Mountain Views News          Saturday, January 15, 2011

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Mountain Views News Saturday, January 15, 2011

CITY OF HOPE REACHES HISTORIC TREATMENT MILESTONE 
WITH 10,000TH BONE MARROW TRANSPLANT


City of Hope, which helped pioneer bone 
marrow transplantation three and a half decades 
ago, performed its 10,000th transplant 
on Jan. 13, becoming one of the first institutions 
in the world to reach this milestone. 
Bone marrow or stem cell transplantation—
collectively known as hematopoietic 
cell transplantation (HCT)—is a complex, 
often lifesaving procedure in which stem 
cells are used to help cure patients of their 
cancer. It is most often used for patients battling 
diseases like leukemia, lymphoma and 
myeloma.

“Day to day, our work is all about a single 
life at stake that we’re trying to save,” said 
Stephen J. Forman, M.D., Francis and 
Kathleen McNamara Distinguished Chair 
in Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell 
Transplantation and chair of the Department 
of Hematology & Hematopoietic Cell 
Transplantation. “Reaching 10,000, you 
think about the many people—children and 
adults—who have benefited from City of 
Hope’s care and research ••• the many wonderful 
people who have come here trusting 
us to care for them, hoping for a cure.”

In the nearly 35 years since City of Hope 
physicians performed one of the nation’s 
first successful bone marrow transplants, 
the institution has helped transplantation 
evolve into a gold standard treatment for 
several diseases.

On Jan. 13, 2011, City of Hope performed 
its 10,000th transplant on a patient with advanced 
leukemia who received stem cells 
from an unrelated volunteer donor who was 
a compatible match.

City of Hope performed its first successful 
bone marrow transplant in 1976 on a young 
college student from Indiana who was diagnosed 
with acute myeloid leukemia. His 
physician told him he should prepare himself 
for inevitable death. But his cousin, a 
physician in Los Angeles, knew that City of 
Hope was launching a bone marrow transplant 
program. The young student went to 
City of Hope to undergo a bone marrow 
transplant, and he has remained in remission 
for 35 years.

Each year, he and thousands of other survivors, 
their families and hospital staff attend 
City of Hope’s Bone Marrow Transplant Reunion, 
a rite of spring held on the Duarte, 
Calif. campus.

City of Hope currently performs nearly 500 
bone marrow transplant procedures each 
year. During transplant, patients typically 
undergo high doses of chemotherapy and/
or radiation that helps eradicate the cancer 
cells but also destroy their bone marrow 
and immune systems. Patients then receive 
stem cells from one of several sources which 
then rebuild their blood and immune systems. 
Different sources of stem cells can be 
utilized depending on the disease and the 
availability of stem cell donors. Autologous 
transplants isolate and use the patient’s own 
healthy stem cells. Related donor allogeneic 
transplants use donor stem cells from 
a compatible relative or sibling, while unrelated 
donor allogeneic transplants use cells 
from altruistic volunteers who registered 
themselves as potential bone marrow donors. 
Umbilical cord blood stem cells also 
can be used. City of Hope recently was 
recognized by the National Marrow Donor 
Program registry as the only center in 2010 
to achieve above average survival rates in 
unrelated transplants for five consecutive 
years.

“All of our research and treatment efforts reflect 
our commitment to patients and their 
families—recognizing each of them as a 
dignified human being with a story to tell 
and a life to live,” said Forman. “They also 
are our partners in developing new therapies 
for those who will come to us tomorrow 
for care. There are a significant number 
of people who are alive today because they 
were and are a part of something we did at 
City of Hope that was both bold and new.”

City of Hope laboratory and clinical scientists 
continue to make transplants safer and 
more effective, and help extend the length 
and quality of patients’ lives. New transplant 
procedures are improving cure rates, extending 
the procedure to older patients and 
expanding the use of transplants to diseases 
beyond leukemia, lymphoma and multiple 
myeloma.

City of Hope virologists were among the 
first to develop an investigational vaccine 
to prevent cytomegalovirus, a potentially 
deadly infection to HCT patients. City of 
Hope researchers also are developing genetically 
modified T cells that can specifically 
recognize cancer cells and help improve the 
cure rate of transplant. They also created a 
technique combining HIV-fighting gene 
therapy with HCT to cure patients of AIDS-
related lymphoma while blocking the virus 
causing AIDS. City of Hope scientists also 
are investigating using radioimmunotherapy 
instead of total body radiation in which 
engineered immune molecules deliver targeted 
radiation directly to cancer cells in the 
transplant patient.

