Greetings on a rainy Saturday afternoon. I just sent in my final minor edits to the CCSG Director’s Overview, and most of the CCSG has already been uploaded. Just a few more things to do, and then it will be time to pivot to preparations for our September 12 site visit.
We all should be very proud of what we have accomplished in these past five years. We have had enormous scientific impact, with paradigm-shifting observations and practice-changing clinical trials. Even as the national cancer effort faces potential headwinds due to the evolving congressional standoff, we have put ourselves into position to succeed moving forward.
I read an unbelievable statistic earlier in the week. While cancer deaths have generally been on the decline since 2003, the greatest decrease in the United States has been in the District of Columbia, which has experienced a remarkable 61% reduction in deaths, the best in the nation, with the major impact in black men (source link). Undoubtedly, this progress has many causes, but as the only NCI-designated comprehensive cancer center based in DC, and as the dominant clinical care provider in the District, I am confident that we have more than played a part. And, at the end of the day, isn’t this what it is all about?
I write this with a sense of bittersweet irony. My mother died as a result of multiple myeloma 31 years ago this weekend; she was only 63 years old. She died just before the revolution caused by IMIDs began to transform multiple myeloma into a far more manageable illness with ever-increasing survivals. Georgetown Lombardi members such as David Siegel and David Vesole have made important contributions to this progress.
When I think of what my mother has missed — the accomplishments of her children and her grandchildren, the eight great-grandchildren she never got to meet — I am reminded of the cruelty of early death. When I think of all we missed by not having her in our lives all these years, the sense of loss is all the much greater.
So, as we celebrate our progress and a bright future filled with transformation, let’s not forget that what we do is more than cool science, more than publications, grants and plenary presentations. It’s about giving people back their futures, for themselves and for everyone who cares about them.
Stay safe and be well.
Lou
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