Jacob Riley-Wasserman has an eye for the interesting and unusual.

After completing his studies in furniture design at the Rhode Island School of Design, Jacob planned to start a graduate program at New York University when he began having difficulty swallowing. He was only 22.

“I had an endoscopy at Penn Medicine that summer, and went back to New York to begin to prepare for grad school,” Jacob remembers. “It was just before I was to start school again that I learned I had esophageal cancer.”

Jacob returned to his home in New Jersey to receive proton therapy and chemotherapy at Penn Medicine.

It was at the Roberts Proton Therapy Center where Jacob became fascinated by the treatment process. “I was amazed that this beam of proton radiation was hitting my tumor without radiating to other areas of my body,” says Jacob.

As a designer and artist, Jacob was especially drawn to the compensator blocks used to direct the proton beam to the treatment area.

“Compensator blocks are custom made to fit the patient and their particular tumor,” says Jim Metz, MD, vice chair of radiation oncology at Penn. “Before proton therapy begins, the blocks are created based on scans of the patient’s anatomy and tumor site. Each time they come in for therapy, the compensator blocks are placed in the beam line to shape the distribution of protons over the target area while sparing exposure to normal tissue.”

Jacob was so fascinated with the compensator block, he asked to take his home. Then, he had another idea.

“I thought it would be a cool thing to start offering to patients,” says Jacob. “So we are beginning a program in which patients take their blocks home after a small donation is made to patient education at the Abramson Cancer Center.”

Today, Jacob’s tumor in his esophagus is gone, but he is still undergoing treatment at the Abramson Cancer Center.

While on leave from school, he is staying busy in his workshop.

His most successful design is the Star Spangled Spatula. Crafted of solid walnut and stainless steel, the over-sized grilling spatula has been highlighted in national publications like the New York Times, Martha Stewart Living, and Fast Company. Jacob licensed it with New York based firm, Areaware, and it has been sold across the country in home stores including Williams Sonoma, Bed, Bath & Beyond, and shops in some of the nation’s prominent museums. There’s also a smaller vinyl version for kitchen use.

With the spatula’s popularity, Jacob has decided to donate a portion of the percentage he receives from its sale to the Abramson Cancer Center.

“My cancer diagnosis has been a huge blow but I’ve been trying to keep as busy as possible,” he says. “I like to be working and make stuff. I work with my hands. This has been my opportunity to be on top of that. I don’t just have cancer, get treatment, and sit at home. I’ve been using this as an opportunity to create –  the perspective on that is interesting.”

To purchase a Star Spangled Spatula, or to learn more about Jacob, visit www.flip4cancer.com

Join friends and family of the Peter Skelton Sarcoma Research Foundation to raise funds and awareness of sarcoma. Partial proceeds benefit the sarcoma programs at the Abramson Cancer Center at Pennsylvania Hospital. Peter Skelton was a young man in his prime. He had a contagious laugh and a zest for life. On July 9, 2003, at the age of 36, doctors found a tumor. He had surgery in August, was diagnosed with soft tissue sarcoma, and was admitted to Johns Hopkins in late September. He passed away on November 2. Pete’s valiant battle, from diagnosis to death, lasted a little less than four months. That was a very short time – four months – to comprehend that he had a malignant cancer, find a specialist for this relatively unknown disease, and just simply hope that some treatment existed to help. The Peter Skelton Sarcoma Research Foundation was founded by Pete’s brother and sisters in memory of Peter. Their wish, as his would be, is to help others fight sarcoma cancer.Peter Skelton Sarcoma Research Foundation Annual Sarcoma Walk/Run/CycleDate: Sunday, July 13, 2014, 7:30 – 11:30amLocation: RiverWinds in West Deptford, New JerseyTimes: Cycle: 7:30 am, Walk: 8:30 am, Run: 9 amBenefits the Abramson Cancer Center’s Joan Karnell Supportive Care Program at Pennsylvania Hospital Register here, or contact Marylou  at 215-829-6466 or Carly 215-829-6737 for more information.

Join friends and family of the Peter Skelton Sarcoma Research Foundation to raise funds and awareness of sarcoma. 

Join friends and family of the Peter Skelton Sarcoma Research Foundation to raise funds and awareness of sarcoma.

Partial proceeds benefit the sarcoma programs at the Abramson Cancer Center at Pennsylvania Hospital.

Peter Skelton was a young man in his prime. He had a contagious laugh and a zest for life. On July 9, 2003, at the age of 36, doctors found a tumor. He had surgery in August, was diagnosed with soft tissue sarcoma, and was admitted to Johns Hopkins in late September. He passed away on November 2.

