Biden, Others Announce $125M Cancer Initiative At Johns Hopkins

BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- A gift of $125 million is given to Johns Hopkins to create a new cancer center. It's all part of Vice President Joe Biden's ambitious goal to eradicate cancer.

The vice president was at Hopkins for the major announcement.

Marcus Washington has more on the innovative research and the success stories.

Cancer in its many forms can be deadly.

Governor Larry Hogan knows the feeling of hearing the words: "You have cancer." He also knows the feeling of beating the disease.

"Thanks to an incredible team of doctors and nurses and a lot of prayers, I am now 100 percent cancer-free and in complete remission," the governor said.

In the war on cancer, Johns Hopkins receives $125 million -- mostly from Michael Bloomberg and Sidney Kimmel -- to create the Bloomberg-Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy.

Immunotherapy is a process helping your own immune system to fight the disease.

"We wake these cells up," said Dr. Charles Drake, Johns Hopkins Medicine. "So instead of attacking virus-infected cells, they're viewing the cancer cells as foreign and then killing them specifically."

One patient spoke to WJZ about being diagnosed with cancer at the age of 22. She went through many surgeries and chemotherapy. She says her life changed when she was introduced to immunotherapy.

"I drive myself now to and from treatment. I feel maybe a little bit of a headache the next day, but I feel fantastic," said Stefanie Joho. "I haven't felt this well in over five years."

The money and institute will help with more trials. The hope is eventually ending all forms of cancer.

"If we can harness this moment, I believe we can make quantum leaps in ending cancer as we know it," said Vice President Joe Biden.

Both Bloomberg and Kimmel donated $50 million each in creating the institute, with $25 million more coming from various other donors.