Dr. Bernard Fisher Named Honorary Chair of Race for the Cure

Breast cancer research and treatment pioneer Dr. Bernard Fisher has accepted the position of honorary chair for the 20th anniversary of the Race for the Cure®.

This marks the second time that Dr. Fisher will serve in this capacity, as he also served as honorary chair when the Pittsburgh Race for the Cure was inaugurated in 1993. This year’s race will take place on Mother’s Day, May 13, in Oakland’s Schenley Park.

Fisher also is a professor at the University of Pittsburgh, and a past chairman and scientific director of the National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project.

Fisher is most famous for refuting the idea that breast cancer is best treated with mastectomy. His laboratory and clinical investigations proved that breast-conserving therapies can be just as effective in improving survival among women with the disease.

In addition, he demonstrated the importance of postoperative chemotherapy and thebenefits of tamoxifen, which is widely used to treat breast cancer patients. He was also the first to demonstrate that breast cancer can be prevented in women at high risk for thedisease.

“Dr. Fisher changed the entire landscape of breast cancer treatment, giving women a greater chance for survival and an improved quality of life,” explains Kathy Purcell, executive director of Pittsburgh Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure. “We’re honored to have such a revered physician supporting the Komen Pittsburgh Race for theCure for our milestone anniversary.”