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Wednesday, November 18, 2009

NIGHTLIGHT: Cancer Survivors Hall of Fame Climbing the Mountain: The Cancer Research & Treatment Fund Cancer Survivors Hall of Fame Dinner

Last night Whom You Know had exclusive coverage of this important event in both the respect of progress in cancer research and celebration of victory over cancer.  Held at The Essex House, Climbing the Mountain featured Sean Swarner, Cancer Survivor Inductee and First Cancer Survivor to Summit Everest and Richard E. Feinbloom, Humanitarian Honoree of Designs for Vision, Inc.  The evening program included a Cocktail Reception and Silent Auction followed by the Welcome, Diner and Awards Ceremony.  Board President Douglas W. McCormick wrote an exemplary letter in the beginning of the program emphasizing the mission: "To provide resources for state-of-the-art research that leads to effective treatments for cancer."  Funding has provided for the development of the drug Gleevec, which has extended the lives of many, for the 5th Annual MPD Patient Symposium, and for the website, which is used as a resource by patients to get information on local clinical trials.


We quote from their site:
The mission of the Cancer Research & Treatment Fund is to provide the resources for state of the art research that leads to effective treatments for cancer.  Since its formation in 1968, CR&T has focused on finding the most efficient ways to bring the lab closer to the patient's bedside in the ongoing search for a cure for cancer. Through our support of skilled physician-scientists, the Fund has advanced the treatment of blood malignancies as well as of more common cancers such as those of the prostate, breast, lung and colon.


This reflects the important role that hematological research has played in the development of new therapies. Because blood cancer cannot be excised by surgery, hematologists have had to seek solutions that are principally biological and pharmacological.


Combined with the recent breakthroughs in gene mapping, today's pioneering CR&T associates are instrumental in the development of new molecule-targeting agents that focus on the genetic makeup of the cancer itself, leaving unaffected the surrounding tissue, thus minimizing the side affects of more dramatic chemical treatments. This new targeted therapy has produced a host of drugs that give hope to cancer patients.


The goal of CR&T is to bridge the gap quickly and safely between the laboratory and the bedside, bringing promising treatments to the patient. Here is where an organization like CR&T can be a valuable resource. The Cancer Research & Treatment Fund has no layers of redundant personnel and no endless committees. It can move swiftly and decisively in the direction that long experience suggests will lead to better patient care.

CR&T's independence and small size are keys to its continued success. We will continue to work smarter and faster to earn the loyalty of friends and benefactors who believe in the winning combination of research and care-giving.

Among the delightful guests Peachy Deegan met included:

Michael Hochfelsen
Jay Hochfelsen
Alexandra Haitman
Marisa Cheung
Amanda Weight

For more information:

http://crt.org/ 

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