Spring 2006 - Karmanos Cancer Institute

HOPESPRING 2006
A P U B L I C A T I O N O F T H E B A R B A R A A N N K A R M A N O S C A N C E R I N S T I T U T E
INSIDE:
VERMICULITE AND
ASBESTOS-RELATED
CANCERS
New center urges
early detection
A SISTER’S LOVE
Five sisters conquer ovarian cancer
through innovative clinical trial
SURVIVORSHIP
UNIVERSITY
Living with, through and
beyond cancer

PRESIDENT’S
LETTER
...................................................
SPRING 2006
VOLUME 2 | NUMBER 1
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ABOUT THE INSTITUTE
The Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute
is committed to a future free of cancer.
The Meyer L. Prentis Comprehensive Cancer
Center of Metropolitan Detroit, operated by the
Institute, is one of only 39 National Cancer
Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer
Centers in the United States. Federal designation
as a Comprehensive Cancer Center is the
pinnacle of translational oncology research.
...................................................
At the Karmanos Cancer Institute, internationally recognized
physicians and scientists are working together to develop more
effective treatments for cancer. Whether it’s genetic research that
paves the way for highly-targeted cancer treatments, or clinical trials
of the most promising new pharmaceutical agents, we’re making important daily
advances in the fight against cancer.
To continue and accelerate this important work, we became Michigan’s first and
only independent cancer center, one of only a select few in the United States.
The importance of independence cannot be underestimated; it enables us to focus
all our energy on cancer research and treatment, every day.
In the pages of this magazine, you’ll read about many of our recent advances in
cancer research and care. You’ll also find inspirational stories of survivors as well
as features about our generous supporters.
Together, we’re building a cancer-free future.
Sincerely,
John C. Ruckdeschel, M.D.
PRESIDENT AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
BARBARA ANN KARMANOS CANCER INSTITUTE
EXECUTIVE STAFF
JOHN C. RUCKDESCHEL, M.D.
President & Chief Executive Officer
WILLIAM BENNETT
Chief Financial Officer
NICK KARMANOS
Vice President, Development
...................................................
BARBARA ANN KARMANOS
CANCER INSTITUTE
4100 JOHN R
DETROIT, MI 48201
www.karmanos.org
(800) KARMANOS
(1-800-527-6266)
Email: hope@karmanos.org
KELLY C. GASIOR
Editor
Interim Vice President, Institutional Relations
JACQUELINE TROST
Associate Editor
Public Relations Specialist
COURTNEY McCRIMMON
Associate Editor
Science Writer
...................................................
Copyright 2006 Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute.
ON THE COVER
By day, Greg Skwira, sits behind the copy desk of Crain
Communications Automotive News. In the evenings, the
57-year-old Royal Oak man sits behind a potter’s wheel.
He and his wife, Paddy, craft clay pots, bowls and cups to
sell at art fairs throughout Michigan and other states.
It’s physical work – hauling 50-pound boxes of clay, hunching
over the potter’s wheel. So when he started getting back and
neck pain in 2002, he didn’t think much of it.
In late 2002, the pain got much worse and Greg made a doctor’s
appointment. An examination and CT scan revealed a mass in
his chest and abdomen. Further tests indicated it was lymphoma.
A journalist by profession, Greg brought five pages of questions
and notes to his first appointment with Karmanos lymphoma
specialist, David S. Eilender, M.D. Greg and Paddy were amazed
– Dr. Eilender didn’t leave until he’d answered every question. It
took almost five hours .
Cover images by Steven Lengnick, Plum Street Studios
“I had some aches and pains,” Greg said. “But I just thought,
“Hey, I’m getting old and my stuff’s starting to fall apart.”
Greg finished chemotherapy in May 2003. Today, his cancer
is in complete remission.

03
CONTENTS
03
FEATURES
KRISTY KAHERL IS
COUNTING HER BLESSINGS
Diagnosed with cancer five
times and beaten it every time
06
JOAN FLOM IS TRAVELING
BEYOND LUNG CANCER
World traveler didn’t let
cancer slow her down
06 PROGRAMS
NATIONAL CENTER FOR VERMICULITE
AND ASBESTOS-RELATED CANCERS
New center formed at the
Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute
12
25
08 PEOPLE
PROSTATE CANCER OPTIONS
Advanced treatments and expertise offered at Karmanos
10 INDEPENDENCE
HISTORIC AGREEMENT COMPLETE
Michigan’s first and only independent cancer center
12 SAVING LIVES
14 SURVIVORSHIP UNIVERSITY
16 ANNUAL FUND
17 LEAVING A LEGACY
18 UP CLOSE: Steven P. Ethier Ph.D.
20 TOP DOCS
21 AROUND TOWN
24 REMEMBERING J.P. McCARTHY
25 SURVIVOR STORY: Hugh Burrell
HOPE | SPRING 2006

HOPE | FEATURE
Kristy Kaherl
“I count my blessings.
Karmanos Cancer
Institute is one of the
best places in the world
for cancer treatment and
it’s right in my back yard.”

Counting
Her Blessings
She’s been diagnosed with cancer
five times… and beaten it every time
“I am so grateful,” said Kristy Kaherl of Washington,
Michigan. “When you’ve made it through cancer five
times, you can’t look at life the same way. I don’t take much
for granted anymore.”
In the past 13 years, Kristy has battled numerous occurrences
of breast and ovarian cancer. Her first diagnosis
came at age 42, when she was diagnosed with breast cancer.
A local surgeon suggested she have both breasts removed
and forego reconstruction, but Kristy had other plans. She
quickly began searching for a second opinion.
Since her father had received treatment for bladder cancer
at the Karmanos Cancer Institute, Kristy also turned to
Karmanos and met with Alexander Walt, M.D. (for whom the
Walt Comprehensive Breast Center is named). This, she said,
was the beginning of her experience with Karmanos kindness.
“Dr. Walt didn’t think radical surgery was necessary,” she
said. “He gave me hope when no one else did.”
Kristy’s treatment included chemotherapy. When her
doctor relocated to Las Vegas, she asked for her care to be
overseen by Patricia LoRusso, D.O., breast cancer specialist
and director of the Karmanos Cancer Institute’s Phase I
Clinical Trials Program, the only one of its kind in Michigan.
“Dr. LoRusso and I began a long,
wonderful relationship, not just as
a doctor and a patient, but as two
human beings working together
for one common goal – to keep me
well,” Kristy said.
After chemotherapy and an experimental treatment, Kristy
lived cancer-free for six years, until the disease returned in
her ovaries. For the first time, she says she began to wonder
if her prognosis would be grave.
“I asked Dr. LoRusso if she thought this was the end,”
Kristy said. “But she told me that we were on top of the
cancer, and that life would go on. So I never thought of
myself as having an end. I always thought of my cancer as a
process. I think because my Karmanos team was willing to
do what was necessary to stay proactive in the face of my
cancer, they always caught it in time.”
“She’s pretty amazing,” Dr. LoRusso said of Kristy Kaherl.
“She’s had multiple recurrences of cancer, but each have
been unique in that they are independent sites that can be
treated individually. She’s had an incredible history.”
Today, Kristy is cancer-free. “I feel better than I have in
13 years,” she said. She owes her health – and her positive
attitude – to her faith, her family and friends, and her
Karmanos doctors.
“What got me through cancer was having a doctor I
believed in, a family who loved me, friends who supported
me, and an ability to look at the glass ‘half-full.’ I’ve always
believed that with God’s help and the best doctors and
hospital, you can beat cancer.”
“I count my blessings,” she added. “Karmanos Cancer
Institute is one of the best places in the world for cancer
treatment and it’s right in my back yard.”
PATRICIA LORUSSO, D.O., BREAST CANCER SPECIALIST
AND DIRECTOR OF THE KARMANOS CANCER INSTITUTE’S
PHASE I CLINICAL TRIALS PROGRAM, THE ONLY ONE OF
ITS KIND IN MICHIGAN.

