WINTHROP P. ROCKEFELLER CANCER INSTITUTE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS FOR MEDICAL SCIENCES
WHY FFANY FUNDS COULD HELP PATIENTS ‘TEAR’ UP
donors such as Dansko, which has supported this effort for over a decade. “It’s deeply rewarding to see how donations from companies like Dansko—among many others in our industry—can support the critical early research work needed to understand the causes and effective treatments of cancer,” said Mandy Cabot, CEO of Dansko. “As the number one type of cancer faced by women, breast cancer hits home for far too many of us. On a personal level, not only have my aunt and my sister been diagnosed with the disease, but so too have more than a few of our employees. Our collective donations of shoes through ‘FFANY Shoes on Sale’ bring us that many steps closer to understanding the causes—and cure—for breast cancer. We are honored to be part of this auspicious movement.”
Powerful breakthrough-research gives patients something good to cry about.
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he blood, sweat and tears that have characterized cancer research too often left the last of these for the end – it was all over but for the crying. But if ongoing clinical tests at the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute of the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) in Little Rock keep proving positive, the tears will happily flow first. That’s because researchers at the Rockefeller Institute, which has received more than $5.5 million in more than two decades of cancer-research-funding from the Fashion Footwear Association of New York via QVC Presents “FFANY Shoes on “Our successes Sale,” have discovered that the protein in tears has a high sensitivity to diagnoswith that funding breast cancer – more sensitive than ing include a mammograms. vaccine that “This is a pretty big, darn deal,” characwas designed terized Dr. V. Suzanne Klimberg, the director of the Rockefeller Institute’s Breast for women Cancer Program and the Muriel Balsam with metastatic Kohn Chair in Breast Cancer Oncology at cancer.” UAMS. And the clinical tear studies com—Dr. Peter Emanuel, director prise only one of the ongoing cancer-reof the Rockefeller Institute search efforts at Arkansas funded by “FFANY Shoes on Sale.” “We just love FFANY,” Klimberg said. “They have helped us so much. They took a chance with us, and it’s paid off. FFANY gets money into researchers’ hands. There’s no restriction on FFANY money as there is with a lot of funding. Plus, FFANY enables other funding avenues to open up. Once the other sources see that FFANY money has led to success, then those sources contribute to make that success a bigger success.” Collaborations result— FFANY monies helped Arkansas trade data and advance programs with researchers in Michigan, St. Louis and Los Angeles. “We have used FFANY funding for different purposes,” said Dr. Peter Emanuel, director of the Rockefeller Institute. “Our successes with that funding include a vaccine that was designed for women with metastatic cancer,” he said, citing the battle against types of the disease that migrate from one organ or body system to another. Research funds are made possible by dedicated FFANY member
Remelle Eggerson of Tissue Biorepository and Procurement Support at UAMS demonstrates the use of a cryotank containing specimens for research.
FFANY has donated more than $5.5 million over the years to ongoing research at the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute.
DOCTORS & SHOE BIZ FIGHT CANCER The two forces plan to kick off a yearlong public awareness campaign with powerful tributes.
