Letter from Lisa Switzer, M.A. |
Dear Friends,
With Spring in the air, longer days, and the COVID restrictions lifting as more and more people receive the vaccine, hopefully people’s spirits are also lifting. For some of us still working 100% remotely, we wonder what it will be like to have in-person meetings again and what it will be like to have COVID fatigue finally lift.
To that end, next month on May 7th we are excited to host our Ribbons and Roses fundraiser at the Lamar Street Center. The event will also celebrate the Berris Awards winners. This year we are honoring three warriors against cancer: Dr. David Trevarthen, Debbie Markham and Gerald Hayes.
In other news, the WSCR-NCORP Board and staff are still engaged in our strategic planning process and focusing on opportunities to have clinical trials be an option for every patient with a cancer diagnosis, including people in rural and underserved areas. Our staff has been working diligently to create an Implicit Bias in Healthcare resource library which will soon be available to the community and our supporters on our website. Now that the library is nearly finished, we will begin to partner with other community organizations to put our words into deeds.
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Physician Spotlight: Oncologist Ryan Weight, D.O., M.S. |
Ryan Weight, DO, MS, spoke with us in this recent interview. Dr. Weight is a member of the medical team at Mountain Blue Cancer Care Center, where he specializes in Derm-Oncology.
What role as an oncologist do you play in any given cancer, specifically melanoma and other skin cancers, research clinical trial?
As a medical oncologist providing care to patients with advanced cancer such as melanoma and other skin cancers, my role is best described as a director or navigator, one who provides guidance to patients based on knowledge and accumulated experience.
For instance, medical oncologists are often the providers that identify clinical trial opportunities and present these options to patients who need treatment beyond the standard of care. If the patient elects to enroll on a clinical trial, it is then our responsibility to oversee the patient’s care while on trial. For example, we will evaluate patients while on study including monitoring and reporting side effects in addition to determining if the clinical trial is working for the patient in the way that we hope it will. As oncologists, we decide with the patient when it is time to discontinue the clinical trial if the treatment is not working or there is an untoward side effect. We ensure that the best possible care is provided to the patient while maintaining the integrity of the clinical trial.
What lies ahead for cancer research in 2021?
Short answer – A Lot. Immune checkpoint blockade, engineered cellular therapy, and signal transduction inhibition have revolutionized the way we approach cancer care. Advances in personalized medicine have allowed us to target tumors in ways that have not been accessible before. In the field of melanoma and skin cancer, we are excited about the treatments on the horizon.
Through the development and implementation of clinical trials such as those offered through WSCR-NCORP, we are gaining a better understanding of the complex mechanisms underlying immunotherapy and how the body’s innate immune system can be used to its maximum potential as an anti-cancer therapy.
We are excited about the potential of adoptive t-cell therapies for melanoma, a treatment wherein the patient’s immune cells are captured from a tumor sample, multiplied in a lab, and given back to the patient as an active treatment against the melanoma. We now understand the importance of turning tumors that act like an immune desert into a lush immune cell filled environment, training the body’s innate immune system to act as an anti-cancer therapy. We are studying a myriad of pharmaceutical and biologic agents that do just that. This work will continue in 2021 and beyond.
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Welcome to the Board of Trustees: Wendy Binyon Shaver |
Wendy Binyon Shaver's career in oncology began after her mom‘s cancer diagnosis in 1996. Since that time, Wendy's career has taken her in many directions including as a radiation therapist, a research coordinator, a research manager at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, and to industry, on the commercial side of the business.
Wendy tells us, "I have now lost both of my parents to cancer, and my experience as a caregiver to both inspires me to stand up to cancer every single day."
"In my personal life I am happily married to Tim and have a 3-year-old daughter Judy, who is the apple of my eye. In my free time I love exploring the great outdoors of Colorado, doing yoga, cooking, traveling, and attending professional sporting events (go Av’s!)," says Wendy.
Wendy is delighted to be a trustee on the board at WSCR. So are we!
"It is my honor to be a part of the important work that is the mission of Western States Cancer Research NCORP," explains Wendy.
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Tax time creates a new season of giving to support our work |
New last year, $1 billion-plus in play for Colorado nonprofits gives you the option to use your tax refund to support Western States Cancer Research NCORP.
If you get a state income tax refund in 2020, you will have a new opportunity to donate some or all of it to support our ongoing work in the community.
The program described by the ReFUND CO initiative puts you in charge of where your donation goes. It’s as simple as 1,2,3:
1.Decide how much of your refund to donate.
2. Enter Western States Cancer Research NCORP and our registration #20023005419 and the amount of your refund you would like to donate on Line 18 of Form DR 0104CH (the Donate to a Colorado Nonprofit Fund line) on your state income tax return or tax software – or just give this info to your tax preparer when you share your tax documents.
3. Smile knowing you’ve helped a cause that matters to you.
As always, we’re grateful for your past support and hope you’ll consider donating again through this new program to support cancer patients access clinical trials in their local communities.
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Alexa DeBord Joins WSCR Team |
Alexa DeBord will tell you that she is an enthusiastic cancer researcher. At WSCR-NCORP, she works as a Clinical Research Coordinator to implement cancer research trials from the National Cancer Institute into clinics in the Denver area. "Conducting research in the community allows us the ability to reach all eligible individuals for trials, including minority and underserved populations. In doing so, we dually improve the cancer care to those in our local communities and the nation at large by conducting research that reflects true human diversity. I am lucky to work for a company committed to bettering cancer care for all," Alexa explains.
Alexa is originally from Cleveland, OH and made the move to Colorado to complete her master’s degree at CSU. During that experience she fell in love with both cancer research and Colorado. When Alexa is not working, she enjoys the company of friends, the outdoors, playing guitar, and learning (currently Spanish). In closing, Alexa shares, "My greatest joy is connecting with others and I hope I get the chance to meet you readers one day!" Please join us in welcoming Alexa to our team.
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Learn More about our New Legacy Society & Planned Giving Program |
Our Vision is the marriage of clinical research and compassion through the progress we help affect through community oncology studies. Planned gifts will help for many years to some so people can fight cancer in their own communities and their own circles of support.
Planned giving provides you the opportunity to make a donation to help cancer patients and their physicians gain access to innovative treatment options, including clinical trials, in their own communities. As part of your overall financial planning for your assets and the tax benefits of charitable giving, as well as your estate planning, legacy gifts help you arrange a major charitable contribution in the present so you can see the powerful impact of your philanthropy. The following are planned giving options for you to consider as you plan your charitable legacy.
A Few Planned Giving Options
Bequest
A bequest can be made by naming Western States Cancer Research NCORP (WSCR-NCORP) as a charitable beneficiary in a new will or adding a codicil to an existing will. The bequest can be in the form of a stated dollar amount or specific property, a percentage of the estate or a portion of the entire residue.
Gifts of Retirement Plan Assets/Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs)
Retirement plan accounts and IRAs may be subjected to both estate and income tax. To avoid any potential taxes on funds given to WSCR-NCORP, donors can name WSCR-NCORP as one of the beneficiaries of their retirement plan or IRA.
Life Insurance
A gift of life insurance may be made by naming WSCR-NCORP as the policy owner and beneficiary. A gift of life insurance can offer valuable income and estate tax savings. There can also be an immediate tax savings when our nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization is named owner and beneficiary of a non-term life insurance policy.
Learn More
Please contact our Major Gifts and Planned Giving Officer I 720-475-5728
We recommend consulting with your own legal and tax accounting advisors before making any type of planned gift.
Visit the Legacy & Planned Giving section of our Ways to Support WSCR-NCORP webpage on WesternStatesNcorp.org by clicking here. |
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