1. COMMITMENT
TO RESEARCH,
EDUCATION AND
COMMUNITY
OUTREACH
California
Oncology
Research
Institute
CORI Round-Up 2013Catching Our Breath from 2013… And Looking Forward to an Even Better 2014!
CORI Board Chairman
Jake Jacobs recently
summed up the past
year: CORI expanded
our community out-
reach and significantly
furthered Dr. Bilchik’s
worldwide collabora-
tion for colon cancer
research. We are also
very excited that Joyce
Eisenberg Keefer, our
primary benefactor,has agreed to join the board,
as well as Joyce Green, our former director of
development and Dr. Ronald Hurst, a prominent
oncologist. Dr. Hurst has been dedicated to
CORI’s mission from the beginning. “Being part
of CORI has afforded me a unique opportunity
to touch people’s lives in a special way,” said
Dr. Hurst.“Through our outreach efforts, we have
positioned ourselves in the community as doctors
who genuinely care about saving lives. Further-
more, with our research efforts, we can hopefully
change the landscape of cancer care manage-
ment worldwide.” Joyce Green stated, “It is an
absolute inspiration to have doctors of the
caliber of Dr. Hurst and Dr. Bilchik spearheading
CORI’s efforts. I am thrilled to be a part of it.”
On March 16, CORI partnered with California
Assembly Member, Holly J. Mitchell, to present a
health fair for Women’s History Month; and late
last spring, CORI was invited to the First Ladies
Health Initiative, a citywide health event of thirty
Los Angeles area churches. CORI presented an
exclusive workshop at Crenshaw Christian Cen-
ter, one of Los Angeles’ largest congregations.
This past summer saw the 21st consecutive
‘Rod’s Day’. Organized for the first time by
CORI, this Hawaiian-themed event was a huge
success.The South Bay community came out in
full force to raise funds to support CORI.
In October, in honor of Breast Cancer Aware-
ness Month, CORI hosted a workshop entitled
Cancer: Prevention, Detection & Intervention.
Held at The First Church of God Center of Hope
in Inglewood, this workshop was moderated by
actress and breast cancer survivor,Vanessa Bell
Calloway. A panel of cancer experts, including
urologist Dr. Dana Scott, gynecologist Dr. Allen
Noel and Dr. Ronald Hurst and Dr.Anton Bilchik,
presented invaluable information about breast,
colon, prostate and gynecologic cancers.
Free mammograms, underwritten by CORI board
member and CFO, Ruth Weil, were provided at
this and other past workshops. The CORI Out-
reach team presented Ms. Weil with a beautiful
bouquet and Inglewood Mayor James T. Butts
presented plaques and a proclamation from the
Inglewood City Council to Dr. Bilchik, Dr. Hurst,
Angela de Joseph and Ms. Calloway.“It’s always
an honor to support CORI,” said Butts.
Ruth Weil, CORI Board Member and CFO
honored by outreach presenters.
Actress and breast cancer survivor, Vanessa Bell Calloway moderated CORI’S tribute to Breast Cancer Month.
Joyce Green joins the CORI Board of Directors.
- continued on back panel.
Vanessa Bell Calloway and
new CORI board member, Dr. Ronald Hurst.
“Through our outreach
efforts, we have positioned
ourselves in the community
as doctors who genuinely
care about saving lives.”
Jonathan L. “Jake” Jacobs
Chairman of the Board

2. California
Oncology
Research
Institute
Established in 2008,
the California Oncology Research
Institute (CORI) is a 501(c)3 non-profit
organization committed to curing
cancer through innovative research,
early detection, novel treatments, and
education through community
outreach efforts.
400 Corporate Pointe, Suite 300
Culver City, CA 90230
310.883.0096 - 310.696.0238 fax
info@theCorigroup.org
www.theCORIgroup.org
Founders
Joyce Eisenberg-Keefer
Anton J. Bilchik, MD, PhD
Board of Directors
Jake Jacobs
Chairman
Paul Balson
Anton J. Bilchik, MD, PhD
Medical Director / Co-founder
Brent Cohen
Gordon Cohen, MD
Joyce Green
Ronald Hurst, MD
Joyce Eisenberg-Keefer
Co-founder
Donna Rosen
Gary Schoenfeld
Ruth Weil
Mel Keefer
Ex Officio
Angela De Joseph
Executive Director
Editorial Board
Anton J. Bilchik, MD, PhD
Angela de Joseph
Julia Forth
Joyce Green
York Knowlton
Sophia Washam
If you are interested in receiving
copies of previous newsletters,
please contact the CORI office.
