Claire and John Bertucci’s farsighted philanthropy has already benefited thousands of patients suffering from genitourinary cancers and will help save the lives of countless more in the future.
Their generous gift to the Mass General Cancer Center established the Claire and John Bertucci Center for Genitourinary Cancers, one of the largest and most experienced centers in New England for the treatment of bladder, kidney, prostate and other genitourinary cancers. Many of the advanced diagnostic and therapeutic approaches available at the Bertucci Center are offered at only a few other centers nationwide.
The Bertucci Center’s clinical research program is a multidisciplinary initiative to understand cancer biology, discover novel agents, and improve outcomes. The Bertuccis have funded several research efforts, including one that resulted in the identification of a gene that potentially indicates the risk of tumor recurrence or spread in men surgically treated for prostate cancer. They have also endowed the center’s fellowship program in genitourinary oncology in underserved countries, providing physicians the opportunity to spend three to six months observing clinical activities and conducting research at Mass General.
The Bertuccis also made the lead gift to support the Donald S. Kaufman, MD, Chair in Medical Oncology, and most recently created an endowment for a chair for the chief of the Claire and John Bertucci Genitourinary Program. The first recipient of the chair is Matthew Smith, MD, PhD.
“Their gift in 2000 to name the genitourinary program at the Mass General Cancer Center would have been enough for some, but their giving has not stopped,” says one nominator.
