Anschutz Cancer Pavillion
Box F-704
1665 North Ursula Street
Aurora, CO 80010
720-848-0300
800-473-2288 (cancer referral line)
http://www.uccc.info

Summary

The University of Colorado (UC) Comprehensive Cancer Center located in Aurora, Colorado has been designated as a comprehensive cancer center by the National Cancer Institute and is the only one in the Rocky Mountain region. Until 2007, the UC Cancer Center was ranked as the 35^th best cancer center by U.S. News. Currently, the center is not ranked.

While there is a great amount of concentration on cancer treatment and research, the amount of doctors and resources solely dedicated to myeloma are somewhat limited. There is no designated department for myeloma doctors. The cancer center is currently participating in one clinical trial for multiple myeloma. While the number of patients treated/discharged is low for a comprehensive cancer center, the mortality rate is in turn, fairly high.

The center offers a great variety of tests, such as FISH test, PET scan, and bone marrow aspiration, and treatments, such as stem cell and bone marrow transplantation and TomoTherapy. In addition, the center incorporates alternative treatment options for patients through the Center for Integrative Medicine.

UC’s TomoTherapy Cancer Treatment Facility opened in August 2009 and makes use of up-to-date technology such as the advanced TomoTherapy Hi-Art system, a CT scanning and radiation device that moves around the patient as it scans.

The UC Cancer Center was accredited as a bone marrow transplant center by the Foundation for Accreditation of Cellular Therapy. Five oncologists (out of 12 in the whole center) listed below have been recognized by 5280 Magazine as top doctors at cancer centers in 2008.

Doctors

The following doctor specializes in hematology and is part of the cancer center. She is also part of the TomoTherapy cancer treatment facility.

Kathryn Hassell, M.D.
Title: Associate Professor
Specialty: Hematology/Oncology
Awards: 1986 Alpha Omega Alpha
Interests: Coagulation disorders
Recognized as one of 5280 Magazine’s 2008 Top Doctors at UC Cancer Center

The following doctors specialize in radiation oncology and are part of the cancer center. They are also all part of the TomoTherapy cancer treatment facility.

Changhu Chen, M.D.
Title: Associate Professor
Specialty: Radiation Oncology

Laurie E. Gaspar, M.D.
Title: Professor
Specialty: Radiation Oncology

Brian Kavanagh, M.D.
Title: Associate Professor
Specialty: Radiation Oncology
Interests: investigations of the clinical and biological effects of stereotactic body   radiation therapy
Contact: (720)848-0156
Email: Brian.Kavanagh@uchsc.edu

Arthur K. Liu, M.D.
Title: Assistant Professor
Specialty: Radiation Oncology

David Raben, M.D.
Title: Associate Professor
Specialty: Radiation Oncology
Interests: Worked primarily on new drugs that interfere with specific parts of the cancer    cell signaling process
Recognized as one of 5280 Magazine’s 2008 Top Doctors at UC Cancer Center
Contact: (720)848-0116
Email: David.Raben@uchsc.edu

Rachel A. Rabinovitch, M.D.
Title: Associate Professor
Specialty: Radiation Oncology
Recognized as one of 5280 Magazine’s 2008 Top Doctors at UC Cancer Center

Tracey E. Schefter, M.D.
Title: Associate Professor
Specialty: Radiation Oncology

David Raben, M.D.
Title: Professor
Specialty: Radiation Oncology
Recognized as one of 5280 Magazine’s 2008 Top Doctors at UC Cancer Center

Mortality and Safety Indices*

Mortality index: 0.84/1.00
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 passed 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*: 1.6%
Percentage of cancer specialists responding to U.S. News surveys between 2007-2009 who recommended the hospital for challenging cases and procedures.

Number of Patients Treated/Discharged*: 707
All Medicare inpatients who received defined kinds of medical or surgical care between 2005-2007.

Tests Offered

At the UOC Cancer Center, they use Staging and Detection tests. These are basically tests that include different types of scans and different ways to take tissue samples to look for tumor cells (biopsy tests). The following are tests that may be used on a patient:

• Blood test
• Biopsy
• CT Scan
• Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)
• Positron Emission Tomography (PET) Scan
• Cytogenetic analysis – examines chromosomes of cells to give doctors information on how to treat patients
• FISH test – Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) is a test used to check for chromosome abnormalities
• Immunophenotyping – finds out if the patient’s lymphocytic Myeloma cells are B cells or T cells
• Bone Marrow Aspiration – involves taking a sample of fluid and cells from the marrow through a special needle. The sample is often taken from a patient’s hip bone.
• Bone Marrow Biopsy –done by removing a very small amount of bone filled with marrow cells. The sample is often taken from the patient’s hip bone.

Treatment/Procedures Offered

• Chemotherapy and other anti-cancer drug based treatments
• Bone Marrow Transplantation
• Allogeneic stem cell transplantation- donor’s stem cells are used
• Autologous stem cell infusion- patient’s own stem cells are taken when in remission and then used
• Platelet transfusion
• TomoTherapy treatment
• Biophosphonates – drugs that help in limiting bone loss and fractures
• Biologic therapy (biotherapy or immunotherapy) – Substances made by the body’s immune system or made in a laboratory are used to boost, direct or restore the body’s natural defenses against cancer. (used in clinical trials)

Patient Services Offered

• Genetic testing/counseling
• Hospice
• Pain-management program
• Palliative care
• Patient-controlled analgesia
• Translators
• Infection isolation room
• Wound-management services

Center for Integrative Medicine- allows patients to also use complementary and alternative medicine therapies along with regular treatment.

Patient/Doctor Testimonies

To be updated.

Current Research/Clinical Trials

The following clinical trial is available for myeloma:

Randomized Phase 3 Trial of Revlimid (lenalidomide)  and low dose dexamethasone (Decadron) versus Velcade (bortezomib), Revlimid (lenalidomide) and low dose dexamethasone (Decadron) for induction, in patients with previously untreated multiple myeloma without an intent for immediate autologous stem cell transplant (NCT00644228)

Primary Contact: Colleen Kellackey
Phone:(720)848-1246
Email: COLLEEN.KELLACKEY@UCDENVER.EDU

For more information on this clinical trial, please visit the UC Cancer Center Clinical Trials Web site.

*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 UC Cancer Center Page.

Updated November 12, 2009