This Article Full Text (PDF) eLetters: Submit a response to this article Purchase Article View Shopping Cart Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Services E-mail this article link to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Reprints/Permissions Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Johnston, P. G. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Johnston, P. G.

Bruce Chabner Awarded the Bob Pinedo Prize: A Celebration of Translational Research and Patient Care Excellence

Chairman, Bob Pinedo Prize International Nominating Committee; Professor of Oncology; Director, Centre for Cancer Research and Cell Biology; Queen's University Belfast; Belfast, Northern Ireland

Received January 29, 2007; accepted for publication February 7, 2007.

The Bob Pinedo Prize was created by the Medical Knowledge Institute (MKI) of The Netherlands to properly recognize the pioneering work of Professor Dr. H.M. (Bob) Pinedo in cancer care, cancer research, and global health care. Dr. Pinedo, through his professional career, has been a tireless champion of patient care and a pioneer in the development of novel cancer therapeutics and advances in cancer care. His humanitarian approach to cancer patients has been a symbol of real hope; and he has been and remains a truly unique role model. He brought a deep understanding of the complexities of cancer care, from cultural to social to political—all of which must be considered and acted upon if cancer health programs are to be successful and sustainable for the betterment of patients. The Bob Pinedo Prize was created to inspire others to follow in his footsteps so that his legacy may continue to live and have impact, with the compassion and integrity that he has manifested throughout his career. Therefore, it was with a sense of honor and pride that a number of us journeyed to Amsterdam in October 2006 to witness the Chairman of MKI, Baron G. Kraijenhoff, and his Chief Executive, Dr. Harold Robles, present the inaugural Bob Pinedo Prize for Patient Care Excellence to Dr. Bruce A. Chabner during the first international Oncology Symposium held at the VU University Medical Centre (VUmc) in Amsterdam. The Prize consists of a bronze trophy in the form of Dr. Pinedo's hand, symbolizing strength and hope of healing, and a 50,000 Euro honorarium.

The Oncology Symposium also celebrated the opening of the research building at the VUmc Cancer Centre Amsterdam (CCA) with a program distinguished by contributions from leading cancer researchers such as Judah Folkman, Daniel Von Hoff, John Niederhuber, and James Allison, and including presentations by Dr. Pinedo and other researchers of the VUmc CCA.

Dr. Bruce A. Chabner, an internationally renowned oncologist and cancer pharmacologist, has devoted both his clinical and research career to the improvement of patient treatment and care affecting patients throughout the world. Dr. Chabner earned his undergraduate degree from Yale University and graduated with Honors in 1961. From Yale he matriculated at Harvard Medical School, graduating in 1965 with an M.D. Honors degree in medicine. Between 1965 and 1970, he completed his internship and residency in medicine at the Peter Bent Brigham Hospital in Boston and at the Yale New Haven Medical Center. It was in 1967 that he began his clinical training in the discipline of cancer medicine when he joined the National Cancer Institute (NCI) as a clinical associate in medical oncology. During this time he developed a research interest in pharmacology, in particular in drugs such as cytosine arabinoside and methotrexate. In 1972, he was appointed Senior Investigator in the laboratory of Chemical Pharmacology and Medical Oncology Service at the NCI. Among his NCI fellows were Bob Pinedo from The Netherlands and this author from Ireland. In 1976, he became Chief of the newly formed Clinical Pharmacology Branch. Dr. Chabner continued his meteoric rise and in 1980 he became Deputy Clinical Director of the NCI and 2 years later was appointed Director of the Division of Cancer Treatment, a position that he held until 1995. During this time, Dr. Chabner used his position to significantly influence the whole area of drug development, including both cell-based screens for novel anticancer drugs and agents such as taxanes, which are widely used today in the treatment of a number of cancers. In 1995, Dr. Chabner moved to Boston and returned to his alma mater, where he took the position of Professor of Medicine and Clinical Director of the Cancer Center at the Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, a position which he holds to this day.

In recognition of the enormous contribution that Dr. Chabner has made during his illustrious career, he has already received many significant awards and honors, including the Karnofsky Award from the American Association for Clinical Oncology and the Bruce F. Kane Award for Drug Development from the American Association for Cancer Research. He has published over 200 peer-reviewed research studies and written over 100 reviews; in addition, he has contributed to many educational pieces and educational texts in clinical oncology, in particular, the Pharmacological Principles of Cancer Treatment, of which he has edited a number of editions since the early 1980s. He also currently co-authors with Dan Longo the standard text Principles and Practices of Cancer Chemotherapy and Biological Response Modifiers, now in its fourth edition, and is the founding Editor-in-Chief of the peer-reviewed, international cancer medical journal The Oncologist.

One of the unique and very important features of Dr. Chabner's career has been his continued focus on the improvement of treatments for patients, and to this day this remains his major goal. His work has led to significant advances in patient treatment and improvements in the quality of care provided to patients. During his tenure at the NCI and Harvard Medical School, he has been involved in leading therapeutic advances such as high-dose therapies, as well as targeted therapies for lymphoma, colorectal cancer, and breast cancer. He has also played a very significant role internationally in leading collaborations, in particular between the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) and the NCI, and in his support for cancer programs in Europe and Asia over the course of the last 25 years. Indeed, a number of these, particularly his collaborations with the EORTC, were accomplished in partnership with Dr. Pinedo. As Editor-in-Chief of The Oncologist, he has ensured that novel advances are quickly brought to the attention of practicing oncologists, which again is testament to his commitment to see patients benefiting from advances in treatment as quickly as possible.

In addition to his many accomplishments in clinical practice and research, Dr. Chabner has also been a major mentor and inspiration to many leading U.S. and international cancer specialists throughout the world. Many of those who have been lucky enough to experience Dr. Chabner's leadership and compassion first hand have gone on to implement his legacy of quality cancer care throughout the world.

At the presentation of the Bob Pinedo Prize, Dr. Martin Murphy, Executive Editor of The Oncologist, in his introductory remarks expressed the essence of what both Dr. Chabner and the Bob Pinedo Prize represent when he said that one should "dream no little dreams; they have no magic to move men's souls." Neither Dr. Pinedo nor Dr. Chabner has ever dreamt "little dreams." We are equally convinced that their leadership will continue to inspire many to follow in their footsteps—it is this that makes Dr. Chabner such a worthy and appropriate recipient of the inaugural Bob Pinedo Prize.

View larger version (101K): [in this window] [in a new window]   Figure 1. Professor H.M. "Bob" Pinedo.

View larger version (68K): [in this window] [in a new window]   Figure 2. Dr. Bruce A Chabner accepting the Bob Pinedo Prize.

View larger version (95K): [in this window] [in a new window]   Figure 3. The Bob Pinedo Prize.

View larger version (79K): [in this window] [in a new window]   Figure 4. Baron G Kraijenhoff.

View larger version (85K): [in this window] [in a new window]   Figure 5. Left to right: Professor Pinedo, Dr. Chabner, and Dr. Harold Robles.

View larger version (68K): [in this window] [in a new window]   Figure 6. VUmc Cancer Centre Amsterdam (CCA).

	FOOTNOTES

This Article Full Text (PDF) eLetters: Submit a response to this article Purchase Article View Shopping Cart Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Services E-mail this article link to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Reprints/Permissions Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Johnston, P. G. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Johnston, P. G.