BY STEPHANIE CONNER

T here’s a good chance you know

someone who’s been diagnosed

with cancer. It’s natural to start

wondering about your own risk.

Diljeet Singh, M.D., program director

for Gynecologic Oncology and program

director of Integrative Medicine and Cancer

Prevention at Banner MD Anderson

Cancer Center in Gilbert, offers the follow-

ing tips for reducing your cancer risk.

1 Eat more veggies. “We’re learn-

ing more and more that what we

eat and how we live has an impact on

not just cancer but diabetes and heart

disease,” Singh says. She recommends

starting any dietary change with an

increase in fruits and vegetables, which

help provide antioxidants and isofla-

vones that help fight cancer.

“We should be getting at least seven

servings of fruits and vegetables a day,”

she says. “If you’re cutting back on

calories, then I say five servings and

focus on vegetables.”

2Get moving. Singh and other experts

recommend 150 minutes of moder-

ate activity a week.

“That’s half an hour five times a

week,” she says. “It doesn’t have to be a

class or the gym. Just put on comfort-

able shoes and get out walking.” Then,

as you become more fit, there are plenty

of other workout options.

INSIDE2 Expansion plans3 New breast reconstruction procedure4 Meet Drs. Craft and Tan5 Ask the expert

6 Thanks for your help7 Cancer survivor stays active, positive8 Events and activities

JANUARY 2013

creatinghopeReduce your riskFebruary is Cancer Prevention Month. Here’s what you can do to lower your own risk

Banner MD Anderson Cancer Center expanding in 2013

The 111,000-square-foot expansion will take place to the south of the existing 130,000-square-foot building and will add:• Three linear accelerators (two at

opening and one vault for future use) for a future total of six

• 30 additional clinic exam rooms for a total of 60 rooms

• 13 additional infusion bays for a total of 53 (and shelled space to bring the future total to 76)

• Expansion of Laboratory Intake Center and Welcome Center

• The Cox Center for Integrative Oncology and Cancer Prevention funded in large part by a grant from the James M. Cox Family Foundation

• Additional shell space for future expansion needs.

“This is an exciting development for our campus and for the members of our community that entrust us with their care,” said Todd Werner, chief executive officer for Banner MD Anderson and Banner Gateway Medical Center.

Since opening our doors in 2011, the cancer center has experienced rapid growth in outpatient volume and has attracted more than 5,000 patients and resulted in 50,000 patient visits. In addition, more than 50 subspecialty physicians are now providing cancer care to patients at the cancer center.

The need for cancer care in our community coupled with the trust our patients have put in our team have resulted in the rapid growth of cancer treatment at

Banner MD Anderson Cancer Center in Gilbert. This has led the Banner Health Board of Directors to approve a $62.6 million dollar expansion project for the Banner Gateway Campus. In January, Banner MD Anderson will break ground to expand its outpatient cancer facility.

Exercising and eating well are key

ingredients in achieving a healthy body

weight. For more information on the

connection between cancer history

and lifestyle, attend Dr. Singh’s Cancer

Prevention Series on Feb. 13. See more

details on Page 8.

“Obesity plays a role in a lot of

cancers,” Singh says “And if someone

is diagnosed, there’s evidence that a

healthy body weight plays a role in get-

ting through surgery or chemotherapy

or radiation.”

3 Manage your stress. “More and

more evidence is adding up that

the neurotransmitters and hormones

related to stress can be related to

cancer and to cancer progressing and

spreading,” Singh says.

The bad news is that stress is un-

avoidable. But the good news, Singh

says, is there are steps you can take to

alleviate your stress.

“Laughter, meditation, prayer and

deep breathing are all ways to turn on

the parasympathetic (or healing) ner-

vous system and turn off the hormones

of the stress-based nervous system,”

she says. “Exercise is also a great form of

stress management — it’s a twofer.”

4A few other healthy choices. Avoiding tobacco, drinking alcohol

in moderation and sleeping seven

to nine hours a night also help lower

your risk of cancer. Plus, Singh advises,

maintain a strong social network for

optimal health.

2 JANUARY 2013 CREATING HOPE

BannerMDAnderson.com 3

BY DEBRA GELBART

Susan Brown of Chandler never

imagined that the results of her

breast reconstruction would be

so natural or that she’d get a kind of

tummy tuck as a bonus. But as the first

patient at Banner MD Anderson Cancer

Center in Gilbert to undergo a relatively

new reconstruction procedure, she is

thrilled with the outcome of her surgery.

