Pushing the Boundaries of Women’s Health Research pot

Letter from the Director Registry News Preparing Women’s Health Leaders to be Healthy Women Sex and Gender Based Research Clinical Research New Women’s Cancer Center, Northwe

Issue 3 - Spring 2010

Women’s Health Research

With all the media attention on obesity these days, it would

be difficult to claim that you are not aware of the epidemic Popular TV shows like “The Biggest Loser,” and daily evening news features have certainly made Americans aware that obesity is on the rise in our

country You may have seen movies and television specials addressing the fault of the food industry, or websites promising an affordable at-home fitness routine But with the focus on what we eat and how little we exercise, things that many overweight people find difficult to overcome, it might be easy to forget why obesity is a problem Many women think of obesity as primarily

a cosmetic and quality of life issue, and while it is true that obesity takes an emotional toll, particularly

in adolescents, it needs to be recognized that beyond cosmetic implications, obesity is a serious medical condition

What is Obesity?

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) define obesity

as a body mass index (BMI) of 30 and above Body mass index is a measurement system for indicating relative health and is calculated using a person’s height and weight Many people are not aware of their BMI, and while they may admit they are overweight, they fail to realize that they are considered medically obese Although the CDC uses BMI

as an indicator of health, it may not

be the best indicator for all people For instance a man and woman of the same height and weight may have very different percentages

of fat on their bodies A more accurate measurement of body fat percentage can be taken using a bioelectric impedance analysis (BIA) monitor, which uses a small electrical charge to determine percentage

of fat vs muscle and water The average woman should have 25-31% body fat, or lower for athletes and physically fit women Although measuring body fat directly can give

a good estimation of your health, recent research has shown that where your fat is carried can make a large difference in your risk of weight-related health concerns According

to the NIH, fat carried around the waist is more indicative of health problems than fat carried in the hips and thighs, even if the BMI is within the normal range In general a waist

Spotlight on Obesity:

Is it just your weight?

Spotlight on Obesity:

Is it just your weight?

Letter from the

Director

Registry News

Preparing Women’s

Health Leaders to be

Healthy Women

Sex and Gender

Based Research

Clinical Research

New Women’s Cancer

Center, Northwestern

Memorial Hospital

Institute Happenings

continued, Page 3

Although obesity is a rising problem in the U.S., other eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia remain a problem, particularly for women See our online blog for more information on disordered eating.

Letter from the Director, Teresa K Woodruff, Ph.D.

Teresa K Woodruff, Ph.D.

Director, Institute for Women’s Health Research Thomas J Watkins Professor of OB/GYN Chief, Division of Fertility Preservation Feinberg School of Medicine

Last spring, we celebrated the

enactment of the Women’s

Health Office Act (WHOA) which

permanently authorized offices

of women’s health within federal

agencies This is an important

step to ensure that women’s health

remains a national priority but we

must remain vigilant and continue

advocating for sex-based medicine

In September, a number of

re-sources have become available that

will serve as a framework for the

next decade of women’s health

The federal Office of Research on

Women’s Health (ORWH)

cel-ebrated its 20th Anniversary on

September 27 and sponsored a

Sci-entific Symposium that included

the release of several major

re-ports The first report, Highlights

of NIH Women’s Health and Sex

Differences Research, 1990-2010,

focuses on what the National

Insti-tutes of Health (NIH) identified as

their best examples of research in

women’s health Another

publica-tion, Moving into the Future with

New Dimensions and Strategies:

A Vision for 2020 for Women’s

Health Research is a compilation

of the scientific workshop

proceed-ings at five regional meetproceed-ings

(including one at our own

North-western University) held across the

country during the past two years

This publication includes scientific

updates as well as public

testi-monies that were presented at the

regional forums A Strategic Plan

based on the findings summarized

in these reports was written and will serve as the guide for the next decade of women’s health research