www.theCORIgroup.org
Sally Welsh calls herself “just another traveler
on the road”. She does not claim to be a
medical expert, but after being diagnosed with
her first melanoma thirteen years ago and
with many new melanomas along the way, she
has learned much. Sally has documented her
travels with this disease in her book,A Melano-
ma Patient’s Survival Guide: Lemons Really Do
Make Lemonade. She shares the book’s profits
three ways with the John Wayne Cancer Insti-
tute,The Angeles Clinic and CORI.
Melanoma is a dangerous skin cancer if not found
early.The American Cancer Society estimates that
over 75,000 people in the United States will be
diagnosed with melanoma in 2013. Melanoma
can affect the skin only, or it can spread more
deeply, to other organs and bones.
Sally’s melanoma was discovered during a
routine skin check-up. Over the years, it grew
from about the size of “a fifty cent piece” at the
hairline, across her head, ear and into the lymph
nodes along her neck. She eventually had to
have a portion of her stomach removed. But
don’t think for a moment that this slowed down
this energetic, active grandmother. “I have
never been happier in my life,” Sally says. “It’s
summer now and we’re racing our sailboat. On
land, I have my Bridge Club, and I’m active in
the community and at my church. My kids and
grandkids keep things spinning. Life is great
and I’m having a ball!”
Sally and her husband, Terry, are avid sailors
and have sailed to Europe, Hawaii (yearly),
Tahiti,Australia and New Zealand. In fact, it was
difficult to track this “traveler” down for a chat
since she and Terry would be racing their
sailboat the next day.
But although Sally has not slowed, she has
changed her behavior. “When I was young,
I didn’t know about the sun. None of us did.We
poured coconut oil all over ourselves trying to get
a good tan. Now I take precautions. I’m known
as ‘The Scarf Lady’—I wear them to cover my
surgeries. I have about 150 scarves and when
people compliment me on one of them,I use it as
an opportunity to explain about melanoma.”
It was through a serendipitous series of events
that this Newport Beach resident found herself
in the office of Dr. Anton Bilchik and she has
been in his care ever since. Dr. Omid Hamid of
The Angeles Clinic is also one of her doctors,
and he and Dr. Bilchik work closely together,
coordinating her care. “It takes teamwork and
I’ve got the best team around.”
Sally’s book is both practical and inspirational.
First and foremost, she believes in keeping a
positive attitude. “I know what fear is… and I
simply don’t go there anymore. I’m convinced
that fear can damage a person’s recovery as
much as the melanoma itself. I start out every
day being grateful.”
“I’m a Christian and I believe that we all have a
certain period of time on this earth. For exam-
ple, I drive on a busy street every day: about a
year ago, a young woman pulled up next to me
at a stoplight. This street is lined with eucalyp-
tus trees; as we were sitting there at the light, a
tree fell and crushed her to death in her car. She
was only 29 years old! I thought, I have been
on this street every day for years and have nev-
er once worried about a tree falling on me and
killing me. I decided then and there that I was
not going to worry about melanoma, either.”
Words to live by—and with that, Sally Welch
was off on another life-affirming adventure.
“By Land
or By Sea”
With Sally Welch
Sally’s Seven Tips For
Making Lemonade
1 Stay positive—plan to be a winner.
2 Educate yourself—find out where the
best melanoma centers/doctors are.
3 Practice gratitude—start out
every day being grateful.
4 Explore—journaling can help you
understand your thoughts.
5 Ask questions—do you need a punch
biopsy? A sentinel node test?
6 Banish fear—it can harm you
as much as the disease.
7 Enjoy your life—every day
brings a new miracle!

3. Let’s begin by describing what an ovary is. Well, they are located in
the pelvis and are part of a woman’s reproductive system. They make the
female hormones (estrogen & progesterone) and release eggs until
menopause.The normal female anatomy consists of 2 ovaries.
