The Hope Foundation has recently established the Frank and Linda Meyskens Annual Endowed Lectureship on Advances in Cancer Prevention.
Since the early 1980’s, Dr. Meyskens has been a leader in the recognition, development, and clinical usage of Prevention in the management of cancer. Frank and Linda have directed the development of this lectureship to advance the explosion of knowledge that is expanding opportunities to engage Prevention in personalized medicine, including early detection and genetically focused treatment options.
The annual lectureship will debut on April 4 at the spring SWOG meeting in Seattle, WA, with inaugural speaker Gary Goodman, MD. Dr. Goodman received his medical oncology training at the University of Arizona and was introduced by Dr. Meyskens to the new field of cancer chemoprevention. Under the mentorship of Dr. Meyskens and working in the lab of Dr. David Alberts, he studied the pharmakinetics and chemopreventive potential of retinoids. Later, after relocating to Seattle as a medical oncologist at Swedish Hospital, Goodman also joined the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center to pilot a cancer chemoprevention trial as part of the recently funded NCI initiative of Cancer Control Research Units. He designed, organized, and later became the principal investigator (PI) of the landmark Beta-Carotene and Retinol Efficacy Trial (CARET). This was a randomized double-blinded trial testing the efficacy of high-dose beta-carotene and retinol for lung cancer prevention in heavy smokers, former heavy smokers, and asbestos-exposed workers.
Dr. Meyskens led one of the CARET Centers at UC Irvine and remained a co-investigator. Although the trial was halted early because the intervention was causally related to increased lung cancer risk, CARET remains a stalwart trial in terms of its design and execution, and it resulted in the reevaluation of vitamins as pharmacologic agents. Dr. Goodman was also co-chair of SWOG’s prevention and epidemiology committee for many years and served as PI of the NCI Community Oncology Research Program (NCORP) site at Swedish Medical Center in Seattle.
Nominations for the Meyskens Lectureship will be solicited each fall, with a review committee comprising leaders from across SWOG’s NCORP committees selecting one speaker for each spring group meeting. Thanks to the generosity of the Meyskens family, and with support from The Hope Foundation, the lectureship will provide all travel and accommodations for each selected speaker to attend and present.
According to Dr. Meyskens, “Linda and I chose to create this lectureship as one of our major philanthropic gifts because SWOG has been so important in allowing not only me, but many others interested in the field of Cancer Prevention, to pursue a variety of new initiatives, many before their time. We are very pleased that Dr. Goodman, who has devoted much of his career to advancing this area, will be presenting the inaugural lecture in this important field.”
“Monumental advances in the field of Cancer Prevention are a direct result of clinical trials and of the great minds who drive progress in preventing disease, alongside those who make strides in treating it. This critical area of study was championed within SWOG’s network by Dr. Meyskens, and then by Dr. Goodman. It’s an ideal pairing to celebrate the launch of this fantastic lectureship,” said Johanna Horn, President & CEO of The Hope Foundation.
To honor Frank and Linda Meyskens through a gift in support of this annual lectureship, please give today and designate “Meyskens” in your gift note. Or mail a check to:
The Hope Foundation for Cancer Research
c/o The Meyskens Lectureship
P.O. Box 483
Ann Arbor, MI 48106
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