Pioneering M. D. Anderson Physician Establishes Endowment for Education on Pain Management

Dr. C. Stratton Hill has contributed a gift of $25,000 to establish an endowment at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center dedicated to educating other physicians and caregivers about the importance of pain and symptom management for cancer patients.

The gift was donated in the form of a challenge grant, encouraging M. D. Anderson to raise additional funds to increase the total endowment.

The endowment will establish a bi-annual day-long colloquium in Dr. Hill's name, featuring presentations on the complexity of pain and symptom management. This is an area which Dr. Hill, professor emeritus of medicine, pioneered at M. D. Anderson, but it has impacted cancer patients' quality of life worldwide.

Since Dr. Hill began work in this field, quality of life issues have become as important as the cancer treatment. These programs address side effects associated with treatments such as chemotherapy, radiation and surgery as well as the cancer tumors themselves, which often press on nerves, bones and other organs. Side effects such as pain, fatigue, nausea and nerve damage can sometimes hinder patients' successful response to cancer therapy as well as their long-term survival.

Dr. Hill, a native of Humboldt, Tenn., has been recognized nationally and internationally for improving pain treatment and improving end-of-life care. In 1996, he received the Humanitarian Award from the American Cancer Society. In 1997, he received the Norman Zinberg Award for Achievements in Medicine and Treatment from the National Drug Policy Foundation.

For information about contributing to this educational program, please contact Michael Frick, assistant vice president for development at M. D. Anderson, at 713-792-3450.

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