Theses reports can be accessed at http://orwh.od.nih.gov/

The Institute of Medicine also released a report entitled, Women’s Health Research: Progress, Pit-falls, and Promise http://www.iom

edu/Reports/2010/Womens-Health- Research-Progress-Pitfalls-and-Promise.aspx, that was commis-sioned by the U.S Congress The charge to the IOM committee writ-ing this report was to examine what the research on women’s health has revealed, how the results have been communicated to the public, and what are the key gaps

The week after these reports were released, I had the privilege of serving on a distinguished panel

of experts who provided testimony before the Congressional Caucus

on Women’s Issues on the status of

women’s health I was asked to focus my remarks on new technol-ogies and scientific breakthroughs that may contribute to healthier women and therefore a healthier population

Technologies like computational modeling, bioinformatics, nano-science as well as synthetic and bio-analytical chemistry hold the promise of identifying the caus-ative relationship between cellular function and disease susceptibility

in a sex-dependent manner How

do we encourage more studies

on sex and gender basis of health and disease especially in classical disciplines such as chemistry, engi-neering and the physical sciences? These areas have been responsible for numerous breakthroughs in bio-medical research and are essential for the next revolution in gender-based research Research involving several new technologies include

a revolutionary microscope that is reaching the kind of resolution that will allow us to define how ele-ments like zinc and copper control the fate of individual cells

Emerging technologies and in-terventional instrumentation can

be developed with an awareness

of sex-differences in their

applica-2 Pushing the Boundaries of Women’s Health Spring applica-2010

Pushing the Boundaries of Women’s Health Spring 2010 3

measurement greater than 35

inches for women (40 inches for

men) is an excellent indicator of

higher disease risk1

Although both men and women are

susceptible to the negative health

effects of obesity, many women

don’t realize that the prevalence of

obesity is higher in women: 34%

percent of women versus 27.7% of

men are obese Extreme obesity

is also more common in women2

Black (non-Hispanic) women as

a population have the highest

prevalence of obesity at 50.8%

Furthermore, 78% of this same

population in the United States

is overweight The occurrence of

obesity has increased in women

from 26% of the population from

1988-1994 to 34% from 1999-20003

In Illinois alone, the occurrence of

obesity in all adults has increased

from <10% in 1985 to 26.4% in

2008; leaving Illinois the 22nd most

obese state in the United States4

These statistics are significant

because a BMI that exceeds 30

increases the risk of death related

to obesity among U.S women by

50%3 Women need to be aware

of their health and make conscious

efforts to integrate healthy habits

into their daily lives and the lives of

their families, particularly as time

becomes short, stress becomes

high and portion sizes continue

to grow in the U.S Obesity is a

preventable medical condition that

causes a mixture of life-threatening

diseases in women

Health Risks

In addition to the stress that excess

weight puts on the joints and

bones, there are several health

conditions that are caused by, or

exacerbated by obesity, particularly

in women Among these conditions

are arthritis, gall bladder disease,

infertility, and birth defects, as

well as the complications that accompany these disorders

Perhaps the three most life-threatening illnesses, however, that are associated with obesity in women are cancer, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease3

CANCER

It may seem surprising that obesity can increase your risk of cancer

However, research has indicated that obese women are at increased risk of developing breast cancer after menopause In addition, weight gain after menopause may also increase the risk of breast cancer3 This surprising correlation may be due to the fact that estrogen

is produced from steroids made and stored in the fat (adipose) cells5 This higher level of estrogen

in obese women may contribute

to post-menopausal breast cancer risk In addition to breast cancer, women with obesity have three to four times the risk of endometrial cancer than women with a lower BMI3 The exact mechanisms as

to how obesity may cause cancer are not known, but possible mechanisms include alterations

in sex hormones (as mentioned above) and in insulin levels in obese people6

DIABETES About 90% of type II Diabetes (also called adult onset diabetes)

is attributable to excess weight7 Many obese individuals have

a condition called metabolic syndrome, which describes an individual with any of several health indicators such as insulin resistance, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and/or excess abdominal fat This condition is considered a high risk factor for both diabetes and cardiovascular disease Approximately 197 million people worldwide have impaired glucose tolerance, most commonly because of obesity and metabolic syndrome7 In type II Diabetes, the body is either insulin resistant (meaning the cells do not respond to insulin) or the pancreas does not produce enough insulin, causing an inability to breakdown glucose effectively Although type