Travels Beyond
Lung Cancer
Joan Kirkland Flom is a world traveler.
The 75-year-old Grosse Pointe resident has
been to Russia, Indonesia, Africa, Europe
and South America. She even rang in the
new millennium from deep in the Amazon.
But when diagnosed with lung cancer in
2003, Joan didn’t want to go anywhere but the
Karmanos Cancer Institute in Detroit. Having
lost her husband to lung cancer, she was
determined to get the best treatment available.
“I’ve had emphysema for years, just like my
husband,” she said. “So when they found a
mass on my lung and said it might be cancer,
you can see why I was concerned. It was
progressing just like it had with my husband.”
When surgeons removed the tumor on her
lung, their suspicions were confirmed, it was
cancer. They also discovered the disease had
spread to a few of Joan’s lymph nodes, which
were removed.
After surgery, Joan was referred to John C.
Ruckdeschel, M.D. at the Karmanos Cancer
Institute to develop an appropriate course
of treatment. Not only is Dr. Ruckdeschel a
board certified oncologist specializing
in lung cancer and a member of the Institute’s
Thoracic/Lung Cancer Multidisciplinary
Team, he’s also the president and chief
executive officer of the Institute.
In that first meeting with Dr. Ruckdeschel,
Joan knew she’d found a special physician.
“Now, he’s a very busy man, but he still took
three hours during that initial appointment to
explain everything to me,” she said. “Who else
would do that for you?”
After drawing diagrams on eight pages of
a yellow legal pad and making sure Joan
4 HOPE | SPRING 2006

understood her treatment options, Dr. Ruckdeschel and
Joan decided on chemotherapy instead of radiation therapy,
largely because she had emphysema.
“The doctors and nurses at Karmanos are just fantastic,”
she said. “I’ve heard some people say they have a difficult
time with chemotherapy, but for me it was actually quite
pleasant. I would go in for chemo for six hours at a time
and relax in a little private room with a bed and a TV. It
was really quite nice.”
More than two years after her surgery, Joan feels great.
Regular follow-up tests show no return of the cancer.
Today, she travels as much, or more, than she did
before she was diagnosed with cancer. Last fall, she
celebrated her 75th birthday – and her continued
good health – with her three adult children in Paris.
CATCHING UP
WITH LUNG CANCER
When Joan Kirkland Flom was diagnosed with lung
cancer in 2003, she went directly to the Karmanos Cancer
Institute in Detroit. Why? Researchers at the Institute are
nationally recognized as leaders in lung cancer.
Traditionally, lung cancer research has lagged behind
scientific studies focused on other types of cancer. But
members of the Thoracic/Lung Cancer Multidisciplinary
Team at the Karmanos Cancer Institute – including Team
Leader Antoinette Wozniak, M.D., F.A.C.P. – are working
to change that.
“Unfortunately, there’s a stigma associated with lung
cancer,” Wozniak said. “You don’t have a lot of research
support and funding for lung cancer, mainly because
people see it as a self-inflicted disease. But we’re all
human and sometimes we do things that are unhealthy.”
Sometimes lung cancer strikes non-smokers. In fact,
ten percent of people with lung cancer are non-smokers
– and most of them are women.
Dr. Wozniak and her colleagues on the Thoracic/Lung
Cancer Multidisciplinary Team at Karmanos – thoracic
surgeons, medical oncologists, pulmonologists, radiation
therapists, pathologists, radiologists, nurses and physician
extenders – are nationally recognized leaders in lung
cancer diagnosis, treatment and research. The team sees
approximately 600 patients a year.
“When the team meets to review and discuss cases,
we come up with a recommendation for either further
evaluation or treatment,” Dr. Wozniak said. “And we try
JOHN C. RUCKDESCHEL, M.D., PRESIDENT AND CHIEF
EXECUTIVE OFFICER AT THE KARMANOS CANCER INSTITUTE
AND JOAN’S MEDICAL ONCOLOGIST.
to give patients the opportunity to participate in clinical
trials whenever appropriate.”
They are currently conducting 12 different lung cancer
clinical trials – scientific studies of the most promising new
treatments and preventive therapies. Karmanos patients
have access to innovative treatments and clinical trials
that often aren’t available elsewhere. Current lung cancer
trials at Karmanos range from studies of new combinations
of chemotherapy drugs and radiation therapies, to an
aggressive treatment for pleural mesothelioma, a rare form of
cancer in which cancer cells develop in the lining of the chest.
The team is even hoping to launch a study to understand why
most non-smokers who get lung cancer are women.
“In the last 10 years, there has been a huge increase in
the number of lung cancer studies,” Dr. Wozniak said. “It’s
a good start. We need more research support and more
organizations advocating for resources to fight lung cancer.
HOPE | SPRING 2006 5

THE NATIONAL CENTER
FOR VERMICULITE AND ASBESTOS-RELATED CANCERS
When the United States Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) identified major
sources of public asbestos exposure in
Michigan, the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer
Institute and the Center for Occupational and
Environmental Medicine responded – establishing The
National Center for Vermiculite and Asbestos-Related
Cancers at the Karmanos Cancer Institute.
Co-directed by Michael Harbut, M.D., M.P.H., chief
of the Center for Occupational and Environmental
Medicine in Royal Oak, Michigan, the Center boasts a
nationally recognized program for early diagnosis and
aggressive treatment of asbestos-related diseases.
The Center brings together teams of specialists in
pulmonary medicine, oncology, cardiology, gastroenterology,
radiology, occupational and environmental medicine to
provide innovative patient care and conduct research
into asbestos-related cancers.
Recently, the Center published important research
findings in the New England Journal of Medicine. Dr.
Harbut worked with other the Karmanos Cancer Institute
researchers to identify a matrix protein, with a variety of
functions, in the malignant cells of pleural mesothelioma, a
rare form of cancer in which cancer cells develop in the lining
of the chest. Most reported cases of the disease are associated
with asbestos exposure. In the study, blood levels of a protein
known as osteopontin distinguished subjects with exposure
to asbestos who did not have cancer, from patients with
exposure to asbestos who had pleural mesothelioma.
“Our work represents an enormous step forward in the
fight against mesothelioma,” Dr. Harbut said. “This
asbestos-caused cancer, which takes life very rapidly,
has often been identified only after a patient dies. Our
efforts should help discover this tumor earlier and begin
treatment more quickly. Our patients who volunteered
their time and tissue are true champions in this battle
against cancer.”
To further the research of asbestos-related cancers,
the Centers for Disease Control recently awarded a
$1 million grant to The National Center for Vermiculite
and Asbestos-Related Cancers. The funds are enabling
Karmanos researchers to establish epidemiology guidelines
for the study of vermiculite and asbestos-related cancers.
Photo by Cybelle Codish
MICHAEL R. HARBUT, M.D., MPH – Dr. Harbut is an
internationally known expert in the diagnosis and treatment of
environmental and workplace diseases. He is co-author of the
world’s largest study of respiratory health in asbestos-exposed
ironworkers, and co-author of the American Thoracic Society’s
diagnostic and treatment guidelines for asbestos-related diseases.
In addition, Dr. Harbut is active in clinical practice and maintains
a teaching service for students and physicians at the Karmanos
Cancer Institute and the Center for Occupational and
Environmental Medicine in Royal Oak, Michigan.

