Race not survival factor at St. Jude Memphis CA May 1 2012

The Memphis Commercial Appeal today reported the following: “Bucking the national trends of persistent and even widening gaps in survival rates between black and white cancer patients, kids of both races are faring equally well at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital according to an expansive new study.  The report in Monday’s online edition of the Journal of Clinical Oncology showed there was no significant differences in outcomes for African-American and white children treated at St. Jude over a 15 year period ending in 2007.  “There is absolutely no survival gap by race” at St. Jude, said Dr. Ching-Hon Pui, chairman of the oncology department at the Memphis hospital and lead author of the study.”

Our family has a deep appreciation for the work of St. Jude.   St. Jude treats children regardless of their families ability to pay for treatment.  In June 1992 our oldest child who was 12 at the time was diagnosed with acute lymphocytic leukemia.   The doctors, nurses, social workers, chaplains, housekeepers, aids and food service do a remarkable job of taking care of the children and their families who find themselves at St. Jude.   Late December 1994, we learned that our child had relapsed and needed a bone marrow transplant.   In-spite of a low probability of surviving her transplant, her doctors and transplant team willingly provided this life saving proceedure and the necessary care.   Thank you St. Jude doctors and staff.  Dr. Pui was her leukemia doctor for her first 30 months at St. Jude.  Thank you Dr. Pui.

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