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he Breast Cancer Research Foundation’s fight against its namesake disease has been a case of the shoe fitting very comfortably and wearing well as far as its partnership with the Fashion Footwear Association of New York. QVC Presents “FFANY Shoes on Sale” has contributed more than $4 million since 2003 that BCRF has invested in cancer research. Since its founding in 1993 by Evelyn H. Lauder, BCRF has raised more than half a billion dollars to fight breast cancer. It is the highest-rated breast cancer organization in the U.S., and the largest private funder of breast cancer research worldwide. This year, BCRF has awarded grants of $54 million to 240 scientists working in 13 nations. BCRF’s collaboration with FFANY kicks off this yearlong series of Footwear News tributes to FFANY’s cancer-research partners. “The footwear industry has rallied around this cause with passion and dedication that is second to none,” says Myra J. Biblowit, who will mark 15 years in April as president of BCRF and friend to the late Evelyn, daughter-in-law of cosmetics magnate Estée Lauder. “Evelyn had what she called the ‘shoe gene,’ and she truly supported the footwear industry. She admired and appreciated FFANY, which continues to reciprocate the honor.” “The footwear industry has been a powerful partner to BCRF in funding critical breast cancer research, and FFANY has been at the forefront of
that drive,” says Leonard A. Lauder, chairman emeritus of The Estée Lauder Companies, Inc. “When, and not if, we eradicate breast cancer, it will be thanks… to dedicated partners like FFANY.” Dr. Larry Norton, BCRF’s scientific director and medical director of the Evelyn H. Lauder Breast Center at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York, emphasized the FFANY influence on new types of cancer research. “FFANY’s BCRF grant is called the First Step Award because it is designed to support true medical innovation, ideas that despite being brilliant are new and hence untested,” Norton says. “It promotes the kind of work that leads to major advances.” For a specific anticancer gain, Dr. Rachel Hazan, BCRF grantee and professor of pathology at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York, says that she was “grateful” to QVC Presents “FFANY Shoes on Sale,” because “it has allowed my lab to make major advances in research related to a type of breast cancer—called HER2+—that accounts for nearly 25% of all cases” as well as contributions to better understand metastasis, the traveling of cancer cells from one organ to another. “The study of metastasis is a key focus of BCRF’s work,” says Marc Hurlbert, PhD, BCRF’s chief mission officer, “as are other critical areas —Leonard A. Lauder, chairman including prevention programs, new emeritus of The Estée Lauder treatments and quality of life issues to Companies, Inc. meet the needs of the patients.” “Supporting breast cancer research is an important cause for our company,” said Alex Del Cielo, chairman and CEO of the Greenwich, CT-based Camuto Group, an important donor through FFANY. “We have always been committed to issues facing today’s women, and breast cancer has touched the lives of each and every one of us.” Added Louise Camuto, chief creative officer: “As a woman, I know so many individuals who have suffered and it is up to us to continue to partner as an industry to help support the goal of eradicating breast cancer.”
“The footwear
industry has been a powerful partner to BCRF in funding critical breast cancer research, and FFANY has been at the forefront of that drive.”
This year BCRF is supporting 240 renowned scientists around the world.
MICHAEL BLANCHARD
THE BREAST CANCER RESEARCH FOUNDATION
THE SAMUEL OSCHIN COMPREHENSIVE CANCER INSTITUTE AT CEDARS-SINAI MEDICAL CENTER
FFANY, KORS STEP UP FIGHT AGAINST CANCER
How one leading doctor aims to create positives for a breast cancer called “triple-negative.”
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he research by Dr. Armando Giuliano has for more than a decade reflected a great advantage in partnering with the Fashion Footwear Association of New York to battle breast cancer. Today, it’s his leading-edge work to fight deadly triple-negative breast cancer at FFANY beneficiary Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. Previously, it was his work with lymph nodes at John Wayne Cancer Center in Santa Monica. “I have been a recipient of FFANY funding for many years,” Giuliano said. “FFANY money is great, because it enables researchers to do start-up projects. Many other donor organizations wait to see if something begins to work before they give you the money simply because they want to make sure the money is going to a viable project.” “Start-up work is vitally important. We were able to run with our work on lymph nodes and what we developed is now used on lymph
Michael Kors, 2005 FFANY Designer of the Year, has been a lead benefactor of “FFANY Shoes on Sale” Cutting-edge research at the Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center creates better standards of care worldwide.
