Prominent UNMC physician fights cancer with bike ride challenge

Bud Shaw, M.D., and James Armitage, M.D.

As the man who started UNMC’s liver transplant program in 1985, Byers (Bud) Shaw, M.D., has used his skillful hands to save the lives of countless patients. Now, faced with his own battle with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, Dr. Shaw is hoping to get a little help from his friends.

An avid cyclist, Dr. Shaw is planning to ride his bike in the Ride Fore Recovery fund-raising event for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. The two-day event features a bicycle ride Saturday, Sept. 7, at NP Dodge Park followed by a four-man, best-ball scramble golf tournament Sunday, Sept. 8, at River Wilds Golf Club in Blair.

“The fact that I’m able to go through chemotherapy treatment and still ride my bike speaks for how good they have become at treating this disease,” said Dr. Shaw, who is professor and chairman of the department of surgery. “But, the scientists need more money to continue their research and that’s why this fund-raising event is so important.”

Dr. Shaw was first diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma July 25. Fortunately, he noticed a small lump in his groin a couple weeks before, and the diagnosis was made while the disease was still in its initial stage.

Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma on the rise People come to UNMC/NHS for treatment of lymphoma from all over the world. The majority of patients are cured by the initial treatment course, but when that fails they come to UNMC for bone marrow transplants or peripheral stem cell transplants. The peripheral stem cell transplant procedure was pioneered by UNMC/NHS oncologist, Anne Kessinger, M.D., during the 1980s. Since the UNMC/NHS bone marrow transplant program began in 1983, more than 1,100 patients have received transplants at UNMC for non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Each year about 70 more non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma patients receive transplants. Here are some other facts about non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma from the American Cancer Society: About 53,900 Americans (28,200 men and 25,700 women) are expected to be diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in 2002. It is the fifth most common cancer in this country, excluding nonmelanoma skin cancers. Since the early 1970s, incidence rates for non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma have nearly doubled. The increase was a result of both better methods of detection and an actual increase in the number of new cases. Although some types of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma are among the most common childhood cancers, more than 95 percent of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma cases occur in adults. The average age at diagnosis is in the early 40s. The risk of developing non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma increases throughout life, and the elderly have the highest risk. The increasing average age of the American population is expected to contribute to the increase in non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma cases during the next few years. Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma is more common in men than in women. Whites are affected more often than African Americans or Asian Americans. Approximately 24,400 Americans (12,700 men and 11,700 women) will die of this cancer in 2002. Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma is cancer that starts in lymphoid tissue. The lymphatic system is important for filtering germs and cancer cells as well as fluid from the extremities and internal organs. Lymphomas start in the lymphoid tissue and can spread to other organs.

A challenge

To help generate more funds for the event, Dr. Shaw has challenged his oncologist to ride in the bike ride with him. The oncologist — James Armitage, M.D. — is not much of a bike rider, but he gladly accepted the invitation to ride.

“I’m doing this because it’s Bud. He’s my friend,” Dr. Armitage said. “The focus should be on Bud — not on me. Not only is he arguably the world’s best liver transplant surgeon who has built this incredible program, but he also has a wonderful wife, Chris, who is a nurse, and three children. He’s a big league biker and a pilot. He’s really quite a guy.”

Dr. Armitage started the UNMC/NHS bone marrow transplantation program in 1983 and is considered one of the leading experts in the world in the treatment of lymphoma. He presently serves as dean of the UNMC College of Medicine.

NU Foundation steps in

With two of UNMC’s leading physicians riding in the bike ride, the University of Nebraska Foundation has stepped to the plate and offered to assist in the fund-raising effort.

“We want to help,” said Tom Thompson, University of Nebraska Foundation’s director of development for the UNMC Eppley Cancer Center. “With Dr. Shaw’s recent diagnosis, we’ve embarked on this project during the final stages of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s event. UNMC will be joining the efforts of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society as a sponsor of the event and has pledged to raise money through the University of Nebraska Foundation for this event and for further research at UNMC. It seems to be a win-win for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and the UNMC Eppley Cancer Center.”

How you can help

Pledges can be made by calling the University of Nebraska Foundation at 595-2302. For people wishing to participate, the entry fee for the bike ride is $40 and the golf tournament is $60. For more information on these events, contact The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society at 344-2242.

Dr. Shaw, who rode his bike in the event last year when he didn’t have a personal stake, is busy spreading the word through the news media. He has joined with Lowell Petersen, an Omaha police officer who is a leukemia survivor and the creator of the Ride Fore Recovery event. They did a live, in-studio interview on the mid-day newscast at KETV (Channel 7) Tuesday and will do similar mid-day interviews at KMTV (Channel 3) on Wednesday (Aug. 28) and WOWT (Channel 6) on Thursday (Aug. 29).

“In throwing down this challenge, I am asking those who know of Dr. Armitage’s unmatched contributions to finding a cure for lymphoma, and who recognize his continuing contributions to the Omaha community, as well as those who call him a friend, to support him in answering my challenge,” Dr. Shaw said.

“To honor his position as the best of the best, we must ensure that he raises more money than any other rider. He’s set a personal goal of riding at least 10 miles on Sept. 7, so we’re hoping that lots of people will come out that day and either ride with us or cheer him on.”

Dr. Shaw will furnish Dr. Armitage with a bike and helmet to allow him to participate in the bike ride.

Looking ahead

As for himself, Dr. Shaw is hoping to ride at least 50 and maybe as far as 100 miles on Sept. 7. “Obviously, it will depend on how I’m feeling, but that’s my goal.”

Having completed the first of four cycles of chemotherapy, Dr. Shaw expects to complete his treatment regimen before the end of the year.
“We’re very optimistic about his prognosis,” said Dr. Armitage. “He has a disease we can cure and we certainly intend to.”

Dr. Shaw, meanwhile, continues to work and see patients, but he doesn’t plan to perform any transplants until after he completes his treatment.
“The only other thing that has changed,” Dr. Shaw joked, “is that for now, I’m using it (his disease) as an excuse to get out of night call.”