Breast Cancer Research Foundation Holds Hot Pink Luncheon

The Breast Cancer Research Foundation’s Fifth Annual Westchester Hot Pink Luncheon was held on Tuesday, November 29 at Brae Burn Country Club. With over 200 guests in attendance, the event raised nearly $240,000, making it the most successful Westchester Luncheon yet. The event was Co-Chaired by Ellen Brown, Debra Ezratty, Sheryl Kaye, Kim Meyers and Linda Plattus. Scarsdale’s Shelly Kivell, founder of the event was honored for her role as a community leader and her commitment to raising awareness. Shelly spoke about her dedication to breast cancer research, and the achievement of the Westchester community funding the first “Westchester Women’s” researcher, Lyndsay Harris, MD from Yale University School of Medicine.

BCRF Scientific Director Larry Norton, MD “interviewed” Dr. Harris on breast cancer research efforts impacting

Drs. Larry Norton and Lyndsay Harris

patient care. Reflecting on what motivated the founding of BCRF, Dr. Norton emphasized that its mandate has always been the advancement of research to benefit patients.

Several topics were discussed with Dr. Harris, including research and technological advances that have led cancer research to shift away from organ-specific studies. Until very recently, the central treatment option for cancer patients was surgery, and therefore cancer research “silos” were organized into breast, lung, colon, and such. However, tremendous advances in the understanding of cancer cell biology have led scientists to observe the commonalities in what promotes the growth and spread of different cancers. Dr. Norton concluded that the aim is to develop new drugs effective against not just one, but several types of cancer.

The discussion also covered a fuller picture of “personalized,” or individualized, cancer care. Dr. Norton spoke about the newly gained information that has enabled scientists to develop therapies that target only cancer cells and spare healthy ones, which is a focus of Dr. Harris’s work.

Evelyn Lauder, the founder and chairman of the Breast Cancer Research Foundation recently passed away. She was remembered as a visionary and an inspiration who encouraged other’s to give by saying, “Endorphins flow when you write a check for charity.” Remembering Lauder, luncheon co-chair Kim Meyers said “Evelyn is the true honoree today.”