Medicine has made so much progress in recent decades helping the oldest and youngest patients outlive cancer. However, individuals aged 15 to 39, known collectively as adolescents and young adults, or AYAs, have seen little progress in their cancer struggles.

Cancer kills more people in this age range than any other disease. The disease suddenly and unexpectedly puts young lives on hold and their futures in jeopardy.

Even though most AYAs will beat cancer, the future they once saw for themselves is dramatically changed. While friends are exploring life and finding themselves, young patients must focus on treatment and recovery.

They also often face difficult decisions at a young age about preserving their ability to have children. The same therapies that destroy cancer and save lives may leave patients infertile.

Hannah Komai, a survivor featured in this issue’s cover story, is one young person who has had to adjust the vision of the family she saw in her future.

Health professionals at City of Hope strive to preserve fertility when possible. Physicians start conversations to help young patients make choices. In some cases, doctors call for treatments that may protect fertility from effects of certain chemotherapies, or patients may choose to preserve eggs or sperm for later.

It is part of a long-term approach to help young patients not only survive cancer, but also lead full and healthy lives — however they choose to define them. By concentrating on this and other crucial issues of AYAs’ treatment and life after cancer, City of Hope can restore the futures of these young women and men. As part of the City of Hope family, you bolster this healing work.


Sheri Biller
Chair, Board of Directors
City of Hope

We live in an exciting era, one where advances in scientific discovery provide real hope for overcoming the devastating diseases faced by too many people.

All of history’s gains against cancer, diabetes and HIV/AIDS are the result of research, and we know that research is the path to better options that lie ahead.

Time is crucial: It is a precious commodity to patients and their families. This is why City of Hope focuses its sense of urgency on moving more efficiently from promising laboratory observations to new treatments for patients.

We debuted a powerful new tool for our efforts: our third clean manufacturing facility. There, our researchers are creating new medicines to test in labs and in clinical trials at City of Hope — drugs that may eventually reach even more patients worldwide.

The new facility complements our biological manufacturing centers and makes us one of the first academic centers nationwide to assemble such a complete set of resources to advance research faster.

Manufacturing is just one piece of the puzzle. Our scientists and doctors work side by side to move ideas quickly to patients. And our expert staff help researchers efficiently navigate the drug approval process. Together, our resources and environment uniquely configure us to drive breakthroughs forward into new treatments.

We are poised to make bold strides in our mission to defeat disease. The credit belongs to all who contribute to the success of this effort — including our donors and advocates. I thank you for the part you play in supporting City of Hope and spreading the word about science that brings hope to so many.


Michael A. Friedman, M.D.
President and Chief Executive Officer
Director, Comprehensive Cancer Center
Irell & Manella Cancer Center Director’s Distinguished Chair