Cancer specialist named ‘Woman of the Year’

GREENVILLE, N.C.  —   Dr. Darla Liles, a cancer specialist at the Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University, is the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s Eastern North Carolina 2009 Woman of the Year.

Dr. Darla Liles

Liles raised more than $23,000 during a 10-week fundraising campaign for the society, more than any other woman in the campaign. Altogether, Liles and nine other women and men raised more than $153,000 for the society from March 26 to June 4. Liles raised the money through letters to patients, friends and other physicians and events such as dinners, a silent auction, a Pampered Chef party and others.

Liles is automatically entered into a national competition. The titles of national man and woman of the year will go to the individuals who raised the most money.

Liles sees patients and teaches medical students, residents and fellows at the Leo W. Jenkins Cancer Center at ECU. Since 2004, she has served as the program director for the hematology/oncology fellowship program, which trains young physicians in the specialty of hematology/oncology. She also treats patients with all varieties of blood and cancer diagnoses at an Edgecombe County outreach clinic operated by Heritage Hospital in Tarboro.

“I was honored to be the first individual from east of I-95 to participate in this event,” said Liles. “The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society has provided so much support for my patients and my staff over the years through their outstanding patient support services and continuing medical education programs for nurses, social workers and physicians.”  

All funds go toward blood cancer research and services for patients and families. Since 1949, the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society has funded more than $600 million in research. Survival rates have more than tripled for leukemia and more than doubled for lymphoma and myeloma in the last 40 years. 

More information about leukemia and lymphoma is online at http://www.lls.org.