Diane Fink

Family-Placed Death Notice

Diane Joanne Fink, 69, died unexpectedly September 30, 2005. Treasured mother of Janice and Laura; dear mother-in-law of Joseph DeFina; proud, proud grandmother of precious Cassie and JR DeFina; beloved sister to Carol Pontious and husband, Nell and Alan Paluszek and wife, Jackie; and friend to many. Mom was a brilliant and loving woman who was passionate in her work for cancer prevention and control. A Chicagoan by birth, Diane completed her pre-medical training at the University of Wisconsin and received her M.D. from Stanford University. She took her post-graduate internal medical and oncology training at the Kaiser Foundation Hospital, University of California, San Francisco, and the San Francisco Veterans Administration Hospital where she was on staff as Chief of the Oncology Section involved in patient care, student and resident teaching and clinical research. Diane joined the National Cancer Institute as Program Director for Chemotherapy where she was responsible for cooperative group clinical trials. She later became the Director of the Division of Cancer Control and Rehabilitation. Under her direction, nation-wide projects in breast and cervical cancer detection; transfer of new treatment advances, particularly childhood cancers, breast cancer, head and neck cancer; prevention projects; the Cancer Information Service; rehabilitation, pain control, psychosocial research projects and public and professional education were implemented. She then became the National Cancer Institute's Associate Director responsible for concensus development, the diet and nutrition program, and the smoking and health activities. She originated the institute's project with the National Academy of Medicine which led to the report that served as the basis for the NCI and American Cancer Society first guidelines on diet, nutrition, and cancer. In 1981, Diane moved to the American Cancer Society as Vice President for Cancer Detection and Service and Rehabilitation. She was responsible for a major increase in ability nation-wide in service to cancer patients and their families to meet psychosocial and physical need. She later became the Society's Vice President for Professional Education. She spearheaded a major national initiative to involve health professionals in cancer prevention, including the highly successful Breast Cancer Detection Awareness Program. Diane started and emplemented the Society's Cancer Response System, a nation-wide computerized telephone information system to deliver cancer information to the public. In April 1989, Diane joined the American Cancer Society, California Division to lead its statewide cancer control activities for advocacy, community cancer control, research promotion and information delivery. She served as the Division's Chief Mission Delivery Officer. Diane gained national and international prominence. She led a government delegation to the U.S.S.R. on cancer control. She was a member of many professional organizations, the author of more than 70 publications, the co-author of an American Cancer Society Cookbook and the Textbook on Clinical Oncology. Dr. Fink's distinguished career has left a legacy that will impact cancer control in this country and internationally or many years to come. In honor of this legacy, her family requests, in lieu of flowers, that contributions be made to the American Cancer Society's Young Cancer Survivor Scholarship Program in her name. Contributions may be sent to American Cancer Society, California Division, 1710 Webster Street, Oakland, CA 94612. Memorial Service will be held on Saturday, October 29, at 3:00 p.m., at the Oakland Airport Hilton, Oakland, California.