Philadelphia Flyers Wives Donate $400,000 to Fund Women’s Cancer Center at Fox Chase Cancer Center

Dr. Fisher is presented with a check by the Flyers Wives.
Dr. Fisher is presented with a check by the Flyers Wives.

 

PHILADELPHIA (March 24, 2015) — Fox Chase Cancer Center is pleased to announce that the Philadelphia Flyers Wives are donating $400,000 to its Women’s Cancer Center—the region’s first center dedicated to the comprehensive needs of women with cancer—in support of various women’s health initiatives.

“Fox Chase is extremely grateful to the Flyers Wives for this generous donation, which will allow us to expand our reach into the community and accelerate groundbreaking discoveries in women’s cancer prevention and treatment,” said Richard I. Fisher, MD, President and CEO of Fox Chase Cancer Center. “Funding from long-standing local and national charities, such as the Flyers Wives, is critical to supporting philanthropic opportunities at Fox Chase that help advance cancer research and medicine.”

“This natural partnership brings together two leading organizations committed to positively impacting the lives of people living in the Greater Philadelphia Region,” said Ed Snider, Chairman, Philadelphia Flyers. “The Flyers Wives look forward to playing an integral role in the fight against cancer.”

For close to 40 years, the Flyers Wives have come together to stand behind and support community initiatives important to the Greater Philadelphia Region. Deeply committed to giving back, members of the Flyers Wives frequently volunteer in the community, supporting worthy causes and non-profit groups, from youth recreation programs to childhood illness, to animal welfare and many more.

Fox Chase Cancer Center has long been on the vanguard of breast cancer treatment and research. Its Women’s Cancer Center, established in 2007 as the region’s first cancer center dedicated to women, builds on the institution’s world-renowned expertise in breast and gynecologic cancers. The Center provides multidisciplinary programs to support both the physical and emotional needs of women faced with a cancer diagnosis and treatment.

The donation from the Flyers Wives will support several immediate priorities:

Mobile Screening. One of the Center’s ongoing goals is the prevention or early detection of women’s cancers, including breast cancer. Although the five-county Greater Philadelphia area is rich with medical institutions and resources, many women in the region do not get regular mammograms. The Women’s Cancer Center provides the region’s only mobile screening unit with state-of-the-art mammography technology, providing convenience and potentially life-saving services for women in the community.

Breast Specific Gamma Imaging. In addition to mammography, Breast Specific Gamma Imaging (BSGI)—a specialized technique incorporating the use of nuclear medicine with breast imaging—is very useful in breast cancer screening for women with dense breast tissue. Part of the Flyers Wives donation will support wider deployment of this technology, as well as research into its efficacy and real-world utility.

Using Hormones to Prevent Breast Cancer. The Flyers Wives funding will help support the research of Jose Russo, MD, director of the Fox Chase Breast Cancer Research Laboratory. Research has shown that hormones produced during early pregnancy protect women from ever developing breast cancer.  Dr. Russo’s laboratory is exploring mimicking these pregnancy hormones with a natural hormone called human chorionic gonadotropin in women at high risk for the disease, as a way to reduce the incidence of breast cancer.

Metastatic Breast Cancer Research. Finally, in addition to supporting the prevention of breast cancer, funds from the Flyers Wives donation will also go towards research looking at how to control the invasion and metastasis of breast cancer. Dr. Russo’s laboratory is also studying aspects of metastatic triple-negative breast cancer that are regulated by epigenetic phenomena—or external changes to gene expression. Dr. Russo and colleagues hope to control the invasion and metastasis of breast cancer by studying novel drugs.

About the Philadelphia Flyers

The Philadelphia Flyers are a subsidiary of Comcast-Spectacor.  The international sports and entertainment firm manages and operates arenas, stadiums, and convention centers; provides high-quality fresh food service; sells tickets and naming rights and ancillary income opportunities. Operating in 48 of the 50 United States, Canada, Singapore, Abu Dhabi and Macau, the company is part of the Comcast/NBC Universal family.

Ed. Note: In 2017, the Flyers Wives Charity was renamed Flyers Charities.

Fox Chase Cancer Center (Fox Chase), which includes the Institute for Cancer Research and the American Oncologic Hospital and is a part of Temple Health, is one of the leading comprehensive cancer centers in the United States. Founded in 1904 in Philadelphia as one of the nation’s first cancer hospitals, Fox Chase was also among the first institutions to be designated a National Cancer Institute Comprehensive Cancer Center in 1974. Fox Chase is also one of just 10 members of the Alliance of Dedicated Cancer Centers. Fox Chase researchers have won the highest awards in their fields, including two Nobel Prizes. Fox Chase physicians are also routinely recognized in national rankings, and the Center’s nursing program has received the Magnet recognition for excellence six consecutive times. Today, Fox Chase conducts a broad array of nationally competitive basic, translational, and clinical research, with special programs in cancer prevention, detection, survivorship, and community outreach. It is the policy of Fox Chase Cancer Center that there shall be no exclusion from, or participation in, and no one denied the benefits of, the delivery of quality medical care on the basis of race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity/expression, disability, age, ancestry, color, national origin, physical ability, level of education, or source of payment.

For more information, call 888-369-2427

Resize Text

Fox Chase Cancer Center (Fox Chase), which includes the Institute for Cancer Research and the American Oncologic Hospital and is a part of Temple Health, is one of the leading comprehensive cancer centers in the United States. Founded in 1904 in Philadelphia as one of the nation’s first cancer hospitals, Fox Chase was also among the first institutions to be designated a National Cancer Institute Comprehensive Cancer Center in 1974. Fox Chase is also one of just 10 members of the Alliance of Dedicated Cancer Centers. Fox Chase researchers have won the highest awards in their fields, including two Nobel Prizes. Fox Chase physicians are also routinely recognized in national rankings, and the Center’s nursing program has received the Magnet recognition for excellence six consecutive times. Today, Fox Chase conducts a broad array of nationally competitive basic, translational, and clinical research, with special programs in cancer prevention, detection, survivorship, and community outreach. It is the policy of Fox Chase Cancer Center that there shall be no exclusion from, or participation in, and no one denied the benefits of, the delivery of quality medical care on the basis of race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity/expression, disability, age, ancestry, color, national origin, physical ability, level of education, or source of payment.

For more information, call 888-369-2427