By Maureen
McArthur

“"The goal of this
fellowship program is
to train physicians to
become specialists in
the care of women with
cancer."

John van Nagell, Jr., M.D.,
chief of Gynecologic
Oncology,
UK Markey Cancer Center
.

Jan. 25 , 2001 (Lexington, Ky.) -- Officials of the McDowell Cancer Foundation today announced the establishment of an endowed Gynecologic Oncology Fellowship at the University of Kentucky Markey Cancer Center, made possible by a $100,000 gift from the Charlotte R. Schmidlapp Trust and Fifth Third Bank. That major donation will be matched with another $100,000 from the State's Research Challenge Trust Fund.

"We commend Fifth Third Bank and the Charlotte
Schmidlapp Trust for their leadership in establishing this fellowship with the McDowell Cancer Foundation and the UK Markey Cancer Center," said Ben F. Roach, M.D., chairman of the McDowell Cancer Foundation. "This fellowship will support a distinctive program designed to benefit young, disadvantaged women who are at high risk of gynecologic cancers."

"The goal of this fellowship program is to train physicians to become specialists in the care of women with cancer," said John van Nagell, Jr., M.D., chief of Gynecologic Oncology at the UK Markey Cancer Center. "Each fellowship would be three years in length and involve one year of laboratory science and two years of clinical education. There are approximately 80 applicants for each position, so the quality of these physicians is outstanding, and many will be future national leaders in the fight against women's cancers."

During the fellowship program, physicians are Involved in providing screening and treatment to many medically underprivileged women in Appalachia. This includes providing pap smear and colposcopic screening to asymptomatic women at high risk for ovarian cancer. To date, more than 20,000 women have received free ovarian screening. Three hundred tumors and 21 ovarian malignancies have been detected. Screening has resulted in earlier detection and higher survival of women both with cervical and ovarian cancer. Each fellow will receive formal training in surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy while providing service to women referred to the Markey Cancer Center with a variety of pelvic malignancies.

At the successful completion of this three-year fellowship, these graduates will take their board examination to become certified in the subspecialty of gynecologic oncology. Thereafter, the professional lives are dedicated to the care and treatment of women with cancer.

Founded in 1978, the McDowell Cancer Foundation has raised more than $50 million to build and support the UK Markey Cancer Center. The UK Markey Cancer Center is one of only a few cancer centers in the nation that have been built exclusively through private funds. The continuing mission of the Foundation is to support the UK Markey Cancer Center in its efforts to advance the highest standards of cancer care and research.