Portland, May 14th, 2014. Over 650 Providence Cancer Center supporters donated $205,000 during this year’s 16th annual Creating Hope for Cancer Patients luncheon after hearing powerful and personal stories from those touched by cancer. That amount brought the total figure for the event to a record $500,000. At the Oregon Convention Center, Providence scientists, including Andy Weinberg, Ph.D., mingled with the pre-lunch crowd explaining the latest research underway at Providence Cancer Center.
Walter J. Urba, M.D., Ph.D., oncologist and director, Robert W. Franz Cancer Research Center in the Earle A. Chiles Research Institute, Providence Cancer Center told the crowd Providence’s sole focus on immunotherapy in cancer research is making a difference locally and around the world. He cited many of the firsts accomplished by Providence researchers, including the most recent – the first-in-the-world trial of a vaccine for high-grade glioma, the most common primary brain tumor in adults.
“The point of all our work is to try to improve the lives of our cancer patients,” said Dr. Urba. “We need more fathers to dance at their daughters’ weddings, we need more patients to have the time to spend with their families and watch their children grow.”