O'Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center Magazine Spring 2020 | Page 2

FROM THE DIRECTOR
In this issue of the O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center
magazine, I’d like to take the opportunity to introduce
myself, as well as my vison for the future of cancer care
and cancer research, and the crucial role of the O’Neal
Comprehensive Cancer Center at UAB in making that
future a reality.
As you’ll learn in the cover story of this magazine, I was
initially drawn to the O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer
Center after seeing the impact and cultural influence it
holds within this community. Since it was established in
1971, the Cancer Center has become a world-renowned
institution within the fields of clinical oncology and cancer
research. Its reach extends throughout the Deep South
and across Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and Arkansas,
where the Cancer Center serves as the only National
Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center
in the four-state region and one of only 51 such centers in
the country.
Since I joined the Cancer Center as director, I have been
so impressed by the hundreds of highly motivated,
creative and productive clinicians and researchers who
work here together every day to end cancer.
I have had the opportunity to meet with many
outstanding UAB faculty who are working in areas
congruent with the Cancer Center’s mission, but who
are not yet focusing their efforts on cancer. As you’ll
read later in this magazine, introducing faculty from
traditionally unrelated specialties to new areas of study in
the field of oncology is my specialty. Building out these
areas, which include imaging, immunology and tobacco
control, is a strategic priority for the Cancer Center over
the next five years.
It is truly an exciting time for those of us who work in the
field of oncology as we stand on the edge of a massive
shift in cancer research, which we hope will soon allow
us to successfully treat cancers that, just yesterday, were
deemed incurable. We are now equipped with tools, such
as genetic testing and tumor profiling, to understand what
drives cancers, which in turn allows us to target the root
causes of a patient’s particular type of cancer.
As new drugs come from this pipeline, we now have the
ability to select the patients who would benefit from those
drugs and offer them to patients as part of their standard
cancer treatment. Our clinical trials are a vital component
of this effort. We have instituted new programs to
empower our faculty to both establish and enroll patients
in novel clinical trials, and we are committed to educating
the public about the benefits of such an endeavor.
As you will also read later in this issue, we have been
working with the UAB Health System and the Cancer
Service Line to transform the way cancer is treated
at UAB by translating this cutting-edge research into
comprehensive clinical care for our patients.
The legacy of the O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center
was built on a culture of multidisciplinary collaboration,
scientific discovery and clinical excellence that continues
to power the very core of the Cancer Center to this day.
It is a hub for physicians and scientists from every area of
study throughout UAB who wish to use their individual
talents and expertise to do one thing: fight cancer.
I feel grateful to join a team so passionately committed
to doing its part to foster cancer research and improve
cancer care for our patients and the people of Alabama.
With your help, I believe “O’Neal” can become the brand
name for the very best cancer care in the Birmingham
metropolitan area, the state as a whole and beyond. We
want everyone to know that, if you have cancer, it matters
where you’re treated first. To me, this is our foundational
goal for the next 10 years.
Thank you for joining us on this journey as we strive to
lead the fight against cancer and bring cutting-edge
and compassionate care to the people of the state of
Alabama.
Sincerely,
Barry P. Sleckman, M.D., Ph.D.
Director, O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center at UAB
GIVE
TO THE
CENTER
There are a variety of ways to give to the O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center at UAB. All donations are tax-deductible as
allowed by law and may be designated for the cancer research area of your choice. Every dollar stays here in Birmingham
and is directly applied to cancer research and treatment.
Donations can be made by visiting go.uab.edu/onealgiving or by calling the development office at [phone].
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O’NEAL COMPREHENSIVE CANCER CENTER AT UAB