E-Newsletter - December 2017

service recognition
Three members retire from alliance patient advocate committee

Three members of the Alliance Patient Advocate Committee have recently retired and decided to stepped down after more than 30 years of service collectively.

Hank A. Porterfield, of Fort Myers, FL, joined the Cancer and Leukemia Group B in February 2003 and continued with the Alliance, serving as a patient advocate for genitourinary cancer research. Twenty-plus year survivor of prostate cancer, Mr. Porterfield formed the Alliance for Prostate Cancer Prevention (APCaP), a movement to align government, private and advocacy organizations to promote prostate cancer education and research. He also is a founding member and Vice Chairman of the National Prostate Cancer Coalition, and served as Chairman/CEO of US TOO! International. In addition, Mr. Portfield has served on the National Cancer Institute’s Prostate Cancer Concept Review Panel and on committees within the other cooperative groups, including SWOG and RTOG where he was Chair of the Patient Advocacy Committee.

Laura G. Cleveland, of Powell, OH, joined the Cancer and Leukemia Group B in January 2006 and continued with the Alliance, serving as Co-Chair of the CALGB Patient Advocacy Sub-Committee and patient advocate for leukemia and leukemia correlative science research. Ms. Cleveland serves on the National Cancer Institute’s Central Institutional Review Board and the Data and Safety Monitoring Board (DSMB) for the CLL Research Consortium. She is active member of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and was a member of the Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center’s DSMB. Ms. Cleveland has been an invited speaker, panelist and presenter at numerous cancer-related conferences and with organizations across the country, including Coalition of Cooperative Cancer Groups, American Association of Cancer Research, and Merck Oncology. She has also been a leader in education with more than 20 years of experience in administrative and classroom roles.

Shelly Kuhlmann, of Rochester, MN, joined the North Central Cancer Treatment Group in April 2007 and continued with the Alliance, serving as a patient advocate for neuro-oncology research. Her husband, mother-in-law, and brother were each diagnosed with and succumb to glioblastoma multiforme (GBM). As a caregiver, Ms. Kuhlmann co-founded Brains Together for a Cure (BTFC), a nonprofit organization that raises funds to support brain tumor research and offers support to patients and caregivers at the Mayo Clinic. She moderates the BTFC caregiver support group monthly. Her goal remains steadfast: to help others going through similar situations.

 

 

For other articles in the December issue of the Alliance E-News newsletter, see below.