| Mel Mann, a retired U.S. Military main and 32-year power myeloid leukemia (CML) survivor, will communicate to most cancers sufferers, caregivers and well being care suppliers on the College of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) Winthrop P. Rockefeller Most cancers Institute grand rounds on Wednesday, April 17.
The free occasion will probably be held at midday within the Walton Auditorium on the tenth flooring of the Most cancers Institute. No registration is required.
Identified with CML, a uncommon most cancers of the white blood cells, in 1995, Mann was given three years to dwell. Unable to discover a bone marrow donor, he was solely the second individual out of hundreds to take part within the landmark 1998 Part 1 medical trial of the life-saving drug, Gleevec.
Authorized by the U.S. Meals and Drug Administration (FDA) in Could 2001, Gleevec is now a typical remedy for CML and broadly thought-about one of the profitable most cancers therapies with an 89% total survival fee. Earlier than Gleevec, solely 30% of sufferers with CML survived 5 years after being recognized.
Gleevec is the primary tyrosine kinase inhibitor accepted by the FDA and can also be referred to by its chemical title, imatinib.
Mann’s most cancers stays in remission, and he nonetheless takes the identical drugs at this time. He travels the U.S. sharing his story, spreading most cancers consciousness and advocating for medical trials, notably amongst African Individuals, a bunch that continues to be underrepresented in medical trials.
“I’m Exhibit A of why sufferers ought to contemplate medical trials,” he stated. “I noticed medical trials as an opportunity to get tomorrow’s drugs at this time.”
Michael Birrer, M.D., Ph.D., director of the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Most cancers Institute, says bringing Mann to Arkansas to share his story is vital because the Most cancers Institute expands the variety of interventional remedy trials it might provide to most cancers sufferers.
“Now we have the one tutorial Part 1 Scientific Trial Unit in Arkansas and are actively testing many novel therapies which are serving to sufferers who’ve failed customary therapies,” stated Birrer.
Sufferers who need to study extra ought to electronic mail cancerclinicaltrials@uams.edu or name the UAMS Most cancers Scientific Trials Workplace at 501-686-8288.
