One of my goals two years ago when I became the Director of the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center was to have us all do a better job of connecting with patients, family members, the general public and each other. Everyone involved with cancer has a story, and sometimes sharing and understanding these stories can aid in our approach to this disease that affects so many. Therefore, I feel extremely proud and fortunate to present this first issue of Momentum, an enhanced means of communicating by Vanderbilt-Ingram.
Cancer, we know, strikes from many directions. It forces people like celebrity NASCAR driver Bobby Hamilton Jr. off the road for an extended period of time in order to face a new and more frightening adversary. In this issue, he discusses his personal battles since being diagnosed with and treated for head and neck cancer.
College student Jarrett Stein probably never thought he'd have so much in common with a racecar driver. Diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma when he was a 15-year-old happy-go-lucky, typical teenager, Jarrett shares not only his experience as a patient, but as a survivor.
Last year, for the first time, the number of cancer deaths in the U.S. declined. Now that we are gaining momentum against the disease, we at Vanderbilt-Ingram have recognized the crucial role that survivorship plays, and we are devoting new efforts toward the issues surrounding survivorship.
In addition to connecting with these patients and with those who have shared their stories in "Living with Cancer: A Roadmap for the Future," we also want our readers to get an inside look at the people who work behind the scenes at the Cancer Center — people like researcher Kim Johnson, whose expertise in tissue culture provides a critical link in the discovery and treatment chain.
We'd like to offer a glimpse into the broader picture of life beyond the walls of Vanderbilt-Ingram. Momentum editor Heather Hall has interviewed various women physician/scientists, who give unique and candid perspectives on what it means to be female and at the top of their fields in a historically male-dominated profession.
And Elizabeth Older examines the impending challenges faced by physicians and scientists as a burgeoning population of baby boomers enters the age range that puts them at an increased risk to develop cancer, and yet federal funding for cancer research is on the decline.
All of these stories, we hope, will spawn cross-communication between those of us at the Vanderbilt- Ingram Cancer Center and those we intend to serve. Defeating cancer will never be a one-horse show. It will always require the sharing of hearts and minds and resources. Please let us know what you think about our attempts to reach you in this way. Welcome to Momentum.
Click here to read Dr. DuBois' bio.
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