ASBESTOS AND VERMICULITE
Asbestos, a strong, flexible and heat resistant mineral,
has been used throughout history for various industrial
purposes. While asbestos has been a known health risk
for over 100 years, it wasn’t until the late 1960s that the
extent and seriousness of the danger was understood.
For decades, five manufacturing plants in Michigan –
including the W.R. Grace Plant in Dearborn – processed
a mineral called vermiculite, a naturally occurring
mineral compound composed of shiny flakes. Most
vermiculite in the United States came from a mine near
Libby, Montana, that also had a natural deposit of
asbestos. By the time the Dearborn plant closed in
1989, more than 300 million pounds of asbestoscontaminated
vermiculite had been processed into
insulation used in nearly 800,000 Michigan homes.
Currently, the Karmanos Cancer Institute is formalizing
a research relationship with colleagues in Libby and
establishing a Karmanos affiliated clinic in that area.
“This relationship is really important,” said Dr. Harbut.
“We’re a major cancer center studying vermiculite and
asbestos-related cancers and they’re in Montana, where
all the vermiculite was mined. It’s a marvelous
opportunity for us to work together and make a
significant contribution to this field.”
WHO IS AT RISK?
Anyone exposed to asbestos-contaminated vermiculite or
asbestos is at risk. After first exposure, there is usually a
15- to 30-year waiting period for diseases related to asbestos
to develop. People who have been exposed are at risk of
developing asbestosis – a potentially fatal, long-term disease
of the lungs – as well as lung cancer and mesothelioma, an
extremely aggressive cancer of the covering of the lungs and
intestines. Smokers who have been exposed to asbestos are
50 times more likely to develop lung cancer than non-smokers.
Second-hand exposure to asbestos poses a risk as well. For
example, someone washing or handling the clothes of a
person who had regularly come in contact with asbestos is
at risk as well. The following people should be screened
for asbestos-related diseases:
• People who live or lived in buildings with vermiculite
insulation from Libby, Montana.
• Men and women who worked in the construction trades
or industrial facilities using asbestos.
• Family members of people who regularly came in contact
with asbestos.
• Anyone who participated in a lawyer-sponsored asbestosis
screening program but did not receive medical follow up.
Dr. Harbut treats thousands of people with asbestosrelated
diseases in his clinic each year. Symptoms include
a chronic cough and shortness of breath after performing
regular activities, such as climbing a flight of stairs.
Make an Appointment
Anyone who believes they’ve been exposed to asbestos-contaminated vermiculite or asbestos should
call 1-888-KARMANOS to make an appointment with the National Center for Vermiculite and Asbestos-Related
Cancers. Patients will be given a complete and sophisticated pulmonary function test and a CT scan. Primary care
physicians will remain highly involved in the patient’s care and kept thoroughly informed throughout the entire process.
HOPE | SPRING 2006 7

Options
KARMANOS OFFERS MANY ADVANCED TREATMENTS
– AND NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED EXPERTISE
PROSTATE CANCER
At many hospitals, a prostate cancer patient
is simply seen by a urologist and surgical options are
recommended. That’s not the way it works at the
Karmanos Cancer Institute.
“We take a more comprehensive approach – looking at many
different factors to find the most effective treatment,” said
Ulka Vaishampayan, M.D., team leader of the Genitourinary
Oncology Multidisciplinary Team at the Karmanos Cancer
Institute and assistant professor of medical oncology at the
Wayne State University School of Medicine.
According to Dr. Vaishampayan, the team considers several
factors when determining the best treatment. First, they
consider the cancer itself – is it aggressive? Has it spread
to other parts of the body? What are the chances of it
spreading? Second, they look at patient characteristics – the
patient’s overall health and age, how often he’ll be able to
come in for treatment, how well he’s likely to tolerate the
treatment, and whether he’s sexually active. “It’s important to
understand the patient’s background, his plans for the future,
and his expectations regarding treatment. Keeping all those
factors in mind, we develop the best treatment for each
individual patient,” Dr. Vaishampayan said.
The Institute’s Genitourinary Oncology Multidisciplinary
Team includes specialists in medical oncology, urologic
surgery, pathology, and radiation oncology. Team members
convene weekly to discuss treatment options for patients –
in essence, giving each patient second, third, and fourth
opinions. This review of X-rays and pathology results by
multiple prostate cancer specialists is an important part of
developing the most effective treatment plan for each patient.
“These conferences – attended by 30 or more health care
professionals – provide a great benefit for patients and a
wonderful learning experience for even the most experienced
of clinicians,” said Michael Cher, M.D., chief of urology at
the Karmanos Cancer Institute and associate professor of
urology and pathology at the Wayne State University School
of Medicine. “The conferences also serve as a sort of quality
check for treatment plans being offered by team members.”
While Dr. Cher is a surgeon, he prides himself on offering
many different types of treatments and tailoring treatments
to individual patients. “Treating prostate cancer is not a
one-size-fits-all situation,” Dr. Cher said. He and other
members of the team may recommend treatments
including close observation (watchful waiting), various
types of prostate removal (radical prostatectomy), brachytherapy
(seed implants), prostate cryoablation (freezing
tumors), external beam radiation, hormonal therapy,
biologic therapy, and chemotherapy. Sometimes,
combination treatments are recommended and delivered
by several team members working together.
Many physicians at the Karmanos Cancer Institute are
involved in prostate cancer research – often giving patients
access to clinical trials of new treatments before they
are widely available. This wide range of prostate cancer
treatment options sets Karmanos apart from other
hospitals that offer relatively few treatments.
The Institute is one of only two cancer centers in the
nation to offer neutron radiation therapy, a more powerful
and more highly focused form of radiation. Jeffrey
Forman, M.D., FACR, is professor of radiation oncology
at the Karmanos Cancer Institute and Wayne State
University School of Medicine. He’s also the world’s
leading authority on neutron irradiation for prostate cancer
and a co-author of the American Urologic Association’s new
national guidelines for the management of prostate cancer.
“Neutron irradiation uses subatomic particles to target the
cancer. So it’s actually particles of matter hitting the cancer
rather than just a beam of conventional radiation,” Dr.
Forman said. “Neutrons cause a bigger effect on the cancer.
For patients with more advanced cancers, we’ve actually
proven that neutron irradiation is a better treatment than
conventional radiation.”
According to Dr. Forman, the cure rate for patients with
early-stage, low-grade prostate cancer is about the same
whether they are treated with radiation therapy or surgery.
8 HOPE | SPRING 2006

PROSTATE CANCER SPECIALISTS DRS. JEFFREY FORMAN, ULKA VAISHAMPAYAN AND
MICHAEL CHER REPRESENT THE GENITOURINARY MULTIDISCIPLINARY TEAM AT KARMANOS
THE ROBOTIC SURGERY OPTION
As a nationally recognized leader in cancer treatment, the Karmanos
Cancer Institute offers metro Detroit’s widest variety of prostate cancer
treatment options – including minimally invasive robotic surgery using the
state-of-the-art da Vinci® Surgical System.
The laparoscopic approach to prostatectomy provides access to the
internal anatomy through five tiny incisions. The addition of the robot to
the laparoscopic approach allows the surgeon to perform a very precise,
nerve-sparing operation.
With traditional laparoscopy, the surgeon is operating in two dimensions
– using straight instruments to perform very delicate maneuvers.
Robot-assisted technology allows the surgeon to operate in three
dimensions and the ends of the instruments have precise articulation.
They can actually turn 360 degrees, so they are more like human wrists.
Think of it like this: Traditional laparoscopy is like trying to tie a knot
with knitting needles. Robotic-assisted surgery is more like tying a knot
with your own hands,” Dr. Cher added.
“Robot-assisted surgery offers greater precision and greater vision
of structures inside the body so we can perform much more
precise surgery.”
Prostate Cancer
Treatment Options
• Minimally Invasive Robot-Assisted
Laparoscopic Prostatectomy
• Radical Retro-Pubic Prostatectomy
• Radical Perineal Prostatectomy
• Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy
(IMRT)
• External Beam Radiation Therapy
• Brachytherapy (Radioactive Seed
Implants)
• Cryoablation (freezing tumors)
• Anti-Angiogenic Therapy
• Immunotherapy
• Vaccine Therapy
• Chemotherapy
• Hormone Therapy
• Combination Therapies
• Clinical Trials
For an appointment with a
prostate cancer specialist at
the Karmanos Cancer Institute
call 1-800-KARMANOS.
HOPE | WINTER 2006 9

