Cancer Firsts at the University of Chicago Hospitals
Our surgeons, oncologists, and other cancer specialists are some of the world's leading experts in cancer diagnosis and treatment. They are committed to unlocking the mysteries of this often deadly disease and are behind some of the most important advances in cancer therapy.
This commitment to innovation in patient care has earned the University of Chicago Hospitals an international reputation for excellence. U.S.News & World Report regularly ranks our cancer program among the top in the nation.
Some of the most exciting cancer advances are listed below.
Making History with Chemotherapy
The University of Chicago is widely considered to be the birthplace of chemotherapy. In 1943, Dr. Leon Jacobson examined the effectiveness of the chemical nitrogen mustard as a treatment for terminally ill patients with lymphoma and leukemia. Many drugs still in use against cancer are derivatives of nitrogen mustard.
The First Bone Marrow Transplant
The first bone marrow transplant was performed at the University of Chicago in the late 1940s. Dr. Leon Jacobson discovered that he could save a mouse, whose bone marrow and spleen had been destroyed with radiation, by transplanting donated spleen tissue into the mouse. Cells from the spleen would repopulate the marrow and restore the production of blood cells.
Today, our pediatric and adult bone marrow transplant programs treat about 100 patients a year for leukemia, lymphoma, various solid tumors, and genetic diseases.
Leading the Way with Sharper, Safer Radiation
The University of Chicago Department of Radiation and Cellular Oncology was the first center in Chicago to provide IMRT to its patients.
Our doctors are recognized experts in intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT). IMRT is a new, highly precise form of three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy, which uses computers and multiple beams to "shape" radiation to the treatment area. The radiation specialists at the University of Chicago Hospitals are experts in using IMRT to deliver the most benefits--and the fewest possible side effects--to patients with cancers of the head and neck, rectum, pancreas, and other sites.
Using Robots in the OR
At the University of Chicago Hospitals, surgical oncologists are using innovative minimally invasive techniques to diagnose and treat many types of cancer. With minimally invasive surgery, doctors can remove some cancerous tumors and lymph nodes--while sparing the patient from unnecessary tissue damage, pain, and scarring.
Surgeons at the University of Chicago Hospitals were some of the first in the area to use the Da Vinci Surgical System for all of their robotic minimally invasive surgical (MIS) procedures. This innovative system combines robotics and computer technology to allow surgeons to perform delicate surgical procedures to treat gastrointestinal, lung, and prostate cancers. Our surgeons are also using minimally invasive techniques to collect tissue for biopsy and to perform accurate "staging" studies to determine the best cancer treatment plan.
Superior Cancer Research
At the University of Chicago, researchers are still making "firsts." More clinical trials take place here than at any other hospital in the state. Our hospital also receives more funding from the National Institutes of Health than any other Illinois hospital, so that our doctors can continue studying advances in patient care. Some of the recent research highlights:
- Oncologist Richard Schilsky, MD, chairman of the national Cancer and Leukemia Group B (CALGB), was senior author of a study showing that aspirin reduces the incidence of pre-cancerous polyps in patients at high risk for colorectal cancer.
- Medical oncologist Hedy Kindler, MD, found that a combination of investigational and established drugs could increase the one-year survival rate for patients with advanced pancreatic cancer from a dismal 18 percent to a hopeful 54 percent.
- Ralph Weichselbaum, MD, chairman of radiation oncology, teamed up with scientists at a biotech company to develop a way to insert a "supercharged" tumor necrosis factor gene into tumors to boost the impact of radiation therapy. This approach is now in clinical trials for pancreatic cancer, as well as for head and neck cancers.
- Oncologist Mark Ratain, MD, developed a genetic test that can predict side effects caused by irinotecan, a common chemotherapy drug. This test is only available at the University of Chicago Hospitals.
- Gini Fleming, MD, a co-chair of a committee of the Gynecologic Oncology Group (GOG), led a trial proving that the chemotherapy drug, paclitaxel, can improve survival for women with recurrent endomitrial cancer.
- Gynecologic oncologist S. Diane Yamada, MD, is doing research that may lead to major advances in the treatment of ovarian cancer over the next decade.
