1802 Sixth Avenue South
North Pavillion 2555
Birmingham, AL 35294-3300
205-975-8222
800-UAB-0933 (800-822-0933)
http://www.ccc.uab.edu

Summary

The division of hematology/oncology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Comprehensive Cancer Center is active with research, clinical trials, and up-to-date treatments and procedures, but does not have a large broad department devoted to myeloma. As per U.S. News, it has been rated the 23^rd best of the nearly thousands of the nation’s cancer centers.

Patients can be seen and treated at the UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center itself or be treated as an outpatient at the Kirklin Clinic, a site dedicated to mainly administering treatments to patients with blood-related or malignant diseases.

As a center for patients with myeloma, the UAB cancer center has both its pros and cons. The pros are that the center is very research-oriented and regularly conducts clinical trials, they offer a variety of options for treatment at the Kirklin Clinic, it is up to date with technology in tests and procedures, and it has received great acclaim for its status as a high quality research and clinical care facility. The cons consist mainly in the fact that the UAB is cancer center a large center with a limited number of doctors and resources devoted towards myeloma.

Some of its most recent achievements include the 2009 Fellow Award given to Dr. Vishnu Prakash Ramani for “Heparanase Inhibitor as Anti-Metastic Therapy for Myeloma.” The UAB was named one of the first 11 comprehensive cancer centers and continues, after 35 years, to be highly regarded as the only comprehensive center in Alabama and within a five-state region.

Doctors

The following doctors at the center specialize in Hematology/Oncology- Leukemia/Lymphoma/Myeloma. They include medical doctors, scientists/researchers, and physician scientists.

Khaleel Ashraf, M.D.
Phone number: (205) 975-8816
Associate Scientist in the Comprehensive Cancer Center, and Assistant Professor of Medicine, Division of Hematology-Oncology, Bone Marrow Transplantation Program. Dr. Ashraf’s specialties are hematology, oncology, and internal medicine.
Dr. Ashraf is Board Certified in Internal Medicine, Hematology and Medical Oncology. He is also certified in bone marrow transplantation by the Foundation for the Accreditation of Cellular Therapy.
Research interests: Dr. Ashraf is currently working on finding ways of improving stem cell transplant outcomes and performing a data analysis in regards to stem cell transplantation and donor relapse rates, immune reconstitution, chimerism, and overall survival.

Randall Davis, M.D.
Phone number: (205) 934-9999
Dr. Davis is certified by the American  Board of Internal Medicine for Hematology. His specialty is hematology/oncology. Diseases he has treated and his clinical interests include chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and other lymphoproliferatve disorders, including myeloma.

Weei-Chin Lin, M.D., Ph.D.
Phone number: (205) 934-9999
Dr. Lin’s specialty is hematology/oncology and he is certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine for Hematology and Oncology. His specialties and clinical interests include benign and malignant hematology.

Diego de Idiaquez, M.D.
Phone number: (205) 996-6074
Dr. Idiaquez’s specialty is hematology/oncology, specifically myeloma.

Andres Forero, M.D.
Phone number: (205) 934-9999
Dr. Forero’s specialty is hematology/oncology and he is certified for both from the American Board of Hematology and Clinical Oncology, the American Board of Internal Medicine, and the ECFMG. His specialties and clinical interests include lymphomas, radioimmunotherapy and targeted immunotherapy.

Mortality and Success Rate*

Mortality index: 0.72/1.00
The mortality index compares actual to expected numbers of Medicare inpatient deaths within 30 days after admission. Anything lower than 1.00 is better than expected and higher than 1.00 is worse than expected.

Patient safety index: 1/5
The patient safety index is based on the success of the center’s minimization of patient injuries and deaths from avoidable accidents and poor medical care. Higher is better.

Reputation and Efficiency

Reputation*: 2.8%
Percentage of cancer specialists responding to U.S. News surveys in 2007, 2008, and 2009 who recommended the hospital for challenging cases and procedures.

Number of Patients Treated/Discharged*: 1,721
All Medicare inpatients who received defined kinds of medical or surgical care between 2005-2007.

Tests

• Image-guided radiation therapy
• PET/CT scanner

Treatments/Procedures Offered

• Medication therapy
• Fracture treatment
• Radiation therapy
• Chemotherapy
• Stereotactic radiosurgery
• Robotic surgery
• Shaped beam radiation
• Alpha interferon – a biological response modifier (a substance that stimulates or improves the ability of the body’s immune system to fight disease) that interferes with the division of cancer cells, therefore slowing tumor growth. (Interferons are substances normally produced by the body but can be produced in the laboratory.)
• Bone marrow transplantation or stem cell transplantation

Patient Services Offered

• Genetic testing/counseling
• Hospice
• Pain management program, including patient-controlled pain management
• Palliative care
• Translators
• Infection isolation room
• Wound-management services

Patient/Doctor Testimonies

To be updated.

Current Research/Clinical Trials

The following clinical trials are currently being conducted under study coordinator, Amy Valdmanis.

Protocol #: UAB 0823
A Phase 1 Safety Study of LY2127399 in Combination with Velcade (bortezomib) in Patients with Relapsed or Refractory Multiple Myeloma (NCT00689507)

Protocol #: UAB 0845
A Phase 3, Randomized, Open-Label, 3-Arm Study to Determine the Efficacy and Safety of Revlimid (lenalidomide) Plus Low-Dose Dexamethasone (Decadron) When Given Until Progressive Disease or for 18 Four-Week Cycles Versus the Combination of Melphalan (Alkeran), Prednisone, and Thalidomide (Thalomid) Given for 12 Six-Week Cycles in Patients with Previously Untreated Multiple Myeloma Who Are Either 65 Years of Age or Older or Not Candidates for Stem Cell Transplantation (NCT00689936)

(For more information, call Alma DelGrosso, RN, OCN at 205-934-0337 or the Clinical Studies Unit at 205-934-0309)

* These statistics and figures are from U.S. News Health. For more on these figures or how they are determined, please visit the U.S. News and World Report UAB page.