II diabetes may be managed with medication, the complications are severe and widespread including cardiovascular disease, nerve damage, kidney failure, and amputation (usually from nerve damage in the feet)

Spotlight on Obesity continued

Calculate your BMI

Weight (lbs) x 703 BMI =

height squared (in2)

Example: Ms Smith is 5’4”(or 64”) and weighs 125 pounds (lbs)

125 x 703 87875 BMI = = = 21.5

64 x 64 4096

continued on page 4

Obesity

4 Pushing the Boundaries of Women’s Health Spring 2010

CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is

a general term used to describe

various diseases and syndromes

of the heart and blood vessels

Included in the definition are

diseases such as coronary artery

disease, heart arrhythmia, heart

valve disease, heart failure, and

congenital heart defects, among

others Heart disease is the

number one killer of both men

and women worldwide, making it

perhaps the worst consequence

of obesity and poor health habits

Obesity increases risk of CVD

through other risk factors such

as high blood pressure, high cholesterol and high blood sugar8 Obese women need to be aware

of their increased risk of heart attack, stroke, or death related to cardiovascular disease Women often exhibit atypical symptoms

of CVD, which may make this condition particularly difficult to diagnose

Obesity is an epidemic among women in the United States As the media has shown us the increase in obesity is likely due to increased stress, social and career pressure, increased portion sizes

and poor availability of healthy food options The body of scientific and medical research

on obesity is continuously growing, with more correlations and complications being found each year For both women and men, it is important to take these issues seriously because obesity

is not just about our weight; it is about our health and our lives References:

1 National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases Weight and Waist Measurement: Tools for Adults (November 2008) http:// win.niddk.nih.gov/Publications/ tools.htm#circumf

2 American Obesity Association AOA Fact Sheets: Obesity in the U.S (2005) Accessed April 8, 2010 http:// obesity1.tempdomainname.com/ subs/fastfacts/obesity_US.shtml

3 American Obesity Association AOA Fact Sheets: Women and Obesity (2005) Accessed April 8, 2010 http:// obesity1.tempdomainname.com/ subs/fastfacts/obesity_women.shtml

4 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention U.S Obesity Trends November 2009 http://www.cdc gov/obesity/data/trends.html#State

5 Trentham-Dietz et al Body Size and Risk of Breast Cancer

American Journal of Epidemiology

145(11):1011 (1997).

6 National Cancer Institute Obesity and Cancer: Questions and Answers (2004) http://www.cancer.gov/ cancertopics/factsheet/Risk/obesity

7 Hossain et al Obesity and Diabetes

in the Developing World – A Growing

Challenge New England Journal of

Medicine 356:213-215 (2007).

8 Grundy, Scott M Obesity, Metabolic Syndrome, and Cardiovascular Disease Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism 89(6):

2595-2600 (2004).

Spotlight on Obesity continued

Pushing the Boundaries of Women’s Health Spring 2010 5

As the front page article explains, obesity is an epidemic

problem We as women have the opportunity to turn this

around We can set good examples for our friends and

fam-ily by taking care of ourselves and sharing information on

how others can change their behavior and outlook on the

serious consequences of obesity Several of our Registry

questions surround the topic of obesity Here is how our

women have responded:

1 Women who took version 2 of the survey reported

an average height of 5’4” and an average weight

of 158.7lbs Using a standard BMI calculator (see

page 3), this means the average BMI of our sample

is 27.2, indicating that as a group we are

over-weight Women who have reached menopause (age

of 51+) have an average BMI of 27.6 This

informa-tion is not surprising considering the nainforma-tional

statis-tics Our challenge is to focus on ways we can

imple-ment real healthy lifestyle changes in each of our lives

2 Sixty-one percent of women are currently trying to lose

weight, but only 33% of participants report being

over-weight or obese This suggests that women are either not

sure how to classify their weight or some of our women

that report being a little overweight (35%), are trying to do

something about those pesky 5-10 lbs they need to lose

3 During an average day women are consuming about 3.4 servings of fruits and vegetables (a serving is

equal to ½ cup or a medium piece) The

suggest-ed USDA amount of fruits and vegetables com-bined is ~4 cups for women 19 years and older

