From the President
Walk around the Dana-Farber campus, and you'll notice that virtually nothing is static. Oncologists and patients are testing new cancer treatments, laboratory scientists are pushing the boundaries of knowledge, and administrators are improving the way we work.
The same holds true for the Institute's Strategic Plan, which charts the organization's strengths and goals. Since the plan's launch three years ago, Dana-Farber has added several new research centers, expanded our capacity to conduct clinical trials, enhanced our cancer survivorship program, and opened a new oncology clinic at Faulkner Hospital, among many changes. In addition, we have sharpened our focus on promoting diversity among patients and employees, created new career tracks for some of our scientists, and refined relationships with our major partners in care. We are now updating our Strategic Plan to ensure that we stay on course over the next three years to become the model cancer center for the nation.
Like the plan, the pages of this issue of Paths of Progress reveal an organization teeming with new ideas. You'll see it in articles detailing our efforts to thwart prostate and neuroendocrine cancers, and to make Dana-Farber's services accessible to more patients. Other pieces show our investigators' sense of restless curiosity, whether they are postdoctoral fellows or veteran faculty, whether they are studying the genetic components of cells or the microscopic environment surrounding tumors.
There is nothing permanent except change, the ancient Greek philosopher Heraclitus observed, and Dana-Farber will continue to shape and strengthen itself on its journey toward eradicating cancer.
Edward J. Benz Jr., MD
President, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute