PHILADELPHIA (May 24, 2021)—Mary B. Daly, MD, PhD, FACP, professor in the Department of Clinical Genetics and director of the Risk Assessment Program at Fox Chase Cancer Center, recently received the National Comprehensive Cancer Network’s (NCCN) Rodger Winn Award.
“I had the opportunity to know Rodger early in my career, and his example has always been a guiding force for me. He was a kind, generous, and humble man who at the same time had a passion for elevating cancer prevention research to new heights,” said Daly.
The Rodger Winn Award is given annually to one NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology (NCCN Guidelines) panel member who exemplifies commitment, drive, and leadership in developing evidence-based guidelines, according to the NCCN.
The award is named in honor of Rodger Winn, MD, who in addition to being the founding editor-in-chief of JNCCN–Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, was a dedicated advocate for patients and healthcare providers. Winn continued to help patients through their cancer journeys, even during his own cancer diagnosis and treatment, until his death in 2007.
“He understood what kind of guidance healthcare providers needed in the care of their patients and helped to establish the model of scientific rigor which has characterized NCCN since its inception. Nothing would mean more to me than to be able to be a role model to others in the field of cancer prevention as Rodger was to me,” Daly said.
Daly is the former chair of the Department of Clinical Genetics at Fox Chase and the current Timothy R. Talbot Jr. Chair in Cancer Research, which recognizes and supports an outstanding leader in the field of cancer research.
She was recognized with the award for her leadership in developing the Genetic and Familial High-Risk Guidelines for hereditary cancers, a resource that is widely used by the genetics and oncology community. She is also the founding chair of the NCCN Guidelines Panel for Genetics and Familial High Risk Assessment: Breast, Ovarian, and Pancreatic, as well as a former member of the Breast Cancer Risk Reduction Panel and the Breast Cancer Screening and Diagnosis Panel.
Daly joins Crystal S. Denlinger, MD, FACP, adjunct professor in the Department of Hematology/Oncology, and Paul F. Engstrom, MD, FACP, professor emeritus in the Department of Hematology/Oncology, as members of the Fox Chase team who have received this award. Denlinger was recognized with the award in 2018 and Engstrom received it in 2014.
“I have had the good fortune to work with the experts in the field on this panel and to contribute to the adoption of evidence-based algorithms for assessing and managing hereditary cancer risk. It has been such an honor to chair the NCCN Guidelines Panel for Genetics and Familial High Risk Assessment: Breast, Ovarian, and Pancreatic over the years, so this award is like icing on the cake,” said Daly.