Duane A. Mitchell, M.D., Ph.D., World-Renowned Immunotherapy Expert to Speak at Seattle “Brains Matter” Dinner
SEATTLE (PRWEB) May 14, 2018 -- The EndBrainCancer Initiative (EBCI, formerly the Chris Elliott Fund) announced today that Duane A. Mitchell, M.D., Ph.D., world-renowned expert in using immunotherapy in the treatment of brain cancer will be the keynote at its 7th annual “Brains Matter” Awareness, Fundraiser, and Celebration Dinner. Dr. Mitchell is Co-Director of the Preston A. Wells Jr. Center for Brain Tumor Therapy and Director of the UF Brain Tumor Immunotherapy Program. The dinner will be held at the Bellevue Club on Thursday, May 17th, from 5 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
“Igniting HOPE” for brain tumor patients and their families and friends, this annual May event will also feature the presentation of EBCI’s National HOPE Award to Ken Whitley who was selected by EBCI following an outreach campaign to the brain tumor community nationally to nominate a brain cancer patient who most embodies HOPE in facing this disease. The EndBrainCancer Initiative would like to thank Novocure [https://www.novocure.com/ for once again underwriting this national education and awareness initiative.
Diagnosed with a brain tumor on Super Bowl Sunday 2017, Ken credits the EBCI team with providing guidance and insight that changed his approach to treatment as well as connecting him with key doctors offering a wide variety of treatment options. While the journey has at times been challenging, it has also had its very rewarding moments. It has strengthened his trust in God, and Ken and his then girlfriend, Cathy, got married in August 2017. After not qualifying for a number of clinical trials, Ken enrolled last September in a clinical trial with Dr. Allan Friedman of Duke University utilizing a re-engineered, tumor-seeking bacteria. This past week Ken got the results of his latest MRI “no measurable change in the tumor” with the three previous scans showing tumor reduction and dissipation.
Ken’s advice to others facing a brain cancer diagnosis:
“DON’T GIVE UP!! THERE IS HOPE! Put one foot in front of the other; keep moving forward. Define and pursue your goals while putting your trust in God. Doctors can treat. They can’t heal. God does, however, work through doctors, scientists and the EndBrainCancer Initiative’s Team. Don’t give up! New GBM treatments are around the corner and the EndBrainCancer Initiative’s team can provide IMMEDIATE ACCESS to these specialists and these new treatment options.”
Dellann Elliott Mydland, EBCI Founder & President, has this to say about the need for expanded treatment options:
“This year, the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) has named immunotherapy 2.0 as the advance of the year and now, immunotherapy is a standard treatment option for people across a broad range of cancers. However, immunotherapy is still not a standard treatment option for brain cancer patients. This is why the EndBrainCancer Initiative is currently focusing much of its education, awareness and outreach efforts on the role of immunotherapy in treating brain cancer. EBCI believes that all brain tumor and brain cancer patients should have immediate access to all brain tumor treatment options, including genomics and immunotherapy. It is for this reason that we have chosen Dr. Duane Mitchell as our Keynote Speaker and also because most of our audience attending our “Brains Matter” event are brain tumor patients, their families and friends. Through our “Direct Connect” program, it is our mission to personally introduce patients to Brain Tumor Centers of Excellence, specialists, principal investigators, and more in efforts to immediately open up more treatment options for them; including clinical trials. We work hard to improve patient outcomes and fuel commercialization of new treatment options.
We are delighted to welcome Dr. Mitchell to Seattle during the “National Brain Tumor Awareness Month” of May. Dr. Mitchell will ‘Ignite HOPE’ through sharing his insights around new and emerging immunotherapy options. He will personally engage with brain tumor patients, their families and friends which will better equip them to understand their own needs for expanded treatment options.”