4 Women are engaging in ~11 hours of moderate activity and ~3 hours of vigorous activity per week The good news

is that we are moving, but is it enough? New

recommen-dations suggest 60 minutes of cardiovascular activity

each day and maybe even more important is the

num-ber of calories spent engaging in activity during a week

5 Six percent of our Registry participants report having a form of diabetes (10% if we include gestational diabe-tes), 10% report having high blood pressure, and 22% report having high cholesterol.

Many of us lead a very busy lifestyle, therefore it is not of-ten easy to carve out time to plan nutritious meals or exer-cise enough to offset our daily caloric intake As women

we should support one another, our family members and friends in reaching or maintaining a healthy weight to avoid all the health problems that can result from carrying around excess baggage.

Take the Challenge!

The Institute for Women’s

Health Research invites

you to take the challenge

and recruit at least

three of your female

friends and relatives in

Illinois to join the Registry You are our best advocate! Our goal

is to reach 6000 participants by the end of this summer, but in

order to accurately represent women throughout the state, we

need women in all counties, all ages and all health conditions

The survey will only take 30 minutes of your time, once a year

Every women counts and will help us to advance women’s health

in Illinois together

Don’t forget to renew your own survey each year!!!

Illinois Women’s Health Registry News

What the Registry data is telling us:

6 Pushing the Boundaries of Women’s Health Spring 2010

In March, twenty-nine high school girls graduated from

the fourth year of the Oncofertility Saturday Academy (OSA) OSA is one of four programs offered through the Women’s Health Science Program for High School Girls and Beyond (whsp.northwestern.edu) Scientists and clinicians navigated these high school girls through

a total of seven Saturday modules to authentically experience the translational nature of reproductive sciences, cancer biology, and oncofertility Through these experiences the high school girls are empowered with scientific knowledge and healthy actions.

The girls’ OSA experience begins at the laboratory bench Working alongside scientists, the students dissect the reproductive anatomy of a female mouse Observing an ovary under a microscope, they practice isolating follicles and identifying the different stages

of follicular development This is the same procedure being performed in oncofertility research to develop fertility preservation methods From the laboratory, OSA transitions the girls to the hospital Walking down the hospital corridor with surgeons, wearing surgical scrubs, the girls experience firsthand how basic science research is translated to clinical patient care Viewing surgical videos and manipulating the da Vinci surgical robot the girls learn how ovarian tissue is removed from cancer patients

to preserve their fertility These are two of many OSA real-life learning experiences that provide the girls with relevant knowledge to better understand and appreciate how their own reproductive system works.

Directors of OSA, Teresa K Woodruff, PhD, and Megan Faurot, MEd, designed OSA to prepare the girls to be active leaders

in the field of science and medicine, specifically women’s health In addition to being challenged with advance science concepts and skills, the program instills in the girls that to be leaders in women’s health they should strive to be healthy women Healthy actions embedded into the OSA program consist of nutritious, well-balanced breakfasts and lunches, prepared by Northwestern Memorial Hospital dietitians, and fitness classes.

Every day of OSA the girls’ interact with many women who

are at various stages of their career trajectory The girls

have the opportunity to meet Northwestern University

undergraduate students who are majoring in science to

meeting Vivian Pinn, MD, Director, Office of Research on

Women’s Health, National Institute of Health Interacting

and building relationships with these women, the girls begin

to actually visualize themselves at the different stages of

their own career trajectory To date 66 high school girls have

gone through OSA, the program provides each of girls with

ongoing support as they transition to college and beyond to

become the next generation of women leaders in science and

medicine

Preparing Women’s Health Leaders To Be Healthy Women

OSA students and faculty after finishing a morning lab

session at Northwestern University’s Chicago campus.