There are two types of ovarian tumors. Most are benign and rarely cause life
threatening situations. However some are malignant and can cause serious
injury or even death. The cancerous ovarian tumors can spread to other
organs throughout the body.
Most women with ovarian cancer have no risk factors at all. We are unsure
of all the causes but some of the suspected risk factors include:
Family history of cancer, Personal history of cancer (including breast,
uterus, colon or rectal cancers),Age over 55, Never pregnant, Menopaus-
al hormonal therapy (especially estrogen without progesterone), Certain
fertility drugs, talcum powder and obesity (controversial and not proven
risk factors)
Early ovarian cancer may not cause obvious symptoms. But, as the cancer
grows, symptoms may include:
Pressure or pain in the abdomen, pelvis, back, or legs,A swollen or bloated
abdomen, Nausea, indigestion, gas, constipation, or diarrhea, Feeling very
tired all the time, Shortness of breath, feeling the need to urinate often and
unusual vaginal bleeding (heavy periods, or bleeding after menopause) are
less common symptoms.
We diagnose ovarian cancer through several methods which usually begin
with a complete physical exam and includes a pelvic exam, blood tests,
ultrasound and biopsies. Once the diagnosis of ovarian cancer has been
made, our next step is to determine the extent it has spread throughout
the body. This also helps with treatment recommendations. Both you and
your Oncologist with come up with a treatment plan that is most appro-
priate for you. This may include surgery, chemotherapy, radiation or a
combination of the above.
Although we are making advances daily on finding a full proof screening
tool to detect ovarian cancer, as of now, there exists none. Because of this
reason, a lot of women don’t discover the diagnosis until it has spread
throughout the body and in this advance stage it is much more difficult
to eradicate. Therefore, it is imperative to live a healthy lifestyle as best
as possible and see your gynecologist regularly (minimum of annually).
If you have been advised that you won’t need a pap smear for 2-3 years
please don’t interpret this to mean that you don’t need to be examined at
all.We may not send a specimen for cervical cancer screening but you still
need to have a bimanual pelvic exam as this can pick up other gynecolog-
ic abnormalities.This article only broaches the topic but it’s enough to get
the conversation going. Talk with your gynecologist at your annual visit
and make sure all the women in your life are being seen regularly
as well.Yes, we are our sister’s keeper!
A Board Certified Ob/Gyn, Dr. Jancie Hull was born and raised in
Los Angeles, California. She received a Bachelor of Arts degree from
Hampton University, Doctorate of Medicine from The Chicago Medical
School and then completed her residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology
at Rochester General Hospital in New York. After obtaining board certi-
fication she became a Diplomate of the American College of Obstetrics
and Gynecology and for the past 10 years has practiced with her father,
also a board certified Ob/Gyn, in the city of Inglewood; his thriving
practice has been a staple of the community since 1968.
A LOOK AT
Ovarian
Cancer
With Dr. Janice Hull
Early ovarian
cancer may
not cause
obvious
symptoms
ROD’S DAY 2013 took place on a July 20th, a
beautiful Saturday afternoon at Mo’s Place, in Pla-
ya del Rey, CA, where it has been held for the past
8 years. The Hawaiian-themed party kicked off
with a rollicking fun raffle led by proprietor and
host Mo Krant. Adding to festivities, sportswear
manufacturer PacSun and CORI board member,
Gary Schoenfeld, provided models to sell the raffle
tickets and donated clothing and gift cards.
The raffle gifts were stacked high on two pool
tables and filled half of the room. Sponsors and
local businesses donated great items including
autographed balls, collector’s items and photo-
graphs from the Clippers, Dodgers and Lakers.
Everyone had a chance to win game tickets,
sporting goods or a gift card. The local restau-
rants, such as Tony Ps, Killer Shrimp and The
Warehouse donated thousands of dollars in gift
certificates for meals. The Inn at Playa Del Rey
donated a complimentary stay at the hotel, Burke
Williams Spa, Forty Winks relaxation studio and
Odyssey Medi Spa provided gift certificates for
spa services.
A complimentary delicious dinner buffet was
provided by Mo’s Place. All proceeds go to
colon cancer research programs helmed by
Dr.Anton Bilchik.
