The James Gets $100 Million For A New Radiation Oncology Center

Great news for the Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute: the federal government has awarded it $100 million for the construction of a new radiation oncology center that will be part of the $1 billion Project One construction.

Click here to read more about it.

Dr. Michael Caligiuri, director of OSU’s Comprehensive Cancer Center, CEO of the James, and founder of Pelotonia, calls the funding a victory for cancer patients.

“As the world’s leading killer, cancer strikes one in two men and one in three women,” Mike said. “By providing funding for expanded access to leading edge cancer treatments at The James, the federal government is underscoring the critical need to win the war against cancer and put an end to a disease that has cost us dearly. It is, indeed, time to cure cancer. By expanding Ohio State’s cancer facilities, we are moving closer to a cancer-free world.”

One of Pelotonia’s Best and Brightest Is On The Move At The James

Up to this point, Gustavo Leone might be best known to many in the Pelotonia community as the rider who did the 180-mile route in 2009 without a single practice ride.

Now that’s determination! Not to mention a lesson in the meaning of the words saddle sores.

Then again, you may know Gustavo for his work as the director of the Pelotonia Fellowship Program, which has already awarded more than 50 fellowships to the best and brightest students to do research at the Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute.

And now, Gustavo has been named associate director of basic research for the CCC and James.

Click here to read more about Gustavo.

Gustavo – in addition doing his own breakthrough cancer research – will now be responsible for overseeing and expanding laboratory-based science efforts through mentoring, recruitment and facilitating cancer research collaborations, according to an OSU press release. He will work to recruit additional senior faculty and physician scientists to expand Ohio State’s expertise in basic and translational research efforts, particularly in breast, genitourinary, gastrointestinal and thoracic cancer.

Uh-oh, I guess this means Gustavo will have even less time to train for Pelotonia 2011 – and his third consecutive 180-mile ride. But, as he has already proven, some people don’t need to actually train. Then again, I wouldn’t try this if I was you.

Alex and Kate’s New York Adventure

This is Chapter 2 of our on-going series about Alex Kip, 23, and his battle to beat cancer.

It was a whirlwind trip to New York City, one that included a Broadway show and cast party, walking hand-in-hand with his girlfriend through crowded Rockefeller Center, a reunion party with his college classmates, the Rockettes, and services at one of the world’s largest gothic churches.

Alex, Kate ... and Rockefeller Center in all of its holiday glory

Picture the trip as a movie, and imagine the montage of scenes of Alex tearing up the Big Apple. Take a few seconds, I’ll wait …

But all good things, Including NYC trips and even our imaginary movie, must come to an end, and ours concludes with Alex and Kate flying back to Columbus on Tuesday morning.

“It’s funny because right when we got into the airport and headed to baggage, the first thing you see is this huge James cancer banner talking about all the treatments they have,” Alex says. “I thought to myself, ‘I guess I’m back,’ I can’t escape it.”

Alex’s trip was an escape from his on-going struggle with cancer, a long weekend filled with fun and reunions. And when it was over, and he returned home, Alex knew he was set to start a battery of scans and tests (which began yesterday) to determine the best course of action to destroy the mass of Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma (Type B) cancer in his chest. If all goes well, Alex will soon undergo a stem cell transplant.

“Yeah, I had this window of opportunity and wanted to take advantage of it,” Alex says of his decision to head to New York.

The trip was a bit on the bittersweet side for another reason. If it weren’t for his cancer, which was diagnosed in April, Alex would be living the dream in New York, struggling to make ends meet and auditioning for Broadway shows with the rest of the recent graduates from the University of Michigan’s renowned Department of Musical Theatre. They’re known as the Michigan Mafia on Broadway, and rare is the show that doesn’t include at least one member of this elite group of singers and dancers.

Alex is the only one of the 16 May 2010 graduates who is not in New York right now. Twelve of the 16 met up for a reunion party – and three of the missing four couldn’t make it because they were on tour with a show.

“When everyone was together it really kind of hit me that they’re here and I’m not and they’re healthy and I’m not and they’re living the dream and I’m not,” he says. “But they’re also all struggling to make it, so part of me is jealous and part of me thinks that struggling to make ends meet and pay rent and go through all the auditions isn’t that much fun.”

But make no mistake, if it wasn’t for his cancer, this is where Alex would be – and where he will be once his battle is won. And the struggle to make it on Broadway, he knows, is something he will look back on fondly one day.