node treatments worldwide. FFANY made that possible.” “We are using FFANY money now to treat a very bad type of breast cancer called triple-negative,” said Giuliano, who’s recognized internationally as one of the foremost scientists, physicians and educators in the fight against breast cancer. “It’s called that because this particular cancer lacks the three common markers that we identify to treat the disease. There is no target for the treatment. I’m very grateful to FFANY.” Giuliano’s Cedars-Sinai team uses molecular and genomic approaches to research as well as clinical care to apply targeted therapies to the wide variety of breast cancer types. Heredity may make some people sensitive to contracting cancer that could be stemmed through preventative measures while others with the disease may be treated with non-chemotherapy drugs. The spreading of breast cancer, the No. 1 cancer affecting women, “FFANY money to other organs is also a concentration of at the Oschin Center. is great, because study The Oschin Center also is establishing it enables the Breast Cancer Specimen Repository researchers and Live Tumor Cell Line Bank to better study types of the disease and treatments to do start-up that eradicate them. projects.” Among the FFANY donors support—Dr. Armando Giulano, ing Dr. Giuliano’s work at Cedars-Sinai Oschin Center is the New York-based fashion designer Michael Kors, who has been a generous donor of his coveted footwear and handbags for over a decade. “Unfortunately, breast cancer is something that affects too many of our friends, families and customers in one way or another,” Kors said. “My husband’s mom had breast cancer. She was an incredibly strong woman. I’ve been fortunate in that I am able to give back to the community. I’m thrilled to support a cause like ‘FFANY Shoes on Sale’ that raises both funds and awareness for breast cancer.”
SUSAN F. SMITH CENTER FOR WOMEN’S CANCERS AT DANA-FARBER CANCER INSTITUTE, BOSTON
ALLIES FFANY, DANA-FARBER BATTLE CANCER OLD AND NEW Recording star, actress and fashion icon Zendaya lends her influence to spread word about QVC Presents “FFANY Shoes on Sale” while Dana-Farber Institute continues the good fight
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uring cancer,” a powerful phrase of hope and conviction, requires accepting a thousand immense challenges not limited to identifying strains of the deadly disease, ways to battle its invasions and caring personally for the afflicted. At the Susan F. Smith Center for Women’s Cancers at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, the ongoing challenges include an enemy that doesn’t discriminate in age. “Breast cancer can affect so many women, and there’s not a lot of awareness,” said Zendaya, the 2016 “FFANY Shoes on Sale” spokesperson. The singer, actress, dancer and fashion icon said, “Young people espe“FFANY money cially don’t know the signs, so ‘FFANY allows us to Shoes on Sale’ is definitely important to advance major me since I have so many young women clinical research who are fans.” “The continued goal for FFANY is to act and hire the as the aggregator of our industry’s good will finest experts.” and substantial monetary giving,” said Jim Dr. Eric Winer, Director Of Issler, President & CEO, H.H. Brown Shoe Breast Oncology at Susan F. Smith Center for Company and Chairman of the FFANY Women’s Cancers. Board of Directors. “Without FFANY as a conduit, I doubt that we as individuals or companies would find another platform that could replace FFANY’s organizational acumen. H.H. Brown, not unlike many other industry retail and wholesale leaders, has found true value participating in this valiant effort to eradicate breast cancer.” The funding required to have sustained the leading-edge work at the Smith Center has included almost $7 million over 20 years from FFANY donor members through QVC Presents “FFANY Shoes on Sale.” “Being a part of QVC Presents ‘FFANY Shoes on Sale’ allows me to share my passion for shoes with my fans while also demonstrating how fun it can be to contribute to such a worthwhile cause,” said Zendaya, whose grandmother battled breast cancer. FFANY funding significantly allows great latitude, says Dr. Eric Winer, the Smith center’s director of breast oncology.
Dr. Eric Winer directs the Breast Oncology program at the Susan F. Smith Center for Women’s Cancers at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.
“Year-in and year-out, FFANY funding allows us to maintain the infrastructure and collect data that is absolutely critical to our purpose,” Winer said. “Two, FFANY money allows us to advance major clinical research and hire the finest experts. And three, FFANY money allows us hire young investigators to gain a foothold with new ideas that prove valuable, ideas that gain funding from other sources. FFANY donors lead to other donors.” “FFANY gives us unrestricted funds. FFANY has no agenda other than fighting cancer. FFANY gives us the money and says, ‘Use this to the best of your ability.’ That type of funding is rare, and it really makes a difference,” Winer said. “FFANY has really been huge for us. FFANY funds the tree, the trunk and all of its branches.”
