer.”
Dr. Carolyn Bigelow gave a presentation at Dothan
Hematology Oncology Center in Dothan, Ala. Her topic was
“A New Perspective in the Treatment of Multiple: The Role of
Subcutaneous Velcade (bortezomib).”
Dr. Christopher Friedrich spoke on the topic, “The Association of Ideal Cardiovascular Health with Incident Cancer:
The Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study” for Cancer
Research Day at the UMMC Cancer Institute.
Dr. Tondre Buck spoke at the Mint in Ridgeland, Miss.
His topic was, “Multiple Myeloma: A Focus on Mechanism Disease.” Celgene Corporation sponsored the program.
Dr. Christopher Friedrich was a presenter at the 2012
Mississippi Association of Public Health Physicians Conference
in Jackson. His discussed “Recognizing Patients at High Risk
for Breast, Ovarian, Colon, or Endometrial Cancer.”
Dr. Truman Mark Earl gave a talk on “Cholangiocarcinoma” to physicians at the North Mississippi Medical Center’s
tumor board meeting in Tupelo.
Cancer Institute Newsletter | March 2013 | PAGE 13
COMMUNITY
CI staff work to raise awareness, funds
Faculty and staff at the University of Mississippi Medical Center
participate in many area events to raise funds for cancer
education, prevention, research or patient needs.
Upcoming events include:
April 6, 2013: 10th Annual Run from the Sun, sponsored
by the Leonard E. Warren Melanoma Foundation, 5:30 p.m.
starting at Baptist Health Systems on Highland Colony Parkway
in Madison. See www.runfromthesun.com for more information.
April 13, 2013: Susan G. Koman for the Cure, 14th annual Race for the Cure, sponsored by the Central Mississippi
Steel Magnolias chapter. University Cancer Care Breast Services has a team in this race. To join or donate to this team, go
to www.komencentralms.org and join the UCC Breast Services
team. Or call Amy Surmeli at 601-984-2772 or email asurmeli@
umc.edu.
April 23, 25, 26, 2013. The American Cancer Society
will have more enrollment days for its Cancer Prevention
Study-3 (CPS-3). The ACS hopes to enroll 300,000 people
across the United States. Through the study, researchers
hope to understand the role lifestyle, behavioral, environmental and genetic factors play in causing or preventing cancer.
Participants complete a health survey and may be asked to
update it online periodically. They also must attend one enrollments session. Enrollment will be held April 23 at the Mississippi State Capitol in Jackson and at Broadmoor Baptist
Church in Madison; April 25 at Central Mississippi Medical
Center in Jackson; and April 26 at Hinds Community College in Pearl. To find out more about the study, go to www.
cps3jackson.org or call 888-604-5888.
American Cancer Society Relay for Life teams have
several walks and runs planned in the metro area beginning in
April. Those include:
• April 5, 2013: Brighton Park in Clinton
• April 12, 2013: Richland High School in Richland.
• April 19, 2013: Shiloh Park in Brandon.
• April 19, 2013: Liberty Park in Madison.
• April 26, 2013: Canton Square in Canton.
• April 26, 2013: Northwest Rankin High School in
Flowood.
• April 26, 2013: Warren Central High School in Vicksburg.
• May 3, 2013: Countrywoods Baptist Church in
Byram.
• May 4, 2013: McMillan Park in Carthage.
• May 18, 2013: Gaddis Park Walking Track in Forest.
• May 31, 2013: Renaissance in Ridgeland.
• June 7, 2013: Smith Wills Stadium in Jackson.
The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society raises funds
through athletic endurance events. Teams from the metro area
often participate. Upcoming events include:
• April 28, 2013, Washington, D.C., Nike Women’s
Marathon Half a Race to benefit the Leukemia and Lymphoma
Society, a part of its Make Cures Happen program.
• Team in Training. Mississippians train to walk or run a
half or full marathon. Many Mississippi teams choose the Chicago marathon to conclude their training.
• Aug. 3-4: Pass Christian Yacht Club, Pass Christian,
Miss. Leukemia Cup Regatta.
Cancer Institute Newsletter | March 2013 | PAGE 14
COMMUNITY
Donations help patients, researchers, educators
Mississippians have encouraged our patients, caregivers and
staff with their generosity. Here are a few examples:
More than 1,000 adults and children participated in the
Jingle Bell Jog 5K and one-mile Fun Run held Dec. 1 in Pearl.
