Letters from Dr. Geffen's former Patients

August 22, 2002

Dear Dr. Geffen,

Thank you for the extraordinary level of love and care that you and your outstanding Team have given to me and my family members over the last number of months. And thank you for all that you give to so many others in our community.

Enclosed is a copy of a letter that I have mailed today to Dr. Larry Norton, Head of the Division of Solid Tumor Oncology at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York, expressing some of my thoughts and impressions about the remarkable approach to "whole person" care provided at the Geffen Center. As you will see in my remarks to Dr. Norton, it is very clear that your pioneering approach is working, and making a profound difference in the lives of many people. As such, it deserves attention, support, and great acknowledgement, and in this regard I am honored to help in any way that I can.

Sincerely,

Edward A. Gallagher
Vero Beach, FL

August 22, 2002

Larry Norton, MD
Head, Division of Solid Tumor Oncology
Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
1275 York Avenue, Suite H-901
New York, NY 10021

Dear Dr. Norton,

The purpose of this letter is to acquaint you with Jeremy Geffen, MD, FACP and the Geffen Cancer Center and Research Institute, in Vero Beach, Florida, and to tell you about the extraordinary care I have received there. I hope you will take a few minutes to let me tell you about Dr. Geffen, and his pioneering approach to treating people with cancer.

I have been a patient at Sloan-Kettering for over 5 years, since I was first diagnosed with metastatic prostate cancer. During this time, I was treated with several different hormone therapies by Dr. William K. Kelly. I received excellent care from Dr. Kelly and his staff, and am truly grateful.

In October 2001, however, at the age of 80, I suffered a very serious heart attack. In early January 2002, I came to Vero Beach, where we have owned a vacation home for 25 years. I became a patient of Dr. Geffen at that time so that my prostate cancer could be monitored during my stay in Florida. Not long after my arrival, my prostate cancer became an urgent medical concern. CT and bone scans showed worsening metastatic bone disease and my PSA was 353. The pain was severe. I could hardly get out of bed. Dr. Geffen immediately started me on a chemotherapy program, together with Zometa treatments and additional hormone therapy. After a number of weekly chemo treatments my PSA declined, and has now reached 69. The pain is gone. I have energy. I have experienced no ill-effects from this treatment. We are celebrating life and Dr. Geffen's unique approach to cancer care -- which brings me to the purpose of this letter, since what I have experienced and received here goes far beyond the leading-edge drugs that I have been given.

The conversations among and between all of the Geffen patients suffering from a variety of cancers reflect a certain happiness and success which stems from the Geffen premise of dealing not just with the cancer, but with the whole person. The hallmark of Geffen Center care is meticulous, state-of-the-art conventional cancer medicine -- administered with an extraordinary level of kindness, sensitivity, and love. Furthermore, this remarkable care is seamlessly integrated with a broad array of complementary therapies which address the needs and concerns of the body, mind, heart, and spirit of patients and their family members -- in a truly unique, comprehensive, coherent, and inspiring way. Dr. Geffen has also trained and organized his staff in a way that makes an indelible impression on everyone who visits the Center. Enclosed is a remarkable book authored by Dr. Geffen which describes his approach. I urge you to read it and share it with your colleagues. Treatment for "the whole person" is a concept new to me, although it may not be to others. Nonetheless, at the Geffen Cancer Center it is working -- very clearly and powerfully -- and this deserves serious attention.

As a former member of the Board of Directors at St. Francis Hospital in Roslyn, New York and St. Vincent's in New York City, I have a little knowledge about how hospitals can benefit from their affiliations with each other. I firmly believe that it would be advantageous for both facilities if you and Dr. Geffen were to meet, as it seems evident that you each have much to offer each other. I have discussed this with Dr. Geffen and he has assured me that he would be most honored and happy to meet and speak with you at any time.

For your information, I will be staying in Florida for the next several months. Thank you.

Very truly yours,

Edward A. Gallagher
Vero Beach, FL