Michigan’s First and Only
Independent Cancer Center
Historic Agreement Complete
It’s official. The Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Center
is Michigan’s first and only independent cancer center.
In December 2005, The Karmanos Cancer Institute
completed a multi-million dollar facilities acquisition
agreement with the Detroit Medical Center (DMC),
taking full control of cancer patient services and facilities.
The Institute’s separation from the DMC paved the way
for the creation of the Karmanos Cancer Center. The
Center incorporates all patient care operations including
123 inpatient beds and outpatient services at the Wertz
Clinical Cancer Center, Gershenson Radiation Oncology
Center, Walt Comprehensive Breast Center, and the Weisberg
Cancer Treatment Center in Farmington Hills. The Karmanos
Cancer Institute, the parent organization of the Center,
includes all research, administrative and business functions.
“This is the most dramatic development in strengthening
cancer patient care in the history of metro Detroit,” said
John C. Ruckdeschel, M.D., president and chief executive
officer of the Cancer Center and Institute. “Achieving
clinical independence is already enabling dramatic
improvements in operational efficiencies and fundraising.
Specifically, this is making possible a $50 million
patient care expansion on our main campus in midtown
Detroit and doubling the size of the Weisberg Cancer
Treatment Center.”
This milestone closely follows the Karmanos Cancer
Institute earning a full, five-year renewal of its prized
designation as a comprehensive cancer center by the
National Cancer Institute (NCI). The NCI designation
came with a four-fold increase in annual federal cancer
research grant funding.
The Center’s new, independent status also positions the
Institute to qualify for advantageous federal Medicare
payment rates. Only 13 cancer centers in the nation
have achieved this status. “We now have an ownership,
operation and business model in place that is utilized by
the best cancer centers in the world,” Ruckdeschel added.
The Karmanos Cancer Institute operates the Meyer L.
Prentis Comprehensive Cancer Center of Metropolitan
Detroit, one of 39 NCI-designated comprehensive cancer
centers in the nation and one of only two in Michigan.
“The Karmanos Cancer Center is the only comprehensive
cancer center in metro Detroit,” said Peter Karmanos Jr.,
Compuware CEO and major benefactor of the Institute.
“Patient care at the Cancer Center is directly linked with
the Institute’s cancer research program – part of a national
network of such elite programs. I want anyone diagnosed
with cancer – their loved ones, their doctors and their
nurses – to know that truly comprehensive cancer care is
right here at the Karmanos Cancer Center. I’m very proud
to see the Cancer Center growing and investing.”
In 1994, the Institute, the DMC and Wayne State
University merged cancer research and patient care services
into one administrative structure led by the Institute. Now the
Institute is providing cancer patient care as an independent
entity in clinical facilities acquired from the DMC.
“We’re now functioning under our own governance
structure, bylaws and independent financial structure,”
said Chuck Becker, chair of the newly created Karmanos
Cancer Center board. Mr. Becker leads Becker Ventures, a
Troy-based private investment firm involved in global real
estate, hospitality and industrial business sectors. “We
are designing and building outstanding patient care
facilities focused exclusively on the needs of cancer
patients and their loved ones. And we’re generating the
financial resources needed to make this a reality.”
10 HOPE | SPRING 2006

CHARLES E. BECKER
Chair, Karmanos Cancer Center Board of Directors
“We are designing and building
outstanding patient care facilities
focused exclusively on the needs of
cancer patients and their loved ones.”
KARMANOS
CANCER CENTER
BOARD OF
DIRECTORS
Randolph J. Agley
Thomas V. Angott, Sr.
Charles E. Becker, chair
Leslie C. Bowman
Paul L. Broughton
Armando Cavazos
Kenneth Eisenberg
Jeremiah E. Farrell
Melvin A. Lester, M.D.
Robert M. Mentzer, Jr., M.D.
Timothy Monahan
J. Edson Pontes, M.D.
John C. Ruckdeschel, M.D.
Anthony J. Rusciano
Wael Sakr, M.D.
Nettie Seabrooks
Jane R. Thomas, Ph.D.
Manuel Valdivieso, M.D.
KARMANOS
CANCER
INSTITUTE
BOARD
OF DIRECTORS
Randolph J. Agley, chair
Thomas V. Angott, Sr.
Eugene Applebaum
Nancy Barrett, Ph.D.
Charles E. Becker, vice chair
Gregory Bontrager
Paul Borman
Paul L. Broughton
Joseph J. Buttigieg, III
John T. Caldwell, Jr.
Armando Cavazos
John D. Crissman, M.D.
Deborah I. Dingell, vice chair
Lillian Erdeljan
Jeremiah E. Farrell
Samuel Frankel, vice chair
Myron Frasier
Richard M. Gabrys, vice chair
Bruce A. Gershenson
Stephen Grand
Adnan Hammad, Ph.D.
Elaine Hartman
Patricia Hartmann
Eleanor M. Josaitis
Peter Karmanos, Jr.
Melvin A. Lester, M.D.
Edward C. Levy, Jr.
Mervyn H. Manning
Mary Matuja
Robert M. Mentzer, Jr., M.D.
Timothy Monahan
Paul L. Nine
Charles O’Brien
Fred D. Olson
J. Edson Pontes, M.D.
James Prowse
Eunice Ring
John C. Ruckdeschel, M.D.
Alan S. Schwartz, vice chair
Cynthia K. Sikina
Lila Silverman
Todd P. Smith
Robert A. Stone
Thomas M. Storen, D.D.S.
Vainutis K. Vaitkevicius, M.D.
Kenneth L. Way
HOPE | SPRING 2006 11

CLINICAL TRIALS
S A V I N G L I V E S
With Early Detection and Prevention of Ovarian Cancer
Ovarian cancer accounts for just three percent of all cancers among women, but it’s one
of the deadliest forms of the disease. It’s a fact that troubles physicians and researchers
at the Karmanos Cancer Institute – and they’re doing something about it.
According to the American Cancer Society, approximately 22,000 new cases of ovarian
cancer were diagnosed in 2005 – and 16,210 women died from the disease. Sadly, the
death rate from ovarian cancer has not changed much in the last 50 years.
DR. ROBERT T. MORRIS AND
DR. VERONICA L. SCHIMP
12 HOPE | SPRING 2006

Almost 70 percent of women with ovarian cancer are not
diagnosed until the disease is considered advanced. But if
it’s detected early, the 5-year survival rate for the disease
is between 70 and 90 percent.
Clearly, prevention and early detection are vitally
important in fighting ovarian cancer. That’s why Robert
T. Morris, M.D., associate professor of gynecologic
oncology at the Karmanos Cancer Institute and Wayne
State University, is participating in a national ovarian
cancer prevention and early detection study.
The study involves women who, through family history, are
at a high-risk of developing the disease. Participants in the
study can either choose a risk-reducing surgical procedure
to remove the ovaries followed by a specialized blood test
every six months, or opt for a more conservative approach
– the specialized blood test every two months combined
with annual trans-vaginal ultrasound examinations.
The specialized blood test assesses the concentration of
CA-125 (cancer antigen-125) in the blood. CA-125 is a
protein found at elevated levels in most ovarian cancer cells
– possibly making it useful in early detection of ovarian
cancer. The study, sponsored by the Gynecologic Oncology
Group, aims to identify the most effective early detection
and prevention method for women at high risk.
For Sharon Elster of Farmington, Michigan and her
sisters, the study seems tailor made. Their mother died of
ovarian cancer in 1988 – which put all five sisters at high
risk for developing the disease. Then, in 2004, Sharon’s
younger sister, Leigh, developed the disease, putting all
of the sisters at extremely high risk.
After genetic testing at the Institute revealed no
identifiable reason for the prevalence of ovarian cancer
in her family, Sharon and four of her sisters decided to
join the early detection and prevention trial.
“Oddly enough, the fact that the genetic tests turned up
negative put us at an even higher risk for ovarian cancer,”
Sharon said. “Because it meant we have this rare cancer in
our family, but we don’t know why.”
“My mother was diagnosed when she was about my age,”
Sharon said. “I just don’t want to take any chances.
Besides, I’m close to menopause anyway, so it’ll just happen
overnight instead of being a more gradual process.”
As part of the trial, Sharon expects to have minimally
invasive surgery to remove her ovaries in early 2006.
The surgery will be performed by Dr. Morris and
Veronica L. Schimp, D.O., assistant professor of
gynecologic oncology at the Karmanos Cancer Institute
and Wayne State University.
Drs. Schimp and Morris are experts in laparoscopic
surgery using the robot-assisted da Vinci® Surgical
System. The state-of-the-art robotic surgery system is
often used in minimally invasive prostate surgery, but
the Karmanos Cancer Institute is one of only two
locations in Michigan using it for minimally invasive
gynecologic surgery.
“Dr. Morris and I have done about 10 cases as part of the
trial and all have gone very well. Just the other day, we saw
the very first patient we operated on for her four-month
follow up and she’s doing just beautifully. The incisions are
hardly noticeable,” Dr. Schimp said.
The robot-assisted technology will enable Drs. Morris and
Schimp to perform Sharon Elster’s procedures through
just a few tiny incisions – improving outcomes, speeding
recovery time and reducing pain.
And it may save her life.
“I’m happy to be participating in a clinical trial. I know it’s
very noble to help advance science, but deep down this is
really about self preservation,” Sharon said. “I’m at a high
risk of developing this deadly disease and I want to do
everything I can to avoid it.”
The Gail Purtan Ovarian Cancer Research Fund at
Karmanos Cancer Institute has raised over $850,000
since 1998. To get involved call 1-800-KARMANOS.
Sharon, 49, originally chose to be in the screening arm of the
study, receiving a CA-125 blood test every two months. But
she recently opted to switch to the surgical arm of the study
and have her ovaries removed as a preventive measure.
HOPE | SPRING 2006 13