For twenty years, Dennis Fasone, Rod’s father,
hosted the annual event to raise funds for cancer
research in memory of his son, Rod Fasone, who
began his fight against colon cancer in 1990,
during his Junior year in college. More informa-
tion on the event and Rod Fasone’s story can be
found on the ROD’S DAY Facebook page.
If you would
like to make a
donation or attend
ROD’S DAY 2014
please send an email
to info@CORIgroup.org
or call the CORI office
at 310-883-0096.
ROD’S DAY TURNS 21
Annual CORI Event Raised Funds
for Colon Cancer Research
For the 21st year, Rod’s Day brought
people together to raise funds for cancer
research in the memory of Rod Fasone.

4. ‘Health is Power’ was the theme of the women’s
health fair sponsored by CORI in partnership
with CaliforniaAssemblymember Holly J.Mitchell
on Saturday, March 16, 2013 at the Mt. Sinai
Missionary Baptist Church in Los Angeles.
Assemblymember Mitchell, who represents Cali-
fornia’s 54th State Assembly District is the chair
of the Assembly Budget Subcommittee on
Health and Human Services, and is a committed
advocate for preventive healthcare.
This important outreach effort provided free
and subsidized mammograms for women with
or without health insurance, as well as compre-
hensive resource information from local health
organizations. Drs. Anton Bilchik and Ronald
Hurst, Directors of CORI, along with special
guest Dr. Janice Hull were on hand to give pre-
sentations and answer questions concerning
cancers that are disproportionately affecting
women in minority communities.
“We want to empower women with information,”
said Angela de Joseph, Executive Director of
CORI and moderator of the event. “If you don’t
have knowledge, you don’t have power. People
perish for lack of knowledge. Cancer wreaks
havoc in our community, not just because it is a
terrible disease, but also because many times
a diagnosis comes at a late stage; that’s why
prevention, early detection—and when there
is a need for it—medical intervention, are so
important.”
Notebooks and pens were provided courtesy
of CORI so that attendees could jot down
information and any questions they might have
for the Q&A session. Throughout the program
de Joseph quizzed the crowd, rewarding those
with correct answers with gift cards from
neighborhood vendors, creating a fun and
engaging atmosphere.
“We started CORI because so much of cancer is
preventable,” Dr. Bilchik explained in his intro-
duction to the doctors’ talks. “If we can make
a difference in one person’s life, it makes our
organization and our time worthwhile.”
Dr. Hull, Chief of Obstetrics and Gynecology at
Centinela Hospital and on staff at Cedars-Sinai
Medical Center, began the program with a talk
on cervical and ovarian cancers. Risk factors,
prevention, and the importance of appropriate
screening were all addressed. But the most
important message Dr. Hull conveyed to the
attentive audience was a simple one: “Pay
attention to your body.See your doctor regularly.
If you notice symptoms, don’t rationalize them
away. Discuss your concerns . . . .”
Dr. Ronald Hurst spoke about CORI’s passionate
dedication to bringing free educational events
to the community. In a hopeful and informative
talk about breast cancer, Dr. Hurst emphasized
the great advances made over the past fifteen
years and the importance of early detection
through the utilization of mammograms, the
most important test available.
Dr. Hurst commented that “ . . . 75 to 85% of
Stage 1 and 2 breast cancers (early breast
cancers) are curable.” When Dr. Hurst empha-
sized this point and the importance of patients
knowing their stage so that they may have hope,
an excited audience member called out,request-
ing he repeat this telling piece of information
that illustrates the power that women hold in
their hands to be proactive in their healthcare
through early detection.
Dr.Bilchik’s presentation focused on colon cancer.
Colorectal cancer, he noted, has a higher
mortality rate in people of color, which may likely
be attributed to a lack of early detection.“It’s as-
tonishing to realize that up to 70% of all cancers
are preventable with diet and lifestyle,” he
informed the audience, “ . . . (and) early stage
colon cancer is 100% curable.” Encouraging
exercise, healthy diet and maintaining a positive
attitude, he stated, “We have to work as a team
and a community . . . to help family members and
friends live a lot longer.”
After a lengthy Q&A session addressing issues
ranging from insurance advocacy, to cancer
prevention, symptoms, and fears about the
discomfort caused by mammograms, Assembly-
member Mitchell thanked those who made the
event possible. She expressed her appreciation
to the doctors for bringing their expertise to this
community and for encouraging attendees to
ask questions of their doctors and to know that
it is okay to seek multiple opinions. A $200 gift
basket, donated by Avon, was presented to a
lucky raffle winner before the day was
completed with a lively Zumba dance class.
