by Rachel Witkowski
Staff Writer
Dr. Edith Perez stands barely five feet tall but her research in breast cancer that has rocked historical data for nearly 30 years has made her in international giant.
Perez is a professor of medicine at Mayo Clinic specializing in Hematology, Oncology and internal medicine. She has been in the medical field for 20 years and at Mayo for 11 years.
At 19 years old, Perez had a college degree and received her medical degree at Puerto Rico School of Medicine in San Juan in 1979. From there, she completed her residency in internal medicine at the Loma Linda University Medical Center in California in 1982.
Perez’s studies in therapeutic agents for breast cancer treatment and prevention have gained world wide recognition. Last year, she chaired a breast cancer clinical trial and the results confirmed a weapon against reoccurring breast cancer cells that would reduce the risk by 52 percent in patients with HER-2 positive invasive breast cancer.
She has received many awards for her work, including the 2002 Horizon Achievement Award in Cancer Research through Bristol-Meyers Squibb Oncology and the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. She is also assisting one of her patients, Donna Hicken of TV 12/25, in the 26.2 With Donna, a national marathon to raise money solely for fighting breast cancer. Any wonder why Hicken said at the marathon’s first fundraiser last Thursday that Perez truly is a “rock star.”
The Daily Record was able to reach Perez via e-mail during her typical weekly travels while working in Barcelona for the day, just after she came from Oxford. Her next stop to further her research — Tokyo, Japan.
Question: Why are you passionate about researching breast cancer?
Answer: It is a big U.S. and worldwide problem. Recent studies have allowed us to better understand the biology of the disease, which has led to better screening, detection and treatment strategies. This new knowledge also gives us even better opportunities for the future — if we continue educating the public and medical personnel, conducting good laboratory and clinical research.
Q: Hicken says you will be the one to find a cure for breast cancer, do you believe that?
A: I believe that we as a team can do great things. The team involves Donna, us at Mayo, and many other researchers and advocates. I can state that I have a vision and will harness the passion and expertise of all of us in the team to see this as a reality. Actually, new diagnostic tools and therapies are already leading to cures in many patients — we just want to cure many more.
Q: How close do you think you are to that goal?
A: Every day we are curing women, I just want to cure more and more.
Q: What do you hope will be the outcome of the 26.2 With Donna marathon?
A: Awareness, education, money for research and to provide needed funds to undeserved women undergoing therapy.
Q: How often do you run?
A: It depends on my travel, but I try at least 4-5 times per week. At least six miles each time.
Q: What is your inspiration for pursuing your profession so aggressively? What keeps you going?
A: The visions of what we have accomplished and what we can do.
Q: How did you end up at Mayo clinic?
A: (It’s a) Great institution. Our first goal is to take excellent care of patients, but we believe that the only way to accomplish this is to also educate and conduct research.