CLEVELAND – Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital, in partnership with Ireland Cancer Center, at University Hospitals Case Medical Center is starting off the new year with a special focus on teen and young adult cancer thanks to a $1.5 million gift from Char and Chuck Fowler in memory of their daughter, Angie, whom they lost to melanoma when she was 14, 25 years ago.
The gift funds the first endowed chair in the United States for adolescent and young adult (AYA) cancer, and the Angie Fowler Adolescent and Young Adult Treatment Suite in the new cancer outpatient space being built at Rainbow.
“We are very pleased to support UH and Rainbow’s initiatives in research regarding teens with cancer,” said Chuck Fowler. “There is so much that could be done to help this age group, and we hope this gift in Angie’s honor will help Rainbow and the Ireland Cancer Center address the particular needs of this important population.”
The Angie Fowler Chair in Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer Research will enable the recruitment of a nationally recognized physician-scientist with expertise in AYA cancer, and will generate annual income to support the chair holder’s patient care programs, clinical innovations and medical research. The Fowlers’ gift is being matched with $500,000 from the Rainbow Babies & Children’s Foundation, as part of a challenge grant issued in 2006 to fund ten new endowed chairs at the hospital.
“We are thrilled to add our support to the Fowlers’ gift and establish this much-needed and much-appreciated chair,” said Julie A. Raskind, President, Rainbow Babies & Children’s Foundation.
“Cancer is the leading disease killer among 20 to 39 year olds,” said Fred C. Rothstein, M.D., President and CEO of University Hospitals Case Medical Center. “The survival rates for teens and young adults have not increased since 1975, despite the many advances for younger and older populations. We are grateful to the Fowlers for their generous gift, which allows us to expand and improve research in this area, and to enhance clinical care in our new outpatient treatment center.”
“Through the establishment of an endowed chair, University Hospitals has made a firm commitment to adolescent and young adult cancer survivors,” said Doug Ulman, chief mission officer for the Lance Armstrong Foundation and himself a three-time survivor of young adult cancer. “This population has long been overlooked in terms of awareness, research and delivery of care. The LIVESTRONG Young Adult Alliance is proud to be working with Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital, along with many other partners, to turn the tide on the number one disease killer of young adults.”
“We do not know why survival rates have been stagnant for this age group, but some of the identifiable factors include biological differences of cancer in young adults versus older adults, less participation in clinical trials, delayed diagnoses, and the reality that young adults are more likely to be uninsured,” said John J. Letterio, M.D., chief of Hematology/Oncology at Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital. “With this meaningful gift in Angie’s memory, and our partnership with the Ireland Cancer Center, it is our hope to dig deeper into these factors, increase the number of young adults in clinical trials, and ultimately, improve survival rates.”
“The dilemma faced by young adults and older teenagers with cancer, an orphaned group compared to younger children and older adults, is now recognized nationally and internationally. Last year, the President’s Cancer Panel reviewed and reported on the deficits in this age group,” said Archie Bleyer, M.D., founder of the Children’s Oncology Group and consultant for St. Charles Medical Center – Bend Cancer Treatment Center. “This year the National Cancer Institute and the Lance Armstrong Foundation completed a year-long review and just released a series of recommendations. The LiveStrong Young Adult Alliance just formally launched the national action plan to implement these recommendations. The International Working Group on AYA Oncology met in Geneva this fall to address how the actions can be implemented around the world. These initiatives, along with Rainbow’s commitment, now have a momentum of their own, and should substantively help the AYA population who, in general, have not fared as well as younger and older patients with cancer.”
Together, the Fowlers and University Hospitals are focused on making an impact on the lives of AYA cancer patients. In addition to the significant endowed chair in AYA cancer, the remaining $500,000 of the Fowler’s gift will create The Angie Fowler Adolescent and Young Adult Treatment Suite, which will provide both communal and private infusion rooms in the new outpatient cancer center being built at Rainbow in partnership with the Ireland Cancer Center. Adolescents and young adults with cancer, as well as survivors, will be involved in the planning of this space and will provide input on the amenities and features that will appeal to this particular age group.
“We saw what Angie endured during treatment,” said Char Fowler. “We are so happy to help make the process a little easier for other young adults.”