“The breast cancer diagnosis was

just numbing,” said Brown, 50. “But

I am so pleased by the amazing job

that my surgeons did and by how

much better I feel than I ever thought

I would after my diagnosis.”

Her plastic surgeons at Banner

MD Anderson recently began per-

forming microvascular breast recon-

struction surgery for cancer patients.

The procedure uses the patient’s own

abdominal tissue as a means of re-

construction and eliminates the need

for an artificial implant and future

reconstruction surgeries.

EXPANDING PATIENTS’ OPTIONS“Although a silicone or other type of

implant may be the best approach for

many patients,” said surgeon Randall

Craft, M.D., “it’s important to under-

stand that because these implants

cannot adjust to a changing body,

more reconstructive surgery is often

necessary within the first 10 years.

But with this new procedure, the

patient’s own tissue will change with

her as she ages.” He and reconstruc-

tive surgeon Benny Tan, M.D. typically

perform the procedure together. They

practice in Banner MD Anderson’s

Division of Surgical Oncology.

“This procedure has not been wide-

ly available in Arizona before now,”

Dr. Tan said. “We want to give more

patients an opportunity to choose this

approach to breast reconstruction.”

The procedure is called a Deep

Inferior Epigastric Perforator, or DIEP

(“Deep”) for short. It involves removing

skin and fat from a patient’s abdomen

while preserving the major abdominal

muscle called the rectus, commonly

referred to as the “abs” or “six-pack.”

The skin and fat from the abdo-

men are disconnected from their

blood supply in the pelvis and then—

using a microscope and very fine

sutures—attached to a new blood

supply from the internal mammary

artery in the chest.

Autologous breast reconstruction

surgery—where the patient’s own tissue

is used—is not new. But typically, this

type of surgery has required that the

abs “go along for the ride,”

Dr. Craft explained, to provide a

blood supply for the relocated tissue.

“What often happens to the patient

after that is a bulging of the abdo-

men, hernias or weakness,” he said.

“But by taking the extra time to de-

tach and reconnect the blood supply

of abdominal skin and fat and leaving

the rectus intact, we can often give

patients a better quality of life.”

Advances in breast reconstructionNew surgery at Banner MD Anderson Cancer Center offers many benefits

Plastic surgeons Benny Tan and Randall Craft are at the forefront of a new breast reconstruction surgery at Banner MD Anderson Cancer Center.

4 JANUARY 2013 CREATING HOPE

PROCEDURE NOT FOR EVERYONENot all patients are candidates for the

DIEP, Dr. Tan said, explaining that

sometimes a patient’s blood vessels

are too small to accommodate the

reattached tissue. “Although there is

no age cutoff,” said Dr. Tan, “a patient

must be physiologically fit enough

to endure a six-to-12-hour surgery,

depending on whether the recon-

struction is unilateral (one breast) or

bilateral (both sides).” A patient can’t

be morbidly obese or especially thin.

Her ideal Body Mass Index (BMI) is

between 25 and 35, he said, so that

she has enough abdominal tissue to

be used for the reconstruction. And,

ideally, she has not had previous ab-

dominal surgery, although a C-section,

for example, would not preclude a

DIEP. The post-surgical hospital stay

is typically four to seven days.

“This procedure is well-suited for

a patient who has undergone radia-

tion therapy,” Dr. Craft said, “because

skin exposed to therapeutic radiation

often cannot be stretched to accom-

modate an artificial implant.”

“I would tell other breast cancer

patients to strongly consider this pro-

cedure,” said Susan Brown. “It’s tough,

because of the length of the surgery, but

it’s well worth it. I am so grateful to have

a natural-looking and natural-feeling

breast again and I really like knowing I

won’t need another surgery in 10 years

like I would with an implant.”

Randall Craft, M.D. became interested in the Deep Inferior Epigastric Perforator (DIEP) procedure while he was a surgi-cal resident in the Harvard Plastic Sur-gery Combined Residency Program in Boston, Mass. “They did a high volume of these in the Harvard system,” he said, “and I was able to learn a lot about the procedure. Since then, I’ve published a lot about it in the medical literature.”

Dr. Craft, who is board-certified in surgery, said he’s always “been drawn to the creativity of plastics. “There’s nothing routine about it, and I like the reconstructive aspects of this type of surgery.” Most of his patients undergo breast reconstruction, but he also per-forms reconstructive surgery on any part of the body affected by cancer.