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YEARS that FFANY has donated to Dana-Farber research
MILLION DOLLARS that FFANY has donated to Dana-Farber research
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TUNE IN to QVC 6-9ET for “FFANY Shoes on Sale”
Oct 25
“FFANY SHOES ON SALE” GALA at Waldorf Astoria New York
JOHN WAYNE CANCER INSTITUTE AND MARGIE PETERSEN BREAST CENTER
WHERE THERE’S A WILL, THERE’S A WAYNE—AND A PETERSEN John Wayne Cancer Institute and Margie Petersen Breast Center Continue Advances on Breast Cancer
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hen it comes to combatting cancer, leading-edge research efforts create strong allies. Like stylish high heels next to scruffy cowboy boots, the Fashion Footwear Association of New York and the John Wayne Cancer Institute and its affiliated Margie Petersen Breast Center at Providence St. John’s Health Center in Santa Monica have fought side-by-side for more than a decade to stomp out the dreaded disease. “FFANY Shoes on Sale” has funneled more member donations to Wayne/Petersen—more than $7 million—than to any other cancer research center. Revolutionary technology to examine lymph nodes to check on the spread of cancer cells was developed at Wayne, where the Petersen provides a wide variety of care to 2,500 annual patients. “The power of our brands and brains together will make a difference,” said donor Robert Goldman, Co-Founder & CEO of Chinese Laundry. “I believe ‘FFANY Shoes on Sale’ and all the donations made over Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, CA
the years, have helped the doctors and researchers make great strides to finding a cure We all have causes that are near and dear to our heart, but when we work together we can see change happen. How could we not? This is a disease that impacts so many of friends and family. To help them, in any way, is our duty and our privilege to be able to donate and participate in events like this.” “John Wayne has a long history of discovery in the cancer research,” said Dr. Rebecca Crane- Okada, director of Breast Cancer Navigation at Petersen and professor of oncology at the 35-year-old Wayne. “Much of that was the result of innovative and cutting-edge work that FFANY was instrumental in initiating. Because FFANY funded early work with seed money that led to studies that gained foundation funding that would not have been (Top) Dr. Rebecca Crane-Okada, dedicated to seemingly risky efforts. director of Breast Cancer FFANY is noted for taking chances.” Navigation at Petersen. (Above) One investigation at the Wayne/ Robert Goldman, Co-Founder & CEO of Chinese Laundry Petersen alliance studied microbes on the breast surface. “No one wanted to fund it,” said Dr. Delphine Lee, director of the Dirks/ Dougherty Lab at Wayne/Petersen. “FFANY stepped in. Because of FFANY, we were able to describe human breast microbiomes in women with breast cancer.” Among the major ongoing studies at Petersen that FFANY funding initiated is the use of bacteria to fight breast cancer. Lee said that this particular study indicates that bacteria is present more in healthy “The power breast tissue more than in cancerof our brands and ous breast tissue, and the results brains together will could help advance immunization against the disease. make a difference.” “Supporting ‘FFANY Shoes on —Robert Goldman, Co-Founder & CEO of Chinese Laundry Sale’ goes back to my wife, Carol, of 50-plus years and my two daughters, Alex and Lauren,” said Goldman, emphasizing that we all want to keep our loved ones safe. “I sleep better knowing there’s a cure on the horizon. I also take comfort knowing that we’re working to make aggressive improvements in treatment, diagnosis, and care for patients that are currently battling the disease.”
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MILLION DOLLARS that FFANY has donated to JWCI PATIENTS served annually at Petersen
YEARS JWCI has been fighting cancer
UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN COMPREHENSIVE CANCER CENTER
MICHIGAN DATA KICKS CANCER Thanks to industry-raised funds, one university is building rich databases to support more breast cancer studies.