Survivorship
UNIVERSITY
No one is born knowing how to
be a cancer survivor, just as no one is born
knowing how to be a parent.
“New moms and dads go to community education
classes to learn about being a parent,” said Pat Sachs,
MSW, director of Community Partnerships in the
Community Education department at the Karmanos
Cancer Institute. “That’s the analogy we’re using with cancer
survivorship, because survivors need to learn
about this additional life role.”
In January 2005, Pat began developing Survivorship University
(SU), a community education program that helps
cancer survivors and their loved ones understand this life
experience. The classes encourage and support the personal
empowerment and advocacy of cancer
survivorship. Sachs, a three-time cancer survivor who
is currently battling metastatic melanoma herself,
understands what it’s like to be a newly diagnosed cancer
patient, as well as a patient who is re-diagnosed.
“Newly diagnosed cancer patients as well as re-diagnosed
survivors need so much information to help with coping,”
Pat said. “Informal networks are important when you’ve
been diagnosed. But there’s something important about
getting information at a formalized level. Survivorship
University provides information not only on medicallyrelated
concerns but also concerns connected to daily life.
It’s a formalized process where you learn from the experts
through one-session classes grouped into semesters.”
Survivorship University encourages and supports the
personal empowerment and advocacy of cancer survivorship.
The program began in fall 2005 with classes relevant to
survivors within the three stages of survivorship. Those stages
are defined by the Center for Disease Control and the Lance
Armstrong Foundation’s National Action Plan for
“You’re a survivor
the minute you’re
diagnosed.”
The Detroit News/John T. Greilick
Photo by Angie Baan,
JN Platinum
KAREN OWENS
Breast Cancer Survivor
STEWART FRANCKE
Leukemia Survivor
PAT SACHS
Melanoma Survivor

LIVING WITH, THROUGH AND BEYOND CANCER
Cancer Survivorship as living with, living through and living
beyond cancer.
The three rings in Survivorship University’s logo reflect
these stages, but Pat points out that the logo also
represents the continuum of cancer survivorship.
“It’s something you may go in and out of,” she said. “I was
re-diagnosed in April 2005, but I had seven and a half years
of living beyond cancer. Now I’m back to living with it.”
Survivorship University includes topics like understanding
social security, your job and cancer, and the meaning of
survivorship. Participants in the fall semester were given
resources and referrals they could take to their health care
providers, as well as access to community organizations
they could contact for services.
“Survivorship University tackles all those issues from an
education standpoint, not a service-provider standpoint.
Participants get information and are told what to do
with it. They could then go out to the community armed
with that information,” Pat said.
Classes are free and open to anyone in the community
– cancer patients as well as their friends, family and
health care providers. Survivorship University defines a
survivor as anyone who has gone through cancer as well as
the friends, family and health care providers who offer support
to cancer survivors.
“There’s an education component of the program,” Pat
said. “But we also celebrate the fact that you’re alive and
you’re making it.”
SURVIVORSHIP UNIVERSITY
COMMUNITY EVENT
Join cancer survivors and families from Southeast
Michigan to hear fellow survivor, best-selling author
and physician, Wendy Harpham, M.D., FACP.
Happiness in a Storm: Facing Illness
and Embracing Life as a Healthy Survivor
May 24, 2006
7:30-9:30pm
Schriners Auditorium
Southfield, Michigan
For more information about Survivorship
University call 1-800-KARMANOS or
visit www.karmanos.org
Special thanks to the Annual Pummill Golf Classic
for their generous support of Survivorship University.
HUGH BURRELL
Prostate Cancer
Survivor
ELLEN KLAUSMEYER
Breast Cancer and Ocular
Melanoma Survivor
PAULINE LATHER
Leukemia Survivor

Annual Fund
Makes Long-Term Impact
Every year, the Karmanos Cancer Institute reaches out to its supporters
and friends to ask for contributions to the Annual Fund. A gift to the
Annual Fund campaign helps the Institute conduct state-of-the-science
cancer research, provide the latest diagnostic and treatment options, and
recruit and retain a world-class team of cancer specialists.
“The Institute fights cancer on four fronts – research, treatment,
education and outreach,” said Nick Karmanos, vice president of
development at the Karmanos Cancer Institute. “The Annual Fund
bridges the gap between other sources of revenue, and expenses for
patient care, research, clinical trials and supports the outstanding
scientists who translate research into innovative therapies.”
Many people give to the Annual Fund to honor someone who is
currently battling the disease, or to those individuals who touch the
lives of others both in and out of the Institute.
These “Tribute Gifts” can be made in honor of, or in memory of, a
loved one. They can:
• Help celebrate a special occasion such as a birthday, anniversary,
wedding, Bar/Bat Mitzvah, birth announcements.
• Say “thank you” in a special way.
• Express concern for an ill friend or relative.
• Remember those who have passed away.
Tribute cards are sent to the designated person that a gift
was made on their behalf to the Institute.
Some employers will match a donor’s Annual
Fund contribution, multiplying
the donation made to the
Institute. Donors should
contact their work place human
resources department for
information and to obtain
a matching gift form.
ANNUAL FUND IN ACTION
The Institute’s Annual Fund supports the
ongoing operations of the Karmanos
Cancer Institute and offers researchers
flexibility so new ideas in the fight against
cancer can be quickly funded. A gift to the
Annual Fund makes a real difference by
helping the Institute:
• Staff 14 multidisciplinary teams –
the most comprehensive and
progressive approach to diagnosing
and treating cancer.
• Conduct more than 250 clinical trials,
many involving new therapies not
widely available.
• Purchase the latest equipment – such
as an inverted microscope with
multiphoton laser for advanced imaging
and tumor modeling.
• Continue the research and design of
vaccines that treat the most deadly form
of brain cancer, as well as malignancies of
the breast, ovary and lung.
• Recruit and equip the best and the
brightest cancer specialists, physicians
and basic scientists.
For more information
on making a gift to the
Annual Fund, visit
www.karmanos.org
or call 313-576-8510.
16 HOPE | SPRING 2006
NICK KARMANOS
vice president of development at
the Karmanos Cancer Institute

