Based in Franklin Lakes, New Jersey, Donato Marinelli is a community advocate and real estate investor with a genuine commitment to causes that improve lives. He supports charitable organizations focused on cancer research, heart health, and community assistance, channeling his energy toward efforts that create a healthier and more promising future for others. In his real estate work, Donato Marinelli revitalizes underutilized properties in the Franklin Lakes area, turning them into functional spaces that strengthen neighborhoods and add lasting value. His dedication to cancer research advocacy connects directly to the work of the Cancer Research Institute (CRI), which recently published a landmark analysis on the Cancer Statistics 2026 report — highlighting immunotherapy’s expanding role in transforming outcomes for patients worldwide.
The Cancer Research Institute (CRI) is an organization that funds life-saving cancer research. It is among the top five percent of highest rated charities in the country and has raised and channeled over $570 million to scientists across the world for cancer research. This research has led to dozens of new treatments, benefiting more than nine million patients globally.
CRI champions immunotherapy as an effective and safe treatment for cancer. It recently published an article analyzing the American Cancer Society’s Cancer Statistics 2026 report and highlighting the significant impact immunotherapy has had in improving cancer care outcomes.
Immunotherapy is a cancer treatment that uses the body’s own immune system to destroy and even prevent cancer. There are several kinds of immunotherapy treatments, including bispecific antibodies and immune checkpoint inhibitors. They work by providing the body with additional resources like proteins and antibodies that enhance immune response against cancer or by boosting the immune system’s own capabilities to identify and kill cancer cells.
A major reason organizations like CRI promote immunotherapy as a cancer treatment is that it is precise. Immunotherapy empowers the immune system to attack cancer cells specifically, mostly leaving healthy cells alone. This is in contrast with existing cancer treatments like chemotherapy, which are known to damage healthy cells too.
Immunotherapy also leverages the dynamism of the immune system, supporting it as it adapts continuously to fight evolving cancer cells. This includes supporting the immune system’s “memory,” so it remembers how different cancer cells look.
The American Cancer Society’s Cancer Statistics 2026 report highlighted the growing importance of immunotherapy in providing people with cancer a shot at treatment and also extending their lives. Cancer is the number two leading cause of death in the United States. This year, about 2.1 million Americans will receive a cancer diagnosis. Unfortunately, about 626,000 people will die from it.
Innovative treatments like immunotherapy are improving care outcomes, allowing patients to live longer. From 2015 to 2021, for example, the five-year survival rate of all cancers rose to 70 percent from 49 percent. A fundamental leap.
Some of the most striking gains were in advanced cancers that doctors once considered untreatable, but immunotherapy has changed that narrative. An example is metastatic melanoma, whose five-year survival rate more than doubled from 16 percent to 35 percent because of immunotherapy. Other examples are metastatic lung cancer, whose five-year survival rate went up more than fivefold from two percent to 10 percent, myeloma (32 percent to 62 percent), and liver cancer (seven percent to 22 percent).
The survival rate gains highlighted in the report validate the years of work scientists have dedicated to immunotherapy research.
Going forward, the report recommended expanded immunotherapy research to all cancers. Currently, approved immunotherapy treatments are only available for certain cancers. More work is necessary for cancers like pancreatic cancer, whose five-year survival rate has remained stagnant at 13 percent, and uterine corpus cancer, whose survival rate has been falling for over 20 years.
This expanded research is only possible with adequate funding. Unfortunately, there have been attempts by governments to limit research funding. The report cautioned against federal funding cuts to cancer research, warning that such cuts would inhibit future scientific breakthroughs.
Beyond research, the report also advocated for broader access to immunotherapy treatments. Medical innovations only save lives if patients can access them. As of now, access gaps exist because of factors like geography and socio-economic status. This is leading to wide variations in cancer care outcomes across the country. It is important that advances in immunotherapy medication reach all patients.
Finally, the report called on healthcare stakeholders to close gaps in the early detection of cancer. The sooner doctors identify cancer, the more effective treatments like immunotherapy are and the higher the survival rates of patients.
About Donato Marinelli
Donato Marinelli is a community advocate and real estate investor based in Franklin Lakes, New Jersey. He supports charitable organizations focused on cancer research, heart health, and community assistance, working to build a healthier and more promising future for others. In addition to his philanthropic pursuits, Donato Marinelli is active in real estate investment and property improvement in the Franklin Lakes area, transforming underutilized spaces into functional assets that contribute to neighborhood development and lasting community value.