“I was a little nervous at first seeing everyone,” Alex says. “But it was so normal, like I’d been here the whole time, even though I hadn’t and hadn’t seen most of them in months. Everyone just treated me normal and my cancer wasn’t really a topic of conversation. Obviously, everyone knows I have it, and they were wishing me well, but they know I’m sick of hearing ‘how is everything, how are you?’ all the time.”

Alex and Kate went to see Memphis, the Tony-Award winning musical, whose cast includes two of Alex’s Michigan classmates: Sydney Morton, who graduated in 2008, and Bryan Langlitz, a 2009 graduate.

The Broadway hit Memphis was great, and after the show Alex met up with his friends Sydney (L) and Bryan (R), who are members of the cast

Afterwards, Alex and Kate joined the cast for their weekly Saturday night party in the theater, and then a nearby bar.

Sunday morning included a trip to the Cathedral Church of Saint John the Divine, which is located on the Upper West Side, not far from Aunt Carlotta’s apartment, which is where he stayed. Later that day, there was a mini-Kip reunion with Aunt Carlotta and Aunt Stephanie and Grandpa Rolf, who came in together from New Jersey.

Sunday night was the Department of Musical Theatre reunion party, which didn’t end until about 3:00 Monday morning.

“We slept in Monday morning, until about noon,” Alex says. Then came a trip to the Radio City Christmas Special, featuring the Rockettes, and then another round of parties with his Michigan friends. Alex and Kate eventually wound up at open mic night at the Village Underground.

Alex had a chance to spend some time with his grandfather, Rolf Kip

“That was one of the highlights of the trip,” Alex says. “You put your name on the list, with the name of the song you’re going to sing and the band is incredible and knows every song.”

This too was a bit bittersweet, as Alex’s cancerous mass has wreaked havoc on his vocal chords – and singing voice.

Once again, the evening ended in the wee hours of the following morning.

“We had to wake up at 7 a.m. to get our plane, which is God-awful early when you were up until 3,” Alex says.

A few hours later, he was in Port Columbus Airport, walking by the James banner.

“It was an amazing trip, so exhilarating and I can’t believe it’s over already,” Alex says. “I got home and was so exhausted I pretty much passed out and slept.”

Click here to read Chapter 1 of Alex’s story.

Happy Holidays…

To All the Champion Caregivers Out There…

Stefanie Spielman's battle against cancer lives on more than a year after her death

One of the things I’ve learned through meeting and talking with Pelotonia riders is there are a lot of incredible and amazing caregivers out there … and all this support is a key component in the cancer battle of their loved ones.

Every year, five deserving cancer caregivers are honored with a Stefanie’s Champions Award – and I know there are hundreds of members of the Pelotonia community who would be worthy candidates.So, click here for more information on the award and how to nominate the caregiver in your life. The awards are bestowed by the Stefanie Spielman Fund for Breast Cancer Research, which raises money for research at Ohio State’s Comprehensive Cancer Center and The James.

You can also click here to read about a Pelotonia rider and volunteer who was one of the five recipients last year.

Alex Kip, Chapter 1: The Incredible Boringness of Three Days of Chemo

This is the first in an on-going series of posts that will follow Pelotonia rider Alex Kip as he battles cancer. Click here to read my initial profile of Alex, who is 23 and a Gahanna resident.

This is Alex's port

Chemotherapy is boring.

“I try and sleep as much as I can when I’m here,” says Alex, adding this is hard when the nurses at The James wake him every couple of hours to do what they need to do to help him fight the mass of Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma (Type B) cancer in his chest.

“I have a lot of little projects that I didn’t have time to do at home that I try and do now to keep me busy.”

As Alex talks, a bag of saline solution drips down through an IV line and into the port embedded in the right side of his chest. Later in the day, a nurse will attach bags of the powerful R-ICE chemotherapy cocktail to the IV pole and connect it to Alex’s port via the IV lines.

A port is exactly what the name suggests, a small device surgically implanted in the chest of chemo patients that allows easy access – a portal – into their bloodstream. It’s so much better than getting stuck over and over again, on every visit to the hospital, by a nurse trying to find and tap a vein. Some of his friends have decorated Alex’s IV pole with a long, thin strip of cloth with a pattern of musical notes on it.

Alex is in the midst of a 3-day stay at the James for his fourth and final R-ICE treatment – and his 10^th round of chemo in total. If all goes well, he’ll have a stem-cell transplant sometime in late January.

He’s wearing a sleeveless T-shirt that shows off his muscular physique, sweat pants and blue hospital socks, which are thick socks that have rows of plastic grippy stuff on the bottoms and sides.

Hospital gowns ... NO! Hospital socks ... YES!

