Grateful cancer survivor endows professorship

By Michael Tedesco

Rochester area businessman Richard T. Bell celebrated the successful treatment of his cancer with a gift of $1.5 million that will be used to establish the Richard T. Bell Endowed Professorship in the Department of Radiation Oncology at the James P. Wilmot Cancer Center.

Bell made the gift in honor of Yuhchyau Chen, M.D., Ph.D., interim chair of the department and a professor of radiation oncology at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry who treated Bell. It will be used to support research activities in clinical cancer and radiation oncology, and to retain and recruit new faculty to further strengthen the department.

“I always wanted to do something for the Cancer Center,” said Bell, founder of North Central Mechanical Company, based in Victor, N.Y. “I wanted to do it while I was alive and healthy, not as a part of my will after I passed away. And, I wanted it to be a tribute not only to Dr. Chen, but, to all the nurses and technicians who treated me. The people in the radiation oncology program were the most caring people I had ever dealt with. They weren’t just doing their job; they cared deeply about you and went the extra mile to make sure you were as comfortable as possible. Every day the entire staff at the Cancer Center was full of encouragement and kindness.”

In late 2004, Bell noticed a lump in his neck. His primary care physician immediately sent him to see an oncologist. He was diagnosed with Stage IV throat cancer that began in one of his tonsils and extended to the back of the throat, the larynx, the base of the tongue, and multiple lymph nodes in the neck.

“The team of doctors at the Wilmot Cancer Center laid out an aggressive course of treatment,” Bell said. “I had the financial resources to go and get treatment anywhere I chose, however the thought of leaving my family and friends scared me almost as much as the cancer itself. After several tests and meetings with the doctors, I decided that staying home and being treated at the Wilmot Cancer Center was my best choice. Thank God I made that decision.”

After an eight-week course of treatment that included two one-week stays at Strong Memorial Hospital for chemotherapy and twice a day radiation treatments at the Wilmot Cancer Center, Bell received good news. He had responded so well to the treatments that follow-up surgery to clear the neck lymph nodes, often the norm, would not be required. Though he had to remain on a feeding tube for 12 months following the completion of his treatment, as part of his recovery he gradually regained his ability to eat and swallow most of his favorite foods with the help of a swallowing coach.

“A donor-funded professorship is a valuable resource that supports our clinical, research and education efforts,” said Richard I. Fisher, M.D., director of the Wilmot Cancer Center and vice president of the University of Rochester Medical Center. “As other sources of funding decline given the turbulent economy of recent years, endowed professorships are an extremely important resource that strengthens and secures the future of our programs.”