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h i l e t h e Fa s h i o n Fo ot w e a r A s s o c i a tion of New York is well known for setting the pace in the shoe industry, this group has stepped up to passionately support the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center, whose Breast Oncology Program has received more than $5.5 million from FFANY since 2000. “We are tremendously grateful for FFANY, which has been our loyal and enthusiastic partner for the last 16 years,” said Daniel Hayes, M.D., co-director of the U-M Breast Oncology Program. “FFANY’s grant program nurtures unexplored, yet potentially breakthrough, research ideas. Its seed funding is an essential step in moving us toward a cure.” Hayes’ team studied why some patients respond to certain therapies while others do not. “It’s surprising that only about half of patients with forms of breast cancer characterized as ‘estrogen receptive’ benefit from anti-estrogen therapies,” Hayes said. “The question is further complicated by the fact that, between different patients and
even within an individual patient, there can be multiple factors collaborating to help the cancer resist the therapy. We’re working hard to understand how this happens so we can personalize treatment based on each patient’s unique cancer profile.” Thanks entirely to QVC Presents ‘FFANY Shoes on Sale,’ U-M recently completed a database of tissue samples from biopsies and detailed clinical data from breast cancer patients. Containing 1,000 patient histories, the database is one of the most complete privately-funded resources of its kind. Researchers can use this resource to support further breast cancer studies. “Projects like databases might not seem exciting at first blush,” said Hayes, “until they start to pay off. That’s what’s happening now, thanks to FFANY.” For breast cancer patients, every breakthrough is exciting. Renee Janovsky, vice president and general manager of Neiman Marcus in the Somerset Collection at Troy, Mich., was diagnosed in 2006 with a rare form of breast cancer requiring aggressive treatment. “Every patient experiences breast cancer and its treatment differently,” she said. “My treatment was really challenging, but as of today, I’m cancer free! Hopefully the work being done at Michigan will make it possible for future breast cancer patients to receive more pre“...the dollars they cisely targeted treatments with raise are being fewer side effects.” put to work at the Janovsky is thrilled that institution (UMCCC) FFANY plays such an important role in cancer research. “It feels that saved my life.” good to know that the industry I —Renee Janovsky, vice president and love and have devoted my career general manager of Neiman Marcus, Troy, Michigan to is standing behind me in my fight against breast cancer, and that the dollars they raise are being put to work at the institution that saved my life.” Nathan Forbes, managing partner of the Forbes Company, a Michigan shopping destination developer, shares that enthusiasm. “It is great to see two of our passions – cancer research and fashion – come together through U-M’s partnership with FFANY,” Forbes said.
An on-site pathologist performs a microscopic exam of breast tissue sample while the patient is still under anesthesia in the operating room. After consulting with the pathologist, the surgeon can decide if it’s necessary to remove more tissue–potentially allowing a patient to avoid a second procedure.
