The Yul Brynner Head and Neck Cancer Foundation, Inc. was the result of an unplanned meeting of the late Yul Brynner and the late Dr. George Sisson in Chicago during a run of “The King and I” by Mr. Brynner in 1983. Mr. Brynner developed hoarseness prior to one of his sold out performances and called his physician in New York City requesting the name of the finest physician in Chicago that specializes in the treatment of hoarseness.  He was referred to Dr. George Sisson, a prominent head and neck surgeon, and not only did he see Dr. Sisson as a patient, but they quickly became close friends.  Dr. Sisson examined Mr. Brynner and recommended an immediate biopsy of his vocal cord for a “suspicious” area seen in the clinic.  Fortunately, the biopsy revealed no evidence of cancer but only a pre-malignant abnormality.  It was at this time that Mr. Brynner began to appreciate the realization that this problem was related to his long and excessive use of tobacco.  Because of his lack of knowledge that tobacco could be so harmful, he decided to launch a crusade to educate the young people of the world on the effects of tobacco and its relationship to mouth and throat cancer.  The Yul Brynner Foundation became reality.

With the combined vision of Yul Brynner and the knowledge and experience of Dr. George Sisson, the foundation was incorporated in Chicago in 1984.  The Board of Directors included the inaugural Chairman of the Board, Dr. Jerome C. Goldstein, who remains in that position.  The board was honored to include Roger Ebert, Larry Gatlin, Dr. Robert Ossoff, Dr. John M. Lore, and Dr. Peter Costantino.   The Foundation was initially extremely successful in the development of educational programs and the funding of numerous research grants in head and neck cancer but was relatively inactive through the late 1980s and early 1990s.

Mrs. Kathy Brynner-Hifler, the widow of the late Yul Brynner, has remained active with the foundation since its inception and continues as Chair, Emeritus, of the Advisory Board.

In 1992, Dr. George Sisson had the opportunity to meet and treat Ms. Janet Trever, who was being treated for her 3^rd cancer of her lifetime, recurrent salivary gland cancer.  Having lost one eye at the age of 3 for retinoblastoma also requiring radiation therapy to the region presented a difficult time through her childhood and teenage years often depicted in her presentations and future book, The Beautiful Burden.  She was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 30 requiring surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy.  At the age of 50, she was diagnosed with adenoid cystic carcinoma of the parotid gland.  Ms. Trever began her efforts as Executive Director of the Foundation in the early 1990s and continued her mission until the day she died of this disease in 1999. 

During 1997, The Association for Head and Neck Cancer Awareness was formed by Dr. Terry Day of Nashville, Tennessee and these efforts combined with the mission of The Association and YBF propelled him to be elected President of YBF, a title which he still holds.  Since 1998, YBF has organized and directed, Head and Neck Cancer Awareness Week, an international event designed to further the education of the public and health professionals on this dreadful disease.  In 2001, the name was officially changed to Oral, Head and Neck Cancer Awareness Week to help publicize oral cancer, the most common site of head and neck cancers.  This event continues this year and years beyond until this disease is eradicated.

  More on the Mission of the Yul Brynner Foundation
  About Mr. Yul Brynner

© 2008 Yul Brynner Head and Neck Cancer Foundation