Pulse

Volume5/1990_November01November 1, 1990 PULSE UNIVERSITY OF UTAH HEALTH SCIENCES CENTER Chief of UH Bone Marrow Program Projects High In 1950, bone marrow transplantation, then in its infancy, was viewed as a dangerous and highly experimen-tal procedure. Today it is very much mainstream medicine and has been validated by the awarding, this fall, of a Nobel Prize in Medicine to bone marrow transplant pioneer Donnall Thomas, M. D., of Seattle. And now with the help of Patrick G. Beatty, M. D., Ph. D., professor of internal medicine, a proteg6 of Dr. Thomas who recently joined the U School of Medicine faculty, Univer-sity Hospital is ready to join the ranks of bone marrow transplantation centers. Many other staff have been recruited and trained and patients will be treated by early next year. According to Dr. Beatty, the U of U is one of the last major hematology/ oncology programs in the country to add a bone marrow program. Though most U. S. metropolitan areas have bone marrow transplant capabilities, nearly all of the transplant teams can trace their roots to Seattle and Dr. Thomas' headquarters at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Dr. Beatty says. Success rates with bone marrow transplant patients vary greatly depending on the severity of the patient's disease. Age also is a prime factor in treatment. " Kids do spec-tacularly well with the treatment," Dr. Beatty says. He adds, however, that individuals over 50 have a difficult time withstanding the rigors of a transplant. But, Dr. Beatty explains, physi-cians have proven that bone marrow transplants work- and for patients with end- stage diseases, the procedure is often the only hope. He points to the longest- surviving leukemia patient as an example. In 1970, a 17- year- old girl received a bone marrow transplant in Seatde after her hometown physician sent her there, saying he could do no more for her. She is now 38 years old and a buyer for Nordstrom. She visits Dr. Thomas every year on the anniversary of her transplant and gives him a rose for each year she has lived because of Mobility: A new piece of artwork now adorns UH's Radiation Therapy clinic on the B level. The mobile, made of brightly colored disks, is the work of Oakland artist Joel Hotchkiss. Purchased by the Hospital Arts Program with a Castie Foundation Demand for Procedure the transplant. Dr. Beatty, a graduate of the University of Chicago, is confident that the bone marrow program at U Hospital will begin strongly. He brings to the transplant program 11 years' experience and he recruited two colleagues from Seattle- Mark ( continued on back) grant, the mobile is described as lending a " feeling of movement and growth" to the room. Says Frances Gay, co- chair of the Arts Program, mobiles are gaining popularity in the art world and have moved beyond the realm of " kids' stuff." A Tasteful Event This year's NBICU Cook- off lived up to its tradition of gastronomieal excellence. Taking top honors in the fund raiser were Trish DeGooyer for her Chateaubriand with artichokes bearnaise and Mark Fitches' Pear Elena. Both cooks won a round trip for two on American Airlines. Other UUMC chefs won first- place honors ($ 100 gift certificates) for their entries in 13 categories: Cheongmin Cha, sushi; Martha Isradsen, toffee; Dianne Bedell, pine and nut orange wild rice; Lori Trumbo, cranberry salad; Mark Fitches, poached salmon with orange hollandaise sauce, rosemary potatoes and seasoned baby vegetables; Debbie Stevens, European hot chocolate; Jan La Bar, Swedish pastries; Susan Walker, spicy black bean soup; Jeanne Thornton, candy cane bread; Judy Kimura, chocolate mousse cake; Laurie Moyer- Mileur, pear tart; Debbie Stevens, creme cheese brownies; Debbie DeCarlo, three chocolate mousse. This year's judges were Gary Chan, M. D., Evelyn Hartigan, Ed. D., R. N., Neil Kochenour, M. D., Kristina Plaas, last year's grand prize winner and Ann Allen, Deseret News food writer. UUMC Briefs • A TIAA- CREF representative will be at the Medical Center on Nov. 7 to discuss the company's basic retirement plan. The group sessions will be at 8: 30 a. m. in Classroom B and 2 p. m. in Browning Auditorium. In addition to the two presentations, the representative will be available to answer individual questions that day. • The Medical Center Holiday Committee needs artists and creative types to help with decorations for Wasatch Spectrum cafeteria. If you paint, cut, paste, fold, glue, draw, outline or color, you're hired! If you can lend a hand- and want to have some fun at the same time- call DeeLayne Hutton, xl- 2282. • Rumor has it that the Medical Center has many talented musicians within its walls, says Robert Deb-baut, U of U director of orchestras. He extends an invitation to the musically inclined to " keep your music- making going as members of the University Symphony Orchestra." The orchestra meets Monday, Wednesday and Friday afternoons, 2: 15- 4: 30. If you're interested call Mr. Debbaut at xl- 6762. • If you want to participate in this year's Employee Craft Fair- Nov. 30- call Lora Harward, graduate medical education, Room 1C412, x 1- 2401, to reserve booth space. U Hospital's Bone Marrow Program Gears Up to Treat Patients Next Year ( continued from front) Brunvand, M. D., and Ron Stokes, P. A., who both have had numerous years' experience in bone marrow transplantation. The nursing staff hired to work on the unit at U Hospital will be sent to Seatde to train with the transplant teams there, Dr. Beatty adds. The program will begin with just a few beds and expand to a 10- bed unit at U Hospital by summer. Dr. Beatty also foresees the opening of a four-bed unit at Primary Children's Medical Center. Later he will explore the possibility of performing trans-plants at Veterans Administration Medical Center. Such expansion might be necessi-tated by an increased demand for bone marrow transplantation, which Dr. Beatty projects is almost certain. A larger transplantation volume will be fueled by two factors. First, research developments in tissue typing will lead to a larger donor pool. Currendy more than half of all people seeking transplants cannot be linked with a matched donor. Sec-ondly, the scope of diseases for which bone marrow transplantation is a viable treatment protocol is expected to expand. Several teams across the country are beginning to use bone marrow transplantation in treating breast cancer. UH's program also will perform autologous transplants in which the patient's own bone marrow is removed and then reintroduced into the body. That procedure, however, has limited application, Dr. Beatty says. Although Dr. Beatty sees the program at the U of U expanding, he says his objective is not to create the largest bone marrow program, but rather, to focus on specific research areas. He adds that the human genetics program at the U School of Medicine will allow some unique collaborative opportunities. An immediate possibility is to do DNA sequencing of tissue- type antigens