Prof. Bella Kaufman, one of Israel’s leading and internationally recognized oncologists, passes away
The doctor who treated hundreds of breast cancer patients and published numerous leading studies in the field was renowned for her compassion and empathy. Thousands of women around the world survived cancer thanks to her struggle for the continued use of the cancer medication LYNPARZA® (olaparib). Alongside her work as a researcher and clinician, Kaufman was a leading figure in Physicians for Human Rights in Israel, where she volunteered for many years. “The medical and human rights community lost one of their foremost members today”, the organization wrote in a press release following her passing.
Prof. Bella Kaufman, President of Sheba Comprehensive Cancer Center at the Sheba Medical Center, Director of the Breast Oncology Institute, and one of the world’s leading breast cancer specialists, passed away last week from breast cancer.
Prof. Kaufman was a leader in the treatment and research of hereditary breast cancer for many years and an active member of the international forum of physicians in the field. She treated hundreds of breast cancer patients, published numerous studies in the field and was considered one of the most humane and empathetic doctors in the country. In June 2013, she received the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Humanitarian Award.
Kaufman was diagnosed with bilateral breast cancer in 2005. “The sudden transition from a valued, well known doctor that perhaps even sets treatment policy, to patient — was unbearable,” Said in 2018. “An imaginary wall suddenly rose . On one side, the doctors and staff who set the path, and on the other — the patients, confused and vulnerable, who lose control over their lives, to some extent. This wall suddenly separated me from my friends and colleagues who suddenly viewed me as a patient — not a doctor. I was certain doctors supply you with a safety net, but that’s really not the case”.
“There was pressure at work, I simply forgot to go to the follow-up examination”
After a period of remission, Prof. Kaufman’s cancer returned in 2012. “A routine MRI scan showed a liver lesion. Of course I got an ultrasound, and there appeared to be a liver cyst or something liquid,” she recalls. “Everyone breathed a sigh of relief and asked me to come back after three months for a review, but I forgot. I really forgot. This is not repression, this is not denial. I just forgot. There was a lot of work, I ignored it — and forgot.”
A subsequent MRI scan revealed the tumor was three times larger than a year earlier. Prof. Kaufman was diagnosed with Metastatic Breast Cancer. However, despite the diagnosis, she quickly returned to her work — and continued treating patients up until recently. “I was and still am in a kind of frenzy to learn more about my tumor. I want to know it, understand it — but not make friends with it. More in the lines of ‘know your enemy’. I wanted to get all the information I could. And maybe be creative in choosing the treatment.”
She kept a folder titled “Bella’s disease” on her desktop, with dozens of documents like “11 Ways to Treat the Liver” or “The Meaning of a Hereditary Mutation CHEK2”. She admitted that she would obsessively fill the folder with new articles, research correspondence and everything she thought might be relevant.
Kaufman was especially adored by her patients, some of whom kept in touch with her well after they recovered. “My patients always left me with all the information they needed — but also, always, with a little bit of hope. As a patient, I embraced this hope and optimism for myself. Perhaps because I know so well what the end looks like while to the patients it’s not clear. I treat myself differently, less gently than I would my patients.”
Thanks to her, treatments with LYNPARZA® (olaparib) continued
Thanks to Prof. Kaufman’s efforts, the drug LYNPARZA® (olaparib), which saved the lives of thousands of women around the world, was not shelved. “The invention of the drug was a genius move by English scientists, but suffered from a rough start,” Prof. Kaufman shared in the past. “The pharmaceutical company started testing Lynparza on ovarian cancer patients — and deemed the results not good enough. There were already initial results in breast cancer treatment, but the company got cold feet — maybe due to economic considerations, maybe for other reasons.
“To us oncologists it was clear the medication had some effect on our patients. Nine years ago, when the company suddenly announced it was stopping the development of the drug, we were all shocked, doctors and patients alike. When I met AstraZeneca’s executive vice-president, research & development Oncology at a conference, I used some Israeli audacity. I told him ‘Listen, you can’t do this. We have to keep testing this medicine. We can’t leave the patients without treatment. We know this one works, at least let us use it as a compassionate drug”.
Surprisingly, the senior executive approved Prof. Kaufman’s request. “He agreed that the treatment should be given to patients that have exhausted all other treatment — not only with breast cancer, but in all diagnoses that have a BRCA mutation. Colleagues of mine abroad heard of this, asked to join — and received approval for 300 patients worldwide, 82 of them recruited at the Sheba medical center. The results in ovarian cancer were exceptional. In pancreatic cancer, it was the first time any drug showed any effect on this type of cancer. Eventually, the study was published in a highly regarded oncology journal.”
Physicians for Human Rights in Israel tweeted: “We mourn the passing of our beloved friend, Prof. Bella Kaufman, a senior oncologist in Israel and around the world, a longtime dedicated volunteer and board member. The medical community and the human rights community in Israel have lost one of their foremost members. She will continue to serve as a role model and source of inspiration for us all.”
The article was originally published in Hebrew on ynet.co.il: https://www.ynet.co.il/health/article/r1Zjls9dO
