Rybacki Memorial Funds Are Shaping the Future of Breast Cancer Treatment

Jan 29

Dr. Sara Tolaney, MD, MPH, Chief, Division of Breast Oncology at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute has a dream “to cure breast cancer and ensure that no one ever suffers from this disease again”. Dr. Tolaney has enjoyed a storied career. She is best known for trialing novel therapies and pioneering “de-escalation” drug therapies for women battling breast cancer. Dr. Tolaney and her team are excited for the future of breast cancer treatment.

During a visit to Dana-Farber in November 2024, SIGMA President Larry Rybacki, learned about two drug trials currently in place. One focuses on highly personalized therapy that is tailored to the individual tumor. The other tests out antibody drug conjugates, also considered “smart bombs” – a drug therapy that targets the proteins on the surface of cancer cells, allowing delivery of more chemotherapy to tumor cells while trying to spare healthy cells.

$155,000 Raised by the Rybacki Memorial Golf Tournament!

Dr. Tolaney explained where the money from the 2024 Rybacki Memorial Tournament will be spent: “We’re building an ambitious data warehouse to collect breast cancer biospecimens. We’re collecting blood samples, tumor tissue, pathology records and images from all our patients who are seen at Dana-Farber and putting the data from the analyses done into a large database where we can apply artificial intelligence (AI) technology to better predict which tumors may recur and which tumors may respond best to certain therapies. The Rybacki Memorial funds will go towards funding the infrastructure of this data warehouse.

On a positive note, Dr. Tolaney remarked that over the last three years she has seen more breakthroughs and advancements in cancer treatment than for the sum total of her career. Modern medicine has cut deaths from breast cancer in half. No wonder Dana-Farber is optimistic about the future of breast cancer treatment in the US.

A word from Larry: “Thanks to all the sponsors of and participants in this year’s Rybacki Memorial Tournament. We raised $155,000 for breast cancer research. The waterworks industry, and friends and family, have generously supported this tournament, and raised funds for cancer research for over 30 years. Together we’ve generated well over a $1million, which is truly remarkable.