ABRAMSON CANCER CENTER AT THE UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA
FFANY FUNDS INITIATE AND SUSTAIN VITAL CANCER PROBE
Abramson Cancer Center at the University of Pennsylvania
FFANY monies built the foundation at Abramson, its later donations are essential to understanding recurring breast cancer
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he contributions that the Fashion Footwear Association of New York has steered to some of the leading-edge breast cancer research centers sometimes have been risky yet ultimately necessary initial steps to get baseline programs started so more detailed and crucial research follows in stride. Contributions from FFANY member “FFANY’s donors — such as Marc Fisher of willingness to take Marc Fisher Footwear, whose family risks and to give co-founded “FFANY Shoes on Sale” you the freedom 23 years ago in a tent in New York’s Central Park —to the Abramson and trust had led Cancer Center at the University of to remarkable Pennsylvania in Philadelphia are vital. advances.” These gifts started a patient database, Angela DeMichele, M.D.,co-chair furthering Penn Medicine research of Abramson’s 2-PREVENT with FFANY funds to isolate deadly Breast Cancer (TCE) at Penn Medicine in Philadelphia tumor cells that resist chemotherapy. FFANY has contributed more than $5 million to the Abramson center. “My family’s relationship with Penn Medicine is longstanding,” Marc Fisher said. “To see over the years how the Penn scientists and physicians work relentlessly to find ways to treat cancer is remarkable. Dedicated to innovative and compassionate cancer care, they have transformed patient care and developed new therapies that improve the quality of life for women with breast cancer. To be able to support the Abramson center, my family and I are confident we are one step closer to finding a cure.” FFANY agreed to initially fund a breast-cancer database for Abramson, according to Angela DeMichele, M.D., co-chair of Abramson’s 2-PREVENT Breast Cancer Translational Center of Excellence (TCE) at Penn Medicine in Philadelphia. The TCE is the first and only cancer research center dedicated solely to breast cancer recurrence. “That database became the foundation for our further
research,” DeMichele said. Succeeding research, spearheaded by Lewis Chodosh, M.D., Ph.D., put a focus on the recurrence of tumor cells in at least 15 percent of patients. He found that more than 99 percent of tumors were eradicated by chemotherapy, but that tiny clusters of hardy tumor cells were left behind to travel or “metastasize” through to body to other organs and systems. Chodosh’s research found that a drug used to fight leukemia may be the significant one to battle the migrating cancer cells. “None of this would have happened without FFANY money,” DeMichele said. “FFANY deserves a huge amount of credit for what comes out of this center. FFANY’s willingness to take risks and to give you the freedom and trust has led to remarkable advances.” “Twenty-three years later, we know so much more about this horrible disease and that is predominantly because of the research that has gone into fighting breast cancer,” Fisher said. “It is so imperative for our industry to be MORE committed to the hopes of finding a cure for breast cancer.”
2,500 5 15-20
BREAST CANCER PATIENTS in database
MILLION DOLLARS in FFANY donations to Abramson PERCENT of patients are inflicted with recurring cancer
UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH CANCER INSTITUTE
FFANY HELPS INSTITUTE KEEP PROGRAMS AFLOAT Funds from the footwear business sharpen Pittsburgh’s focus on the isolation and study of metastatic cells.
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s the home of the first federal hospital, the brewing of the polio vaccine and advances in organ-transplant science, Pittsburgh boasts a healthy medical-history chart. Add to these the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute’s recent dedication to join the Fashion Footwear Association of New York in the battle against breast cancer. QVC Presents “FFANY Shoes on Sale” has donated almost $1 million to the Institute’s research in the last four years. Among the ongoing studies at the Pittsburgh research center is the isolation and study of metastatic cells, or those that migrate to other organs or body systems, spreading the cancer, versus original breast cancer cells. “With FFANY money, we were able to publish our first paper on the estrogen receptor gene’s role in metastatic cancer in the journal
Clinical Cancer Research in March,” said Dr. Nancy E. Davidson, director of Pittsburgh’s Cancer Institute. “It is only the first story of several research efforts toward differentiating metastatic from original diagnosis.” Other studies where the Univer“Some of the ideas sity of Pittsburgh Medical Center that received FFANY Health System is the No. 1 regional funds helped realize employer and where the UPMC Cancer Center often works closely successful research with the Cancer Institute, include programs” those on breast cancer relapse and —Dr. Nancy E. Davidson, director of the phases of those relapses – after Pittsburgh’s Cancer Institute five years, after 10 and later. The Institute is also expanding its collection of metastatic tissues, a fundamental resource needed to accelerate research. Davidson said that FFANY’s donor members’ annual contributions to battle cancer are key ingredients in the fight against the disease. She said that FFANY money over four years has allowed the Institute to sustain specific programs. “FFANY is absolutely vital to cancer research,” she said. “We are delighted at Pittsburgh to join with this wonderful organization. I’m really passionate about FFANY. It funds ideas that might be characterized as high-risk and avant garde, developing programs that might not have gotten started without FFANY to fight breast cancer.” Some of the ideas that received FFANY funds helped realize successful research programs at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (in Boston) and at the universities of Michigan and Pennsylvania. “Our colleagues in the fashion industry are putting their money where their hearts are,” Davidson said. One of those fashion-industry donors with visionary philanthropy is Nine West, the fashion and footwear company. “Nine West is proud to be a Founding Special Pink Benefactor of ‘FFANY Shoes on Sale.’ We continue to be inspired by the scientists leading this effort and the significant progress made to bring about better detection and treatment for women battling breast cancer” said Ralph Schipani, CEO of Nine West Holdings, Inc.
