To Our Readers

Dear Readers,

I am glad to report that our cancer program is flourishing with developments that bode well for the future. At the institutional level, we have signed a memorandum of understanding with Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory to form an integrated cancer program. This very important document ensures that the program will continue regardless of personnel changes.

Jim Felton, group leader of the molecular toxicology group of the Biology and Biotechnology Program at Lawrence Livermore, will be associate director for cancer control. Dennis Matthews, program leader for the Medical Technology Program, will help develop new technologies.

In the next issue of Synthesis we will introduce you to the exciting work going on at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and how it will help accelerate our efforts to treat cancer.

Our outreach program - so vitally important to our mission of serving the people of our region - has moved ahead rapidly. This spring the Mercy Cancer Center in Merced opened, and this summer a comparable facility in Marysville followed suit. These joint regional cancer centers are the link between the cancer program of a teaching hospital, with all its specialty services, and the community at large. By affiliating with health systems throughout the region, we are able to bring the best cancer prevention, control and treatment to people residing in outlying areas, as opposed to bringing them to the Cancer Center.

Finally, since a cancer program is ultimately only as good as the individuals it attracts, I am delighted to announce the latest additions to our faculty.

Dr. Laurel Beckett, presently at Rush-Presbyterian St. Luke's Medical Center in Chicago, will arrive in the fall to initiate and organize a new division of biostatistics. This will be a great boon not only to the cancer program, but to the School of Medicine and UC Davis campus as well.

Also this fall, Dr. Helen Chew arrives from the University of Texas at San Antonio to direct the breast cancer program. She will be in charge of the clinic as well as coordinating translational research in this vitally important area. About the same time, Dr. Ron Wisdom will arrive from Vanderbilt University Medical Center. He will be in charge of coordinating the basic science portion of our breast program. This trio makes a fine addition to the talent already at the UC Davis School of Medicine.

While much has been done, much still remains to be accomplished. I am confident, nonetheless, that we are on pace to submit our grant for designation as a comprehensive cancer center to the National Cancer Institute in February 2001.

Sincerely,

Ralph W. deVere White, MD
Director, UC Davis Cancer Center

Ralph deVere White,
Director,
UC Davis Cancer Center