DonorDollars at Work Spring 2015 DonorDollars at Work

DonorDollars at Work Fall 2016 NEW CLINICAL EXPANSION OFFERS a place of hope

The new Chemotherapy Infusion Center in the Scott Bieler Clinical Sciences Center offers a bright, sunny atmosphere and a view of Buffalo’s skyline.

Roswell Park Cancer Institute recently opened its first clinical Since the campaign began in 2014, an astonishing $32.7 million was expansion in nearly two decades, and it was made possible by a raised through philanthropic gifts to build the facility – more than community of people who believe in the Institute’s mission. two-thirds of the $50.5 million needed to complete the project. Additionally, Sen. Charles Schumer, Rep. Brian Higgins and Buffalo In May, the Scott Bieler Clinical Sciences Center (CSC) opened on Mayor Byron Brown all assisted in securing $6.3 million in New Roswell Park’s campus, featuring 11 stories and 142,000 square feet Market Tax Credits. of space for patients to receive comprehensive care from prevention to survivorship. The combined generosity of each and every donor, no matter the gift amount, will mean enhanced specialized care and increased To make this healing hub a reality, it took a tremendous number of innovation in treatment for countless Roswell Park patients as we aim donors and advocates with a passion for helping people not just to meet the growing demand for comprehensive cancer care. survive, but thrive in the face of cancer. The Clinical Sciences Center was named in honor of Scott Bieler, More than 500 individuals, corporations, foundations, organizations president of West Herr Automotive Group, for making a historic gift and Roswell Park faculty and staff contributed to the Making Room commitment to the Institute’s Priority Endowment Fund. to Save Lives campaign, which was co-chaired by Donna Gioia and Scott Bieler. (continued on back page) Fifteen donors, each contributing $1 million or more, also helped make the center a reality. Among this Circle of 15 was The Ride For Roswell which contributed a gift comprised of donations from What’s Inside hundreds of thousands of its riders and supporters from across • New Clinical Expansion Offers a Place of Hope p1 Western New York and beyond. The other donors who created the • Working Together to Treat Prostate Cancer p2 Circle of 15 were the Scott R. Bieler Foundation, Bill and Nancy Gacioch and Family, the Garman Family, Richard and Anne Gioia • Funding for Fertility Preservation Options p3 and Ambassador Anthony and Donna Gioia, the Hawk Family, the • Roswell’s Brightest Working Together p4 - 5 Jeremy Jacobs Family, The Patrick P. Lee Foundation, Stanford and Judith Lipsey, Al and Kit Maroone, The Estate of Lawrence Minet, PhD, • Roswell Park’s Quilts p6 New Era Cap, The John R. Oishei Foundation, The Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Foundation and an anonymous donor. • Craig Wittmann’s Empire State Ride p7 TEAM SCIENCE The Team Irwin Gelman, PhD, Professor of Oncology and Director of Research Integration at Roswell Park David Goodrich, PhD, Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics Dean Tang, PhD, Chair of the Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics Leigh Ellis, PhD, Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics Shahriar Koochekpour, MD, PhD, Department of Cancer Genetics, Medicine and Urology John Krolewski, MD, PhD, Interim Chair of the Department of Cancer Genetics Kent Nastiuk, PhD, Department of Cancer Genetics

Irwin Gelman, PhD, is leading a team toward more effective treatments for recurrent prostate cancer.

