Special Thanks from the President
Mays Cancer Center Annual Report
I am pleased to report that 2019 was yet another year of tremendous progress for the Mays Cancer Center, home to UT Health San Antonio MD Anderson Cancer Center. The continued growth and development of the relationship we enjoy with MD Anderson Cancer Center, the recruitment of outstanding clinicians and investigators to the Mays Cancer Center, the national recognition and success our research faculty have had in their published research, and the generous support we have received from community partners and donors are just a few of the areas of success we experienced last year.
The partnership between UT Health San Antonio and MD Anderson is a unique collaboration that benefits cancer patients in the San Antonio and South Texas region by enhancing clinical cancer capabilities so patients in the region do not have to travel far from home for care. This relationship has benefitted many patients since the partnership formally began in early 2018. The Mays Cancer Center is a National Cancer Institute-designated cancer center.
Mays Cancer Center Director Ruben Mesa, M.D., FACP, is a nationally recognized leader in cancer research and care who was recruited to San Antonio two and a half years ago from the Mayo Clinic in Arizona. He has done an excellent job of recruiting talented faculty since his arrival. I hope that you will enjoy reading the story in this issue about Daruka Mahadevan, M.D., Ph.D., the new chief of the Division of Hematology and Medical Oncology, and his work focused on early phase therapeutics in the treatment and management of patients with pancreatic cancer, gastrointestinal stromal tumors, myelodysplastic syndromes and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, including chronic lymphocytic leukemia.
High-impact scholarly research that directly benefits patient care is something our Mays Cancer Center faculty take very seriously and for which they have earned a national reputation. As an example, the Genome Repair Program, highlighted in this issue, is one of many such programs. In addition, our faculty at the Mays Cancer Center have a strong focus on cancers that disproportionately affect Latinos.
Finally, our efforts to care for more patients successfully would not be possible without the generous support of many donors. Gifts large and small help recruit faculty who are in high demand around the country, fund the purchasing of needed equipment, and support the work of faculty in many domains.
We are grateful for your steadfast support of the Mays Cancer Center and your commitment to outstanding cancer research, compassionate patient care, and advanced cancer treatments.
William L. Henrich, M.D., MACP
President, UT Health San Antonio
John P. Howe, III, M.D., Distinguished Chair in Health Policy
Professor of Medicine
