The AACR Remembers Patrick Swayze
It is with great sadness that we mark the passing of Patrick Swayze, who was not only a remarkable actor, but also a man who used his celebrity to draw attention to the urgent need for funding cancer research. After he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in January 2008, Swayze resolved to use his remaining time as an advocate for cancer. He joined forces with Stand Up To Cancer, a charitable initiative that supports groundbreaking team research aimed at getting new cancer treatments to patients in an accelerated timeframe, for which the AACR is the scientific partner.
Stand Up To Cancer has awarded $73.6 million to translational research Dream Teams for projects that could impact the diagnosis and treatment of a wide range of cancers in adults and children across ethnicities including, but not limited to, pancreatic, breast, ovarian, cervical, uterine, brain, lung, prostate, rectal and colon, which represents two thirds of all U.S. cancer deaths.
Pancreatic cancer is the fourth leading cause of cancer death in the United States, and 95 percent of patients die within five years of diagnosis. One of the Stand Up To Cancer Dream Teams, led by Craig Thompson, M.D., director of the Abramson Cancer Center at the University of Pennsylvania, and Daniel D. Von Hoff, M.D., F.A.C.P., senior investigator and physician in chief at the Translational Genomics Research Institute, is working on a new approach to treating pancreatic cancer — developing tests using advanced imaging techniques to determine what nutrients pancreatic cancer cells require to fuel their growth and survival. Understanding the cell's fuel supply will help scientists to develop more individualized treatments with fewer side effects.
When Swayze appeared on the Stand Up To Cancer televised fundraiser last September, he received a standing ovation. His words are worth repeating:
"I keep dreaming of a future, a future with a long and healthy life — a life not lived in the shadow of cancer but in the light. I dream that everyone diagnosed will be fortunate enough to have hope — that every human being lost to cancer isn't gone, but is standing here with us tonight. I see a future where all scientists come together with a unified agenda, and share their research and their brilliance. I dream that the word 'cure' will no longer be followed by the words, 'It's impossible.' We can do anything, but the longer we do nothing, more people will die. Together, we can make a world where cancer no longer means living with fear, without hope, or worse. Tonight I stand here another individual living with cancer who asks that we not wait any longer. I ask one thing of you: Will you stand up with me? Will you stand up to cancer?"
Without a doubt, Swayze was tireless, both in his craft and his advocacy. While battling the disease, he continued to work on 13 episodes of his TV show "The Beast," which was painful and exhausting for him. He also pushed for funding for the National Institutes of Health to fight cancer and other diseases. In an open letter to Congress, published in the Washington Post last February, he wrote:
"Medical research will extend and save lives, expand treatment options and improve the quality of life for millions of Americans. New funding is especially important now because it will enable us to build on recent breakthroughs. The mapping of the human genome has provided a springboard into an era of personalized medicine, one in which doctors can tailor treatments to fit individual patients and their unique conditions. We also know more now than ever before about cancer's molecular nature and the way it responds to interventions. New research money will let us take maximum advantage of this new knowledge. The good news is that we have seen progress against a number of cancers in recent years. The bad news is that for many other kinds, including the type of tumor that has invaded my pancreas and liver, the results are not very good at all."
At the AACR, we share Swayze's vision of the future of cancer research, where investigators from multidisciplinary research teams and institutions work together, integrating emerging technologies and maximizing progress against these dreaded diseases. As we continue to further the cause that was so dear to his heart, we send our heartfelt condolences to Swayze's family and friends, and express our deep gratitude for his work to advance cancer research.
Margaret Foti, Ph.D., M.D. (h.c.)
argaret Foti, Ph.D., M.D. (h.c.)