Gifts to The Dana-Farber Campaign have allowed us to:
help develop more than half of all cancer drugs approved by the FDA
offer more than 1,100 clinical trials
open 3 new patient care facilities
double the size of our Cancer Care Equity Program
launch 5 new patient navigator programs
establish 21 new Endowed Dana-Farber Chairs
This progress was made possible by
more than 2.2M gifts
from more than 900,000 donors
including more than 1.4M gifts
below $100 and more than 487,000 gifts
from outside New England including all 50 states
Artificial Intelligence is Here
Artificial intelligence has great potential to transform cancer care. Hear more from Eliezer Van Allen, MD, Chief, Division of Population Sciences, about how Dana-Farber is leveraging AI to advance cancer prevention, early detection, and treatment through The Dana-Farber Campaign—revolutionizing discovery science and care for patients with cancer.
Accelerating Drug Development & Improving Patient Outcomes
Dana-Farber is a global leader in drug discovery, playing a critical role in the development of more than half of all cancer drugs approved by the FDA in the past 5 years. Yet many cancer-causing proteins are not susceptible to drugs designed in the usual way. Hear more from Eric Fischer, PhD, Director of the Chemical Biology Program, and Catherine Wu, MD, Chief of the Division of Stem Cell Transplantation and Cellular Therapies, as they discuss how Dana-Farber’s pursuit of next-generation cancer drugs is expanding treatment options and offering hope to adults and children with rare, recurrent or difficult-to-treat cancers.
Dana-Farber is a global leader in drug discovery, playing a critical role in the development of more than half of all cancer drugs approved by the FDA in the past 5 years. Yet many cancer-causing proteins are not susceptible to drugs designed in the usual way. Hear more from Eric Fischer, PhD, Director of the Chemical Biology Program, and Catherine Wu, MD, Chief of the Division of Stem Cell Transplantation and Cellular Therapies, as they discuss how Dana-Farber’s pursuit of next-generation cancer drugs is expanding treatment options and offering hope to adults and children with rare, recurrent or difficult-to-treat cancers.
The Dana-Farber Way: Advancing Cancer Research and Care
Dana-Farber is transforming the future of cancer care. Hear more from Laurie H. Glimcher, MD, President and CEO of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute; Lisa Diller, MD, Vice Chair of the Department of Pediatric Oncology; Melany Duval, Senior Vice President and Chief Philanthropy Officer; William Hahn, MD, PhD, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer; and Goldie Taylor, Senior Vice President, Chief Communications and Marketing Officer, as they reflect on the power of the Dana-Farber community, exceptional progress the Institute has made, and promising opportunities ahead across cancer science and patient care.
Hale Family Support Transforms Pancreatic Cancer Medicine
The Hale Family are longtime supporters of Dana-Farber, including through a transformative $50 million gift—the largest single gift to pancreatic cancer research in the Institute’s history and one of the largest gifts to The Dana-Farber Campaign. Judith B. Hale, Karen and Rob Hale, and Elizabeth Hale Kendall and Richard Kendall support Dana-Farber to honor the memory of Judy’s late husband, Robert “Bob” T. Hale Sr., who was also a generous philanthropist and was treated at Dana-Farber for pancreatic cancer. Their gifts have established the Robert T. Hale Sr. and Judith B. Hale Fund for Pancreatic Research and the Hale Family Center for Pancreatic...
The Hale Family are longtime supporters of Dana-Farber, including through a transformative $50 million gift—the largest single gift to pancreatic cancer research in the Institute’s history and one of the largest gifts to The Dana-Farber Campaign.
Judith B. Hale, Karen and Rob Hale, and Elizabeth Hale Kendall and Richard Kendall support Dana-Farber to honor the memory of Judy’s late husband, Robert “Bob” T. Hale Sr., who was also a generous philanthropist and was treated at Dana-Farber for pancreatic cancer. Their gifts have established the Robert T. Hale Sr. and Judith B. Hale Fund for Pancreatic Research and the Hale Family Center for Pancreatic Cancer Research.