“I hate hospital gowns,” Alex says. “They’re terrible, they make me feel sicker than I am.” But he does like the hospital socks, and has a stack of them at home.

Alex has a laptop and cell phone. What did cancer patients stuck in the hospital do before laptops and cell phones to keep their minds occupied? Television? Read a book?  Come on, that’s so 20^th Century … and Alex is so 21^st Century.

“I’m making a movie from the video I shot at the Ohio State/Michigan game; I watch movies on my laptop; I’m watching holiday movies right now. I just watched Home Alone and The Burbs.”

Alex made it all the way through Home Alone, which, in case you forgot, is a heartwarming Christmas classic about parental negligence. He fell asleep in the middle of The Burbs. He also listens to a lot of music, and has been trading CDs with some of his caregivers at The James.

“I love music,” says Alex, who graduated from the University of Michigan’s renowned Department of Musical Theatre in May 2010, just a month after he was diagnosed with cancer. Despite a large mass in his chest, the size of an 8 1/2 by 11 piece of paper and about an inch think, his only symptoms were a persistent cough, wheezing and changes to his voice that seriously affected his singing. This, by the way, was – and still is – a huge problem for Alex, who should be living in Manhattan right now and auditioning for parts in Broadway musicals. One of his Michigan friends, Darren Criss, recently “booked” a recurring role on the smash hit Glee.

“My reaction when I heard was, “Oh my God, that’s so amazing for Darren,’ but part of me wants to be out there.”

Nurse Susan Stevens makes sure everything is working the way it's supposed to be working

It seems Alex’s cancerous mass pushed against his vocal chords – and his voice is now a hoarse rasp. It sounds like it hurts to talk, but he says it doesn’t.

“Yes, I have cancer, but why take my voice away from me too?” Alex says in an ironical tone tinged with a touch of annoyance. “A lot of people with cancer don’t have vocal issues. God, that’s just rude.”

Not being able to sing – and the uncertainty about whether his voice will ever again be what it once was – has been the worst part of having cancer.

“There are times when I’ll hear a certain song and it will make me cry,” Alex says.

He was recently watching a holiday special and one of the musical guests was Rascal Flats, a group Alex knows but is hardly one of his favorites. They launched into an acapella version of I’ll be Home For Christmas – and the tears started flowing.

“It was so beautiful … and it made me think of my voice.”

This is Alex’s second series of chemo treatments. The first included six rounds of five-hour, out-patient treatments and was supposed to be enough to beat his cancer into submission. Everything seemed to be going according to plan, his cancerous mass was shrinking and the outlook was positive.

"Each new chemo treatment is scary," Alex said. "You don't know how you'll respond, but then you get used to it."

But then, on September 2, he got a call from his doctor, Pierluigi Percu.

“It was like, whoa, hold on, you’re not progressing as well as we’d like,” Alex says. “The size of my tumor was reduced a lot, but some of my counts were still up … and he said I needed the R-ICE treatments.” This was also when the possibility of a stem cell transplant was first discussed.

R-ICE is an acronym for the four drugs in this treatment: Rituximab, Ifosfamide, Carboplatin and Etoposide. Rituximab is the monoclonal antibody, a fairly new and sophisticated drug that recognizes and attaches itself to specific proteins found on the surface of cancer cells. The drug can then trigger the body’s own immune system to attack and often destroy cancerous cells.

The R-ICE drugs are powerful and can trigger adverse reactions and even allergic attacks, which is why Alex is required to stay in the hospital for the three-day cycle. The side effects include nausea, constipation and a lowered resistance to infection. Alex gets regular shots of an anti-nausea drug, but says his appetite isn’t what it should be and he’s worried about losing weight.

The need for R-ICE was a big setback for Alex.

“In my mind I was done with chemo – and now this. I was a mess the day I found out and then my girlfriend (Kate Harlow) called and said she had tickets for the Ohio State/Marshall game that night. At first I said there’s no way I’m going; I was too miserable. Then I thought, you know what, this is what cancer wants me to do, to be miserable and sulk and cry. And I’m not going to do that.”

These are some of the many cards Alex's friends have made for him

Alex went to the game and had a great time. It was just what he needed to pull him out of his funk. The mental battle is often as tough – or even more difficult – as the physical one for cancer patients.

“You can’t let yourself go there, but sometimes you do,” Alex says of negative thoughts.

Alex is handling his life-changing battle with cancer incredibly well. Sure, there are times when he goes there, but he quickly bounces back and regains his optimism and determination.

“Even when they first told me I had cancer there was never a thought in my mind that I would die, even before they told me it was curable,” he says, adding his cancer journey has changed his outlook on life. Before he was all about the fame – and landing starring roles on Broadway.

