Mayo Clinic oncologist receives grant for breast cancer research

Wednesday, November 22, 2000

JACKSONVILLE, Fla., Nov. 22, 2000 — The Breast Cancer Research Foundation has awarded Dr. Edith Perez, an oncologist at Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Fla., $1 million over the next three years to fund breast cancer research. Perez is the director of Clinical Investigations, Division of Hematology/Oncology and director of the Breast Cancer Program at Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville. She also chairs the Breast Committee of the North Central Cancer Treatment Group, one of the National Cancer Institute's Clinical Trials Cooperative Groups.

The grant is specifically for Perez's research in two areas: monoclonal antibody treatment for breast cancer patients, and evaluating whether select genes may affect breast cells' protein production so that researchers can develop innovative tests and better therapies.

Perez was one of 29 individuals honored at the Breast Cancer Research Foundation's Fifth Annual Luncheon and Symposium in New York City on Oct. 12. "This is a tremendous honor for me and for Mayo Clinic," Perez said. "This grant will allow us to extend clinical research in the areas of targeted therapy for both advanced and early stages of breast cancer, and to gain insight into the genes involved in predicting the clinical aggressiveness of breast cancer."

The Breast Cancer Research Foundation was founded in 1993 by Evelyn Lauder, of Estee Lauder Cosmetics Co., to fund clinical and genetic research into the causes of breast cancer. This year's foundation grants exceeded $7 million. To date, the foundation has given more than $20 million to support outstanding research nationwide.

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Media contact: Erik Kaldor 904-953-2299 kaldor.erik@mayo.edu

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