Empowering our community through education,
resources and encouragement—this is the
goal of CORI’s outreach program. As Dr. Hurst
told the audience: “You are in control. Don’t let
cancer control you.”
- Womans History Month: continued from cover.
CORI
CELEBRATES
WOMEN’S HISTORY
MONTH
State Senator Holly J. Mitchell, presented CORI with a certificate of recognition for
sponsoring the Women’s Health Fair. Left to right: Dr. Ronald Hurst, Senator Holly J. Mitchell,
Dr. Anton Bilchik, Dr. Janice Hull and CORI Executive Director Angela de Joseph.
Dr. Anton Bilchik answers a question
on pancreatic cancer.
Empowering our
community through
education, resources and
encouragement—this
is the goal of CORI’s
outreach program.

5. The California Oncology Research Institute
(CORI) is dedicated to improving the lives
of cancer patients through collaborative
research and outreach to underserved commu-
nities. On the research front, Dr. Aviram Nissan
exemplifies the success that can occur when
like-minded scientists work together for the
good of all.
Dr. Nissan is a surgical oncologist and the
recently appointed head of the Department of
Surgery at Hadassah-Hebrew University
Medical Center, an internationally acclaimed
research and educational institution in Jerusa-
lem, Israel. He received his medical degree from
Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical School
and a Research Fellowship and Surgical Oncolo-
gy Fellowship at Memorial Sloan Kettering Can-
cer Center in New York, New York.
When they met at a surgical oncology
conference, Dr. Nissan and Dr. Bilchik discov-
ered that they shared similar interests in clinical
and field research. The two doctors embarked
upon a professional collaboration, conducting
clinical trials and translational research proj-
ects. CORI provides the mechanism through
which these projects are structured.
“You might be surprised to learn how uncon-
ventional CORI’s approach is,” says Dr. Nissan.
“It is rare, in my experience, to find researchers
conducting research in the same field that are
readily willing to share findings. CORI helps
create a collaborative, global environment
and provides funding for projects without a
complex process of bureaucracy—this allows
scientists to focus on what we consider most
significant: patients, not paperwork!”
CORI’s unconventional approach has indeed
produced significant results.The United States
Military Cancer Institute colon trial (USMCI),
partially funded by CORI, and in which
Dr. Nissan played a significant role, was recently
published in the Annals of Surgery. This im-
portant study clearly showed that better
survival rates of colon cancer patients were
achieved through an improved, more accurate
staging of colon cancer and quality control of
surgery and pathology.
“Because of CORI, we have a unique opportunity
that allows researchers to share their knowledge,
expertise and resources in order to achieve
important research goals,” says Dr. Nissan. “For
example, I am very excited about the Ultrastag-
ing in Early Colon Cancer trial (UECC).When the
results of this trial mature in about two years
time, it will change the way we treat colon
cancer and the way we understand this disease.”
Through ‘ultrastaging’ or developing better
ways of staging tumors, this trial will show that
it can be determined if a patient will be cured
through surgery alone, or whether treatments
are necessary. According to Dr. Nissan, “Molec-
ular biology, or what is known as molecular
medicine has changed and will continue to
change the way we treat cancer.”
Of the many emergent cancer treatment
options, molecular therapies show promising
outcomes for less damage to normal cells, less
overall harm to the body, and fewer of the side
effects common with radiation and chemother-
apy. Because molecular therapies work more
directly on cancer cells than standard treatments,
it is possible to target cells with a high degree
of specificity, to individualize therapies to
patients’ specific needs.
“Colon cancer is not a single disease but a
group of diseases,” explains Dr. Nissan. “It has
at least three molecular pathways that lead to
the normal colon becoming cancerous.Through
molecular medicine, we can predict outcomes
based on molecular changes.”And it is research
that will provide the discoveries necessary to
continue moving forward with this exciting
mode of therapy.
“What inspires me about research is the freedom
of mind,” says Dr. Nissan. “One can come up
with the wildest ideas, test these ideas in the
lab, and learn new facts about a disease that
we are trying to cure. For instance, the next step
for molecular medicine would be molecular
surgery, in which we will be able to identify,
in real-time, occult (hidden) tumor deposits
and remove them, or use targeting agents to
destroy tumors that we cannot remove.”