Snow Predicted in Duarte on Jan 
22 Good Sledding Ahead for Kids 
at Duarte Park 

The Duarte Unified School District after school program, THINK 
Together (Teaching, Helping, Inspiring & Nurturing Kids), will 
bring a free snow day to Duarte youth 13 years of age and under 
on Saturday, January 22 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. to kick off the year.

Twenty tons of snow will be brought into Duarte Park adjacent 
to Duarte’s Teen Center at 1400 Buena Vista St. Kids will have the 
opportunity of sledding down a man made hill on sleds that will be 
provided at the park. There will also be music, a craft-making workshop, 
and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for the first 300 youth 
provided by THINK Together. Duarte Kiwanis will serve hot cocoa 
and members of the L.A. County Fire Dept., L.A. County Sheriff’s, 
and L.A. County Probation Dept. will be on hand to interact with 
parents and youth. A free Drug and Gang Awareness Workshop for 
parents and educators will be held at the Duarte Teen Center from 
12 noon to 1 p.m.

Volunteer organizations helping to make Duarte’s Snow Day possible 
are Duarte Kiwanis, Duarte Area Resource Team (D.A.R.T.), 
and Caring Helping Youth Leading in Life (CHYLL). For more information 
about Duarte’s Snow Day, call Duarte Public Safety

Crime Prevention Specialist Aida Torres at (626) 359-5671, ext. 
316.

Monrovia Police Blotter

Road to the Academy Awards!

Sponsored by Friends of the 
Monrovia Public Library

January 24– Inception

In a world where technology 
exists 
to enter 
the human 
mind 
through 
dream 
invasion, 
a highly 
skilled 
thief is 
given a final 
chance 
at redemption which involves 
executing his toughest 
job to date. Starring Leonardo 
DiCaprio, Joseph Gordon-
Levitt and Ellen Page, 
148 minutes, Rated PG-13 
for sequences of violence and 
action throughout.

January 31– The Social 
Network

A story about the founders of 
the social-networking website, 
Facebook. Starring Jesse 
Eisenberg, Andrew Garfield 
and Justin Timberlake, 120 
minutes, Rated PG-13 for 
sexual content, drug and alcohol 
use and language.

February 7– Winter’s Bone

An unflinching 
Ozark Mountain 
girl hacks 
through dangerous 
social 
terrain as she 
hunts down her 
drug-dealing father 
while trying 
to keep her 
family intact. 
Starring Jennifer 
Lawrence, John Hawkes 
and Garret Dillahunt, 100 
minutes, Rated R for some 
drug material, language and 
violent content. Under 17 requires 
accompanying parent 
or adult guardian.

Library Community Room

6:00, FREE

MONROVIA PUBLIC 
LIBRARY

321 S. Myrtle Avenue · 
626.256.8274

www.monroviapubliclibrary.
org

During the last seven day period, 
the Police Department handled 
480 service events, resulting in 
100 investigations. Following are 
the last week’s highlighted issues 
and events:

Medical Assist

On December 30 at 8:04 a.m., 
officers responded to a business 
in the 700 block of East Los 
Angeles regarding an employee 
who had fallen off the roof. Officers 
requested paramedics 
while en route to the location. 
On arrival, the subject was stable 
and breathing. Apparently, 
the 70-year-old maintenance 
worker was climbing a ladder 
up to the roof, lost his footing 
and fell to the ground.

Death Report

On December 30 at 11:04 a.m., 
a resident in the 300 block of 
South Madison reported that 
her neighbor’s front door was 
open, the dogs were barking, 
and no one would answer the 
door. Officers responded and 
found an elderly female subject 
on the floor and unresponsive. 
The Coroner’s Office was contacted 
since the deceased did 
not have any known family.

Vehicle Burglary

On December 30 at 1:24 p.m., 
an officer was dispatched to a 
residence in the 400 block of 
North Canyon regarding a vehicle 
burglary. The victim told 
the officer she went out to her 
vehicle and saw the driver’s side 
door window broken out and 
her GPS was missing. No suspects 
were seen or heard. The 
Investigation is continuing.

