ABC News' Sam Donaldson shared his experience as a melanoma patient during his keynote speech at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute Joint Visiting Committee Symposium dinner Nov. 15.

Donaldson, who is the chairman of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network Foundation Board, called Dana-Farber one of the country's great cancer centers and lauded it for collaborating with many others with a shared goal of advancing cancer research and treatments. He said that working collaboratively is a fairly new concept to the pharmaceutical industry, and even academia.

"If everyone will cooperate, think how much quicker and easier it will be to kill this enemy," said Donaldson. "Dana-Farber is one of those that is doing this, giving and taking in collaboration."

Dana-Farber's visiting committees serve as external advisory boards to Dana-Farber's president, disease centers and programs, and are comprised of Dana-Farber trustees, major donors, and business and community leaders.