A treatment center that is just like home, research going into clinical trials and a tornado! The OMRF and Stephenson Cancer Center certainly went all out for our visit!
Beth and I have been in awe of each facility we have visited … just as Lisa and I were in awe the week before. Each has offered something new and different. Just when we think we’ve seen it all, we’re surprised anew!
Our day began with a tour of the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation’s laboratory where METAvivor 2011 grant recipient, Alana Welm and 2013 grant recipient, David Lum, spend their days working together to develop personalized treatments for patients. Spacious, with outdoor lighting streaming in and shelving with no backing so that you can see across to fellow researchers on the other side, it was clearly conducive to collaborative work. Dr. Welm showed us their patient-derived zenographs (PDXs) – tiny slices of human tumors that were grown in mice and then harvested for experimentation. We learned that each tiny piece could be sliced into yet another 100 slices prior to use. Dr. Welm and Dr. Lum will use these PDXs to determine which drugs will work best on a given patient, hopefully thereby making the treatment trial and error method a thing of the past. Of note, Dr. Welm’s husband, Brian Welm, works in yet another adjoining lab. He is testing the xenographs against natural substances to see which, if any, might also be used to treat patients.
After the lab tour we met with Dr. Robert Mannel, the Director of the Stephenson Cancer Center. We were honored that he took the time to walk us through the entire center, showing us everything from the waiting rooms, the lounge areas, the infusion and clinical trial areas, the exam rooms, counseling rooms, laboratories, radiation center and more. He explained to us the concepts of design, the artwork, and the thought given not only to the mental and physical comfort of the patients, but the great effort made to incorporate in both the physical design and the aesthetics the symbology and art of the Oklahoman native Indian population. Jigsaw puzzles set up on tables (even in the infusion rooms!), libraries of books, a piano played by a patient or volunteer, cozy nooks and other areas all of a size, design and decoration that left me feeling as though I was not in a hospital but rather in someone’s lovely private home made me say: “I want this treatment center for myself!”
The final event of the day was the gathering of researchers, medical doctors and our team to share presentations on our respective work. Following presentations by both Beth and myself – great job Beth!, Dr. Welm explained the reasons she had begun her current line of research, saying that some years ago in the clinic she was shocked to learn patients were not tested for recurrence following their primary cancer and that drugs given them were selected less on scientific proof but rather more on doctor and patient preference. She was determined to find a way to do it better. Dr. Lum began his research in a similar fashion. They both lured to the OMRF from Huntsman in Utah with the promise they could begin clinical trials at that location. We eagerly await their commencement.