Pete’s valiant battle, from diagnosis to death, lasted a little less than four months. That was a very short time – four months – to comprehend that he had a malignant cancer, find a specialist for this relatively unknown disease, and just simply hope that some treatment existed to help.

The Peter Skelton Sarcoma Research Foundation was founded by Pete’s brother and sisters in memory of Peter. Their wish, as his would be, is to help others fight sarcoma cancer.

Peter Skelton Sarcoma Research Foundation Annual Sarcoma Walk/Run/Cycle

Date: Sunday, July 13, 2014, 7:30 – 11:30am
Location: RiverWinds in West Deptford, New Jersey
Times: Cycle: 7:30 am, Walk: 8:30 am, Run: 9 am

Benefits the Abramson Cancer Center’s Joan Karnell Supportive Care Program at Pennsylvania Hospital

Jim Finkel was never one to shy away from a challenge. As a competitive cyclist in the 70s, he rode alongside some of the best cyclists in the world. Jim didn’t know it at the time, but his constant challenges to go faster, work harder, go longer distances, and fuel his body with proper nutrition got him in shape for the greatest challenge of his life – cancer.“Towards the end of 2012 I was having trouble breathing, either on or off the bike,” says the 61-year-old mechanical engineer. “I was unable to clear my nostrils on the road, and when over-the-counter medications and antibiotics didn’t work, we knew it was time to take the next step toward a proper diagnosis.”After scopes and scans revealed a tumor in his nasal cavity, Jim’s ear/nose/throat specialist in Delaware performed surgery. The hospital was not able to easily identify the tumor so the tissue samples were sent to the Mayo Clinic. The malignant tumor type was rare, as was the location of the tumor. Typing is important in deciding the treatment course and this tumor was resistant to chemotherapy.Knowing the type of tumor, and the precision needed to make sure all “margins” were clear, Jim was referred to Penn Medicine’s Abramson Cancer Center by his own doctor, and father in law, who happened to be a retired physician. “They assured me Dr. Bert O’Malley was the best out there, and the one who could take care of what needed to be done,” says Jim. “Because the tumor was rare, my case made it to the tumor board. This is not an honor you want!”Jim needed more surgery to be sure the tumor had not spread, and radiation therapy was planned for after. But before his second surgery, he had some time to heal… and get back on the bike.“My breathing was immediately better following the first surgery and I could not wait to get back on the bike,” he remembers. “While I was permitted to ride, I was told to ‘take it easy,’ which I did, sort of. I kept my maximum pulse to 90% and I turned down the watt rating also to 90%.”“When it was warm enough to ride outside, I started to kick up my mileage, without pushing it. By the time the second surgery was to take place, I got in a nice 31-mile ride on Sunday, in advance of the Tuesday surgery,” Jim remembers. “The day after the surgery, Dr. O’Malley walked in, looked at me, and said, ‘You look great!’”Jim’s second surgery was called “clean-up” and was intended to clear out any tissue that was seen as “PET active.” All of the tissue samples came back clean, so he was breathing easier on all fronts once again. For six weeks after surgery, Jim received radiation therapy at Penn Medicine Valley Forge. “The treatments were relatively smooth sailing, and the staff was great,” says Jim. “I am nearly bald, but I was told that I might suffer some hair loss, and my only question was ‘How would I know?’”“Even though I’d started radiation therapy, I was back up to doing at least four hours a week of saddle time on a bike,” says Jim. “Keeping my weight up during treatment was a challenge, but cycling actually helped. Though my sense of taste was dulled, I was used to getting calories back into my body. I knew I had to eat and carefully match my calories taken in to my calories burned. I managed to hold weight throughout the process – eating a lot of Indian food!” Jim jokes. Now, nearly two years after his journey with cancer started, Jim remains cancer-free and is still cycling like a champ. In fact, he is joining the Abramson Cancer Center’s Ride to Conquer Cancer, a 2-day, nearly 150 mile bike ride that benefits cancer research at the Abramson Cancer Center. “I can’t say enough about the Abramson Cancer Center,” says Jim. “My surgeon Dr. O’Malley, my oncologist, Dr. Chip Staddon at Penn Medicine at Radnor, and Dr. Geoffrey Geiger at both the Valley Forge and the Perelman Center for Advanced Medicine always put me as a person in front of me as a patient. Plus the staff at all locations have been phenomenal.” Jim adds, “I want my story to give others hope.”Learn more about, or join the Ride to Conquer Cancer here.