WORKING TOGETHER TO TREAT RECURRENT PROSTATE CANCER

Thanks to advancements in prostate cancer screening and treatments, it’s becoming increasingly rare for a patient to succumb to his initial prostate cancer. Recurrent prostate cancer, however, can be highly fatal because it no longer responds to standard therapies and tends to recur in other areas of the body. Irwin Gelman, PhD, Professor of Oncology and Director of Research Integration at Roswell Park, is investigating how to better treat recurrent prostate cancers and improve patient outcomes. The task is not an easy one and the urgency is great, but he is not tackling this research alone. He is just one of several Roswell Park specialists working on this research project to explore more effective treatments for recurrent prostate cancers. According to Dr. Gelman, this Team Science The generosity of Roswell Park supporters provided the seed funding approach works much like a sports team – each team member for the initial research efforts for this project. Now, the team has contributes his or her specialties and expertise to the program in collected the data they need to apply for a national grant to begin order to achieve a positive outcome. clinical trials and bring new treatments to patients who can hopefully “The bottom line is that it helps advance research tremendously benefit from them. If it weren’t for donor support, this possibility would because you have more systems, more minds,” said Dr. Gelman. have been entirely out of reach. “The point of seed money from the Alliance Foundation is to put that The team has already completed preliminary studies on the pathways seed in the ground, which you then take the fruit of and use to apply to that drive the recurrence of this cancer, and are now looking to move larger organizations like the National Institute of Health for established one step closer to a realized treatment. This promising research grants,” said Dr. Gelman. has the potential to save lives, but without the support of donors like you, the first steps would have gone un-funded This is just one of several Team Science research programs underway and this team of specialists may have never had the chance at Roswell Park, and with continued donor support more promising to work together. ideas can be given the chance to flourish.

2 Donor Dollars at Work 2 Donor Dollars at Work Funding for Fertility Preservation Increases Patients’ Options

Those who undergo chemotherapy or radiation for cancer can face The decision was made to preserve sperm for the future, as Jacob a number of challenges and long-term side effects. Among those was told he would have between a 10 and 15 percent chance of possible obstacles is the potential for diminished fertility for both conceiving naturally. men and women. Jacob says knowing that this assistance is available to those who need For many patients with cancer, particularly teens and young adults, it most can help alleviate some of the stress faced by young patients. the ability to have a child one day is of paramount importance. “The cost of fertility preservation can be overwhelming, Steps can be taken prior to treatment to increase the chances especially on top of medical expenses,” he said. “It’s not for conception in the future, such as cryopreservation of sperm supposed to be a stressful thing, having a baby, it’s supposed for men, and of eggs and embryos for women. These treatments, to be a happy thing, especially after you’ve beaten cancer.” however, can become cost prohibitive. Jacob and his wife, Lorrina, were recently able to beat the odds and With the help of generous Roswell Park donors, we can put these conceive naturally, but for him, fertility planning still had a major impact options within reach for more of our patients than ever before. on his wellbeing. Thanks to supporters like you, Roswell Park is able to offer financial assistance to individuals of reproductive age who During the time of treatment, Jacob, like many patients, had many otherwise could not afford these preservation services. pressing issues to face. The peace of mind brought about by having a future plan should natural conception not be an option was a burden “Thanks to our donors, many patients realize that preserving their lifted during that challenging time. “I am still so thankful, just to have fertility is a realistic option,” said Lynda Beaupin, MD, Director of the always known that I had options,” he said. Adolescent and Young Adults Cancer Program. While many fertility preservation services are offered off-site through referrals, Roswell Park has recently made an Onco-Fertility Program available to our patients as a part of an expanding Survivorship Program. The Onco-Fertility Program addresses the effects cancer treatment has on sexuality and fertility from identifying risks, to acting as a liaison between a patient’s primary oncology team and outside fertility services to which a patient could be referred. Jacob Madonia was diagnosed with synovial sarcoma in his teens and understands just how important having fertility preservation options available can be, both for the future as well as a patient’s present ease of mind. “You don’t think about planning a family too much when you’re 19 years old, so it was not at the forefront of my mind,” he said. That was what he thought as he faced his initial diagnosis and treatment, but when he had a recurrence five years later and was engaged Jacob Madonia and his wife, Lorrina, plan to welcome their first child this fall. to his now wife, the situation was a bit different. RoswellPark.org/Giving | 716.845.4444 3 Roswell Park’s Brightest Work Together for Improved Futures

Cancer, in its many forms, presents a host of complicated challenges to those who are seeking to find treatments and cures. Such complex issues are often best solved by the meeting of many minds in different areas of specialty. Such scientists and clinicians need a venue in which they can utilize one another’s knowledge and skills in order to create solutions.