Dr. Nissan emphasized that progress in cancer
care is “constant”. “The fact that we are in the
process of learning to adjust the right treat-
ments to the right patients means that we will
reduce the toxic affects of drugs that are given
to those who will not respond. We will also be
able to tell patients that they are cured.”
A unique cancer research organization, CORI
integrates research with clinical medicine on a
collaborative, international scale. Dr. Nissan
describes the cooperative spirit of CORI and his
work with Dr. Bilchik as “exceptionally open.”
By fostering this spirit of openness, CORI is
providing a place for researchers like Dr. Nissan,
whose primary aim is to share their expertise
and knowledge to the benefit of cancer
patients everywhere.
______
Aviram Nissan, MD is Head, Department of
Surgery and Associate Professor of Surgery at
Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Center
Ein Kerem in Jerusalem, Israel. Dr. Nissan
received his medical degree from Hadassah-
Hebrew University Medical School and a Research
Fellowship and Surgical Oncology Fellowship
at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in
New York, New York. Dr. Nissan’s professional
memberships include the United States Military
Cancer Institute, the American Association for
Cancer Research and the European Society
for Surgical Oncology. Among his many awards
and honors is The Aaron Beare Foundation
Award for Cancer Research in 2003 and the
2006 Faculty prize for basic science research.
Dr. Nissan is on the editorial boards for the
Journal of Surgical Oncology and the Scientific
Board of the Israeli Society for Surgical Oncology.
PATIENTS
NOT
PAPERWORK
CORI Speaks with
Aviram Nissan, MD
Dr. Aviram Nissan in surgery at Hadassah-Hebrew
University Hospital, Ein Karem, Israel.
“Because of CORI, we have a unique opportunity that allows
researchers to share their knowledge, expertise and resources”

6. California
Oncology
Research
Institute
400 Corporate Pointe, Suite 300
Culver City, California 90230
Connect with CORI Online!
Join our Community
Share with Your Friends.
Follow us on Twitter
@Cori_Group
These efforts require not only dedication of
spirit but also of funds. CORI’s Co-Founder,
Joyce Eisenberg-Keefer has taken a very important
role in fundraising by granting CORI a $1.5 million
challenge grant. “There is not a family out there
that has not been affected by cancer,” said Ms.
Eisenberg-Keefer. “CORI cares. We care about
the Los Angeles community and our important
research efforts. This grant is a call to action.”
Ruth Weil, CORI CFO put it succinctly, “I want
everyone to reach into their hearts and pockets to
help us expand our outstanding research projects
and community outreach program. CORI is excited about expanding its reach in
2014. “We will continue to be hands-on in the
community, as well as make use of technology to
simulcast events,” said Executive Director,Angela
de Joseph. With the expertise of Drs. Bilchik and
Hurst, strong board leadership, and the heartfelt
fundraising efforts of Joyce Eisenberg-Keefer,
CORI is committed to advancing cancer research,
education and care now and in the future.
DONATE NOW
TO REACH OUR
$1.5 MILLION
GOAL
It seems that we all have a cancer story to tell ...
As co-founder of CORI with Dr.Bilchik,I hope that this
challenge grant shows our heartfelt commitment to
advancing cancer research,education,and care.
All pledges will be matched until we reach our $1.5
Million goal.Your $100 pledge becomes $200, your
$500 pledge becomes $1,000. Mail your donation
to help us continue our work!
California Oncology Research Institute (CORI)
400 Corporate Pointe, Ste 300
Culver City, CA 90230
Tel: (310) 883-0096
Email: info@CORIgroup.org
website: www.CORIgroup.org
Joyce Eisenberg-Keefer
CORI Co-Founder
Dr. Anton Bilchik giving presentation
on colon cancer.
Left to right: Angela de Joseph, Dr. Ronald Hurst,
Dr. Janice Hull, Dr. Dana Scott, Dr. Anton Bilchik,
CORI CFO Ruth Weil at First Ladies Health Initiative.
CORI Round-Up 2013
Catching Our Breath from 2013…
And Looking Forward to an Even Better 2014!
- continued from front panel.