A new honor

Dr. Russell G. Postier added another feather to his cap in April, when he was named as a David Ross Boyd Professor, the first in our department to achieve this distinction. 

To qualify for a David Ross Boyd Professorship, a faculty member must have consistently demonstrated outstanding teaching, guidance, and leadership for students in an academic discipline or in an interdisciplinary program within the University.

New kids on the block

Match Day 2010 - Congratulations and welcome to the newest members of the Department of Surgery who will join us July 1, 2010.

To the end of the earth

Twelve runners from the Neurofibromatosis (NF) Endurance family including John Steinberg (1991) and Carl Price (1991) and his wife Kathy took a challenge to help raise money for children's tumors by running a marathon in Antarctica, “End of the Earth for a Cure.”

Carl described it as running in frozen peanut butter. John said it was the hardest thing he had ever done but worth the effort. 

For more about their adventures, see the  NF Endurance blog.

Ski Oklahoma or ride the newest roller coaster in Oklahoma City?

Not sure if the latest construction at the new Children's Hospital is a ski slope, a roller coaster or the atrium that will serve as the new front entrance.

The atrium's family-friendly design makes a visit to the doctor's office or a trip to the hospital more pleasant for both patients and their families. Key elements include:

• A nature-inspired interior including water features, natural light and calming décor
• Retail and food service
• A rooftop garden
• Easy access to doctor's offices, hospital rooms and other destinations
• Easy-to-navigate halls
• Simplified signage to guide patients and visitors

It will expand, update and improve the facilities available to Oklahoma's children and their families.

Behind the current construction is the recently completed 14-story pediatric multi-specialty OU Children's Physicians Building.

New Therapy for Breast Cancer - Focused Microwave Thermotherapy

A new treatment developed and tested by University of Oklahoma researchers not only killed large cancer tumors, but reduced the need for mastectomies by almost 90 percent. Researchers at the OU Health Sciences Center are now planning the next phase of clinical trials this year to test the therapy on even larger tumors.


“This therapy is a major advancement for women with later stage breast cancer. Right now, most patients with large tumors lose their breast. With this treatment along with chemotherapy, we were able to kill the cancer and save the breast tissue,” said William Dooley, M.D., a researcher at the OU Cancer Institute and the director of surgical oncology at OU Medicine.


In the most recent study, researchers from several institutions tested the therapy, known as "Focused Microwave Thermotherapy" on tumors that were an inch to an inch and a half in size. These large tumors usually require mastectomies. When researchers used the heating therapy within two hours of patients receiving chemotherapy, the tumor was more susceptible to the chemotherapy and shrunk rapidly. The percentage of patients needing mastectomies was reduced from 75 percent to 7 percent.


“The trial was very successful. We were able to completely reverse those odds,” Dooley said. “We redesigned the machine and will begin clinical trials this year to determine whether the therapy works on tumors that are larger than one and a half inches and smaller than 5 inches in size.”


In theory, Dooley said the technique could be used on any organ that could be “held relatively still.” Scientists are now working to integrate heat-sensitive nanotechnology that would more precisely target cancer cells. They also plan to study a byproduct of the rapid disintegration of the tumor – a boosted immune system. Dooley said it looks like the rapid release of cancer proteins into the blood stream is causing an immune response that could reduce the chance of cancer recurrence.  (From the OUHSC Public Affairs office)

"Excellent" News

Dr. Russell G. Postier will be honored January 28 (rescheduled to February 5) at the annual Evening of Excellence, presented by the University of Oklahoma College of Medicine Alumni Association. The black-tie dinner will be at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, 1700 NE 63rd St., Oklahoma City, starting with a cocktail reception at 6:30 p.m.

Dr. Postier will receive the Distinguished Medical Service Award. The award acknowledges dedication and commitment as a medical professional. G. Rainey Williams, M.D. (1990) and Ronald C. Elkins, M.D. (1997) previously received this award from the Alumni Association.

Proceeds from the annual dinners provide seed grants to young researchers on the road to discovery.

Okla HO HO ma greetings

" Good friends are hard to find, harder to leave, and impossible to forget." With this thought, the Department of Surgery wishes all of  you a very Merry Christmas and all the luck the New Year could possibly bring to you.