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News from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
Birmingham Man Gives to
Multiple Myeloma Research in Memory of His Wife
OCT.
24, 2002 | A Birmingham, Ala., man has made a generous gift to
the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) for
research on multiple myeloma, a form of cancer with no known
cure.
H. Eugene Smith, Jr., made the gift in memory of his wife, the
late Elaine Baird Smith. The research fund will bear her name.
Chancellor I. Dodd Wilson, M.D., told Mr. Smith, "Your
confidence inspires us to continue the fight against this
dreadful disease."
Mr. Smith’s gift was to the Myeloma
Institute for Research and Therapy at UAMS. The institute
provides advanced medical training for oncologists with a
specialization in multiple myeloma from around the world,
conducts pioneering research in this field, and offers
state-of-the-art treatment for patients from around the world.
The institute is the only program of its kind in the world
dedicated exclusively to multiple myeloma.
Multiple myeloma is a type of cancer that affects plasma
cells, which are a type of white blood cell. Multiple myeloma
typically affects middle-aged or elderly persons. It accounts
for 15 percent of all hematological malignancies.
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UAMS Chancellor I. Dodd Wilson, M.D, (left) and H. Eugene
Smith, Jr., of Birmingham, Ala., celebrate Mr. Smith’s gift
for research on multiple myeloma. (Ramanda Cody)
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Approximately 15,000 new cases are
diagnosed each year. Multiple myeloma is more common in men
than women, and in African Americans than Caucasians. More
than 50,000 Americans are currently living with multiple
myeloma.
There is no known cure for multiple
myeloma, although lengthy remissions can often be achieved. The
immediate goal in treating multiple myeloma is to get the disease
under control and to keep the patient in remission with a good
quality of life for as long as possible. Disease control can be
complicated by a tendency for myeloma cells to become resistant to
chemotherapeutic agents.
The median survival rate for
patients in the United States is roughly 2.5 to three years,
depending upon the extent of the disease at diagnosis, adequacy of
support measures, and response to drugs. However, the Myeloma
Institute for Research and Therapy at the University of Arkansas
for Medical Sciences has achieved a median survival rate of six to
seven years.
Links on This Page
Myeloma Institute: http://myeloma.uams.edu/
UAMS to Create Myeloma Institute:
http://www.uams.edu/today/081601/myeloma.htm
© 2002 University of Arkansas
for Medical Sciences (UAMS). A single copy of these materials may
be reprinted for noncommercial personal use only. "UAMS,"
"UAMS Medical Center," "UAMS Online," "UAMS
Today," "UAMS Update," "uams.edu," and
"Here’s to Your Health" are marks of UAMS.
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10/24/02 |
