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on the practice of oncology through a variety of related fields . As in other large medical centers , hematologists , pathologists , even pulmonologists were all working to determine the most efficient and comprehensive ways in which to treat the cancers they faced every day . Dr . Arena ’ s interest in the program was the Mayo Clinic ’ s catalyst for the change which had been in the making for years , if not decades .
To give Dr . Arena a comprehensive training of this still developing field , the Mayo Clinic encouraged him to practice in a variety of different sub-specialties , piecing together the jigsaw puzzle of cancer treatment which would become modern oncology .
“ In essence , they decided what aspects of oncology must round out a training program . Pathology was one , radiation therapy was another . I spent time in the pulmonary program with staff doing lung oncology , in the gastrointestinal department studying tumors , and the clinic ’ s vascular program dealing with primitive coagulation problems which are now a big part of hematology . The staff at the Mayo Clinic had very clear foresight to consider what would become the oncology program of the future .”
The treatment of cancer was very different then compared to today . For example , chemotherapy was administered by needle directly into blood vessels rather than today ’ s treatment through intravenous catheters . And , as oncologists were still developing in medical schools across the country and hadn ’ t yet settled into practice , there were multiple surgeons and hematologists who included solid tumor treatment in their practice .
Dr . Steven Rose , Dean of the Mayo School of Graduate Medical Education , praised Dr . Arena for the important part he played in the creation of the Mayo Clinic ’ s oncology training program . could be a great place to set up an office . He was right ,” Dr . Arena recalled . “ I made the choice almost immediately to build a practice there .” With a career prospect before him , Dr . Arena completed his brand-new Mayo Clinic fellowship and headed to Kentucky in July 1971 .
“ I consider myself an old type of practitioner ,” explained Dr . Arena . “ In Louisville I got a loan , got office space , hired people and got started . For a while , I had general medical patients in addition to my oncology practice , but I was eventually able to switch to strictly oncology .” He practiced solo for 35 years before eventually joining a group . He said that he treated all kinds of cancers , but most commonly ( this is Kentucky after all ) lung , breast and colon cancer .
Although he had completed the training formalized by the Mayo Clinic , Dr . Arena wouldn ’ t take the board exam until 1973 because there were no board exams to be found . He traveled back to Rochester , Minn ., home of the Mayo Clinic , to take the exam and ran into some old friends along the way . “ Of course back then , the exam was written rather than on the computer . When I went back , I found that some of my mentors at the Mayo Clinic were taking the exam at the same time as I was ,” laughed Dr . Arena .
Dr . Arena is now retired after 40 years of oncology practice . It ’ s hard to imagine at the moment a specialty that has come to the forefront as rapidly and importantly as oncology did . For his part , Dr . Arena had predicted early on that oncology will continue to break into sub-divisions where physicians are primarily breast oncologists , lung oncologists , etc . In fact this has been the norm in academic centers over the last 30 years , and also in larger private practices .
Aaron Burch is the communications specialist for the Greater Louisville Medical Society .
“ Dr . Arena was a pioneer in oncology specialty training and is recognized as a key historical figure in the development of graduate medical education in oncology at Mayo Clinic ,” Dr . Rose said . “ This specialty training was arranged by Dr . Arena in concert with Mayo Clinic oncology experts who customized a training regimen to meet the specific needs of an oncology specialist … Dr . Arena may fairly be recognized as the first Mayo Clinic fellow in Oncology .” Mayo had formalized its Hematology fellowship in 1965 , and , shortly after Dr . Arena graduated , made its Oncology program formal in 1973 , merging the two fellowships into one in 1990 .
While nearing completion in his fellowship , Dr . Arena ran into an old friend , Dr . John Dean Howard , of Louisville . Dr . Arena told Dr . Howard that he was looking for a new city to start his practice , and Dr . Howard offered a suggestion which would shape Dr . Arena ’ s life for decades to come .
“ He said there were no oncologists in Louisville , and that it
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