Founder of David’s Dream Cancer Foundation appointed as patient advocate for National Cancer Institute

Photo via DDBCF
David Caldarella is serving on two committees.

David Caldarella, a local resident and founder of David’s Dream and Believe Cancer Foundation, has been elected by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services National Cancer Institute to serve as a patient advocate on the Head and Neck and Patient Advocate steering committees. Established under the National Cancer Institute Act of 1937, the NCI is the federal government’s principal agency for cancer research and training.

“I’m honored to serve the board on behalf of those patients currently fighting cancer and to be the voice for those who have lost their battle with this deadly disease,” Caldarella told The SandPaper.

The honor comes on the heels of DDBCF’s fifth anniversary. Since August 2010, the foundation and its supporters have donated more than $300,000 to 325 families battling a cancer diagnosis.

A cancer survivor himself, Caldarella was diagnosed with stage IV head and neck cancer on April 20, 2010. Throughout surgeries, radiation and chemotherapy, he received tremendous support from family, friends and even strangers, fueling his desire to create a nonprofit to “pay it forward.”

Rita Axelrod, Caldarella’s oncologist at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia, had initially submitted his name to serve on an NCI subcommittee. After speaking with representatives, he was elected to serve on two committees.

The Head and Neck Steering Committee, composed of leading cancer experts and advocates including NCI senior investigators and doctors among many prestigious institutions, works to offer a resourceful, transparent practice to encourage clinical research and offer incentives to those who contribute. As a patient advocate, Caldarella will be involved in the research process, including concept and protocol development.

NCI leads a national effort to eradicate suffering and death from cancer. Through investigation and training, the organization conducts and supports research with a goal to find a prevention of cancer.

— Kelley Anne Essinger


This article was published in The SandPaper.