Lazarex Cancer Foundation of Danville has been selected as the subject of a segment for cable television program Insights hosted by veteran TV host and commentator Hugh Downs.

The Lazarex feature will receive nation-wide exposure on CNBC, Fox News, TLC, the Discovery Channel and various Public Broadcasting outlets. The Insights episode featuring the Lazarex segment will be featured several times this month on the commercial channels and then run for about a year on Public Television.

“This is an important step in helping us communicate the Bridge to Hope we offer to cancer patients who have been told that conventional medicine can no longer help them and are not yet ready to end their journey in life,” said Lazarex President Dana Dornsife. Lazarex supports patients participating in FDA-approved clinical trials by funding their transportation, housing, and other related expenses.



“Once our patients enter clinical trials their lives can sometimes be extended some by several years, and others even go into complete remission,” Dornsife noted. Lazarex has helped 72 patients since it opened its doors in downtown Danville in 2008. “Even during difficult economic times last year we were able to raise more than $1 million, and we are working hard to surpass that figure in 2010.”



The Insights segment will feature Brittany Hess, a 27-year-old woman battling Stage IV alveolar soft part sarcoma (ASPS). Since her diagnosis, Hess has undergone 23 surgical procedures to remove or destroy tumors on her thigh and in her lungs, liver, brain, breast, tibia, spine, and abdomen, and she has participated in three clinical trials with the help of Lazarex. Because of the rarity of ASPS, she and her parents have traveled all over the United States and Canada from their Seattle-area home for the various treatments.

Hess told Insights that, “I’ll never give up. I have too much to live for.”

Dr. Jeffrey Wolf of UCSF discusses the value of clinical trials during the segment, and Jessica Marriott, a 46-year-old patient from Los Angeles who has traveled to San Francisco for clinical trials as she battles Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia, shares how Lazarex helped her.

“From my first contact with Lazarex I was amazed at their sensitivity and responsiveness,” Marriott said. “With their assistance, I was able to participate in the trials. I can’t stress enough how important Lazarex has been to me. The results of my most recent bone marrow biopsy test indicate that the medication I've been taking as a part of the trial has been successful and I have returned to work.”

Dornsife and Lazarex Director of Development Susan Sappington appear on the segment to describe the foundation’s mission and their role in helping it serve patients and families.



“We are excited to be part of Insights and hope that the program and the association with Mr. Downs helps raise our profile and introduces our story to people who can help us build that Bridge to Hope,” Dornsife said.