The run, now an annual event, raised money for Children’s
Cancer Center.
Jackson Prep juniors Anna Grace Buchanan and Cara
Lee Crawford raised money for cancer research by holding
Pounding the Pavement for a Cure 5K in September at the
Flowood YMCA. They later presented a check for $12,731.39
to Dr. Lucio Miele for cancer research.
The UMMC Candlelighters held its 32nd annual Art
Auction in October with some of the proceeds going to
Children’s Cancer Center patients and families.
In the coming months, University Cancer Care faculty and staff
are asking for help in raising money for:
Upcoming Needs
Camp Rainbow in June. The five-day camp is for Mississippi children ages 6-16 who have or have had childhood cancer. About 60 volunteer counselors, including many who were
once camper-patients, staff the camp and Children’s Cancer
Center doctors and nurses staff the infirmary.
A large sponsor had to drop out this year so Children’s Cancer Center is working to raise $50,000 to offer the camp to 80 to
85 campers, said Dr. Gail Megason, who heads the Children’s
Cancer Center and is clinical medical director for the University
of Mississippi Medical Center Cancer Institute. The cost of
$600 to $625 per camper covers their full medical and camp
activities for the week.
“This is an opportunity for these patients to do normal camp
activities with other children who have suffered the same life
challenges that they have endured,” Megason said. “It is inspiring for many who need to see that there is life after cancer and a
return to ‘normal.’”
Camp Rainbow is a program of the American Cancer
Society in Mississippi. It is held annually at the Henry S. Jacobs
Camp in Utica, a campground accredited by the American
Camp Association.
Tax deductible donations may be made to Cure Kids Cancer
Fund (please mark them for Camp Rainbow) at the Children’s
Cancer Center or go to https://secureforms.umc.edu/forms/
cancerclinic.aspx.
Sponsors also would appreciate in-kind donations of bottled
water, sports drinks, snacks, T-shirts, and even a tree. Megason
said that each year, the campers and staff have a tree planting
ceremony to honor campers who died in the previous year.
To offer in-kind donations, please leave a message for
Children’s Cancer Center social worker LeAnne Howard at
601-815-6157.
The Cancer Institute Support Fund, which provides
small items for adult patients undergoing cancer treatment
here. To donate funds, go to www.umd.edu/giveto/ and click
on “donate now” to make a donation to the Cancer Institute
Support Fund.
Social workers in the adult outpatient treatment area also
are seeking in-kind donations of bottled water, packaged
snacks, adult diapers and scarves for the Appearance Room.
Please call social worker Erin Campbell at 601-815-6761 if you
are interested in supplying any of these items.
Donors
Area organizations such as the American Cancer Society and the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society consistently offer help to cancer
patients here. The Cancer Institute and University Cancer Care thank them and the many other people and organizations who
donated in the final quarter of 2012 to help cancer patients, to further education or to fund research. Donors include:
Individuals:
Benita Abraham
Rhonda Aikens
Marie Alexander
Grace Applewhite
Jack Armstrong
Janet Bass
Angela Bates
Mary Laken Beardain
Tiffany Beardain
Gina K. Beasley
Megan Bell
Ernest Berney
Ginger Berney
Tina Bethany
Barbara A. Bogy
Amanda Boone
Heather A. Borden
Miranda Brown
Amy Browning
Patricia Buchanan
Kayla Dean Cannon
Merry Casey Carter
Kristi Chambley
Patricia B. Chance
Dr. Martin Vesta Chaney
David Clement
Dana P. Cole
Laura P. Coleman
Derrick L. Davis
Jayne K. Denson
Dr. Sean Didion
Kassie Dodson
Mrs. W.B. Duggins
Cindy Dumas
Meghan Hinton Easley
Micael C. Edwards
John Q. Ehrgott Jr.
