b'Pancreatic cancer will be cured, said Dr. Von Hoff. Advancements are happening every day, particularly in early detection. Many other cancers have been cured. This one will be, too.IN THE BEGINNING More than 70 percent of patients with pancreatic Daniel Von Hoff, MD, attended Carroll University andcancer die within one year of diagnosis, and fewer Columbia University before completing his residency inthan 12 percent survive more than five years. Despite internal medicine at UC San Francisco. Subsequently, histhese grim statistics, Dr. Von Hoff is hopeful.path led him to a fellowship in oncology at the National Cancer Institute before joining the faculty at theHe points out that twenty years ago, patients University of Texas Health Science Center as a professordiagnosed with pancreatic cancer had a two percent of medicine and cellular and structural biology. chance of surviving a year. Today, patients now survive at least one yearwhile the survival rate for patients Dr. Von Hoff went on to become the founding directorlasting two years climbed from zero to 40 percent.of the Institute for Drug Development at the Cancer Therapy and Research Center and director of the cancerPancreatic cancer will be cured, said Dr. Von center at the University of Arizona. Hoff. Advancements are happening every day, particularly in early detection. Many other cancers He is currently the Distinguished Professor at Translationalhave been cured. This one will be, too.Genomics Research Institute (TGen) and is a professor of medicine at the Mayo Clinic and City of Hope. TEACHER, MENTOR, PHYSICIANAs the Virginia G. Piper Distinguished Chair forFew know the importance of cultivating young Innovative Cancer Research at HonorHealth Researchmedical talent as well as Dr. Von Hoff. In 2020, he Institute, Dr. Von Hoff holds HonorHealth Foundationsreceived the inaugural Daniel D. Von Hoff Award only endowed chairmanship, originally funded by thefor Outstanding Contributions to Education and Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust. Training in Cancer Research from the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR).CLINICAL BREAKTHROUGHS The award recognized Dr. Von Hoff for his Dr. Von Hoff has personally been involved in more thangroundbreaking accomplishments as a dedicated 425 clinical trials. Many of these trials led to improvementsand inspirational educator, especially for in survival for patients with leukemia, breast cancer,conceptualizing the AACR and American Society prostate cancer, colon cancer, head and neck cancer andof Clinical Oncologys Methods in Clinical Cancer ovarian cancer. In 1995, his laboratory and clinical researchResearch Workshop, which has trained thousands led to the first approved treatment for pancreatic cancer.of young physicians on how to execute optimally Resistance to pancreatic cancer therapies results in poordesigned clinical research studies.survival. His current research involves developing precision therapies for pancreatic cancer patients by identifyingDr. Von Hoff was a key factor and influence for the role of different pancreatic cancer cell populations inme deciding to come to what was then Scottsdale resistance to therapy. Healthcare to get the Scottsdale Clinical Research Institute off the ground, later becoming HonorHealth Recently, he discovered that pancreatic tumors expressand the HonorHealth Research Institute, said Dr. scar-forming cells called fibroblasts that protect cancerMark Slater, vice president and CEO, HonorHealth cells from immune system attack. This has furtheredResearch Institute.our understanding of signaling pathways in the tumor microenvironment to exploit and make tumors moreHis eminent place in the field of cancer research susceptible to attack and cell death. His continued workgave me confidence that we could build a world-in the area has led to FDA approval of two additional newclass early phase clinical research operation around therapies that improve pancreatic cancer patient survival. him as a cornerstone, Slater continues. His equal 14 HonorHealth Foundation Magazine'