Leaving a Legacy
PLANNED GIVING MAKES
LASTING CONTRIBUTION
Maggie Allesee of
Bloomfield Township,
Michigan is always
giving. She gives her time
and energy volunteering on
committees and the boards
of non-profit organizations
across metropolitan Detroit.
She also gives from her
pocketbook, making
financial contributions
to organizations whose
work she believes in.
“I’m a big proponent of
giving while you are alive,”
she said. “I think that way
you have the best opportunity
to make sure the money
is used in the way you want.”
But that hasn’t stopped
MAGGIE ALLESEE
her from making plans for giving after she’s gone. About 10 years ago,
Maggie arranged a planned gift to the Karmanos Cancer Institute.
Planned giving is a popular way for supporters to give to the Institute.
The most common planned gifts are donations made through wills
or trusts. These gifts can be a specific dollar amount or a percentage
of net assets – or the gift can be a portion of what remains in the
gift giver’s estate.
Gifts can be restricted, so the donor can specify how the funds can
be used, or unrestricted, enabling the Institute to apply the donation
toward the most pressing needs.
“I know some people are hesitant to give a planned gift to an
organization because they want to leave an inheritance to their children
or grandchildren. They think that anything they leave to an organization
is a direct denial of what they’ll be able to leave for their children,”
Maggie said. “But I’d encourage people to think about a gift to cancer
research as an indirect gift to their children and grandchildren. Funding
the programs that Karmanos has in place is very important because you
never know who is going to develop cancer.”
Because each planned giving option has important and sometimes
complicated tax benefits, the Institute encourages all donors to
consult with their legal or tax advisor.
For more information on making a planned gift or a major gift
to the Karmanos Cancer Institute, contact Mary Alice Bankert
at (313) 576-8108 or visit www.karmanos.org.
PLANNED GIVING OPTIONS
Aside from gifts in the form of a will or trust, there are a
number of other planned giving options.
LIFE INSURANCE
If you have a life insurance policy you no longer need, you
can contribute it to the Karmanos Cancer Institute or
name the Institute as the beneficiary. If you are considering
purchasing a new policy, naming the Institute as beneficiary
is also an option. By making the Institute the owner and
beneficiary of an existing or new policy, you will receive
significant tax benefits, including an immediate income tax
charitable deduction.
RETIREMENT PLAN ASSETS
Designated retirement plan assets as charitable gifts avoid
both estate and income taxes. One hundred percent of your
retirement plan balance directly supports your philanthropic
wishes. The simplest way to donate the balance of a retirement
account is to include the Institute as the beneficiary on the beneficiary
form provided by your retirement plan administrator.
CHARITABLE REMAINDER TRUSTS
A charitable remainder trust (CRT) irrevocably transfers
money, securities or other assets to a trust that pays you
an income for life or for a period of years. The trust can
also pay an income to another beneficiary of your choice
during his or her lifetime, with the remaining balance of the
trust transferring to the Institute at the death of the income
beneficiary. By doing this, you’ll receive a federal income tax
charitable deduction and avoid capital gains tax when you
transfer non-mortgaged appreciated assets to the trust.
CHARITABLE LEAD TRUSTS
The income from a charitable lead trust can flow to the
Institute for a stated number of years. Afterwards,
remaining trust assets are then distributed to beneficiaries
of your choosing. The charitable lead trust is among the
most complex planned giving option, however it offers
excellent tax benefits to the estate owner.
REAL ESTATE
Before you sell real estate, you may wish to donate it to the
Karmanos Cancer Institute. The Institute evaluates gifts of
real estate prior to acceptance. You can give the property
outright, place it in trust, retain the use of it for life or give it
by will. A charitable gift of real estate:
• Results in valuable income tax and estate tax deductions;
• Eliminates capital gain tax;
• Assures the value of the property qualifies for a
charitable deduction for estate tax purposes;
• In certain cases, eliminates the responsibilities and costs of
ownership when the asset is transferred to the Institute.
HOPE | SPRING 2006 17

UP CLOSE
STEVE ETHIER, PH.D.
Deputy Director of the Karmanos Cancer Institute.
“Life is full of those fateful little
decisions that lead you where
you’re supposed to go.”

UP CLOSE
STEPHEN P. ETHIER, PH.D.
“Life is full of those fateful little decisions
that lead you where you’re supposed to go,” said Steve Ethier,
Ph.D., deputy director of the Karmanos Cancer Institute.
Dr. Ethier was a darn good baseball player, pitching for
St. Anselms College in New Hampshire. It seems like an
interesting little fact about him, but little more – not even a
footnote on his resume. Still, Dr. Ethier says it may be the
reason he’s a cancer researcher today.
“I always knew I wanted to be a scientist,” he says. “I
grew up in New England and liked scuba diving,
so I thought marine biology would be a good field for me.”
There was only one problem: The undergraduate marine
biology course he needed was only offered on Saturdays, the
same day as his baseball games. Without knowing he was at
one of life’s crossroads, the student athlete opted to take an
alternate science class – a course in radiation and cell biology
– which ultimately led to his interest in cancer research.
woman with cancer which has the following molecular
profile’,” Dr. Ethier said. “Based on that, we’ll be able to
choose the best treatment for her.”
Dr. Ethier’s expertise in translational research is a requirement
for his administrative role at the Karmanos Cancer
Institute. As Deputy Center Director and Director of Basic
Research, he brings together scientists with different
backgrounds, but similar research interests.
“When I came here, we had basic researchers studying
the mechanisms of a certain type of cancer, and
physicians conducting clinical trials of treatments for that
same type of cancer – and often, if they passed each other
in the hall they wouldn’t know each other,” Dr. Ethier says.
“A big part of my job is understanding all the research that
is conducted here and bringing together the physicians and
scientists who can help each other. That’s how you make
breakthroughs – with collaboration and new ideas.”
Today, Dr. Ethier is one of the nation’s leading breast
cancer researchers, an internationally recognized scientist
working to identify the genetic causes of the disease.
“There are many different types of breast cancer, each with
a different genetic cause,” Dr. Ethier said. “We’re working
in the lab to identify the different genetic causes of breast
cancer. Once we’ve conducted that basic research and
identified a molecular fingerprint, pharmaceutical
companies will work on developing targeted treatments.”
This two-way interchange of information between the
basic research lab and patient-focused, clinical studies
is called “translational research.” Based on translational
research currently being conducted at the Karmanos
Cancer Institute and other leading cancer centers,
physicians should someday be able to classify cancers
based on the molecular fingerprint of the disease and
treat each patient with drugs targeting their specific,
molecular form of cancer. The outcome promises to be
much more effective than today’s standard therapies.
“Instead of saying ‘this is a 50-year-old woman with Stage
III breast cancer,’ we’ll be able to say ‘this is a 50-year-old
[BIO]
STEPHEN P.
ETHIER, PH.D.
TITLE: Deputy Center Director and
Director of Basic Research, Karmanos
Cancer Institute; Professor, Department
of Pathology, Wayne State University School
of Medicine
EDUCATION: Ph.D. in Radiation Biology/
Carcinogenesis from the University of Tennessee
at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory; M.S. in
Radiologic Health from The University of
Michigan in Ann Arbor; B.A. from St. Anselms
College, Manchester, New Hampshire.
TRAINING:
Post-doctoral fellowship in Chemical
Carcinogenesis at the Michigan Cancer
Foundation in Detroit.
HOME: Plymouth, Michigan
HOPE | SPRING 2006 19