Registration for the “Brains Matter” Dinner is $150. Pre-registration is required. All proceeds go towards supporting vital services that are provided free of charge to brain cancer and brain tumor patients locally and nationally. Doors open at 5:00 p.m. for a champagne networking reception. The educational program and presentation of awards start at 6:30 p.m. followed by a fundraiser consisting of a live auction and “Raise the Paddle.” Registration and Corporate Table sponsorship details can be found at https://endbraincancer.org/about/events/dinner/.
The EndBrainCancer Initiative would like to thank our sponsors who have made this event possible: Keynote Sponsor, Foundation Medicine [https://www.foundationmedicine.com and Educational and Event Sponsors OncLive [https://www.onclive.com , CURE Magazine [https://www.curetoday.com , Oncology Nursing News [http://www.oncnursingnews.com , Orbus Therapeutics [http://www.orbustherapeutics.com/ , STELLAR Trial [https://www.stellarstudy.com , Nativis [http://nativis.com/ , glassybaby [http://www.glassybaby.com , University of Florida Health [https://ufhealth.org/ , The Preston A. Wells Center for Brain Tumor Therapy [https://braintumors.ufhealth.org , The Preston Robert Tisch Brain Tumor Center at Duke [https://tischbraintumorcenter.duke.edu , Synaptive Medical [https://www.synaptivemedical.com , JMS Construction [http://jmsconstruction.com/ , Brotherton Cadillac [http://www.brothertoncadillac.com/ , Hatchbuck [https://www.hatchbuck.com and Tito’s Handmade Vodka [https://www.titosvodka.com .
About the EndBrainCancer Initiative
The EndBrainCancer Initiative (EBCI, formerly the Chris Elliott Fund) is a national brain cancer and brain tumor patient advocacy organization and national 501(c) 3 social enterprise with offices in Redmond, Washington. Established in 2002 and now celebrating 16 years of service, EBCI is committed to finding a cure for brain cancer and bringing HOPE to the lives of patients and their families through its three programs:
- “Direct Connect” Patient Services Program
- Brain Tumor Disease Education, Awareness, and Outreach Program
- Brain Tumor Patient Advocacy and Access
Since its founding, EBCI has helped thousands of patients, caregivers, and their families and has become a credible and trusted resource at all levels in the brain cancer treatment community from patients to research institutions to pharmaceutical and regulatory entities. EBCI also participates as the “Patient Voice” in clinical trial design. Founder and President, Dellann Elliott Mydland has been published in CNS Oncology.
The organization and its staff support 900+ patients and caregivers free of charge annually through the Direct Connect Program, and provide Education, Awareness, and Outreach to over 8.7 million annually, including members of the Brain Tumor Community. EBCI is a member of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), Society for Neuro-Oncology (SNO), American Association of Neuroscience Nurses, American Association for Cancer Research, and Life Sciences Washington, among other organizations.
If we can help, please contact us at WeCare(at)EndBrainCancer(dot)org or 425.444.2215.
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About Dr. Duane Mitchell
Duane Mitchell, M.D., Ph.D. is a world-renowned expert in translational research and immunotherapy. He is Co-Director of the Preston A. Wells Jr. Center for Brain Tumor Therapy at the University of Florida. Dr. Mitchell received his medical degree and doctorate degree in immunology from Duke University. Dr. Mitchell now leads a comprehensive brain tumor program at the University of Florida focused on translational research. He also currently serves as a chartered member of the NIH study section on Cancer Immunopathology and Immunotherapy, Chair of the NCI Pediatric Brain Tumor Consortium Immunotherapy Committee, and member of the NCI Brain Malignancy Steering Committee Working Group. Dr. Mitchell has more than 40 refereed journal publications, 15 textbook chapters and scientific reviews, and is inventor on five United States patents on findings from his oncological research.
More about Dr. Mitchell and his work can be found at [https://neurosurgery.ufl.edu/faculty-staff/research-faculty/mitchell/
Dellann Elliott Mydland, EndBrainCancer Initiative, formerly the Chris Elliott Fund, https://endbraincancer.org/, 425.785.8489, [email protected]
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