Yelena Janjigian, Chief of the Gastrointestinal Oncology Service at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, and stomach cancer survivor Norah Lewin appeared on NBC’s Saturday TODAY to highlight the milestone 20th year of Cycle for Survival — the nationwide indoor cycling event that has raised nearly $450 million for rare cancer research.
Founded in 2007, Cycle for Survival is a high-energy team spin event of Memorial Sloan Kettering Center, dedicated to accelerating progress against rare cancers — diseases that collectively account for approximately half of all cancer diagnoses yet historically receive a disproportionately small share of research funding. What sets the initiative apart is that 100% of every dollar raised goes directly to rare cancer research at MSK, supporting innovative studies, clinical trials, and new treatment approaches.
During the NBC segment, Lewin — a 39-year-old mother of two who was diagnosed with stage 3 stomach cancer a year and a half ago — described the moment that changed her life. What began as an ulcer found on endoscopy turned out to be gastric cancer.
“The initial response is just shock. I grieved the life that I had worked so hard to build — my family, my husband, my two young girls.”
Determined to seek the most advanced care available, Lewin turned to MSK and to Janjigian specifically.
“I wanted to be part of a new story and a new statistic for stomach cancer and cure.” she shared.
Today, she is cancer-free.
“I honestly feel better than I did before I had cancer. I have a new perspective on my health and priorities, and I’m just so grateful to have been cured.”
Both Lewin and Janjigian rode together at the Cycle for Survival event the night before the broadcast. Reflecting on the experience, Janjigian described the atmosphere as “electrifying” – with patients, caregivers, staff, scientists, and physicians coming together.
“The funding that you are bringing in helps cure patients. We drive discoveries and innovations that then affect the entire world.”
Janjigian, who has been at MSK for the past 20 years and has ridden with Cycle for Survival for over a decade, serves as Chief of Chief Service at MSK, also a Professor of Medicine at Weill Cornell Medicine and holds the Carroll and Milton Petrie Endowed Chair. She is a member of the Board of OncoDaily and serves as Scientific Co-Chair of the ESMO 2026 Annual Meeting.
As Cycle for Survival enters its third decade, stories like Lewin’s underscore what sustained community investment can achieve — reshaping the research landscape for cancers that affect millions but too often remain underfunded.
Other articles featuring Yelena Janjigian on OncoDaily.