OSA students working out with personal trainer Jocelyn Davis (http://www.akemifitness.com/).

Pushing the Boundaries of Women’s Health Research Spring 2010 7

Megan is the Director of Education Programs for

the Institute for Women’s Health Research Her role in the Institute is to design, deliver and evaluate education programs for girls and women at all academic and professional levels to increase their understanding

of women’s health to successfully pursue their career goals Prior to joining the Institute, she worked at Young Women’s Leadership Charter School of Chicago where she was the biology teacher and department director While working at the secondary education level she began her efforts to initiate and develop science partnerships with community outreach organizations and academic institutions throughout Chicago Her experience with building partnerships continues as she directs the Women’s Health Science Program for High School Girls and Beyond This program is dependent on collaborative efforts with local high schools and multiple departments and institutions within Northwestern University and Northwestern Memorial Hospital

Megan directs the Women’s Health Research Monthly Forum offered to the Northwestern community This educational program features professionals from Northwestern University and institutions across the nation to present authoritative, evidence-based research that focuses on basic science, clinical applications, and social implications related to sexual dimorphisms Megan is also designing a graduate level women’s health and leadership program for basic scientists, clinicians and educators.

Megan earned her bachelor’s degree in biology and secondary education form Kalamazoo College She completed a Master’s degree and is now working towards her Doctoral degree of Science Education from Illinois Institute of Technology.

Candace Tingen, PhD: A Profile

Student: Eboni Hunley, Depaul Univ Freshman

Eboni’s OSA Experience: Eboni participated

in OSA as a high school student in 2008 and 2009

In 2010, as a college freshman, she returned to the

program as an alumni leader to support the 12th

grade participants through the “Oncofertility and

Surgery” module Due to her continued commitment

and engagement towards the program Eboni was

appointed as the student leader of the OSA student

network that consists of 66 young women today and

will continue to grow each year

Academic Successes and Goals: Eboni

graduated from Young Women’s Leadership Charter

School in 2009 She received a full-ride scholarship

to attend DePaul University in Chicago and is

studying mathematical sciences and biology After

earning her undergraduate degree, her goal is to

pursue a doctoral degree in bioengineering from

Northwestern University

Career Goal: Eboni attributes one of her OSA

experiences as the “moment” when she knew with

confidence that she wanted to become a bioengineer

Her future career trajectory was defined in February

2009 as she worked at the console of the da Vinci

surgical robot with Patrick Lowe, MD, a nationally

recognized expert in robotic surgery for gynecologic

cancer Eboni wants to design and develop other

innovative instruments to improve health care

services for patients

Oncofertility Saturday Academy (OSA)

Student Profile

Paula Stern, Ph.D

CELLULAR BASIS OF SEX-SPECIFIC SKELETAL EFFECTS OF ESTROGEN AND ANDROGEN

Maintenance of a strong skeleton in the adult requires

a balance between bone resorption and formation Osteoclast-mediated bone resorption is essential for removing worn and weakened bone Under normal conditions this is followed by osteoblast-mediated formation of new bone When there is an imbalance between these processes with excessive osteoclast activity, there is bone loss, which can progress to osteoporosis.

Since estrogen and androgen are both critical for maintenance of bone, the purpose of Dr Stern’s study

is to investigate whether there are differences in the responses of male and female human osteoblast and osteoclast precursor cells to these hormones

to determine whether they mediate their skeletal effects differently in the two sexes Ninety-four bone-related genes were examined in human osteoblasts Preliminary results have indicated that of these, 9 genes were higher in osteoblasts from males and 1 gene was higher in osteoblasts from females, thus 10 genes were expressed differently between the sexes Five genes were differentially regulated by estrogen or androgen in osteoblasts from the two sexes Ongoing studies will extend the work to osteoblasts from additional cell lines and to osteoclast precursor cells from males and females.