Michelle Ellison
Cancer Institute Newsletter | March 2013 | PAGE 15
COMMUNITY
Donors continued
Deborah Ely
Lisa D. Fairchild
Pamela Farris
Kathryn J. Ferrell
Kathy S. Fitch
Erin Fleming Rachel Ford
Dedra Fortenberry
Norma Fulcher
Lindsay Gho
Mindy B. Gilmore
Maggie B.Goad
Jessica Green
Donald K. Hammett, MD
Allen A. Hayner
Dr. Lisa A. Haynie
Sarah M.Hearn
Janet P. Henderson
O. R. Henry
Michelle Holliday
Kelly D. Holly
Dorothy Jean Horecky
Leanne R. Howard
Johnny Huffmaster
Dr. R. Lee Humble
Janis Jennings
Breckin Skye Johnson
Sherry M. Johnson
Emily Jones
Jenny Karel
Donna Shearin Katzenmeyer
Yeo-Hoon G. Koh
Bonita L. Koufopoulos
Dr. Van Lemuel Lackey
Kelli Lafferty
Leigh Anne Lamm
Mary Elizabeth Lasseter
Tonya H. Leamond
Teri C. Lewis
Sarah P. Little
Candace Logan
Jerry Love
Rachel Lowery
Charlie Marion
Hazel Mason
Traci McCary
Effie McGowan
Judy K. McKnight
Dr. Gail C. Megason
Susan B. Miley
Frances Z.Miller
Tena Mitchell
BonnieMorehead
Susan Morris
Talitha Mosley
Doris Nell
Dennis Norris
Jessica L. North
Jennifer Ozborn
Leslie R. Ozborn
Elisabeth C. Parker
Stephanie L. Parkman
Bettye Payne
Stefanie Pepper
Susie B. Phillips
Margaret Pickering
Hannah Pittman
Ersula K. Pollard
Becky Pope
Mr. and Mrs.Wayne Powell
Ashley Lott Prendez
Paula Pridgett Presley
Gregory Price
Dr. Jeanette Pullen
Sara Lynn Rice
Dana Rich
Renee Robert
Cheryl C. Roberts
Jennifer Rollen
Brittney Leigh Rood
Ann Ross
Kyoko J. Rule
John F. Rushing
Bridgforth R. Rutledge
Amy Eliza Sarrett
Lisa C. Schweitzer
Sam Simkins
Kimberly C. Simmons
Heather Smith
Rebecca Leigh Smith
Debra F. Stafford
Terry A. Stanton
Sarah Elizabeth Starnes
Sharon Stidham
Pamela Strausser
Saundra Strong
Richard E.Stuart
Renee Sumlin
Allison Rae Sutterfield
Vernon Adele Tate
Erin Taylor
Glenda O.Thomas
Brentton W. Towne
Dr. Ralph Brooks Vance Sr.
Helen Ann Varner
Carmen Marie Vaughn
Kathryn Gholson Vaughn
Anna F. Wade
Jennifer M. Walker
Teresa Walker
Jeri Lynn Walker
Tanya S. Ware
Hannah R. Watts
Shannon Weatherly
Jerry Webb
Donna Ivey Westerfield
Rayford E. Wilbanks
Amy Williams
Katie Williams
April C. Wogoman
Renita Woods
Jeanette Wroten
Jeanne Wroten
Businesses and organizations:
Battlefield Discount Drugs
Bond and Botes of Mississippi, P.C.
Breithaupt Appraisal Service, LLC
Broker Source LLC
Canton Academy
Caruthers HVACR, LLC
Clinton High School
EZPawn Store #20102
First Baptist Church in Richland
Hallford Insurance Agency
Helping Hands Pharmacy
Hometown Medical LLC
Jacob Stovall Memorial Fund
Jingle Bell Jog
Ladies Auxiliary VFW-MS
Magnolia Lawn and Tractor, Inc
Michael F. Nolan DDS LLC
MSH B - 48
Murrah High School JROTC
Mutual Credit Union
Pediatric Dentistry of Brandon
Phelps Dunbar, LLP
Promise Hospital of Vicksburg, Inc.
Security Ballew Holding Company Wealth
Management
Servpro of Vicksburg and Yazoo
Simpson County Academy Activities Fund
South Park Elementary School
Team Joshua - Cancer Walk
The Muirhead Agency, Inc.
The Sports Center Vicksburg, LLC
The Thomas Agency, LLC
The Whitehead Foundation
UMMC DIS
Vicksburg Intermediate PTO
Vicksburg Special Care Pharmacy and
Compounding LLC
Walker Foundation
Yazoo River Towing, Inc.
Cancer Institute Newsletter | March 2013 | PAGE 16