“It was all selfish, all about me,” he says. “Now, I want to sing in church and give back with my talents and hopefully I will.”

Alex is already working with the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society to reach out to and mentor teens battling cancer – and he has several ideas for musical shows that will feature survivors.

Visits by family and friends always brighten up the day – and Alex is fortunate to have a lot of visitors. His mom, Cindy, and a cousin stopped by last night – and they chatted and played cards for a couple of hours.

His dad shows up this afternoon with some packages, including an ornament from his sister, Liz, who is a student at the University of Kentucky, but will be coming home soon to cheer up her big brother (and visa versa).

Nick Kip is always good for a few laughs - and maybe even a song or two - when he visits his son

“It’s like mail call at Camp Dudley,” Nick Kip jokes as he delivers the mail, referring to the YMCA summer camp in upstate New York he and his each attended in their younger days. Nick then launches into the long and rather complicated Camp Dudley song – and Alex joins in…

Up on Lake Champlain there is a camp of wondrous fame.

It is noted for it’s boys, and also for it’s NOISE!

If you pass this way why don’t you stop and spend the day.

You will find that we’re the right kind way up on Old Champlain-ain-ain HEY!

Nick is the crew coach for Dennison University and has won several age-group indoor rowing championships. Let’s just say singing isn’t one of his specialties – and it’s hard to tell which voice is raspier.

“I didn’t get my musical abilities from him,” Alex says – and they both laugh.

Alex got out of The James on Friday. Soon, he’ll be back for a series of scans and tests that will determine if he’s ready for his stem cell transplant. But first, he’s off to New York to visit friends, see the sights and maybe even a take in a few shows.

Here We Go … Dates Set For Pelotonia 2011

Get ready to join the crowd and help us...

Mark your calendars, the dates are set for Pelotonia 2011: the opening ceremonies will be held on Friday, August 19, followed by the two days of riding on August 20 and 21.

Are you ready to pedal?

I have a feeling you are. In just two years, Pelotonia has become an indelible and important part of so many people’s lives, bringing together families, friends and coworkers, even complete strangers who quickly become friends. Together we ride bikes, volunteer and raise money to kick cancer’s butt. It’s amazing what a determined and motivated group of people can do.

Online rider registration will begin on 1/11/11 (Jan. 11, 2011).

...achieve this goal

Last year we numbered 4,047 riders and raised $7,846,705 (and a total of $12.4 million in two years) and every dollar went to fund cancer research at Ohio State University. We can crush both these figures in 2011 and soar past 5,000 riders and $10 million in donations.

Here are a few reminders why we ride and what Pelotonia has come to mean to so many…

As a survivor and someone who was laid up in the ICU during last year’s ride, this was a new beginning for me. From the Opening Ceremonies and Chris Spielman’s rousing speech to crossing the finish line, I was overwhelmed. My disease is so much bigger than what I’m going through. So many others are fighting a similar battle.

Matthew Hare, Pelotonia rider and cancer survivor

It was amazing to see all these people come together, 4,000 people and you could tell it was so personal for everyone.

James cancer patient and Pelotonia rider Alex Kip

I really feel this cause has brought my family closer together and I am so thankful. My grandparents sat in Athens starting at 11:30 with a cowbell cheering on all the riders, which was precious!  Next year my sister and husband are joining us and will be riding.

Pelotonia rider Kristin Gilligan

As I walked by fellow riders, we would often look each other in the eye and smile or nod.  There was an immediate, powerful connection that needed no words, simply because we had come together in the fight against cancer.

Kelsey Gray, Pelotonia rider, OSU student and recipient of a Pelotonia Fellowship

The Art of the Indoor Trainer

I just finished my first indoor/trainer workout of the year: 30 minutes at a fast pace with the trainer set on medium resistance.

Hopefully this won’t be my last indoor/trainer workout of the winter, but, if the past is any indication, it just might be. Riding the trainer is boring! The only place in our house where I can set it up is the basement, which is, well, a basement. The cat litter’s to my left (I should probably scoop it out before I start spinning), the furnace is to my right, directly ahead of me are several boxes that we’ve yet to open in the four years we’ve lived here. There are also at least 17 cobwebs in progress.

The living room, what with the TV right there, would be ideal, but let’s just say Susan isn’t so gung ho on the idea. I tried the “It will make an interesting topic of conversation when we have company,” argument, but she countered with the more persuasive: “No.”

