Issue link: https://tmcpulse.uberflip.com/i/674404
t m c ยป p u l s e | m a y 2 0 1 6 2 TMC | PULSE Vol. 3 No. 4 May 2016 Robert C. Robbins, M.D. President and Chief Executive Officer Christen David Vice President of Communications Alexandra Becker Acting Editor abecker@tmc.edu Shea Connelly Digital News Editor sconnelly@tmc.edu Staff Writers Shanley Chien Christine Hall Britni N. Riley Cody Duty Photojournalist Meagan McCullough Advertising Coordinator NEWSROOM 713-791-8812 news@tmc.edu ADVERTISING 713-791-8894 newsads@tmc.edu DISTRIBUTION 713-791-6130 distribution@tmc.edu TMC Pulse is a monthly publication of the Texas Medical Center in Houston, Texas. Permission from the editor is required to reprint any material. Editorial/advertising information available on request. Texas Medical Center News is a member of: Houston Press Club, American Medical Writers Association, Association of Healthcare Journalists, and American Advertising Federation PRESIDENT'S PERSPECTIVE ROBERT C. ROBBINS, M.D. President and Chief Executive Officer, Texas Medical Center W hen I was a cardiothoracic surgeon at Stanford, I would often see patients suffering from cardiomyopathy as a direct result of a drug called Adriamycin. The drug was a common chemotherapeutic agent and it was effective: it cured the cancer. Unfortunately, it left in its wake patients with heart failure who frequently needed heart transplantation. The toxicities of cancer-killing modalities are well known. Radiation, chemother- apy, even specialized surgical routes are notorious for leaving collateral damage. The price tag could be as straightforward as the loss of healthy cells or as unantici- pated as the inability to have children. In this issue of Pulse, you'll read about fertility specialists here in the Texas Medical Center and how they're working to provide childbearing options to couples affected by cancer. It's a collaborative effort and part of the ongoing development of less toxic cancer treatments taking place on our campus every day. Be it proton beam therapy, applied genomics research, or the promise of immunotherapy, these innovative treatments will likely transform the field of oncology. As the largest medical complex in the world, we are committed to finding novel ways to improve the landscape of health care. In addition to our cover story, this month's issue features stories about our involvement with the American Heart Association, the power of equine therapy, concerns about our country's opioid epi- demic and more. Because if there is anyone who will engage the whole of Houston in a commitment to heart health, or make meaningful strides in a Parkinson's patient's recovery, or reduce the weight of a cancer diagnosis, it's the 56 institutions that make up the Texas Medical Center.