Karmanos Physicians Named
“Top Docs”
GEORGE YOO, M.D., leads the Institute’s Head
and Neck Cancer Multidisciplinary Team. He is an
associate professor and vice chair in the Department
of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery and
Oncology at Wayne State University. His research
interests include gene therapy and molecular markers.
LAWRENCE FLAHERTY, M.D. leads the
Institute’s Melanoma Multidisciplinary Team and
is a member of the Breast Cancer Multidisciplinary
Team. Dr. Flaherty is a professor of internal
medicine and hematology/oncology at Wayne State
University. His research focuses on the treatment
of malignant melanomas, breast cancer and other
solid tumors with a variety of experimental and
traditional cancer therapeutics.
ANTOINETTE WOZNIAK, M.D., leads the
Institute’s Thoracic Oncology Multidisciplinary
Team. She is a professor of internal medicine at
Wayne State University. Her primary research
interests are the development of novel
chemotherapy compounds and combinations
for lung cancer and overseeing clinical trials.
In 2005, five Karmanos physicians earned
recognition as America’s Top Doctors in
a guide published by Castle Connolly.
The list is now in its fifth edition and is
among the authoritative guides to finding
the nation’s top specialists. The following
Karmanos physicians were named to the
2005 America’s Top Doctors list:
DAVID L. BOUWMAN, M.D.
Surgery – Breast Cancer
JEFFREY D. FORMAN, M.D.
Radiation Oncology – Lung, Blood,
and Genitourinary Cancers
JOHN C. RUCKDESCHEL, M.D.
Medical Oncology – Lung Cancer*
Charles A. Schiffer, M.D.
Medical Oncology and Hematology –
Blood Cancers
ANDREW T. TURRISI III, M.D.
Radiation Oncology – Lung,
Gastrointestinal and Genitourinary Cancers
The same physicians were also included
in Castle Connolly’s inaugural edition
of America’s Top Doctors for Cancer, a
guide published this year.
To make an appointment
with a Karmanos Cancer
Institute physician,
call 1-800-KARMANOS
(1-800-526-6266).
In metropolitan Detroit, 17 doctors at
the Karmanos Cancer Center made the
2005 “Top Docs” list published by HOUR
Detroit magazine. The list names Detroitarea
physicians nominated by their peers
as the doctors to whom they would refer
their own patients and family members
for diagnosis and treatment. The HOUR
Detroit magazine list included:
LAWRENCE FLAHERTY, M.D.
Oncology – Melanoma and Breast Cancer
DAVID GRIGNON, M.D.
Pathology – Genitourinary Cancer
MURALI GUTHIKONDA, M.D.
Neurological Surgery – Brain Cancer
JOHN JACOBS, M.D.
Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Cancers
CHARLES LUKAS, M.D.
General Surgery – Gastrointestinal Cancer
JOHN MALONE, M.D.
Gynecology – Gynecologic Oncology
ROBERT MATHOG, M.D.
Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Cancers
ADNAN MUNKARAH, M.D.
Gynecology – Gynecologic Oncology
JOSE EDSON PONTES, M.D.
Urology – Genitourinary Cancer
JOHN C. RUCKDESCHEL, M.D.
Medical Oncology – Lung Cancer*
WAEL SAKR, M.D.
Pathology – Head and Neck, Lung Cancer
CHARLES SCHIFFER, M.D.
Oncology – Blood Cancers
ANTHONY SHIELDS, M.D.
Oncology – Gastrointestinal Cancer
JOSEPH UBERTI, M.D.
Oncology – Bone Marrow Transplant
DONALD W. WEAVER, M.D.
Colon & Rectal Surgery –
Gastrointestinal Cancer
ANTOINETTE WOZNIAK, M.D.
Oncology – Lung Cancer
GEORGE YOO, M.D.
Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Cancers
* Dr. John C. Ruckdeschel is president and chief executive
officer of the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute
CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OF OUR TOP DOCS!

AROUND
town
THE PARTNERS HAVE A BALL
Annual Events Raise
more than $660,000
Last fall, a group of young professionals continued
their tradition of raising money for cancer research.
The 12th Annual Partners Golf Classic and Ball were
held in September – raising more than $660,000 for
the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute.
During the last 12 years, the group has raised a
remarkable $4.2 million for the Institute.
GOLF CLASSIC
The 12th Annual Partners Golf Classic was
held at the Orchard Lake Country Club in
Orchard Lake, Michigan. “The golf event is
always popular, but this year the tickets sold
out even before we sent the invitations,”
said Scott Rose, co-chair of the event and
a member of the Partners Executive
Committee. “It was a very successful
event and we’re all so pleased to help the
Karmanos Cancer Institute in this way.”
The Marty Deutch foursome won the men’s
category with a low score of 52. The HOUR Detroit women won the ladies’ low
score, and Turner Construction won the mixed category. But the highlight of the
event was when Steve Wasinger sank a hole-in-one – winning a beautiful new
Rolex from hole-in-one sponsor Jules R. Schubot Jewellers.
THE PARTNERS BALL
The Partner’s 2005 honoree was A. Alfred Taubman. A long-time Karmanos supporter
– having already donated one million dollars, Mr. Taubman made a $50,000 donation
and offered an additional $25,000 challenge grant. “Guests at the ball quickly embraced
his challenge and surpassed the $25,000 mark, which was a very exciting aspect of the
event this year,” said Christina Balian Mehren, executive co-chair of Partners.
A silent auction and a live auction – called by Sotheby’s auctioneer C. Hugh
Hildesley – raised more than $95,000 for the Institute. The event also featured a
raffle courtesy of Neiman Marcus.
Plans are already underway for the 2006 Partners Golf Classic and Ball. The Golf
Classic will be on Monday, August 28 and the Ball will be on Saturday, September 9.
2006 ANNUAL DINNER
The Annual Dinner is scheduled for Saturday, June 3 at the Detroit Marriott with lead
sponosorship by Kenwal Steel Corporation. Chairs and co-chairs for the upcoming dinner
were recently announced.
John Smith, group VP of global product planning for General Motors Corp., and his wife,
Nancy, will serve as the chairs for the event. Kenneth Eisenberg, chairman and CEO of
Kenwal Steel Corp., and his wife, Frances, will join David Fischer, chairman and CEO of
Suburban Collection, and his wife, Jennifer, as co-chairs.
ABOVE: A. ALFRED TAUBMAN,
PARTNERS 2005 HONOREE, WITH
KARMANOS CANCER INSTITUTE
PRESIDENT AND CEO JOHN C.
RUCKDESCHEL, M.D.
LEFT: PARTNERS CO-EXECUTIVE
CHAIRS, CRAIG SOLGAN AND
CHRISTINA BALIAN MEHREN.
THANKS TO OUR 2005
PARTNERS SPONSORS
– CORPORATE PARTNER –
General Motors Corporation
– FOUNDERS SPONSOR –
Anna and Harry B. Korman Foundation
– Platinum Sponsors –
Compuware Corporation
Kenwal Steel Corp.
Max M. & Marjorie S. Fisher
Foundation, Inc.
Taubman Centers
– ENTERTAINMENT SPONSOR –
Credit Union ONE
– GOLD SPONSORS –
Richard and Linda Kughn
Masco Corporation
Eunice and Milt Ring

AROUND
town
THAT’S WHAT FRIENDS ARE FOR
Private Fundraising Events Raise Money
The Karmanos Cancer Institute is blessed with thousands
of great friends within the community. To show their
support and enthusiasm, these individuals and groups host
events through the Karmanos Cancer Institute Friends
Raising Funds Program. Supporters host approximately
100 events every year and raise more than $700,000.
“We’re sick of this disease,” stated Jim Binson of Binson’s
Home Health Care Centers and host of an annual Chili
Cook-off. “Cancer has touched the lives of so many friends
and family, we’re just trying to do what we can to help the
Karmanos Cancer Institute put an end to it.” Jim and Pam
Binson have hosted the Binson’s Annual Chili Cook-off for
seven years, raising over $30,000 last year alone.
The Alie and Friends dinner was founded by the
late Haji Suad Alie. Although
Alie passed away on June 15,
2005 after a six-year battle
with ovarian cancer, this annual
event continues to celebrate
her life and raise money
for the Karmanos Cancer
Institute. Alie and Friends
committee member Maysam
Alie, daughter of Haji Suad, is
determined to continue raising
funds for ovarian cancer,
“My mother silently touched
the lives of so many through
her fundraising efforts. She is
missed dearly by all of us who
had the pleasure of knowing
her.” In December 2005, the
4th Annual Alie and Friends
Gala Fundraiser raised more than $23,300 for Blooms for
Tomorrow, a support and advocacy program at the Institute.
In its inaugural year, The 2005 Merrill Lynch Bull Run
hosted over 200 participants and raised over $30,000 for
cancer treatment and research at the Institute.
“These individuals and groups make all the difference,”
stated Lil Erdeljan, Karmanos Cancer Institute board
member and Chair of the Development Committee. “From
walks like the first time Merrill Lynch Bull Run, to annual
events like the Call-2-Care radiothon hosted by WDVD
and Gordon Chevrolet; each of these fundraisers makes a
huge impact on the face of cancer. In addition to raising
funds in support of cancer research and care, they
share invaluable information about early detection
and prevention. We couldn’t ask for better friends.”
For information on the Karmanos Cancer Institute’s
Friends Raising Funds Program, call Maureen Bender at (313) 576-8111.
22 HOPE | SPRING 2006

