Hello family and friends,
Summer has returned to Boston and my summer ritual of riding the Pan-Mass Challenge is rolling into year 19.
The PMC is Dana-Farber’s single largest supporter and is 55 percent of the Jimmy Fund’s annual revenue. Since 1980, the PMC has raised $831 million for Dana-Farber. Our 2021 gift was $64 million.
The Dana Farber Cancer Institute is singular in that there is equal staffing, funding and research provided to both the adult and pediatric wings of the hospital. This often results in discoveries made by either division which will then benefit the other.
With your devoted support, together we can continue to make these, and so many more, vital and timely contributions happen within the cancer community. We are changing people’s lives.
You are our family and friends. Every year you express your love and share the stories of your friends and family who are members of the cancer community.
As this summer’s ride approaches, it is worth reflecting on the multifaceted impact of the PMC’s record-breaking $64 million gift in 2021. Here are some examples of the many advances enabled by your support:
- New Car T-cell Therapies – Dana-Farber researchers spearheaded clinical trials resulting in the first CAR T-cell therapies approved by the FDA for indolent follicular lymphoma and multiple myeloma, a major milestone for patients with these cancers.
- Approval of Immunotherapy for Kidney Cancer – Dana-Farber research helped drive FDA approval for a novel immunotherapy combination as a first-line treatment for advanced kidney cancer.
- Novel Treatment for Uterine Serous Carcinoma – In a Dana-Farber-led study, a new targeted drug showed encouraging results in its first clinical trial for a hard-to-treat form of uterine cancer—an encouraging outcome in a disease with limited effective treatment options.
- First Study of Novel CLL Therapy – Dana-Farber researchers demonstrated the efficacy of a novel combination of three molecularly targeted drugs in treating chronic lymphocytic leukemia, marking the first published study on this groundbreaking approach.
- Drugging the Undruggable – Dana-Farber investigators demonstrated the promise of a novel agent that targets a form of the KRAS gene—long considered “undruggable”—in treating patients with lung, colorectal, pancreatic, and endometrial cancers
New treatments. Better outcomes. More hope. That is what your impact has on patients across the country and around the world. In 2022, with your commitment, Dana-Farber can achieve even greater strides in bringing a cancer-free future Closer by the Mile.
