UAMS Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute, Little Rock
As part of the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS), the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute offers patients diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma and lung cancer the most comprehensive care and treatment in the state. The facility is staffed by medical oncologists and thoracic surgeons who are equipped with state-of-the-art equipment and technology and supported by more than 160 cancer researchers. Scientists are conducting more cancer clinical trials on more types of cancer than anywhere else in the state, and patients have access to surgical expertise, chemotherapy, hormone therapy, immunotherapy, and other treatments, as well as comprehensive lung cancer screening services.
Facts about UAMS and the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute
UAMS is the only health sciences university in the state of Arkansas, and the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute offers the most comprehensive cancer care in the state.
UAMS has set a goal called Vision 2029 for the 150th anniversary of the opening of its medical school – the first in the state: By 2029 it hopes to lead Arkansas to be the healthiest state in the region through a combination of education, clinical care, research, and leadership.
UAMS is the only adult Level One Trauma Center in Arkansas. Its hospital has a capacity of 535 beds.
In addition to the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute, UAMS is home to the Harvey & Bernice Jones Eye Institute; the Donald W. Reynolds Institute on Aging; the Jackson T. Stephens Spine & Neurosciences Institute; the Psychiatric Research Institute; the Translational Research Institute; and the Institute for Digital Health and Innovation, which offers more than 30 digital health programs to improve access to physicians with expertise in a variety of specialties.[1]
History
UAMS was founded in 1879, when eight physicians pooled their money and invested $625 each to start Arkansas’ first medical school. From that $5,000 beginning, the UAMS now represents a $4 billion annual economic impact on the state of Arkansas, and created the most comprehensive care center in the region.
The medical school moved from its original location in a former restaurant and hotel several times, until the 1930s when funding from the Public Works Administration under President Franklin Delano Roosevelt was used to build a new facility. Additional funding came from a tax on beer and liquor. Two decades later, cigarette tax money was used to fund a $7.4 million University Hospital that became the home of the University of Arkansas Medical Center in 1956.[2]
The small medical school and charity hospital became an academic health center, and as it expanded with new injections of funds, it added more space for education, patient care, research, and outreach programs.
Over the years, UAMS added several advanced institutes, including the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute in 1984. Originally named the Arkansas Cancer Research Center, it was renamed to honor the state’s late lieutenant governor in 2007. In 2010 the cancer center underwent a 12-floor expansion: Today, it records more than 130,000 patient visits per year.[2]
Mesothelioma Treatment at UAMS Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute
At UAMS Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute, specialists treat each patient as unique and deserving of personalized care. The lung cancer and mesothelioma team includes surgeons, radiation oncologists, medical oncologists, radiologists, pulmonologists, nurses, social workers, and support professionals. A weekly meeting is scheduled to discuss each patient’s treatment plan and condition, evaluate side effects, and work to offer the best outcome and quality of life.[3]
Research
UAMS is conducting a proprietary research project aimed at determining how the special characteristics of lung cancer cells can be used to increase the effectiveness of individual therapies. The study’s authors hope to maximize the effectiveness of new therapies that target the metabolic processes within tumor cells.[1]
Notable Staff and Mesothelioma Specialists
Lung cancer and mesothelioma patients seeking care at UAMS Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute can benefit from the expertise of Dr. Matthe Steliga, a thoracic oncologist and surgeon with extensive experience in minimally invasive thoracic surgery. Additionally, hematologist/oncologist Dr. Konstantinos Arnaoutakis specializes in lung cancer, head and neck cancer, and genitourinary cancers, and offers lung cancer and mesothelioma patients his expertise in the use of chemotherapy, hormone therapy, and immunotherapy.
Patients in Arkansas can access expert lung cancer and mesothelioma care close to home at the UAMS Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute.
