LEXINGTON, Ky. (May 30, 2013) — As she grows older, young cancer survivor Ava May might not remember all the obstacles she overcame in the first few years of her life, but through a special project developed by her mother, Allison, she'll one day be able to understand how far she's come.

In 2011, then three-year-old Ava was diagnosed with a rare form of kidney cancer called a Wilms' tumor. Only about 500 children each year are diagnosed with the disease, and most are very young, like Ava.

After conferring with doctors at Kentucky Children's Hospital and a Wilms' tumor specialist from Washington, D.C., Ava underwent surgery to remove the tumor -- weighing in at five pounds -- and completed 21 weeks of outpatient chemotherapy.

During this time, Allison — a professional photographer here in Lexington — came up with an idea to document their experiences: a photo archive of Ava's journey through treatment. Allison enlisted the help of fellow photographer and friend Cara Dee Cecil and their work began.

"I thought it would be a good way to step back from things," Allison said. "And create an archive of what happened for Ava to see when she's older."

The journey lasted longer than the Mays expected. After completing her outpatient chemotherapy, Ava experienced an immediate metastatic relapse, meaning the cancer had spread to her lungs. More surgery followed — a wedge resection on both lungs — followed by seven months of inpatient chemotherapy and radiation.

Allison and Cara's photo archive spans more than two years of Ava's progress, from the lows — Ava losing her hair and enduring chemotherapy in her hospital bed — to the highs — Ava taking her 'victory lap' around the floor of Kentucky Children's Hospital after she was declared cancer-free in May 2012.

To celebrate her one-year anniversary of beating cancer, Allison and Cara put together a special art exhibition featuring Ava's journey. "Ava Lucille: The Archive" will be unveiled from 7 to 10 p.m., Friday, May 31, at Bellini's Ballroom on 115 West Main St. The event will also feature live music and a silent auction. A suggested $10 donation will be accepted at the door, with proceeds benefiting Kentucky families affected by pediatric cancer. 

MEDIA CONTACT: Allison Perry, (859) 323-2399 or allison.perry@uky.edu

LEXINGTON, Ky. (May 15, 2013) — UK HealthCare will present its fifth annual "Women, It’s About You" conference Saturday, June 1, 2013, from 7 a.m. to 2:15 p.m. at Embassy Suites in Lexington.

The conference is designed to educate women with the most up-to-date health care information in a fun, relaxed setting. This year's conference will feature 15 presentations on the following women's health topics. Participants may attend any three presentations of their choice.

· Menopause, presented by Dr. Kathy Dillon

· Memory and aging, presented by Dr. Gregory Jicha

· Women's heart health, presented by Dr. Susan Smyth

· Eye health, presented by Dr. Eric Higgins

· Physical fitness, presented by Richard Watson

· Gynecologic cancer, presented by Dr. Lauren Baldwin

· Financial abuse of women, presented by Susan Lawrence

· Weight loss, presented by Dr. Stephanie Rose

· Skin care and cosmetic procedures, presented by Dr. Amit Patel

· Stroke, presented by Lisa Bellamy

· Diabetes, presented by Sheri Legg and Beth Holden

· Nutrition, presented by Rachel Miller

· Mammography, presented by Dr. Margaret Szabunio

· Pelvic Prolapse, presented by Drs. Rudy Tovar and Mark Hoffman

Participants will have the opportunity to participate in a variety of health screenings, including blood pressure and stroke risk assessment, visual acuity, facial skin analysis, and more. The event also includes a continental breakfast, a delicious luncheon with entertainment, giveaways and an exhibitor fair featuring a variety of products and services for women from businesses and organizations throughout Central Kentucky.

The cost for this event is $10 and the deadline to register is Friday, May 17. Register online today.

LEXINGTON, Ky. (May 10, 2013) — The University of Kentucky Markey Cancer Center's Blood and Marrow Transplant Program was recently granted reaacreditation from the Foundation for the Accreditation of Cellular Therapy (FACT).

The BMT Program was accredited for adult allogenieic and autologous, hemtaopoietic progenitor cell transplantation, marrow and peripheral blood cellular therapy product collection, and cellular therapy product processing. The accreditation runs through 2015.

"Achieving FACT accreditation requires the hard work and dedication of all members of the BMT team, including the outpatient clinic, chemo infusion, apheresis, central ambulatory surgery, stem cell processing laboratory, ICU, radiation oncology, and Markey BMT inpatient providers," said Dr. Dianna Howard, hematologist for the UK Markey Cancer Center. "The expert contributions of each member of the team on a daily basis establishes the high quality of care required to maintain this prestigious accreditation."

