Director’s message: the best is yet to come

The best is yet to come.

It's been 14 years since I arrived in Rochester, Minnesota, to lead Mayo Clinic Cancer Center, and the time has come for me to step down from my position as director and focus on some equally important things in life — my family and my research.

Rafael Fonseca, M.D., is serving as interim director of the Cancer Center. As an esteemed hematologist and member researcher of our Hematologic Malignancies Program, Dr. Fonseca is well equipped to lead the center while Mayo Clinic identifies a new director.

For me, serving as Cancer Center director has been a true honor. My tenure has taught me a great deal about the talented and dedicated individuals we are blessed to have at this institution, and it gives me hope to know that they are improving and will continue to improve the lives of our patients.

The physicians, scientists and support staff who make up Mayo Clinic Cancer Center reflect the Mayo brothers' steadfast commitment to learning, teaching and healing. Through their hard work, they make a difference in the lives of patients every day.

Twenty percent of the 1 million patients who visit Mayo Clinic campuses in Arizona, Florida and Minnesota every year are seeking cancer treatment. This includes nearly 20,000 new cancer patients annually.

As physicians and researchers, our promise to these patients has been and will always be clear: We will not rest until we have treatments that not only improve lives but that also provide cures.

Thank you, God bless and Godspeed.

Robert B. Diasio, M.D.
Director, Mayo Clinic Cancer Center
William J. and Charles H. Mayo Professor

Related

• Robert B. Diasio, M.D.
• Rafael Fonseca, M.D.
• Mayo Clinic Cancer Center
• Hematologic Malignancies Program

This article was originally published in Forefront, Mayo Clinic Cancer Center's online magazine, which ceased publication in December 2020.