Cancer

A Breast Self-Exam May Have Saved This Woman’s Life

Angel McVay was a busy wife, mother, business owner, photographer, and yoga instructor. Luckily, she took time for a breast self-exam and went to a UAMS Neighborhood Clinic immediately after noticing a suspicious lump. She was referred to the Breast Center at UAMS for a mammogram the following day, and then a biopsy, which showed she had invasive ductal carcinoma.

Further testing showed she has the BRCA2 mutation and the cancer had spread to her lymph nodes and her spine and pelvis. As a healthy 32-year-old, she was a good candidate for aggressive treatment that included four months of chemotherapy, surgery and radiation.

Eight months after her diagnosis, her scans were clear. Angel’s grandmother is a 35-year breast cancer survivor. With the advancements in treatment being made now, Angel is planning to be at least a 75-year survivor.

“Dr. Makhoul was there every step of the way, and the entire medical team at UAMS was incredibly kind and helpful. Having experienced the advanced care available today, thanks in part to participants in the Race for the Cure, I believe we can have both quality of life and quantity.”
Angel McVay, Little Rock

We Had Work to Do

When Northwest Arkansas businessman Cameron Smith was diagnosed with base of tongue cancer, he didn’t waste any time. “We had work to do,” he said. The first order of business included consulting UAMS’ renowned head and neck surgeon James Y. Suen, M.D.

Led by Dr. Suen, a team of physicians immediately began a rigorous treatment regimen that included a research clinical trial to reduce the side effects of radiation therapy. Now, almost five years later, Cameron appreciates life like never before and is proud to spread the word about UAMS as a board member of its Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute.

“My experience at the UAMS Cancer Institute is unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. Everything went like clockwork. I want everyone to know we have world-class cancer treatment right here in Arkansas. These folks are the real deal.”
Cameron Smith, Rogers

Healing Laughter

Inez Stone believes that the healing power of laughter works hand in hand with the healing power of medicine.

Walking through Infusion Clinic 1 with a warm smile and a book full of inspirational and funny stories, Stone, a volunteer at the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS), is determined to tickle as many funny bones as possible.

“Some say laughter is the best medicine, and I couldn’t agree more,” Stone said.

Her mission began when her sister, Sandy, was diagnosed with breast cancer. Stone thought it would be good to read funny stories during her treatment sessions in Searcy to help keep her spirits up.
“I found the book, “Help, I Can’t Stop Laughing!” and started to read to her as she received her treatment. We began to laugh so much that I thought we were disturbing the other patients.”

Stone asked her sister’s nurse if their laughter was disruptive and to her surprise the nurse said the complete opposite. The other patients were listening and laughing at the stories being told, and she encouraged Stone to continue reading. “That first day I read for seven hours, and we all laughed and talked the entire time,” said Stone.

After that first time, Stone knew she wanted to continue but needed to find a place closer to home. “My sister received treatment outside of Little Rock, and I knew I couldn’t commute that far every day. I contacted the volunteer office at the Cancer Institute to see if they had a reading program,” said Stone. “They didn’t, but encouraged me to start one, so here we are.”

The patients are very receptive to the program, Stone said. “Some of the men will actually tell me jokes back and the women like to talk about their families. I really get a chance to bond with the patients, and I am happy to listen.”

In addition to laughing, Stone’s visits with patients give them the opportunity to speak to her about their treatment and care in the clinics. “The patients tell me about the excellent care they receive here, and I like to pass those kind words on to the nurses and staff.”

“Inez measures the success of the program by the smiles left on patients’ faces,” said Janie Lowe, director of the Cancer Institute Department of Volunteer Services. “She picks up on the needs of each patient and knows when to read a funny story or when to just sit and visit.”

Stone is looking forward to expanding the reading program into other parts of the Cancer Institute. In the near future, the program will move to include Infusion Clinic 4. “Inez has recruited members of her Sunday school class as well as others to join in making sure the program is a continued success,” Lowe said.

“I think we need a program like this in every hospital and long-term care facility,” Stone said. “We are able to bring a little joy and happiness into the lives of the patients during the time we sit and read to them, and that is a wonderful feeling.”

Beating Colon Cancer

Former Arkansas Senator Paul Miller of Melbourne is not your average senior citizen. At age 79, the retired auto dealer, realtor, farmer and coach was in great shape and still running four miles regularly. His diabetes was well-managed, and he had no complaints about his health. Then, about a year ago, he started having severe stomach pains. His local doctor ordered a colonoscopy, which indicated there may be cancer.

Miller was then referred to Dr. Jason Mizell, a surgeon at UAMS. Mizell performed surgery to remove the cancerous portion of Miller’s colon and reconnect it, and Miller was back home after a three-day hospital stay. Because the cancer was caught early, he didn’t need chemotherapy or radiation.