FACT is the only accrediting organization that addresses all quality aspects of cellular therapy treatments: clinical care, donor management, cell collection, cell processing, cell storage and banking, cell transportation, cell administration, cell selection, and cell release. FACT accreditation is also a factor in the ranking of "America's Best Hospitals," published by U.S. News and World Report. In 2012, UK Albert B. Chandler Hospital was named the No. 1 hospital in the state of Kentucky and earned a 'high performing' designation in 10 speciality areas, including cancer treatment.  

LEXINGTON, Ky. (May 7, 2013) - The following column appeared in the Lexington Herald-Leader on Sunday, May 5.

By Dr. Patrick O'Donnell

There are two types of bone cancers. Primary bone cancers (sarcomas) are the rarest type of human cancer and probably affect fewer than 100 Kentuckians per year. Metastatic cancer which spreads to the bone is much more common, and often originates in the prostate, breast, thyroid, kidney or lung.

Bones have a complex network of cellular types, so primary bone cancer can develop in cells designed to make bone itself (osteosarcoma), cartilage (chondrosarcoma), fibrous tissue (spindle cell sarcoma of bone), or the marrow elements (multiple myeloma). There are also other types of tumors which occur in bone which we haven’t fully characterized, such as Ewing’s sarcoma of bone.

How does bone cancer develop?

Any bone in the body can develop a cancer, but bones that grow the fastest (like the knee and the shoulder) have a higher risk for cancer. Additionally, specific types of bone cancer are common in certain areas. For example, Ewing’s sarcoma of bone tends to occur in the flat bones of the pelvis, shoulder girdle, and spine, while osteosarcoma and chondrosarcoma typically occur in the limbs.

There are some genetic syndromes that predispose patients to develop certain types of bone cancer, but most cases are sporadic. There is no association between bone cancer and lifestyle or environmental factors. Most cases of bone cancer are just genetic bad luck.

How is bone cancer treated?

The two types of bone cancer are treated differently. For primary bone cancers that haven’t metastasized, we have an opportunity to cure the patient with appropriate care.

Treatment for primary bone cancers typically involve a combination of chemotherapy and surgery. These are the rarest and most aggressive types of human cancer, and surgery to remove them is carefully planned.

Think of the cancer like the fruit of an orange — these cancers are so aggressive, they have to be removed with a “rind” of normal tissue completely surrounding the tumor so that the cancer doesn’t see the light of day during surgical excision.

These surgeries are difficult due to the complex anatomy of the skeletal system — the location of the cancer can mean that you are only millimeters away from major blood vessels or nerves that serve other areas of the body.

Twenty years ago, bone cancer was treated with amputation more than 90 percent of the time.

Today, with advanced surgical techniques, limb-salvage surgery is the treatment of choice. After removing a section of bone from the body, we have developed internal prosthetic devices which can restore function for children, young adults and adults who have been afflicted with bone cancer. These truly “robotic” internal prostheses can restore leg length, gait, and can even grow with a growing child.

When a cancer spreads to the bone from another organ, however, the ability to “cure” that cancer decreases drastically. As such, treatment of metastatic cancer to bone typically involves improving the quality of life by decreasing pain and improving patient function.

Dr. Patrick O’Donnell is an orthopaedic oncologist for UK HealthCare.

LEXINGTON, Ky. (May 3, 2013) — The University of Kentucky College of Medicine will host Dr. Lazslo Tabar as the Bluegrass Visiting Professor for the Department of Radiology. Tabar is a world-renowned pioneer in mammography and breast cancer screening and Project Leader of the landmark Randomized Controlled Breast Cancer Screening Project.

The Department of Radiology Bluegrass Visiting Professor Series brings to UK world-class medical imaging educators to share their expertise with trainees and faculty. On Monday, May 6, from 5:10 to 6:10 p.m., Tabar is giving a keynote lecture titled, "A New Era in the Diagnosis and Treatment of Breast Cancer: What Fuels the Anti-Screening Propaganda?" The lecture will take place in HX303 Pavilion H in UK Chandler Hospital. UK HealthCare physicians can receive continuing education credits.  

A gifted educator as well as researcher, Tabar has mentored radiologists, surgeons, and pathologists throughout the world in the multidisciplinary management of breast cancer.  Among his many honors, Tabar has received the Gold Medal from the Society of Breast Imaging, the National Consortium of Breast Care Centers’ Lifetime Achievement Award, and the first Alexander Margulis Award for Scientific Excellence from the Radiological Society of North America in 2012.  He is the author or co-author of six books and 149 peer-reviewed articles on breast cancer.