St. Jude drove leukemia survival rates from 4% to 94%
Rick Shadyak Jr. · How one organization raises billions every year | Masters of Scale · Aug 11, 2025 · at 20:25
Rick Shadyac Jr., former CEO of ALSAC (the fundraising arm of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital), discusses pediatric cancer survival rate improvements with host Jeff Berman.
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“Take the acute lymphoblastic leukemia where the cure was found at St. Jude. When St. Jude opened, it was a four percent cure rate. So think about that. 96 out of a hundred kids who were diagnosed would pass away. So bad that kids were told, parents were told, celebrate half birthdays because your child wasn't going to make it to the next birthday. Ok, it's 94% today.”
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