DEC. 3, 2010

Garth Brooks, Trisha Yearwood raise money for Women's Cancer Center at Stanford

BY RUTHANN RICHTER

Country music stars Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood made a rare visit to Menlo Park, Calif., today to raise funds for a cause that is dear to them: women’s cancer. Both have close family members who have suffered from the disease.

The couple flew in from their Oklahoma home for a special appearance at a luncheon that raised nearly $1 million for the Women’s Cancer Center at Stanford. The program, part of the Stanford Cancer Center, involves some 80 faculty and staff in a comprehensive effort to improve survival and cure rates for breast and gynecologic cancers.

The stars, among the best-selling vocalists in history, charmed the audience with a half-hour set. Between songs, they spoke passionately about the issue of women’s health.

“The Stanford Women’s Cancer Center is for our mothers, our sisters, our daughters and all of us who love them,” they told some 300 guests at the Sharon Heights Golf & Country Club. “We are honored to be able to share in the celebration of this vision coming to life.”

Stanford plans to convert space in the Blake Wilbur Building across the street from the Stanford Cancer Center to provide centralized clinical care for women with breast and gynecologic cancers. The 13,800-square-foot space will serve as the new home for the Women’s Cancer Center, doubling the existing clinical space for patients with these cancers. The center is expected to be completed next summer.

The medical center has received a $10 million gift from an anonymous donor toward the creation of a Women’s Cancer Center Leadership Fund, Jonathan Berek, MD, director of the Stanford Women’s Cancer Center and chair of Stanford’s Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, announced to broad applause at the luncheon. The initial goal for this effort — which includes funding for research, faculty recruitment and patient support — is $20 million, he said.

“Many of us are here because we are personally affected by breast and gynecologic cancers — our own or those of our family members or friends,” said Berek, whose own mother is a breast cancer survivor. “We participated in their personal struggle, their loss and their triumph. Now we dedicate ourselves to finding ways to prevent, detect and cure these women’s cancers that touch almost every family.”

Berek is known internationally for his work in ovarian cancer and has multiple collaborations with colleagues inside and outside of Stanford on novel ways to detect and treat the disease. In one project, he is working with Sanjiv “Sam” Gambhir, MD, director of the Stanford Cancer Imaging Research Program and professor of radiology, in testing a new method to screen for and monitor ovarian cancer. The goal is to find effective prevention and screening tools, which currently don’t exist.

Berek also has several clinical trials in progress on new therapies for the disease. These include a vaccine that targets specific markers on the surface of the tumor, as well approaches that corral the immune system to fight the cancer.

Berek noted that Stanford has a unique program in cancer stem cells, led by Irving Weissman, MD, director of the Stanford Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, and Michael Clarke, MD, professor of medicine, who first identified the breast cancer stem cell. Weissman, who is also professor of pathology and of developmental biology, is beginning a trial of an innovative treatment for ovarian cancer based around a new target, a molecule called CD47, found on the surface of cancer cells.

Stanford researchers also are using genetics to improve the ability to detect and prevent breast and ovarian cancers, which have virtually identical genetic profiles. New clinical trials that target some of the genetic defects in both cancers are currently under way, Berek said.

He said Stanford already has drawn a host of new investigators in the women’s cancer field and is seeking to recruit several additional faculty to intensify the effort. “We’re trying to attract the best and the brightest and strengthen the women’s cancer program,” Berek said.

The Women’s Cancer Center also is expanding its supportive care programs for women, including social and psychological counseling services, support groups, guidance on sexual health, and cosmetic and nutritional support.

Berek introduced one of the youngest supporters of the Women’s Cancer Center, 10-year-old Devon Diller. Devon’s mother, Tricia Diller, passed away earlier this year of breast cancer at age 52. Devon turned grief into action with a bike-a-thon fundraiser Nov. 14 in which she and her Woodside School classmate, Sophia Ashworth, raised more than $15,000 for a memorial fund in her mother’s name. That fund will provide a special seed grant for promising breast cancer research, Berek said.

The Family and Friends of Tricia Diller were among the major sponsors of the luncheon, along with Laurie Kraus Lacob and Nadia’s Gift Foundation. In addition to Lacob, members of the committee who organized the event include Lisa Shatz, Deborah Berek, Fran Codispoti, Ann Doerr, Susie Fox, Jill Freidenrich, Lainie Garrick, Lisa Goldman, Jillian Manus-Salzman, Debbie Rachleff and Dianne Taube.

“All women will triumph from these extraordinary gifts,” Berek said.

Garth Brooks is the No. 1-selling solo artist in U.S. history, having sold more than 128 million albums. He has won every accolade in the recording industry, including two Grammys, 17 American Music Awards, 11 Country Music Association Awards and 18 Academy of Country Music Awards.

Trisha Yearwood is one of the top-selling female artists in country music history and now a two-time New York Times bestselling cookbook author. She has won three Grammys and is a three-time Country Music Award winner and a two-time Academy of Country Music Award winner.

Stanford University Medical Center integrates research, medical education and patient care at its three institutions - Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford Hospital & Clinics and Lucile Packard Children's Hospital. For more information, please visit the Office of Communication & Public Affairs site at https://mednews.stanford.edu/.