What does this mean? Women have a higher

incidence of osteoporosis Does this have anything to

do with the fact that men and women produce different amounts of estrogen and androgen throughout life? The effects of these two hormones on bone have not been compared in a comprehensive manner or compared in bone cells from both sexes A deeper understanding of the mechanisms by which these hormones affect bone cells could identify new targets for sex-specific therapies

8 Pushing the Boundaries of Women’s Health Spring 2010

There is a lack of funding for sex- and

gender-based research, in addition to a lack of

awareness that conducting sexually dimorphic

studies is critical to advancing knowledge that

can lead to breakthrough discoveries effecting

changes and improvements in clinical care

across every medical discipline In service of

our mission to increase the sex- and

gender-based research portfolio at Northwestern, the

Institute developed its Pioneer Grants program to

provide investigators with seed funding ($25,000)

Investigators must either currently study or would

like to initiate new research focusing on the sex and

gender determinants of health and disease We

strive to provide the catalyst that will encourage

the Northwestern community to take the lead in

designing and analyzing experiments based on

sex

Specifically, this program:

• Enables early career investigators to conduct

pilot studies that will help build their portfolio,

thereby enhancing their ability to compete for

large federal grants

• Permits a senior investigator to explore a new

and innovative research direction

• Provides a mechanism for senior investigators

to mentor young scientists who are interested

in sex- based research that will support these

young investigators to work in their clinic or lab

• Advances our knowledge of women’s health

through innovative research and a collaborative

spirit that allows researchers to “think outside

the box”

Sex and Gender Based

Research 2009/2010 Highlighted Pioneer Award Recipient

The 2009/2010 Pioneer Award

recipients are moving their research

projects forward Drs Martha Gulati

and Franck Mauvais-Jarvis have

presented findings from their research

projects at national conferences

already this year We wish all the

recipients continued success!

Pushing the Boundaries of Women’s Health Spring 2010 9

Nancy, age 63, agreed to share her experience

as a Registry member.

How did you hear about the Registry? My

daughter-in-law.

Why did you decide to enroll? I believe that the

Registry is a very important resource for learning

about women’s health.

How long have you been participating? Two years

plus (Nancy has taken all 3 versions of the survey)

Do you feel a 30-minute survey is too much to ask

women to complete? Absolutely not—I just updated

my information It was painless and didn’t feel like it

took very long.

Did any of the Registry questions cause you to

think about your health in a different way or

pos-sibly even follow-up with your doctor about

some-thing in particular? Yes—when I have to answer

questions about my fitness, it always spurs me to get

more active.

Is there an area/body system you wish we

cov-ered in more detail? Yes—some of my health issues

“fall through the cracks.” For instance, I have not been

diagnosed with a specific autoimmune disease, but I

have had positive indications in blood tests over the

past 5 to 10 years There are some places where I

could give some details (i.e one question asked if I

have mitral valve prolapse I was able to “write-in”

that I don’t have prolapse, but do have mitral valve

regurgitation).

You are a Registry participant that has matched

an ongoing clinical research study, and have

agreed to participate Could you tell us all about

your experience in doing so? What study did you

participate in? I am participating in a study to

deter-mine the impact on osteoarthritis of the knees based

on the strength of hip muscles

Did you feel educated enough about the study?

Yes, I did feel pretty well educated after my first day of

testing.

Did you feel the connection we provided to the

study coordinator was easy and convenient? Yes,

I do feel connected to the study coordinators They

have given me their phone numbers and e-mail

ad-dresses and have called me periodically throughout the study.

What about the process did you like or dislike?