AROUND
town
LEFT: KARMANOS CANCER INSTITUTE VOLUNTEERS
STAFF THE PHONES AT THE THIRD ANNUAL 96.3
WDVD CALL-2-CARE RADIOTHON
BELOW: LEFT TO RIGHT DONNIE DICKSTEIN,
JIM BINSON AND PAM BINSON, HOSTS OF THE
7TH ANNUAL BINSON CHILI COOKOFF
Blooms for Tomorrow
“HOPE RIDES” AS HUNDREDS OF DEDICATED RIDERS HIT THE PAVEMENT
RIDING FROM THE MOTOR CITY HARLEY DAVIDSON DEALERSHIP IN
FARMINGTON HILLS TO FREEDOM HILL IN STERLING HEIGHTS.
ALIE AND FRIENDS CHOSE TO RAISE
MONEY FOR BLOOMS FOR TOMORROW.
EACH INDIVIDUAL FUNDRAISING GROUP
CAN DECIDE WHERE THE MONEY THEY
RAISE WILL BE ALLOCATED.
HOPE | SPRING 2006 23

Remembering J.P. McCarthy
AND FIGHTING MYELODYSPLASTIC SYNDROME
For 30 years, J.P. McCarthy was the voice of WJR 760 AM
in Detroit. But the top-rated morning show host’s voice
was silenced too early; he died in 1995 after a short battle
with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), a rare malignant
blood disease.
Today, the J.P. McCarthy Foundation is one of the world’s leading
voices in worldwide MDS research and education efforts.
“We started right after he passed away because we were
concerned about this very rare disease he had – a disease
which we had never even heard of before,” said Judy
McCarthy, J.P.’s wife of 31 years. Currently, bone marrow
transplantation is the only treatment for the disease, but
it’s not always effective and some older patients are not
good candidates for the procedure. J.P. McCarthy himself
didn’t live long enough to have a bone marrow transplant.
He died just five weeks after his MDS diagnosis.
“Our mission is to advance research and education into
MDS and related hematologic blood diseases,” said Mel
Lester, M.D., a long-time friend of Judy and J.P. McCarthy
and a founding member of the McCarthy Foundation board.
According to Dr. Lester, the most promising research
falls into two main categories: research into the
mechanisms that cause the disease and research into
drugs that might treat it.
“In the future, we hope to better understand the genetics and
molecular biology of MDS,” he said. “We hope this research
will enable someone to develop a drug that can alter the
process and restore the abnormal chromosomes to normal.”
In addition to funding research, the foundation also helped
establish the stem cell cord blood bank at the Karmanos
Cancer Institute. As Michigan’s only cord blood bank,
the program collects umbilical cord blood for use in
stem cell transplants. The stem cells of cord blood are
remarkably flexible and may be used in stem cell
transplants with adults and children, even if there is not
an exact match with the donor.
Dr. Lester said this is particularly important in Detroit – a
city with a large African-American population. “It’s much
more difficult to find a bone marrow transplant match for
African-Americans. But stem cells from
cord blood increase the chance of finding
a suitable donor.”
Scientists also look to the McCarthy
Foundation as a resource for information
about the latest in MDS research. The
foundation hosts bi-annual seminars for
physicians and scientists from around the
world – providing a valuable forum for
pooling information and sharing the latest
research findings.
Judy McCarthy knows J.P. would approve
of the Foundation’s important work.
MEL LESTER, M.D. AND JUDY MCCARTHY
“If he were here, he’d be cheering us on and
leading the charge to find a cure,” she said.
“That’s just the kind of man he was – he
was very involved in all kinds of charities in
Detroit and throughout Michigan. He was
a very caring person and now it’s our turn
to care about what happened to him and
what happens to other people who have
this horrible disease.”
24 HOPE | SPRING 2006

UPBEAT
Cancer Survivor
Detroit entertainer Hugh Burrell
has inspired people to laugh, sing
and dance for decades – but when
diagnosed with prostate cancer in
October 2004, he feared the music
was coming to an end.
“When the doctor calls you in and you hear
those words, ‘You have cancer,’ it’s like everything
just stops,” Hugh remembers. “You don’t hear
anything else.”
The former front-man for the Detroit Police
Department’s Blue Pigs says he was in shock, but
fortunately his wife of 30 years was by his side.
“Thank goodness she was there. She really helped
me stay focused on what the doctor was saying.”
Hugh and his wife got through the initial
diagnosis and were referred to the Karmanos
Cancer Institute, where a nationally recognized,
multidisciplinary team of prostate cancer experts
collaborated to develop the most appropriate
treatment plan for him.
On the recommendation of the multidisciplinary team,
Hugh Burrell chose a 37-day external beam radiation
treatment plan for his prostate cancer.
At first he thought he’d need to take a leave of absence
from his job as a U.S. Marshall at the federal courthouse in
Detroit, but his supervisors were flexible with his schedule
– and the radiation therapy was much more convenient
than he’d expected.
“Depending on where I park my car, I can make it from
the courthouse to Karmanos in about seven minutes,”
Hugh says. “I’d drive over there, get my radiation treatment
and be back at work before long.”
HUGH BURRELL
this, but no one would let me,” Hugh remembers. “I mean,
people know me and expect me to be upbeat – so I had no
choice but to be positive about it.”
The radiation therapy worked well for Hugh. Today, he
continues performing Motown and R&B hits at local
casinos. He also brings music and motivational messages to
schools, community groups and churches – telling people
he’s a prostate cancer survivor every chance he gets.
“I’m 61 now, but I feel like I’m 41,” Hugh says. “I’m blessed
in many ways…and so thankful for the care I received at
Karmanos.”
He even uses his experiences with prostate cancer to remind
his male co-workers at the federal courthouse to get annual
prostate exams.
Hugh continued working during his cancer treatment, and
even performed a few shows at local casinos. He believes
his upbeat, on-stage persona helped him through the cancer
struggle.“I may have wanted to get depressed during all
“I’ll see a powerful federal judge in the hall and ask him
when was the last time he had a prostate exam,” Hugh
laughs. “Now most people can’t cut through the protocol
like that, but I can somehow get away with it.”

2006 Cancer Awareness Calendar
March
National Colorectal
Cancer Awareness Month
www.preventcancer.org/colorectal
April
Cancer Control Month
www.cancer.org
11 – 17
Oral, Head and Neck
Cancer Awareness Week
www.yulbrynnerfoundation.org
May
National
Neurofibromatosis Month
www.nf.org
Skin Cancer Awareness Month
www.cancer.org
1 – 7
Brain Tumor Action Week
www.nabraintumor.org/events.html
2
Melanoma Monday
www.aad.org
June
5
National Cancer Survivors Day
www.ncsdf.org
September
Gynecologic Cancer
Awareness Month
www.thegcf.org
Leukemia & Lymphoma
Awareness Month
www.lis.org
Ovarian Cancer
Awareness Month
www.ovarian.org
Prostate Cancer
Awareness Month
www.pcacoalition.org
October
National Breast Cancer
Awareness Month
21
National Mammography Day
www.cancer.org
26
Lung Health Day
www.aarc.org
November
Great American Smokeout
www.cancer.org
Pancreatic Cancer
Awareness Month
www.pancan.org
Lung Cancer Awareness Month
www.alcase.org
National Healthy Skin Month
www.aad.org
www.karmanos.org
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