At Roswell Park, doctors and scientists combine their While the research goals of each group are different, they clinical and scientific expertise to identify the most pressing hold in common the desire to create better outcomes for all research needs for specific disease sites, such as breast, those who walk through the doors of Roswell Park. colon or bladder. These groups, known as Disease Site Donations from supporters like you provide , take a multi-disciplinary approach to Research Groups the seed funding needed to get these potentially studying different types of cancer and their treatment. lifesaving programs off the ground – but this could This collaborative research method allows these groups to be just the beginning. As their research progresses, focus on both scientific breakthroughs as well as the ease these programs may be able to obtain funding from with which those treatments can be integrated into the national sources to help turn their innovative ideas day-to-day care of Roswell Park’s patients. into lifesaving treatments. These groups are able to submit their research ideas which Your generosity has recently allowed us to fuel each of the then undergo an internal review process to identify the most following research programs, and there are more promising promising proposals. ideas waiting for the chance to flourish. With your continued support, we can help turn the next exciting idea into a reality.

George Chen, MD, and the blood and marrow transplant team are working toward new treatments for chronic graft versus host disease (GVHD), which can sometimes be an issue for patients with blood cancers who receive stem cell transplants from Gokul Das, PhD, and a team of donors. Chronic GVHD can significantly affect patient quality of life breast experts are investigating how a and is sometimes fatal. Using funds from the Alliance Foundation, particular receptor in the body which is the team will attempt to find and test new therapies for chronic activated by estrogen can affect breast GVHD in order to decrease the burden of disease and benefit cancer patients. The team is aiming to patients. develop new preventative and therapeutic strategies against breast cancer by studying this receptor and a A team of hematology/oncology lymphoma experts led by particular tumor-suppressing protein turned Jenny Gu, PhD, is working to determine better tumor promoter, especially those commonly treatments of lymphoma. A drug commonly-used in found in triple negative breast cancer treatment frequently poses resistance issues. The team is patients. investigating how a novel anti-diabetic drug, Metformin, acts against tumors and how it might be used in treating resistant lymphoma along with other targeted therapy drugs.

4 Donor Dollars at Work Roswell Park’s Brightest Work Together for Improved Futures

Pamela Hershberger, PhD, and the Lung Research Group is researching how Vitamin D may positively modify tissue around lung tumors, allowing The genitourinary and kidney team, headed by increased delivery of chemotherapy to those areas. Eric Kauffman, MD, is aware that half of all With this information, researchers may be able to kidney tumors diagnosed in the country are design strategies using vitamin D to increase small and at low-risk of spreading to other responses to lung cancer treatment. parts of the body, but surgical treatment is uniformly recommended. Their study of molecular features of renal cancers which metastasized despite small primary tumor size may help clinicians identify risk-free patients with small renal cancers who can avoid unnecessary Kirsten Moysich, PhD, MS, surgery. and gynecology specialists are investigating how differences in bacteria profiles are related to ovarian cancer outcomes and are measuring those profiles in the bacteria of newly diagnosed patients. If The genitourinary Disease Site Research certain bacteria profiles can be linked Group is supporting the effort led by to poor outcomes, changes in diet may offer a way to correct those profiles Kent Nastiuk, PhD, to identify targets for drugs that may minimize and improve results. the risk of therapy-induced prostate cancer spread.

Michael Nemeth, PhD, and the hematology/ oncology leukemia group know that many blood cancer patients do not respond to a common chemotherapy treatment. They aim to determine the efficacy of Lung as well as head and neck experts are adding an antiviral drug to blood cancer treatments working together under the leadership of – a combination which, if successful, can be rapidly Anurag Singh, MD, for a common translated to benefit patients with these life-threatening purpose. Clinical trials at Roswell Park have diseases. shown that radiation can positively alter the immune response in kidney cancer patients, acting like a personalized vaccine. These teams are looking to expand this work into lung, head and neck cancer. If successful, this approach could improve the local control and prevent Led by Joseph Skitzki, MD, FACS, distant growths of many cancers. the melanoma team is testing several treatments while mapping the unique DNA fingerprint of each tumor. The team hopes to identify potential indicators of response or even potential treatment targets, and the gathered DNA data will serve as a valuable database for and her Anna Woloszynska-Read, PhD, future melanoma research studies. research group are working to improve therapies for bladder cancers. They seek to design less toxic and better tolerated therapeutic approaches for advanced bladder cancer patients. Progress in the development of treatments for bladder cancer has been slow for many years, and this approach presents a great opportunity for new directions in the care of this malignancy.