After graduating from medical school at The Ohio State University College of Medicine in Columbus, he completed his general surgery residency at Mayo Clinic Arizona before beginning his plastic surgery residency at Harvard. He also completed a combined research and clinical fellowship at the Bernard O’Brien Institute of Microsurgery in Melbourne, Australia.

Dr. Craft said the most rewarding as-pect of performing the DIEP is “providing an opportunity for women to have their sense of self restored,” he said, “without having a foreign body inside them. “The DIEP preserves the symmetry of the chest and patients are typically quite happy with the outcome.”

Benny Tan, M.D. was born and raised in Singapore. At 21, he went to Ireland to at-tend medical school. After graduation and a general surgery and orthopedic surgery residency, he came to the United States and completed a three-year general sur-gery residency at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, followed by two years of a general surgery residency at Mas-sachusetts General Hospital in Boston. He then completed an orthopedic hand and microsurgery fellowship at Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami, Fla., followed by a plastic surgery residency at the Cleveland Clinic Florida in Weston, Fla. He is board certified in plastic surgery and general surgery.

“I performed many types of recon-structive surgery,” Dr. Tan said, “but I gravitated toward breast reconstruction because the patients are so appreciative when we’re able to give them back their normal life.” He said he began performing the DIEP procedure at Banner MD Ander-son because of patient demand. Like Dr. Craft, Dr. Tan also performs implant- and autologous-based breast reconstruction.

Dr. Tan noted that DIEP patients also appreciate the extra benefit of the tummy tuck that comes with the procedure. He said both the chest and abdominal scars are well-tolerated by patients. “They also like that their abdominal contour is improved,” he said. “It’s a change most patients are very happy with.”

Training is critical to perform new procedure

We want to give more patients an opportunity to choose this approach to breast reconstruction.

— Benny Tan, M.D.

BannerMDAnderson.com 5

biopsy to collect blood cells from

within the marrow helps determine

the stage and extent of the lymphoma.

Leukemia is diagnosed through blood

tests and a bone marrow biopsy.

As with most diseases, lymphoma

and leukemia can affect everyone

differently. Therefore, treatment

protocols, including decisions about

pursuing aggressive therapies like stem

cell transplantation, vary based on

such factors as cancer subtype and the

speed with which it grows as well as a

person’s age and overall health status.

Q: Who is a candidate for stem cell transplantation?

A Stem cell transplantation, com-

monly referred to as bone marrow

transplantation, is a potentially cura-

tive cancer treatment approach used

for patients with acute and chronic

leukemia, Hodgkin’s and non-Hodg-

kin’s lymphoma, multiple myeloma,

myelodysplastic syndrome, and other

bone marrow failure disorders such

as aplastic anemia. While it is used

to cure a multitude of hematologic

(blood) cancers originating in the bone

marrow and lymph nodes, not every-

one is a candidate for the procedure.

There are two primary types of

stem cell transplantation: autologous

and allogeneic. Autologous transplants

use a patient’s own stem cells and

the administration of very high-dose

chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy to

fight certain types of cancer, whereas

allogeneic transplants use match-

ing stem cells derived from a family

member, most commonly a matched

sibling, or an unrelated donor. Alloge-

neic stem cell transplants may also be

performed using umbilical cord blood

as well as haploidentical donor stem

cells, which come from a family mem-

ber who is not a complete match.

Since stem cell transplantation

is not and should not be used as a

last resort approach to rescue very

sick patients, those being considered

for the procedure must meet certain

physical and disease-related criteria to

ensure the potential benefits outweigh

the risks. Generally speaking, those

selected for transplant are in at least

partial disease remission and/or have

it under control with other treatment

methods, are physically fit and have

adequate overall organ function.

Age can be another qualifying factor.

Presently, the age limit for Banner

MD Anderson Cancer Center in Gilbert

is 75 for autologous transplants and

70 for allogeneic transplants.

At Banner MD Anderson, all patients

with hematologic malignancies are

referred to the stem cell transplant

program for consultation to determine

whether transplantation is a viable

treatment option that would provide

curative benefits to prolong and

improve a patient’s quality of life.

askthe expertJavier Munoz, M.D., staff physician for Hermatology/OncologyGorgun Akpek, M.D., director of Stem Cell Transplantation and Cellular Therapy

BY KRISTINE BURNETT

Q: What are the similarities and differences between

lymphoma and leukemia?

ALymphoma and leukemia are

two distinct types of hematologic

(blood) cancer, each of which has

multiple subtypes. In the most sim-

plistic terms, they boil down to two

basic definitions:

• Lymphoma is cancer that develops

when white blood cells grow out

of control and accumulate in the

lymph nodes.