If I’m going to stick to this, I need to improve my riding environment and make it more pleasant. In lieu of actually cleaning up the basement, which is just plain crazy, I think I’ll set up a TV with a DVD player up and watch episodes of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia and Flight of the Conchords. This should hopefully while away the hours. OK, maybe one hour.

Does anyone out there have any tips or suggestions on how to make the whole indoor training thing more palatable? If you do, feel free to share them with us.

Just because I’ve set up my trainer doesn’t mean I’m finished riding outdoors for the winter. But let’s face it, these recent sub-zero temperatures have sure put a damper on and limit the enjoyment of outdoor riding. This means it’s time for all of us to cross train, so we don’t get all sedentary and lethargic and lose all the fitness we gained training for Pelotonia and gain back all the pounds we lost training for Pelotonia. It’s an insidious cycle, isn’t it, and hard to break.

My cross-training regimen will – hopefully – include riding the indoor trainer to maintain some level of cycling fitness so I’m not starting from scratch in the spring; some weight lifting to build up my non-existent upper-body strength; and yoga to increase the flexibility that age seems to be slowly and cruelly stealing from me.

The State of Cancer at the James … And How You and Pelotonia are Helping

 

It’s easy to get excited when you listen to Mike Caligiuri talk about cancer, and, more specifically about how “we will create a cancer-free world, one person, one discovery at a time” and “we will do it in our lifetime.”

 

Mike delivered his annual State of the Cancer Program Address on Tuesday to a packed audience of more than 250 people. In a calm, but passionate voice, he explained the advances being made in the fight against cancer and how the Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center (CCC) – Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute is leading the way, with the help of Pelotonia.

Mike is the director of the CCC and CEO of the James – and the one who came up with the idea for Pelotonia. “It’s incredibly important,” he said of the $12.4 million raised by Pelotonia in just two years.

 

Cancer treatment is evolving at a quick pace. For years, doctors cut out cancerous growths and tumors and then treated patients with powerful does of radiation and chemotherapy drugs, which killed cancer cells – and also healthy cells. It has worked well, and the survival rate has gone up dramatically. According to the American Cancer Society, about 1 in 2 people diagnosed with cancer in the 1970s survived at least 5 years. Now, more than 2 of 3 survive this long and there are more than 11 million cancer survivors in the United States.

 

In recent years, scientists have come up with amazing new ways to battle cancer – and the CCC and James are at the forefront of this research. “There is an explosion of exciting research coming out of OSU,” Mike said.

 

This research is complicated and hard to explain, but here goes: Instead of only being able to cut out and zap cancer cells into submission, scientists are devising ways to prevent, detect and attack cancer cells at the genetic and molecular levels. Vaccines are being developed that can prevent certain types of cancer, drugs are being developed that can find and attach themselves to individual cancer cells and ultimately destroy the cancer cells without destroying the healthy surrounding cells.

 

For example, OSU and John Byrd recently received an $11.5 million Specialized Program of Research Excellence (SPORE) grant from the National Cancer Institute for leukemia research. “Leukemia cells maintain a vicious cycle of growth and this (research) will design drugs to target that growth,” Mike said.

 

OSU is also starting clinical trials of a drug – AR-12 – developed by Ching-Shih Chen that has shown a great deal of promise in tricking cancer cells into self destruction.

 

Over the next five years at the CCC and James, Mike said, the focus will be on studying the molecular basis of cancer, creating reagents (treatments) to prevent and cure certain types of cancer, and devising improved methods of prevention and detection.

 

“We will be able to determine what cancers a person is susceptible to and what to do to prevent them. And with improved imaging we will be able to detect cancer at the microscopic level and take it out without surgery.”

 

But all this research takes money. Lots and lots of money.

Mike is a scientist ... and a rider

OSU received $57 million for research from the National Cancer Institute in 2010, which ranks it 14^th nationally. The goal is to crack the top 10 – and get there quickly.

 

“But government funding is flat,” Mikee said, adding this necessitates the need for alternative means to raise money. Such as Pelotonia.

 

Already, the money you helped raise for Pelotonia has paid for 64 student fellowships that are bringing the best and the brightest into the field of cancer research. Pelotonia has also funded 10 idea grants, which give prominent OSU scientists the seed money they need to get promising new ideas up and running.

 

“The NCI won’t fund an idea,” Mike explained. “You need data, and these idea grants will fuel this data and will lead to the bigger, multi-million grants (from the NCI).”

 

We – the Pelotonia community – are partners in al this incredible work, Mike said, and the continued success and growth of our ride will fuel more and more research and save more and more lives.

 

“We have to stay with this, we have to keep going and we will continue until cancer is gone,” Mike said.