Friday, July 1, 2016

John Wayne Cancer Institute Fights on Several Fronts


As CEO of the UCR Group, Stephen Reeder is developing an apartment building in Redlands, California. Also active in charity, Stephen Reeder contributes to several causes, including the John Wayne Cancer Foundation.

The foundation conducts cancer research through its sister organization the John Wayne Cancer Institute (JWCI), which investigates several types of cancer, including skin, neuroendocrine, colon, gastrointestinal, breast, and prostate.

JWCI partners with the Saint John’s Medical Center with the intention of making advances in cancer treatments. One aspect of this initiative is the Surgical Oncology Fellowship, which trains new surgeons to become leaders in cancer care. So far, some 150 fellows have found positions in the United States and elsewhere.

In addition to its fellowship program, JWCI pioneered the sentinel node biopsy procedure, which is now used across the globe to care for individuals with breast cancer and melanoma. Considered minimally invasive, the technique is used to determine if cancer cells have spread by locating the lymph nodes into which a tumor drains. The presence or absence of cancer in these nodes determines whether or not further tests are needed.