August 8, 2005
Individual effort makes a difference: Dana-Farber president discusses the role the Pan-Massachusetts Challenge plays in helping patients with cancer
As new technology drives the cost of cancer research and care upwards – a state-of-the-art body-scanning machine, for example, costs more than $2 million – it might seem that gifts from individual citizens have little impact on the war against cancer. But consider: through a single event, the people of Massachusetts and surrounding states have made a larger contribution to cancer research than that of many foundations and private organizations.
The Pan-Massachusetts Challenge, the annual bicycling fundraiser for the Jimmy Fund that held its 26th ride this summer, has benefited cancer patients and their families in ways that go far beyond the laboratory and the clinic. Today, when a parent or child, sister or brother, comes to Dana-Farber for treatment, he or she not only receives the latest therapies but also a variety of other services that PMC riders and donors help make possible.
From support groups to programs that help young patients re-enter school to new clinical trials to test exciting new therapies, the PMC is critical to everything we do at Dana-Farber. It allows us to provide special services and support to patients and their families that health insurance won't pay for. It provides state-of-the-art equipment for the latest treatments. It creates a wind at the backs of laboratory researchers, statisticians, nurses, social workers, and physicians, all working to save lives and heal families touched by cancer.
For these reasons and more, thousands of riders and volunteers, backed by donors and supporters across the country, took to the roadways of Massachusetts for this year's event. Many rode in honor of the people who've come before them – the survivors and those who lost their battles with this deadly disease. Throughout the weekend, the memory of those who have lost their battle with cancer were ever-present – on the backs of riding jerseys, on signs and banners along the route, in the hearts of the thousands of riders and volunteers all there for one reason – to make a difference. And this year, there were over 190 cancer survivors riding themselves, an eloquent statement of hope and possibility.
One way of answering the question, "What does the PMC mean to Dana-Farber?" is to consider what the Institute would be like if the PMC didn't exist, or if it were less successful. Without question, we would not be able to seize scientific opportunities as quickly or convert laboratory findings into new treatments as readily as we now can. We would have to delay the hiring of researchers and caregivers and the purchase of state-of-the-art equipment – a clear disadvantage in a field where advances in science and patient care tend to create their own momentum.
One of the great truths about medical research is that progress is cumulative: one advance spurs another in a way that accelerates the entire pace of discovery. This has clearly been the case with cancer. Breakthroughs are coming faster, and in greater numbers, than ever before, thanks in part to the PMC.
But the PMC's impact is not just financial. Every year's ride generates a spirit of camaraderie, perseverance, and hope that touches all of us who work at Dana-Farber. The sight of thousands of riders whizzing along the roads in sometimes sweltering or rainy weather, challenging themselves for a cause that exceeds their own circumstances, is both a metaphor and inspiration for the work we do at Dana-Farber. I've had the privilege of being present at the opening ceremonies of the PMC for the past few years, and I never fail to come away from the experience renewed and re-energized.
We've come a great distance in the past 25 years in our ability to diagnose, treat, and, in some cases, prevent cancer in children and adults. The $122 million that the PMC has raised over that time has been a big part of that progress. This year's ride is an assertion of confidence in our ability to conquer cancer – and of the role for individuals in helping us succeed.
— Edward J. Benz, Jr., MD
President, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
(This op-ed piece appeared in the Boston Globe on Saturday, August 6.)