• Leukemia is cancer that originates

in the spongy tissue in the middle

of the bones called the bone

marrow, which is where blood

cells are made.

Despite having multiple subtypes,

lymphoma and leukemia can present

with similar overlapping symptoms.

In addition to a noticeable swell-

ing of the lymph nodes caused by the

accumulation of excess white blood

cells, signs of lymphoma may include

fever, weight loss and night sweats.

For those with leukemia, these symp-

toms may also be accompanied by

fatigue, bleeding that occurs easier than

usual and an increase in infections.

Diagnosing lymphoma generally

entails a lymph node biopsy to exam-

ine the structure of the nodes. When

cancer is confirmed, a bone marrow

Worldwide, approximately 35,000 autologous and 25,000 allogeneic stem cell transplants are done each year. About one-third of those are performed in the United States.Ref: Pasquini MC, Wang Z. Current use and outcome of HCT: CIBMTR Summary Slides, 2010. http://www.cibmtr.org

Gorgun Akpek and Javier Munoz

6 JANUARY 2013 CREATING HOPE

for more info:

Follow us on Facebook: Facebook.com/bannermdanderson

BANNER MD ANDERSON CANCER CENTEROn the campus of Banner Gateway Medical CenterU.S. 60 and Higley Road in Gilbert

Schedule an appointment: 480-256-6444

Check out our website bannermdanderson.com

Thanks for your helpGenerous donors help Banner MD Anderson make a difference

The Banner MD Anderson Can-

cer Center in Gilbert opened

its doors on September 26,

2011, marking a genuine evolution

in Arizona’s capacity to diagnose and

treat cancer patients. The lantern of

hope—a four-story illuminated metal

structure symbolizing hope and

healing—is lit each night and has

already greeted thousands of

patients and visitors.

Cancer care, treatment and pre-

vention require much more than a

new facility. They require the latest

medical technologies; expansive

treatment and support programs;

and staffing capable of delivering the

excellence in patient care for which

Banner is so well known. Banner MD

Anderson’s promise is to deliver cus-

tomized, comprehensive and com-

passionate care for every patient.

While Banner Health funded the

cost of bricks and mortar for the

state-of-the-art facility at US-60

and Higley Road, many essential

elements of the project must be

funded by the generosity of those

who support Banner’s mission to

make a difference in people’s lives

through excellent patient care. The

Cancer Has Met Its Match campaign

was launched in 2010 with a goal of

raising $40 million to fund screening

and prevention services, patient and

family support programs, research

and much more, all of which are

funded through charitable gifts.

Just in time to celebrate the

one-year anniversary of Banner MD

Anderson, The Cox Family Foundation

announced a $5 million gift to fund

the creation of The Cox Center for

Integrative Oncology at Banner MD

Anderson Cancer Center. The Cox

Center for Integrative Oncology will

serve people who have cancer, can-

cer survivors and the general public,

whether they are at risk of cancer or

seeking to decrease their risk.

The Center is an integral part of

the MD Anderson treatment model,

which addresses the global impact of

cancer on people and their families.

The Center will include: integrative

oncology, individualized prevention,

screening and diagnosis programs,

palliative care and rehabilitation and

community outreach programs.

With this incredibly generous

gift, the Cancer Has Met Its Match

campaign is nearly halfway to its $40

million goal. For more information,

visit www.BannerMDAnderson.com.

Arizona Cardinal Larry Fitzgerald, who lost his own mother to cancer, has helped create needed awareness for the Cancer Has Met Its Match campaign.

BannerMDAnderson.com 7

BY BRIAN SODOMA

Crystal Reidy is no stranger to

overcoming adversity. In youth,

her family was poor and bat-

tled homelessness. Reidy worked her

way out of poverty, earning a bachelor’s

degree in human service and a master’s

in counseling. She is even working on

a doctoral dissertation focusing on the

topic of teaching resilience.

Today, the community outreach

officer for the Maricopa County At-

torney’s office and Army National

Guard sergeant is grateful for many

things, but perhaps even more so after

recently winning a battle against a very

aggressive form of breast cancer.

NO FAMILY HISTORY OF CANCERA lump found in March surprised

both she and her doctors. Reidy has

no family history of breast cancer and

having her first baby before the age

of 20 further reduced her chances of

ever getting it. Even more, Reidy was

diagnosed with the very fast-spreading

Triple Negative form of breast cancer.