My only small dislike was the length of time I spent during the testing It was a long drive from my home for the second day of testing, but it wasn’t really much

of an inconvenience—certainly not enough that it would deter me from participating now or in the future

I am happy to go through a little inconvenience in order to provide information that may be of help to someone in the future I liked the staff that worked with me very much They were caring, considerate, professional and informative I also like the informa-tion available on the Institute’s websites

My only other comment is that it would be nice to know what is determined from the testing that is done during the study This would enable the participants

to use the information learned about themselves to benefit her health and well-being

Clinical Research

An interview with a Registry Participant

Painful Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy Study

Are you between 18 and 75 years of age with a diagnosis of painful diabetic peripheral neuropathy

in both legs? Please contact the Registry office if you would like information about this study or are interested in being contacted by the study coordinator Phone: 312-503-1662

Response to Nancy’s comment:

This is a great comment and here at the Institute

we advocate for study coordinator follow-up

We strongly encourage Registry participants enrolled in studies to contact the coordinators and specifically ask how and when they will receive results from the study For the knee osteoarthritis (OA) study, newsletters will be sent

to all participants after baseline evaluations are completed in addition to another newsletter when the study is finished in 2 years Newsletters will include helpful information about OA and updates

on what has been published Finally, after the study is complete, Dr Sharma will send letters

to each participant letting them know how their knee x-rays, muscle strength, and measures

of functioning have changed from baseline to follow-up.

For another participant’s perspective on this study please visit, http://blog.womenshealth.northwestern edu/2010/03/participating-in-a-research-study-can-be-fun/

10 Pushing the Boundaries of Women’s Health Spring 2010

The Maggie Daley Center for Women’s Cancer Care

was unveiled April 19, at a ceremony that marked

the debut of a novel center for treating breast and

gynecological cancers and honored the First Lady

of Chicago The Center for Women’s Cancer Care,

part of the Robert H Lurie Comprehensive Cancer

Center of Northwestern University, is located within

Northwestern Memorial Prentice Women’s Hospital

Mrs Daley, who receives treatment for breast cancer

at the Lurie Cancer Center, attended the ceremony

accompanied by Mayor Richard M Daley The new

two-floor center offers a unique “one-stop shopping”

integrative, holistic approach that addresses and

centralizes all of a woman’s needs emotional,

aesthetic and physical during treatment

A patient can easily access services to improve

her quality of life in the same place she is seeing

internationally renowned medical oncologists,

gynecologists and surgical oncologists and receiving

cutting-edge therapy for breast and gynecological

cancers A radiant and beaming Mrs Daley, spoke

at the ceremonial unveiling, “When people walk into

this center for women’s cancer care, which now

carries my name a fact that has honored me more

than anyone will ever know I feel certain that they

Northwestern Memorial Hospital Opens New

Women’s Cancer Center

will receive the utmost care possible both medically and emotionally, in both big and small ways,” she said

At the new Center for Women’s Cancer Care, women can get acupuncture or Reiki, visit a nutritionist or see

a health psychologist to cope with their diagnoses and life during treatment Adding to the convenience,

a woman can receive many of these services while she is being infused with chemotherapy A new program also offers rehabilitation services for women to maximize their strength and endurance

A new “healing boutique” offers wig and prosthesis fittings, hats and makeup consultations for patients undergoing chemotherapy and radiation treatments Centralizing these services is important because finding and driving to various locations often feels overwhelming to a patient whose primary focus is cancer treatment

The Center for Women’s Cancer Care offers patients access to novel therapies and drugs and the access

to more than 100 clinical trials A cancer genetics program within the center screens patients at higher-than-average risk for cancer and provides education and guidelines for early detection and possible prevention of the disease The center includes 11

private chemotherapy rooms, most with lake views, and a group chemotherapy area, providing patients with a choice of environments

The Maggie Daley Center for Women’s Cancer Care is a partnership between

Foundation, Northwestern University

Northwestern Memorial and the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago To learn more about the Center or to make

an appointment with a cancer specialist, call 866-LURIECC or visit cancer northwestern.edu

Mrs Maggie Daley (seated), Mayor Richard Daley, Mrs Ann Lurie, Dr Steven Rosen

at the new Maggie Daley Center for Women’s Cancer Care at Northwestern Memorial

Prentice Women’s Hospital.

Photo credit: Nathan Mandell