A new lung cancer research center has been created at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK). The Fiona and Stanley Druckenmiller Center for Lung Cancer Research (DCLCR) is a multidisciplinary research initiative dedicated to developing innovative and more-effective treatments for people with lung cancer.
The new center was made possible by a commitment of $25 million from MSK board member Stanley Druckenmiller and his wife, Fiona.
“Dramatic advancements have been made in the treatment of and screening for lung cancer, but it continues to be the most deadly form of cancer,” said MSK President and CEO Craig B. Thompson, MD, who notes that in 2015 there are estimated to be more than 200,000 new cases of the disease in the United States alone — a number that will only increase as the aging population does. “It is a critical time to be on the forefront of fighting this disease, and now, thanks to the generosity of Stanley and Fiona Druckenmiller, we can amplify the work we’ve done to fight lung cancer both in the clinical setting and in the lab.”
Lung cancer accounts for about 27 percent of all cancer deaths and is by far the leading cause of cancer death among both men and women, according to the American Cancer Society. An estimated 158,040 deaths from lung cancer will occur in the United States in 2015.
The DCLCR will promote the development and testing of novel strategies to treat lung cancer through several overlapping initiatives. These include supporting basic discovery efforts to better understand the biology and potential vulnerabilities of lung cancer, testing novel treatment strategies in preclinical models, and investigating promising approaches through clinical trials in patients.
Charles M. Rudin, MD, PhD, Chief of Thoracic Oncology, and David R. Jones, MD, Chief of Thoracic Surgery, will jointly lead the program, which will bring together MSK’s outstanding physicians and expanding group of scientists to spearhead crucial progress in understanding and treating the deadliest form of cancer.
The founding gift to establish the DCLCR is one of many generous contributions Stanley and Fiona Druckenmiller have made to a range of organizations and causes throughout the years, including previous contributions to MSK. Mr. Druckenmiller, who is the former chairman and president of Duquesne Capital, has been a member of MSK’s Boards of Overseers and Managers since 1997.
