Dr. Edward Benz on PMC's Impact

I am happy to share with you this letter from DFCI's President Benz to the riders & volunteers of the PMC that details 'where the money goes'. I believe you will find it informative and motivating. Please share it with your donors. - Billy Starr

22-Jul-15

Dear Fellow PMCers, 

Your inspiring efforts are making this a historic year for the PMC, for the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, and for cancer research and care. This year’s incredible $45 million fundraising will bring the total support PMC has provided during its history to an unbelievable $500 million. 

I would like to answer the big question, “What impact has PMC fundraising had on outcomes for cancer patients?” One thing to keep in mind is that the PMC accounts for over half of all “Jimmy Fund” fundraising which is the major source of our flexible or so called “unrestricted” fundraising. So in a real sense, you can look at almost anything accomplished at the Dana-Farber and say that PMC has made it possible: the Smith Building, the Yawkey Center for Cancer Care, the Longwood Research Center, the recruitment and retention of the best faculty of cancer researchers and clinicians in the world, the best oncology training programs anywhere, and on and on. 

We have used these funds primarily to support research, although they have also made it possible to support some unreimbursed clinical services, like the founding of The Zakim Center for Integrative Therapies. We have used PMC funds to provide absolutely state of the art research facilities in the new Longwood Center, including, very specialized chemical fume hoods and equipment necessary to establish our chemistry and early drug development program. PMC Funds have made it possible to recruit world-class researchers in the fields of oncology, combinatorial chemistry and pediatric hematology/oncology. These chemists have already produced multiple drugs that have entered clinical trials. Some are close to FDA approval. They have also made novel tool compounds (probes) that are allowing us to dissect the behavior of tumors at the absolute finest details of their molecular abnormalities, and to be able to image them in a non invasive real time way. 

-Dr. Edward Benz