UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center Magazine E-Edition 2017 | Page 9

Easter to Halloween, so you can be sure that I had my share of cut
feet. I was constantly in and out of the doctor’s office for something
or other. I was intrigued by it. In the eleventh grade, I even did a
term paper on why I wanted to be a do ctor.”

As for why he chose the relatively small subspecialty of gynecologic
oncology, he says: “I decided on it in my third year of Ob-Gyn
residency. I found a challenge in treating the more seriously ill
patients. And I enjoy having more mature women as patients.
Because the risk of gynecologic cancers increases with age, three-
quarters of my patients are over the age of 50. They really are a
delight – a nice group of people. The most rewarding thing about
this specialty is that we cure about 75 percent of our patients, or
seven out of 10 who walk through the door.”

A fairly young specialty, gynecologic oncology has had a major
impact on the treatment of reproductive cancers in women,
according to Dr. Partridge, whose program at the UAB Cancer
Center draws referrals from over the region. “Cure rates have
crept up, less radical surgery is being done, and complication rates
have gone down,” he explains. “It makes a difference to have a
specially trained person do this type of surgery. Also contributing
to improved cure rates is the availability throughout the state of
board certified radiation oncologists who are trained to properly
treat women with gynecologic cancers. Most of these radiation
oncologists received their training at this institution.”

Of the gynecologic malignancies, ovarian cancer is the most
difficult to treat, according to Dr. Partridge. “That’s because cancer
of the ovaries is hard to detect until it’s in an advanced stage,” he
explains. “On the other hand, cervical and endometrial cancers are
usually detected early when they can be more successfully treated.
In the past 15 years, the drug platinol has had a major impact on
the treatment of ovarian cancer by delaying disease recurrence and
improving survival by about five to seven percent.”

Another exciting development in treating ovarian cancer is Taxol,
the well-publicized compound derived from the yew tree. “In
combination with platinol,” Dr. Partridge says, “Taxol could add
another jump to the progression-free interval and percentage points
to the cure rate following surgery for ovarian cancer, which strikes
about 22,000 women a year.”

Commenting on recent advances in the treatment of the most
common gynecologic malignancy, endometrial cancer, Dr. Partridge
says, “Endometrial cancer is diagnosed in about 33,000 women
annually. Traditionally, it has been treated with surgery and
radiation. We’ve learned over the past few years, however, that with
careful surgical staging and the resulting pathological information,
we can define a subset of patients who can be cured with surgery
alone and therefore be spared radiotherapy. That number may be as
high as three out of five patients, and the cure rate is excellent – 90
to 95 percent if there is no spread.”

Dr. Partridge advocated regular Pap smears to detect early changes
that signal the development of cervical cancer, which he describes as
the cancer no woman should die of. “We are very excited about the
addition of a world-renowned cervical cancer research team to the
Cancer Center faculty this fall,” he says. “The research laboratory of
Drs. Tom Broker and Louise Chow, who are coming to us from the
University of Rochester, will improve our clinical efforts. We’ll be
able to take what they find in the laboratory and apply it to better
treatment at the bedside.”

He adds, “The clinical approach has always been to treat what
you can see and touch with modalities like surgery, radiation, and
drugs. Now, for the first time, scientists are inside the cancer cell,
and their findings on the molecular biology of the disease can be
combined with the work of clinicians like myself to come up with
more effective therapies in the future. By looking at substances
produced in the cell, we may be able to determine more precisely
the kind of chemotherapy or radiotherapy needed. And targeted
therapies like monoclonal antibodies will be in wider use.”

While focused on advancing the progress of gynecologic cancer
treatment, Dr. Partridge also finds personal satisfaction in teaching
yet another generation of physicians about his chosen specialty. In
fact, he characterizes the Excellence in Teaching Award conferred
on him this year by UAB President Charles A. McCallum,
D.M.D., M.D., as one of the best things that ever happened to
him. “To be recognized for something I love to do is very special to
me. Teaching is a labor of love. I was overwhelmed and thrilled by
this recognition.”

Ed Partridge is as poised at a podium discussing his work before a
civic group or presiding over a meeting as he is teaching. He holds
his audience in rapt attention whatever the subject. His dedication
to service diminishes what he calls his “free time,” but he takes a
philosophical approach to his commitments.

“Barbara and I were talking the other day about how things
change as you get older,” he says. “When I was a resident, my only
responsibility was to come to work on time, do a good job, take
care of patients, and then leave it behind. We used to go to Barons
baseball games and Stallions football games, camp out nearly every
weekend with the kids at the state parks, and have people over at
the drop of a hat. But now, we just don’t seem to have time for that
anymore.

“As you get older, you have your social responsibilities, community
responsibilities, and extra work responsibilities that go above and
beyond the education process. Even after 5 p.m., you have a lot of
commitments.”

At 45, Dr. Partridge credits the professional and spiritual maturity
he has gained over the years with helping him keep the demands
on his time and talents in balance.” As I said before, you must have
some degree of peace with your place in life and the contributions
you are able to make. When you feel good about yourself and what
you are achieving, everything falls into place.”
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