Grand Theft

On December 30 at 4:16 p.m., 
an officer went to a business in 
the 300 block of West Huntington. 
The reporting party told 
the officer two male subjects, 
one with a goatee, gray polo 
and black jacket, and the other 
wearing a beanie, went into the 
store. One subject distracted 
the employee, while the other 
looked at some items in a case. 
The two subjects met by the 
case and made their way out 
the front door. They got into a 
black Audi with no plates and 
left eastbound. The loss was two 
iPods and an iPad. The Investigation 
is continuing.

Driving Under the Influence 
Checkpoint

On December 30, the Monrovia 
Police Department held a 
Driving Under the Influence 
Checkpoint in the 300 block of 
West Huntington. During the 
event, there was one subject arrested 
for driving under the influence, 
two citations issued for 
unlicensed drivers, two cited 
for expired licenses, and one 
cited for no license in possession. 
One driver was cited for 
possession of marijuana.

Grand Theft Auto - On December 
31 at 11:36 p.m., an officer 
was driving west on Cypress 
when he noticed a suspicious 
lone male subject in a vehicle. 
The officer requested a computer 
check on the license plate of 
a black Honda, which returned 
stolen out of West Covina. During 
the investigation, it was discovered 
that the suspect had 
methamphetamine in the vehicle 
and he had been trying to 
sell it to a nearby resident. The 
suspect was arrested and taken 
into custody.

Driving Under the Influence - 
Suspect Arrested

On January 1 at 2:57 a.m., an 
officer on patrol in the area of 
Huntington and Mayflower 
noticed a speeding vehicle and 
conducted a traffic stop. During 
the investigation, it was determined 
that the driver was under 
the influence of alcohol. The 
subject was arrested.

Driving Under the Influence / 
Evading - Suspect Arrested

On January 1 at 8:47 p.m., an 
officer was flagged down by 
an employee of a business in 
the 400 block of West Foothill. 
The employee pointed out a 
vehicle that was backing out 
of a parking stall. The officer 
ordered the driver to stop his 
vehicle, but the driver sped 
out of the parking lot. The officer 
believed a crime may have 
just occurred and went after 
the vehicle. The driver turned 
off the vehicle headlights and 
sped up to approximately 70 
miles per hour on a residential 
street. The driver failed to stop 
for a stop sign and then collided 
into three parked vehicles. The 
driver was ordered out of the 
vehicle, and during the investigation, 
the driver stated that he 
fled because he had been drinking. 
The driver was arrested for 
driving under the influence and 
was also charged with evading. 
No injuries were reported.

Trespassing / Mental Evaluation 
/ Restraining Order 
Issued

On January 3 at 10:18 a.m., a 
16-year-old male subject was 
waiting outside of a teenage 
girl’s house. The girl had broken 
up with the boy, but he would 
not leave her front porch. The 
boy had been ordered off the 
property by officers earlier 
that day. He was arrested for 
trespassing and brought to the 
Monrovia Police Department, 
where he was released on a citation 
to his mother. At 12:35 
p.m., the boy had returned to 
the girl’s house again and refused 
to leave without seeing 
the girl. The boy made statements 
to officers that he was 
depressed. He was taken into 
custody and taken to a hospital 
for mental evaluation. The girl’s 
mother obtained a restraining 
order against the boy.

Stolen Vehicle Recovered - 

On January 3 at 10:25 a.m., an 
observant neighbor in the 800 
block of West Olive watched 
several young people remove 
a license plate from a vehicle 
and replace it with paper plates. 
The subjects drove off in the vehicle, 
but returned shortly. The 
witness called police, who responded. 
The witness was able 
to identify all the suspects, including 
a suspect who walked 
away prior to officers arriving. 
The vehicle had been stolen out 
of Azusa and the owner was unaware 
it had been taken. All four 
suspects were arrested.


CELEBRATE MONROVIA’S 125th ANNIVERSARY 
WITH MONROVIAOPLY AND A 
COMMEMORATIVE CALENDAR

The limited edition game, featuring Monrovia locations, has been 
created in celebration of the community’s 125th birthday. It can be 
purchased for $25 at City Hall, the Monrovia Community Center, 
Friends of the Library Bookstore and at select Old Town Monrovia 
businesses.

The calendar, with historic photos and facts and a listing of upcoming 
civic events, is $10 and on sale at the Community Center 
and Dollmakers Katywompus in Old Town.