PRIVATE FUNDING PARTNERSHIPS KEY TO RESEARCH FOR A CURE

CHAIR OF WHITE HOUSE COMMISSION FEATURED AT WORKSHOP
Local Public Radio Station Interviews Dr. James Gordon During Chicago Visit

December 3, 2001 CHICAGO -- Patients, health professionals and others touched by cancer gained skills designed to help them take control of disease during a workshop featuring James S. Gordon, MD, chair of the White House Commission on Complementary and Alternative Medicine Policy and the founder of the Center for Mind-Body Medicine.

Dr. Gordon offered his perspectives on complementary and alternative medicine during a December 2nd workshop entitled Empowering Cancer Patients: Bold New Partnerships in Research and Treatment, which was developed by the Goldman Philanthropic Partnerships, a Northbrook, Illinois foundation focusing on innovative research to treat catastrophic diseases such as cancer. The workshop was designed for cancer patients and their families, for those in the health care professions seeking new approaches, and for anyone interested in joining the fight against cancer.

During the four-hour session at the Chicago Marriott O'Hare, Dr. Gordon taught hands-on techniques to help the audience learn relaxation techniques designed to decrease stress and empower patients to manage their disease. In addition, he updated the audience on the recent Interim Report from the White House Commission on Complementary and Alternative Medicine Policy, including the report's impact on patients.

"Science always grows by breaking the boundaries of what has been known previously," said Dr. Gordon during an interview with Host Steve Edwards of WBEZ-FM's 848. "Chemotherapy and radiation therapy for cancer, when they were introduced, were alternative medicine, and there were many people that thought they would never be useful at all," said Dr. Gordon, noting that the public is calling for more research to scientifically validate many current complementary treatments.

"Up until the creation of the Office of Alternative Medicine at the National Institutes of Health about 10 years ago, there was virtually no serious, high-quality research going on into these therapies," Dr. Gordon told WBEZ. "With the National Cancer Institute and the National Institutes of Health recognizing the legitimacy of conducting research in these areas, several organizations, including the Goldman Philanthropic Partnerships, are examining ways to provide private funding to advance these research efforts", he added. Dr. Gordon said that immune stimulating therapies, nutrition and anti-Angiogenesis treatments that cut off the blood flow to cancer cells may prove beneficial in complementing existing conventional cancer treatments.

The White House Commission on Complementary and Alternative Medicine Policy will present their report to President George W. Bush in March of 2002. The report will include several recommendations touching on a range of issues, such as the regulation of CAM treatments, insurance issues, advancing new research, and insuring the safety and efficacy of treatments.

The Goldman Philanthropic Partnerships is a Northbrook, Illinois-based 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization dedicated to inspiring new advances in medicine.