Dr. Nancy Davidson, director of the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, examines slides with breast cancer specialist Dr. Yi Huang. The Hillman Cancer Center brings the research expertise of Pitt’s Cancer Institute and the clinical care of the UPMC CancerCenter together under one roof.
THE ALVIN J. SITEMAN CANCER CENTER
SITEMAN SIGHTS SET ON GAMUT OF RESEARCH
Breast surgeon Dr. Julie Margenthaler wears special goggles developed at Siteman Cancer Center.
Since 2005, the Alvin J. Siteman Cancer Center has received almost $4 million that resulted in work on breast cancer vaccines, other advances against the disease
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he fight to cure cancer as soon as possible requires organizations dedicated to passionately sharing funds and information to find solutions. That’s why the strong relationship between the Fashion Footwear Association of New York and the Alvin J. Siteman Cancer Center at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis continues more than a decade of close collaboration. FFANY has contributed almost $4 million in Siteman research funding since 2005. In the past 11 years, Siteman researchers have produced leading-edge high-tech goggles for surgeons to find notoriously difficult-to-see cancer cells in the operating room. Siteman also leads in genomics breast cancer research, which involves decoding patients’ DNA and identifying the differences between normal and cancerous cells, then designing vaccines for each patient’s particular immune system to destroy the malignant cells. Siteman’s ongoing research includes 18 separate initiatives fighting cancer on all fronts—all of them funded by FFANY, including aid for Siteman to complete data that would lead to further fund- Diane Sullivan, CEO, President and Chairman of Caleres, ing from health-care organizations, and Dr. Timothy J. Eberlein, researching metastasis or the spread of director of the Alvin J. Siteman Cancer Center. cancer from one organ or body system to another, and examining carotenoids, pigments in fruit and vegetables related to the reduced risk of breast cancer. “FFANY has rallied an entire industry around the fight against cancer,” said Diane Sullivan, CEO, President and Chairman of St. Louis-based fashion footwear leader Caleres and a major FFANY donor. “There is no way to determine the number of lives that have been touched by their support. More and more people are encouraged they
can overcome a cancer diagnosis and confident that Siteman will do everything they can to treat and cure them.” “Support from FFANY and its partners allows Siteman Cancer Center to foster science that will have the greatest impact,” said Timothy J. Eberlein, MD, Siteman’s director. “We are extremely grateful for their generosity, which helps our researchers make groundbreaking discoveries that impact breast cancer patients around the world.” Despite the worldwide reach of “FFANY has rallied Siteman’s work, Sullivan reminds us that the fight against cancer has an entire industry been personal. around the fight “We are so fortunate to have against cancer.” Siteman in our backyard,” Sulli—Diane Sullivan, CEO, President van said. “The National Cancer and Chairman of Caleres Institute has awarded Siteman the highest possible rating in cancer research and programs. Only a handful of cancer centers in the country have achieved this rating. We have employees, and their family members, who are survivors. They were treated at Siteman, so the ‘FFANY Shoes on Sale’ event has always been very personal to us. We know that money is going to help people that we know. That is a powerful reminder we must continue the fight.”
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MILLION DOLLARS that FFANY has contributed in Siteman research funding YEARS OF COLLABORATION between FFANY and Siteman Cancer Center RESEARCH PROJECTS at Siteman have been funded with FFANY contributions