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Stuart goes the distance with Tour of Hope by Michael Baker Public Relations For years, Robert Stuart, M.D., researched and treated cancer at MUSC, using his intellectual prowess to combat the disease. Now he’ll test his physical limits during the 2004 Bristol-Myers Squibb Tour of Hope. Dr. Robert Stuart, front row third from left, with his Tour of Hope teammates. The tour represents a partnership between Bristol-Myers Squibb, an international pharmaceutical company, and Lance Armstrong, the world’s top cyclist. Each year, a committee selects 20 members from the cancer community—survivors, doctors, researchers, etc.—to ride across the country.  Stuart, a professor of medicine, will join 19 other cyclists on a journey from Los Angeles to Washington, D.C.  For eight consecutive days in October, the team will ride in five-person shifts, four-hours at a time. The team members ride all day and throughout the night, only resting between shifts and never stopping until they reach the nation’s capitol.  Besides a test of physical endurance, the tour allows the team to increase awareness of cancer along the way. Between riding shifts, the cyclists will stop to share their experiences at organized events and press conferences. “It’s not about the ride; it’s about the message,” Stuart said. “Our message is one of hope.” And he knows all about hope.  A survivor of kidney cancer, Stuart won his battle with the disease only to watch his wife suffer through leukemia nine years after his recovery. When her cancer went into remission, Stuart gained an even greater appreciation of the search for a cure. During this year’s Tour of Hope, his personal message will focus on two things: increased participation in clinical trials and making the Cancer Promise. In the fight against cancer, Stuart believes that clinical trials are crucial to success. “I want cancer patients to understand that there’s a better treatment out there than you can get today,” he said. “But right now it’s sitting in a freezer in a research lab.” Currently, nearly 400 cancer-fighting drugs await human testing. “History tells us that not all of those drugs are going to be useful, but it also tells us that some of them will be effective, even blockbuster miracle drugs,” he explained. “Clinical trials help us make those discoveries.” Statistics hint at the trials’ effectiveness as well. Typically, less than 5 percent of adult cancer patients participate in clinical trials. However, pediatric cancer patients—whose participation levels stand near 60 percent—experience a survival rate that rose from 5 percent in 1950 to 80 percent today. To Stuart, those numbers show the importance of patient participation in re-search, and they’re part of the reason why he’ll encourage others to get involved during the tour. “In 25 years as an oncologist, I’ve seen the hope that comes with clinical research,” he said. “The trials have made treatments available that saved my wife’s life. I never had much doubt before, but this has become a very personal experience.” As he watches potential treatments go untested and unused, Stuart hopes that his participation in the Tour of Hope will change the culture of patient thought. He wants clinical trials to become a patient’s first option in the search for a cure for cancer, rather than an afterthought. “If the public becomes aware of the importance of clinical research, they’ll understand how important it is and, hopefully, they’ll begin to ask for it,” he asserted. “Then, we’ll make some crucial progress.” In addition to promoting the usefulness of clinical trials, Stuart will also encourage people to make the Tour of Hope Cancer Promise. The Cancer Promise implores those who sign it to learn more about cancer, to know the risk factors, to participate in screenings and early detection methods as well as in treatment opportunities, and to support friends and family who are cancer patients or survivors. The promise also asks people to encourage national leaders to make cancer research a priority, something that Stuart took to heart during a recent cancer benefit. “I ended up sitting at a table with George H. W. and Barbara Bush, and our conversation touched upon what my wife and I had gone through,” he said. “He thanked me for sharing our experiences, and I asked him to sign the Cancer Promise.” The former president enthusiastically agreed. Stuart also encourages everyone at MUSC to sign the Cancer Promise, which can be found at the Tour of Hope’s Web site, http://www.tourofhope.org. As the tour comes to a close on Oct. 9, Armstrong will deliver the signed promises to President Bush. But while the message remains paramount, the physicality of the tour can’t be ignored.  Before Stuart can educate and inspire, he and his teammates must face a rigorous training schedule. From the youngest team member (32 years old) to the most seasoned (a 66-year-old triathlete), each cyclist will weather varying climates along the way. The tour starts in the desert, reaches its physical apex in the Rocky Mountains, explores the plains of the Midwest, and ends with a final test in the Adirondack mountain range before arriving in Washington, D.C. To prepare themselves, the team members attended a training camp in Colorado Springs and worked with professional coaches assigned by Armstrong’s personal trainer. “To get from L.A. to D.C. in eight days, we have to ride an average of 18.5 miles per hour, 24 hours a day,” Stuart said, “so it’s definitely a formidable challenge. Right now, we’re on a training regimen of 200 miles each week. And it only gets tougher from there!” But as difficult as the physical aspect of the tour may be, Stuart has conquered more daunting obstacles. Now, he wants people to understand that fighting cancer is not futile. As more people support and participate in clinical research, a cure for cancer becomes more promising than ever. “A treatment exists somewhere,” Stuart asserted. “There’s more hope today than there was yesterday, and there will be even more hope tomorrow.”         Friday, July 2, 2004 Catalyst Online is published weekly, updated as needed and improved from time to time by the MUSC Office of Public Relations for the faculty, employees and students of the Medical University of South Carolina. Catalyst Online editor, Kim Draughn, can be reached at 792-4107 or by email, catalyst@musc.edu. Editorial copy can be submitted to Catalyst Online and to The Catalyst in print by fax, 792-6723, or by email to petersnd@musc.edu or catalyst@musc.edu. To place an ad in The Catalyst hardcopy, call Community Press at 849-1778.