RoswellPark.org/Giving | 716.845.4444 5 The Stories Hiding in Roswell Park’s

Based at the Center for the Arts at the State University of New York at Buffalo, the Roswell Park portion Quilts of the Arts in Healthcare program is funded entirely by donations to the Roswell Park Alliance Foundation and proceeds from the Roswell Park gift shop. The fish on this quilt represent patients in RPCI’s Urology Clinic, who created the piece together.

One day Barb Murak stopped by the waiting room That interaction was just what Barb Murak was aiming for. “I love it when I of the Urology Clinic at Roswell Park and noticed get people talking in the waiting room,” she said. “Then they don’t feel several guys flipping idly through Field & Stream alone. I want them to tell me stories, or tell each other stories. I write them magazine, heads down, as they waited for their all down, because I don’t want to forget.” appointments. She had an idea. A few days later, Stories come to life when RPCI’s six Artists-in-Residence engage patients she returned with some cardboard fish shapes and and visitors in musical performances and art projects, building human fabrics in colorful patterns. connections that can relieve anxiety, lead to new friendships and beautiful “What the heck are you doing?” one man asked. creations, and make life a lot more interesting. “We’re going to make a quilt,” said Barb, an RPCI Artist-in-Residence who Before long, the men’s quilt was teeming with fish. Barb took it home and specializes in fabric art. added aquatic plants where some of the fish could hide. Then her friend “Oh, no!” the man protested. “We don’t sew.” Rosellen Ring-Easton — a champion quilter and volunteer — stitched background patterns representing rocks and bubbles and eddies in the “We’re not going to sew,” she assured him. “What do you like to fish for?” water, and sewed the fish in place exactly where the men had put them. “Salmon.” Today the quilt is displayed in the waiting area of the Urology Clinic. The Barb handed him a cardboard cutout of a salmon. He took it (somewhat fish, of all colors, sizes and shapes recall the men who created it together. reluctantly) and selected a fabric sample. Then, with her encouragement, Another quilt, decorated with teacups of different sizes, greets visitors as he cut the salmon shape out of the fabric and placed it on a large blue-gray they enter the Mammography Center. It was designed by RPCI patients and quilt. As the salmon fisherman worked, interest stirred among the other caregivers who were invited to participate in the project as Barb made her men — and so did the conversation. way down from the waiting room off the eighth-floor Intensive Care Unit to “What do you fish for?” Barb asked another guy. the ground-floor lobby. “Trout — just trout. I go on opening day One teacup, tilted precariously on its side every spring.” Barb handed him a trout in a corner, was contributed by an cutout. overwhelmed woman who had spent long days at Roswell Park watching over her The men began to tell stories of their mother, with little help from other members fishing adventures. of her family. Several other cups touch “A lot of fish hide in the weeds; you can’t each other, symbolizing the connections really see them,” said one. He modified between husbands and wives, or his cutout of a striped bass so its mouth grandmothers, mothers and daughters. hung open. Stitching the cups to the quilt, Rosellen “From the seventh floor of the hospital Ring-Easton inserted little surprises in the you can see where I used to fish, over spaces inside the cup handles — there by the harbor roundhouse,” another spiderwebs, spirals, tiny pearls. man added. Barb Murak says other finished quilts are “My fish is always at the bottom of currently in storage, ready to be displayed the lake.” Teacups tell the stories of RPCI patients and their loved ones on a — and so many more are waiting to be quilt outside the Mammography Center. created from stories yet untold.

6 Donor Dollars at Work PEDALING ON: a cancer survivor takes the ride of a lifetime

Craig Wittmann, a non-Hodgkin lymphoma survivor, participated in the Empire State Ride, a 532-mile ride across New York State

