THE EFFORT is part of the Cancer

Center’s newly launched Gastrointestinal

(GI) Oncology Research and Patient Care

Initiative, which hopes to raise $5.5 million

to advance GI cancer research and patient

care at UAB by expanding the team of

experts and accelerating scientific discovery

that will lead to better treatments and earlier

detection methods.

The first phase of the initiative will raise

$1.5 million to establish an endowed chair

in memory of Mr. Hayes, who was an inte-

gral part of the Cancer Center. Mr. Hayes

joined the center’s Supporters Board in 1988

and was its president from 1994 to 1996.

His wife, Ann Hayes, joined the board in

2002 and continues to serve. Throughout his

years of service, Mr. Hayes pas-

sionately encouraged others to

become involved and contribute

to advance scientific understand-

ing of the disease. Because of that,

the Hayes family has already made a

lead gift for the endowed chair.

 “The James P. Hayes Jr. Endowed Chair

in Gastrointestinal Oncology will be a lasting

tribute to Jim and his tireless advocacy for the

UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center’s efforts

to discover a cure for this disease, which

affected him personally and also has touched

many of his fellow Alabamians,” says Ed

Partridge, M.D., Cancer Center director.

GI cancers are particularly difficult to treat

and require a series of complex and coordi-

nated therapies. Currently there are no meth-

ods that doctors can use to detect GI cancers

that affect the pancreas, liver, esophagus and

stomach in their earliest stages, when they

are most treatable. The expansion of research

and treatment efforts in this area has been

identified as a key priority for the Cancer

Center.

As a result, the GI oncology initiative

is an effort to bring together the resources

needed to coordinate and enhance the

existing programs and create a nationally

prominent research and patient-care enter-

prise in GI oncology at UAB. A successful

fundraising effort will help to favorably posi-

tion the Cancer Center to secure a SPORE

(Specialized Program of Research Excellence)

grant in GI cancer from the National Cancer

Institute. “Winning such a prestigious and

significant grant would allow us to consider-

ably enhance specialized care throughout

the Deep South by offering more cutting-

edge treatment options to our patients,” Dr.

Partridge says.

development update

u A b C o m P r e H e N S I V e C A N C e r C e N T e r 17

CANCER CENTER LAUNCHES INITIATIVE TO ENDOW HAYES CHAIR B Y J O S H T I L L A N D B E E N A T H A N N I C K A L

The UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center has announced a philanthropic effort to honor

the late James Hayes, a longtime supporter and friend of the Cancer Center who

passed away in 2008 after a lengthy and courageous battle against colon cancer.

For information on how you can support the James P. Hayes Jr. Endowed Chair at UAB, or the

GI Oncology Research and Patient Care Initiative, please contact Virginia Loftin, UAB School of

Medicine, at (205) 975-5602 or vgloftin@uab.edu.