UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center Magazine Fall 2015 | Page 16
quick takes
RESE ARCH BRIEFS
Novel Research Shows Social
Factors May Impact Younger
Leukemia Patients’ Survival
quick takes
NEWS & EVENTS
BCRFA Hosts Endowment Reception
A recent UAB study reveals that insurance
status, marital status and county-level income may
affect the chances of survival in young patients with
acute myeloid leukemia. The findings, published
online in the journal Cancer, indicate that additional
efforts and resources are needed to address the
social factors that impact critical aspects of health in
these patients.
“A cure is possible mostly for younger patients,
but treatment is intense, often requiring a bone
marrow transplant and using a lot of resources
from the health care system, patients and families,”
says Luciano Jose Costa, M.D., Ph.D., associate
professor in the UAB Division of Hematology and
Oncology. “We have made tremendous progress in
understanding the biology of AML. But we need
to pay the same attention to resources available to
our patients as this greatly impacts their chances to
survive their leukemia.”
Investigators at UAB analyzed a database with 5,541 patients younger than the age of 65 to demonstrate that, in addition to age and
disease characteristics, other “non-biological” patient characteristics matter in having a higher or lower chance of cure.
The research showed that patients who were single or divorced, patients who were uninsured or were Medicaid beneficiaries, and
patients who lived in areas with lower income had substantially higher risk of death.
“We believe these three factors indicate lack of material and social support preventing young patients from successfully walking the
long and difficult road toward cure,” says Uma Borate, M.D., assistant professor in the UAB Division of Hematology and Oncology and
lead author of the study.
Drs. Costa and Borate, also scientists at the UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center, suggest that the findings show these factors, that
are not necessarily related to care, can have significant impacts on AML patients’ outcomes. The UAB study is the largest to date to
look at socioeconomic factors in outcomes of younger patients with AML.
Local Family Makes Donation
In June, the Breast Cancer Research Foundation of
Alabama announced that it had raised enough money
to fund the O’Neal-Sokol Breast Cancer Research
Foundation of Alabama Endowed Chair, which will
be held by renowned breast cancer specialist Andres
Forero, M.D. The BCRFA hosted a reception at the
UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center to celebrate this
achievement, which honors BCRFA co-founders Dolly
O’Neal and Bruce Sokol as well as the foundation for all
its accomplishments in the fight against breast cancer.
The UAB Comprehensive
Cancer Center’s Patient
& Family Resource Center
provides a comfortable
place to find support. If you
or a loved one has been
diagnosed with cancer,
our staff can answer your
questions about the illness,
treatment options and
available support services.
This can include:
n Cancer Prevention
n Dealing with Side Effects
n Clinical Trials
Inaugural Cycliad a Success
n Complementary Therapies
The Cancer Center recently celebrated the
success of its inaugural Cycliad event, which raised
$409,000 for the center. Held over four weekends
during spring 2015, Cycliad was a 1,300-mile
bicycle challenge aimed at raising funds to support
the patients and programs of the UAB Cancer
Community Network, and the Patient Care
Connect patient navigation program. The ride
covered four states, culminating in a community
event at Railroad Park in downtown Birmingham.
n Stress Management
n Spirituality
n Support Groups & Oneon-One Support
n Mindful Meditation
n Restorative Yoga
n Art Therapy
Plans are underway for Cycliad 2016 –
visit cycliad.org to learn more!
PATIENT & FAMILY
RESOURCE CENTER
The Keller family of Scottsboro recently hosted
a community festival to raise money for brain tumor
research, after father and husband Anthony Keller
passed away from the disease. Recently, the family
visited the UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center to
present their donation of $7,000, all of which will go
toward the Cancer Center’s internationally renowned
neuro-oncology research program.
Wallace Tumor Institute,
Room 220
For more information, contact
Teri Hoenemeyer,
(205) 934-5772
[email protected]
Pictured, left to right: Brandi Keller, Jarrett Keller, Jaden Keller, Jaley Keller,
Brenda Keller and Cancer Center neuro-oncologist Burt Nabors, M.D.
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C O M P R E H E N S I V E
C A N C E R
C E N T E R
PATIENT AND
FAMILY RESOURCE
CENTER
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