Leukemia & Lymphoma Society
2010 Woman of the Year Nominee <br> Megan Burrell Jensen
After losing her father to non-Hodgkins lymphoma 15 years ago, Megan took an interest in cancer treatment, research and patient education. She left the finance world and pursued an administrative career in healthcare and has worked for two major cancer centers and is now with OHSU in the Division of Urology. For 9 years, Megan has worked with physicians and scientists who treat every type of cancer in both children and adults. She has found herself to be the “go-to” gal for those in her life who are newly diagnosed with cancer and is able to help them navigate the process and often put them at ease. Megan is a Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Team in Training alum and not new to raising money for this organization. Her primary hobby, activity and joy in life are her husband Grant and two young daughters, Tully and Maeve. For more information go to Leukemia Lymphoma Society.
The mission of The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society is to cure leukemia, lymphomas, Hodgkin’s disease and myeloma and to improve the quality of life for patients and their families. Since its founding in 1949, the Society has invested more than $550 million in leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma research, $64.7 million in 2008 alone. Society-funded research has led to key advances in understanding blood cancers and the development of lifesaving drugs to fight them.
The Society’s research grants program currently supports more than 400 grants in over 14 countries. This includes $1.5 million to programs in Oregon and Southwest Washington. The Society provides ongoing support for chronic myeloid leukemia research to Dr. Brian Druker, director of the OHSU Knight Cancer Institute, who developed the medication Gleevac. His laboratory is continuing to research new treatments for chronic myeloid leukemia.
The Society provides many services to patients with blood cancers. These include family support groups, an educational Web site, free seminars and conferences, patient financial aid and co-pay assistance for medications. In 2008, patients in Oregon received over $129,000 for medicine and travel expenses including food, gas and lodging. The Society also helps OHSU patients meet others with blood cancer who have completed treatment and can provide emotional support.
