Updated posts 2026
Discover the highlights from the 10th Annual Waxman Luncheon, a prestigious event supporting the Samuel Waxman Cancer Research Foundation (SWCRF) in New York City’s newest venue, Riverpark. Renowned designer Josie Natori showcased her captivating Spring 2024 collection in an electrifying fashion show. This year, we celebrated Barney Cohen, Managing Director at J.P. Morgan Wealth Management, for his unwavering dedication to advancing collaborative cancer research.
Over 150 attendees joined forces, raising close to $175,000 for SWCRF’s vital initiatives like the International Network on Aging and Cancer and the Women’s Cancer Research Program. The day’s excitement included a lively auction featuring exclusive items, including a luxurious Mikimoto Akoya Cultured Pearl and Diamond Pendant valued at $16,000.
The event was chaired by Marion N. Waxman, Jani Gerard, and Erica Linden-Fineberg, with Dina Koutroumanis, Nancy Litman, Lauren Silvers, and Helen Vaysman serving as co-chairs. The committee comprised esteemed individuals like Karen Giberson, Leena Gurevich, and Orital Karelic, among others.
Notable guests included industry leaders like Rachelle Cohen, Josie Natori, and Dr. Samuel Waxman, along with a host of influential personalities. J.P. Morgan proudly sponsored the luncheon, with generous contributions from esteemed brands like Mikimoto and Natori.
Since its inception in 1976, SWCRF has invested over $120 million in collaborative research, leading to groundbreaking discoveries such as treatments for acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) and innovative therapies for brain tumors. Recent FDA-approved medications have shown promising results in reducing lung cancer tumors by up to 50%.
The APL result named above is worth dwelling on, because it is the rare case where a cancer outcome changed completely. Acute promyelocytic leukemia was once the most lethal form of acute leukemia, often killing patients within weeks of diagnosis. Treatment with all-trans retinoic acid and arsenic trioxide — which coaxes the malignant cells into maturing normally rather than destroying them — now produces long-term remission in the large majority of cases, frequently without conventional chemotherapy. It remains the clearest demonstration that the differentiation approach this foundation was built around can work.
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About The Samuel Waxman Cancer Research Foundation:
The Samuel Waxman Cancer Research Foundation is an international organization dedicated to curing and preventing cancer. The Foundation is a pioneer in cancer research and its mission is to eradicate cancer by funding cutting-edge research that identifies and corrects abnormal gene function that causes cancer and develops minimally toxic treatments for patients. Through the Foundation’s collaborative group of world-class scientists, the Institute Without Walls, investigators share information and tools to speed the pace of cancer research. Since its inception in 1976, the Samuel Waxman Cancer Research Foundation has awarded more than $120 million to support the work of more than 200 researchers across the globe.
