Patient and Physician Perspectives in Palm Beach

On Friday, March 13, CRI trustee Paul Shiverick and his wife Betsy hosted an informational cocktail reception and presentation on behalf of the Cancer Research Institute at their home in Palm Beach. The event drew more than 50 friends and supporters who came to hear Dr. Michael Postow, assistant attending physician and part of the Melanoma-Sarcoma Oncology Service at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York, NY, who gave the audience a firsthand look inside the lab of a frontline cancer researcher.

Dr. Postow began by explaining why cancer immunotherapy is the most promising approach to cancer treatment today and how it has significant potential to permanently transform the way cancer is perceived and treated. After sharing some insight into his role at MSKCC, he then introduced one of his patients, cancer veteran Mary Elizabeth Williams, a writer and mother of two from New York City. In 2011, Mary Elizabeth was diagnosed with metastatic melanoma, and upon the advice of her doctors, she enrolled in an immunotherapy clinical study. Today, she is cancer-free because of these treatments.

Together, Mary Elizabeth and Dr. Postow painted a very real picture of how the science funded by the Cancer Research Institute directly impacts the lives of patients all around the world. Thanks to their candid conversations, the event was a huge success and a strong testament to the power of current research.

Over the last few years, the Cancer Research Institute has witnessed a surge in promising breakthroughs, culminating in FDA approvals for immunotherapies that are saving lives today. We are uniquely positioned to lead the field of cancer immunology into its next phase, and with the help of our loyal supporters, we will continue to strive toward a cure for cancer.