Fighting Cancer Every Day with Compassion and Research
Manda DiRubbo, who was by her father’s side while he fought cancer, channels her memory of him into supporting patients.
Manda DiRubbo had been a nurse at the Rutgers Cancer Institute for three years when her connection to the disease hit home.
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DiRubbo’s father, Livio DiRubbo Jr., a Navy veteran whom she describes as a man of quiet resilience and her biggest supporter, was diagnosed with lung cancer. She lost him in 2023 not long after his battle began.
Today, she channels this connection to cancer from her personal experience with her father to every patient she interacts with—whether she is holding a patient’s hand or coordinating clinical trials that offer hope when options feel limited. “Every patient is someone’s father, mother, brother, sister, daughter or son,” she says.
DiRubbo often finds herself walking alongside patients through some of the most vulnerable moments of their lives, celebrating good news or enduring pain. She says the work is always rewarding.
“Being part of the Rutgers Cancer Institute team means being surrounded by individuals who are deeply committed to both scientific advancement and compassionate care,” DiRubbo says. “It’s a place where innovation meets empathy, and every patient is treated as a whole person, not just a diagnosis.”
DiRubbo, a resident of Marlboro, New Jersey, earned a bachelor’s degree from Rutgers College in psychology in 2005 and a bachelor of science in nursing from the Rutgers School of Nursing in 2015. She is on track to finish a Rutgers master of science in nursing with a focus on nursing leadership this year.
Through her studies and experience as a research nurse clinician, she believes in the power of research.
“Research brings options,” she says. “It brings hope. Clinical trials are not a last resort—they are often the best option. They give patients more time, a better quality of life, or even remission. It is extremely rewarding to be part of that process.”
DiRubbo says financial support of the Rutgers Cancer Institute’s research and mission is more than a simple transaction.
“If you’re considering a gift, know that it’s not just a donation—it’s an investment in life, in hope, and in the future of cancer care,” she says. “You’re helping us change outcomes, one patient at a time.”
About the Rutgers Cancer Institute: Rutgers Cancer Institute, together with RWJBarnabas Health, provides patients access to the most advanced treatment options and clinical trials close to home. As New Jersey’s only NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center, our groundbreaking cancer research is the engine that drives innovations, where our discoveries become your care.
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Please consider a gift that will help the Rutgers Cancer Institute pursue new discoveries and ensure that researchers and care teams have the tools they need to innovate.