“Because I was in good health, I didn’t really think about getting a colonoscopy. I’m glad I did, and I encourage everyone else to have this procedure. If they find something, go to Dr. Mizell and UAMS.”
– Paul Miller, Melbourn

The Fight of Her Life Against Breast Cancer

When first diagnosed, Stacy said, “I knew that I was in for the fight of my life.” For her fight with breast cancer, Stacy Sells chose the UAMS Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute. Her treatment included chemotherapy followed by a double mastectomy, radiation and reconstructive surgery.

“One of the things that really made my experience at UAMS incredibly comforting was when I found out that I didn’t just have an oncologist, but I had an entire team of 5 brilliant doctors.”

Watch this video on YouTube

Breast Cancer Patient First for UAMS Lymphedema Surgery

Valerie Davis (left), with UAMS surgeon Mauricio Moreno, M.D., is the first in Arkansas and among the first in the country to benefit from surgery for lymphedema (arm swelling).

The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) is the first in Arkansas and one of a handful of medical centers in the country offering a new surgical alternative to treat lymphedema, the chronic arm swelling frequently associated with breast cancer treatment.

The unique microvascular procedure at UAMS is performed by Mauricio Moreno, M.D., who learned the new surgery during his advanced training in microvascular reconstructive surgery prior to joining UAMS in 2009.

The surgery is the only permanent, effective treatment for lymphedema, which is caused by damaged lymph nodes that can no longer cycle excess fluid out of the arms and legs. In the United States the condition usually is a side effect of mastectomy or radiation therapy that compromises the lymphatic system. The result is swelling, numbness, discomfort and a high risk of infection.

Valerie Davis, of Smackover, the first lymphedema patient to have the surgery at UAMS, said the swelling from her mastectomy four years ago was disabling because it restricted the use of her left arm.

“The swelling was outrageous, even when I wore the compression sleeve,” Davis said. “It was really aggravating; I couldn’t lift things like I wanted to.”

Patients with lymphedema commonly see about a 20-40 percent reduction in swelling using massage and compression therapy, the traditional treatment for lymphedema. Such therapy involves extensive massaging to push the fluid from the extremities back to the torso. It is a temporary solution that has to be performed regularly because lymphedema does not improve over time – it only gets worse.

Davis said she tried the traditional treatments, which helped some but were a big inconvenience. When she heard about the new procedure, Davis said, she couldn’t pass up the chance it would bring relief.

“Dr. Moreno told me it had a 70 percent chance of working, so I took the 70 percent,” she said, adding that she’s happy she took those odds.

Davis saw an 81-percent reduction in her arm swelling within a month from the procedure.
“It was worth it,” she said. “I’m doing so much better now, and Dr. Moreno said the swelling would likely continue to go down.”

Lymphedema surgery involves connecting tiny lymphatic vessels to tiny blood vessels (less than 1 millimeter), giving the excess fluid a new pathway out of the arms or legs. The surgery was developed in Japan in 2003, and Moreno learned it from a surgeon who brought it to the United States from Japan.

Because the surgery is so new in the United States, its cost is not covered by insurance, Moreno said.

“I believe that over time, surgery will prove to be an excellent treatment alternative because it’s a permanent solution, low risk, and patients don’t have to maintain the frequent, very intensive physical therapies for the rest of their lives,” Moreno said.

He recently was awarded a $25,000 research grant that will go toward the surgical treatment of lymphedema.

The surgery is more challenging than routine microsurgery, he said. Traditional microsurgery involves vessels that range from 1 to 4 millimeters in diameter, while the vessels involved in lymphedema surgery are between 0.3 and 0.8 millimeters.

Moreno’s primary clinical duties at UAMS are as a head and neck cancer and reconstructive surgeon. His advanced training also includes surgical endocrinology and head and neck surgical oncology.

Moreno explained that in lymphedema’s early stages, the excess fluid remains liquid, but in its latter stages there is development of fibrous tissue, making any treatment much less effective.

The idea for offering the lymphedema surgery at UAMS came during a conversation between Moreno and breast oncologist Suzanne Klimberg, M.D.

Klimberg is internationally known for pioneering advances in breast cancer surgery that spares disruption to the lymph nodes.

UAMS is the state’s only comprehensive academic health center, with colleges of Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, Health Related Professions and Public Health; a graduate school; a hospital; a statewide network of regional centers; and seven institutes: the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute, the Jackson T. Stephens Spine & Neurosciences Institute, the Myeloma Institute for Research and Therapy, the Harvey & Bernice Jones Eye Institute, the Psychiatric Research Institute, the Donald W. Reynolds Institute on Aging and the Translational Research Institute.

Named best Little Rock metropolitan area hospital by U.S. News & World Report, it is the only adult Level 1 trauma center in the state. UAMS has more than 2,800 students and 775 medical residents. It is the state’s largest public employer with more than 10,000 employees, including about 1,000 physicians who provide medical care to patients at UAMS, Arkansas Children’s Hospital, the VA Medical Center and UAMS’ Area Health Education Centers throughout the state. Visit www.uams.edu or uamshealth.com.