If you had told Craig Wittmann back in January 2009 that he would be “I was immediately hooked,” he said of his one-day, 74-mile ride from cycling across New York State seven years later, he would have been Rochester to Niagara Falls. thrilled, but also skeptical that he would have such an opportunity. He enjoyed the experience so much that he committed to raising the That’s because at that time, the husband and father of two was in $3,500 required to participate in the week-long 532-mile adventure the fight of his life with stage IV non-Hodgkin lymphoma. the following summer. “I was completely devastated, fearing what lay ahead,” he said. “I had The ride turned out to be about more than just fundraising, however. watched my mother die of brain cancer a few years before that and I While traversing the state, Wittmann and his co-riders formed deep thought I was next.” Suffering from kidney failure, Wittmann came to relationships. Some were survivors themselves, while many others Roswell Park and received therapies that he learned were partially rode in honor or memory of loved ones. developed and tested at the Institute in the years prior to his treatment. By way of shared stories, laughs around the campfire and tireless The treatments were so incredibly encouragement as they pushed through rain, hills and heat, the group of effective. After one round of chemo, nearly 60 strangers of varying cycling experience naturally morphed into I“ was off dialysis. My kidneys were what many of the riders now describe as a family. healing, he said. “There’s a bond that’s developed amongst the riders and you can’t predict it, His treatments continued to prove successful, and once cancer could no but you imagine that it will last for a lifetime,” he said. Wittmann was greeted ” by cheers from his family and nearly 100 rider supporters as he crossed longer be found, Wittmann began telling others of the incredible care he received as a way to thank Roswell Park. He also signed up for The Ride an emotional finish line in Niagara Falls, New York. He hopes to reunite For Roswell in a show of gratitude and support. In fact, he raised so much with his new-found cycling family in New York City on July 30, 2017 to money that he received a special invitation to participate in the last leg of begin next year’s ride, but says that no matter his schedule or what life the Empire State Ride – a new cycling event from New York City to throws in the way, he will forever be a supporter of the Empire State Ride. Niagara Falls to benefit cancer research at Roswell Park. “They don’t give these jerseys out to just anyone,” he said. “I’m honored to have one.”

Funds raised by Empire State Riders help doctors and scientists at Roswell Park pursue potentially lifesaving cancer research, including the programs featured in this issue of Donor Dollars at Work. LEARN MORE ABOUT THE EMPIRE STATE RIDE AT EMPIRESTATERIDE.COM

RoswellPark.org/Giving | 716.845.4444 7 Elm & Carlton Streets Buffalo, NY 14263 716-845-4444 RoswellPark.org/Giving

(continued from cover) For those involved in the creation of I couldn’t be more proud to see my name on a building that “ the center, including a committee of can make such an impact on patients and survivors who will current patients and survivors, the be treated here, and the loved ones who care for them, said ” aesthetic of the facility was a large Scott Bieler at the Grand Opening on May 16. How can you “ and important consideration. not be inspired as you walk through these doors? I want Roswell Park to continue inspiring patients to keep fighting, “We saw a vision of cancer care and for Roswell Park to continue its work for years to come.” provided in a beautiful, inviting facility Several programs previously located in the Roswell Park main that inspires, relieves and comforts. hospital have been moved to the new center, including a And thanks to the generous support Breast Oncology Center, a Breast Imaging Center, a Gynecology from our community, the Scott Bieler Center and an expanded Chemotherapy and Infusion Center. Clinical Sciences Center delivers on that vision,” says Roswell Park The facility offers more than diverse therapies and programs, however. The atmosphere is a beautiful one. In President and CEO Candace S. addition to the building’s architectural beauty, more than Johnson, PhD. “Every color and 200 pieces of artwork created by Western New York painters, texture you see throughout this photographers and sculptors line the walls and hallways to building, every decorative detail, every inspire and bring hope to all those who walk through the doors. inch of space was designed from the lens of how to provide the best For Averl Anderson, a patient who has received chemotherapy treatments in the both the old and new locations, the possible care to meet the needs of difference the new space has made on her visits has been this community, across the spectrum The Scott Bieler Clinical Sciences Center decication life altering. of cancer — from prevention and ceremony on May 3, 2016. screening to treatment, follow-up and “The old space was just so gloomy and you would walk in with survivorship.” your shoulders down, feeling a certain kind of way, and that is how you would feel walking out,” she said. “But when you Those considerations have gone a long way in improving the walk out of the new Infusion Center, it’s so beautiful. It’s lively, patients’ experiences during difficult times. it’s bright, it just gives you hope.” “It’s truly a blessing,” said Anderson.