A letter from Institute President
Edward J. Benz Jr., MD
The time is now, the place is Dana-Farber
Dear Friends:
There is no place I would rather be than at the helm of this great institution as it enters the most ambitious fundraising campaign in its history. Dana-Farber has been a beacon of hope for hundreds of thousands of patients who, as a result of their cancer diagnoses, have courageously confronted their fears and, often, their own mortality.
With these lives in the balance, Institute physician-scientists have relentlessly pushed forward and repeatedly rewritten cancer's future. Our clinics and laboratories have produced some of the most important, groundbreaking advances in cancer care. We have reduced from months to days the time needed to assess the effectiveness of experimental therapies. And we have significantly improved the survival rates of patients with advanced cancers.
Set against these promising developments, though, are the reminders that the struggle is far from over: This year, physicians will diagnose another 1.5 million cancer cases in the United States. The numbers are daunting, and the stakes are enormous. But Dana-Farber is uniquely primed to alter these statistics and rewrite cancer's prognosis once and for all.
Building on our time-tested, translational research model of moving promising findings from the laboratory quickly into the clinic for the benefit of patients, we have created a blueprint for definitive action. This innovative plan focuses on hitting cancer from all sides for maximum results. It addresses each step along the continuum from basic discovery in the lab to clinical application in patients.
Support from the Mission Possible campaign will stimulate this new model, creating a catalyst for preventing, controlling, and conquering cancers. I am confident we will make possible our mission to conquer cancer. Thank you for helping to make this dream a reality.
Sincerely,
Edward J. Benz Jr., MD
For more information
Contact: Julia Parrillo, Campaign Director
Phone: (617) 632-6573
E-mail: julia_parrillo@dfci.harvard.edu