She was at Stage 3 by the time she was

diagnosed and prepping for chemo-

therapy treatment in April even though

an October 2011 routine exam showed

nothing unusual. Before telling her

two teen-age sons about the diagnosis,

Reidy established her treatment plan

with doctors at Banner MD Anderson

Cancer Center in Gilbert.

“At first you don’t have any

answers. You just have cancer,” she

says. “I think it’s answers and informa-

tion that is the most calming thing

you can get to combat cancer.”

Reidy was also fortunate to experi-

ence very few side effects from chemo-

therapy. Yes, she lost her hair and there

was nausea and vomiting, but not to

the extent she expected. The mom of

three boys with ages ranging from

17 months to 17 years also chose not

to slow down her daily life while un-

dergoing treatment. She still worked

full time and even completed her

annual Army basic training assignment,

which includes firing an M-16 rifle.

MAKING THE RIGHT DECISIONSReidy said her Banner MD Anderson

doctors encouraged her to make the

right decisions for herself when it

came to everyday living while under-

going treatment.

“For some people, working would

stress them out. My goal was not to give

up everything,” she says. “They didn’t

pressure me either way. I didn’t feel like

they said ‘Here are the rules of cancer.’”

After finishing her last few rounds

of radiation treatment, the now cancer-

free Reidy has one thing on her mind.

“I was always a real road tripper

with my boys. We would always go

out and take a trip in the car and go

to places in and around Arizona,” she

says. “I’m ready to get the hair growing

and go on vacation.”

Breast cancer survivordoesn’t slow down

Cancer survivor Crystal Reidy is thankful her Banner MD Anderson Cancer Center doctors encouraged her to keep active and stay positive while undergoing treatment.

Banner MD Anderson Cancer Center doctors work together to treat aggressive breast cancer

I think it’s answers and information that is the most calming thing you can get to combat cancer.

— Crystal Reidy, cancer survivor

PRESORTED STD

U.S. POSTAGE

PAID

LONG BEACH, CA

PERMIT NO.1677

To schedule an appointment, call 480-256-6444

Wellness Classes

Cooking for WellnessA cooking demonstration class that will focus on recipes with cancer fighting ingredients. WHEN: 4 p.m., First Thursday of each monthWHERE: Banner MD Anderson Cancer Center 2496 E. Banner Gateway Drive, Gilbert, 85234

Journey to Wellness GroupA wellness education group for cancer survivors. A different topic is discussed every month related to cancer wellness after completing cancer treatment.WHEN: 4:30 p.m., Second Thursday of each monthWHERE: Banner MD Anderson Cancer Center 2496 E. Banner Gateway Drive, Gilbert, 85234

Chair YogaA calming yoga that promotes balance. Yoga is practiced sitting or standing behind the chair for support. WHEN: 10 a.m. every Monday WHERE: Banner MD Anderson Cancer Center 2496 E. Banner Gateway Drive, Gilbert, 85234

Banner MD Anderson Cancer Center in Gilbert offers a

variety of classes and support groups to assist cancer

survivors and their support teams. These classes are free

and open to the public. Classes are held at Banner MD Anderson

Cancer Center, 2946 E. Banner Gateway Drive, Gilbert, AZ, 85234.

Events and Classes

To learn more about these events or to register, please visit www.BannerMDAnderson.com.

Gentle YogaYoga aimed at releasing the tension in your muscles and mind. This is a mat-based class focused on core work.WHEN: 4 p.m. every WednesdayWHERE: Banner MD Anderson Cancer Center 2496 E. Banner Gateway Drive, Gilbert, 85234

Restorative Yoga A mat based yoga class that uses props to support the body and allow the mind to decompress. The class also will include breath work and meditation.WHEN: 3 p.m. every ThursdayWHERE: Banner MD Anderson Cancer Center 2496 E. Banner Gateway Drive, Gilbert, 85234

Special Event

Cancer Prevention SeriesLifestyle and Genetic Risk Assessments: Can they prevent cancer?

Dr. Diljeet Singh, Director of Integrative Oncology, will discuss the relationships between lifestyle and cancer prevention. April O’Connor, Genetic Counselor, will share the latest research relating to family history and genetic risk assessments as a tool for cancer preventions. WHEN: February 13, 2013, 6 to 7:30 p.m.WHERE: Grand Canyon Conference Rooms Banner Gateway Medical Center 1900 N Higley Rd, Gilbert, AZ 85234RSVP: Call 602-230-CARE