The Nathan S. Arenson Fund for Pancreatic Cancer Research
In December of 1993, Nathan Arenson was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Few cancers are as deadly, and Nathan was given just three months to live. Despite the prognosis, Nathan fought back, displaying remarkable fortitude. He continued to live life to the fullest before he passed away on May 31, 1995 — 18 months after his diagnosis. In memory of Nathan, his wife Adrienne established the Nathan S. Arenson Fund for Pancreatic Cancer Research at the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute (UPCI).
With a determination that sets a new standard, the Arenson family has resolved to make a difference in the fight against pancreatic cancer through a series of wonderful events that benefit the research of Olivera J. Finn, PhD, professor and chair of the Department of Immunology at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and UPCI researcher. Since 1996, the family has organized the “Hoops for a Cure event” – an annual charity basketball game that features Pittsburgh Steelers football players matched against the “Dream Team” alumni from Chartiers Valley High School. This unique sporting event is held every spring and garners significant community support with its exciting basketball games and raffles. The Arensons expanded the event to include additional basketball play from the high school all-stars of the Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League (WPIAL). In addition, the Arensons added an annual fashion show and luncheon in the fall to their slate of fundraising activities.
The Arensons’ fundraising success has been phenomenal. In the first year of their efforts, they raised $35,000. To date, Adrienne Arenson, her adult children (Milt Arenson, Rob Arenson, Gwen Kaftan, and the late Lisa Arenson Gillespie), all of her grandchildren, and the family’s many friends have raised more than $900,000 for UPCI. Their work not only brings special attention to pancreatic cancer in the community, but also helps Dr. Finn and her team to speed the development of potential prevention and treatment strategies.
After the first “Hoops for a Cure,” the Arenson family carefully interviewed several Pittsburgh researchers before deciding to partner with Dr. Finn, leader of the UPCI Immunology Program. Lisa Arenson Gillespie, daughter of Nathan Arenson, described Dr. Finn as “very kind, compassionate and very driven — this is why we think she stands out and why we chose to put the funds we raise with her.”
When Dr. Finn first met the Arenson family, she was working to understand how the immune system may recognize pancreatic cancer and if immunotherapy may be used to treat the disease. For pancreatic cancer, studies have shown that chemotherapy or radiation treatments are not very effective, and surgery can be very complicated, contributing to high mortality rates. Dr. Finn’s research pursues a better way to help pancreatic cancer patients. Since the partnership began, Dr. Finn has funded one pancreatic cancer vaccine clinical trial. This trial was the first of its kind in the world, and Dr. Finn and her colleagues are continuing their innovative research on vaccines.
Set up as a dynamic financial resource, the Arenson Fund has the flexibility to allow for immediate application of support for Dr. Finn’s pressing research needs. “Because of the Arenson Fund, we do not have to wait [to find a funding source], and we can start our trials as soon as the FDA and the IRB give us permission,” says Dr. Finn. “In that way, we make much faster progress than we would otherwise.”
Dr. Finn uses the Arenson Fund when she needs money to bridge a gap in other funding sources, as well as to maintain her specialized staff. The fund keeps her work moving at a rapid pace. The Arenson Fund also allows Dr. Finn to leverage additional funding from the National Cancer Institute and other sources as she works to develop a vaccine to prevent pancreatic cancer in high-risk individuals.
“Numerous trials throughout the world are being initiated as a result of the information developed in our laboratory — work that was accelerated by the support of the Arenson family,” states Dr. Finn enthusiastically.
For more information about the activities of the Nathan S. Arenson Fund for Pancreatic Cancer Research, visit their Web site at www.hoopsforacure.com or call Adrienne Arenson at (412) 279-1935 or Lynn Heasley at (412) 429-7033.