From the Hale’s generosity, the Hale Family Center has grown dramatically in size and scope of work, from a small team to more than 100 total staff across 13 laboratories. As a result, Dana-Farber has established one of the most sophisticated and largest clinical trial programs for pancreatic cancer at any cancer center in the world, developing new therapies to target mutations in pancreatic cancers, and working to harness the immune system to attack pancreatic cancers. Watch this video or read the press release to learn more.
John Cain has defied cancer—twice. For much of his life, John’s chief focus was always work. When he began experiencing crippling pain, his computer software services company remained the top priority, even as the pain was getting worse. After almost a year, John finally went to see his doctor, who diagnosed stage III colorectal cancer. “It was a shock. I was numb. Everything just runs through your mind: your wife, your family, your children, your life,” he says. John’s doctor recommended immediate surgery, but after seeking a second opinion at Dana-Farber, he opted for radiation first to shrink the tumor,...
John Cain has defied cancer—twice.
For much of his life, John’s chief focus was always work. When he began experiencing crippling pain, his computer software services company remained the top priority, even as the pain was getting worse.
After almost a year, John finally went to see his doctor, who diagnosed stage III colorectal cancer.
“It was a shock. I was numb. Everything just runs through your mind: your wife, your family, your children, your life,” he says.
John’s doctor recommended immediate surgery, but after seeking a second opinion at Dana-Farber, he opted for radiation first to shrink the tumor, and then surgery.
After his successful treatment at Dana-Farber, John thought that phase of his life was behind him.
And then cancer struck again: this time, stage IV lymphoma. No one knew the cause, but he and his Dana-Farber team were determined to beat this cancer, too. “I was scheduled to have an eight-week course of chemotherapy, but in five weeks the cancer was gone,” says Cain.
Cancer times two has caused him to refocus his life goals on what matters most—spending time with his wife, Kathleen, their adult children and grandchildren, and growing the impact of his technology education program in his home city of Quincy, Mass., by spending more time teaching technology to young people and senior citizens.
“I am grateful to Dana-Farber,” he says. “And now, if I can do something for someone every day, that’s what I’m going to do.”
My name is Erin O’Malley, and my strength is my superpower. I’ve run the Boston Marathon—twice. And, I host a radio show on Mix 104.1 in Boston. I’ve always been kind of a tough woman. Then, one day, I found a lump. I went to the local hospital and was diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer. It’s a very rare and very aggressive form of breast cancer. They said I only had about a 65 percent chance of being alive in five years. But, like I said, I’m kind of a tough woman. And, if cancer was going to try...
My name is Erin O’Malley, and my strength is my superpower.
I’ve run the Boston Marathon—twice. And, I host a radio show on Mix 104.1 in Boston. I’ve always been kind of a tough woman. Then, one day, I found a lump. I went to the local hospital and was diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer. It’s a very rare and very aggressive form of breast cancer. They said I only had about a 65 percent chance of being alive in five years.
But, like I said, I’m kind of a tough woman. And, if cancer was going to try to push me around—well, I was going to push back.
So, I went to Dana-Farber. The second I walked in, I felt so much love. Dana-Farber is a place where miracles happen. You know, the lifesaving scientific kind of miracles. Next, I went on my radio show and told my listeners that I was going to start chemo. I also said that I planned to wear my superhero outfit to treatment. I mean, wouldn’t you?
I completed eight rounds of chemo in 16 weeks. And I wore my costume to each and every treatment. I’ll never forget the day I was declared cancer-free. The people at Dana-Farber are the best of the best. If you ask me, they have cancer-fighting superpowers.
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Founded in Boston in 1947, Dana-Farber is a principal teaching affiliate of Harvard Medical School and a federally designated Comprehensive Cancer Center that develops and disseminates innovative patient therapies and scientific discoveries throughout the world. About Our Patient Stories: Dana-Farber shares patient stories which may include descriptions of actual medical results. Dana-Farber provides personalized care for each patient based on their unique needs; their experiences and results will vary.
At Dana-Farber we are committed to an inclusive community where human differences are valued and celebrated, and where all are welcome. We work every day to create an innovative, caring, and inclusive environment where each patient, family, and staff member feels valued and respected.