Cancer

Cancer

More than a half-million Americans die of cancer every year, making it the second-leading cause of death. But overall cancer rates are declining—including for such common cancers as breast and lung—thanks to earlier detection, interventions and therapies that are at once more powerful and less dangerous than in the past.

Key Initiatives, Research Partners

The Biomarkers Consortium

This groundbreaking initiative expands the science of targeted medicine. The study of biomarkers creates the potential to individualize medical treatment by determining how a drug works in the body and identifying patients likely to respond to targeted medicines and therapies.

Key Initiatives, Research Partners

I-SPY 2: Investigation of Serial Studies to Predict Your Therapeutic Response with Imaging and Molecular Analysis

The I-SPY 2 trial employs a groundbreaking clinical trial model that uses genetic or biological markers (“biomarkers”) from individual patients’ tumors to screen promising new treatments, identifying which treatments are most effective in specific types of patients. In addition, an innovative adaptive trial design will enable researchers to use early data from one set of patients to guide decisions about which treatments might be more useful for patients later in the trial, and eliminate ineffective treatments more quickly. The large-scale trial involves a unique collaboration by scientists from the National Cancer Institute (NCI), FDA, and nearly 20 major cancer research centers across the country. Study results will be made broadly available to the entire cancer research and development community. 

Education & Training

Targeted Cancer Therapies Tutorials

Understanding Targeted Therapies for Cancer is an animated, educational tutorial series developed by the National Cancer Institute for health professionals. The tutorials, available online or in DVD format, provide practitioners with an overview of targeted cancer therapies, the latest FDA-approved targeted therapy drugs, and active clinical trials involving these treatments.

Program, Research Partners

Endotoxin Research Project

The use of bacterial endotoxin in clinical research is essential to the study of the effects of inflammation on the body and as a potent stimulus to enhance immune responses in clinical trials of anti-cancer immunotherapy.

Completed Programs, Program

Imaging Database Resources Initiative (IDRI)

Imaging software analysis of digital data collected by X-ray CT, MRI, CT and PET is increasingly central to the diagnosis and treatment of cancer. New software methods for interpreting and managing this information must be evaluated in a more standardized manner to ensure their optimum performance.

Completed Programs, Program

Biotechnology Resource for Innovation and Development in Genomedicine (BRIDGE)

BRIDGE is a public-private consortium with the goal of developing gene-specific anticancer therapies to advance cancer treatment. The project applies new systems biology strategies to identify genes that are aberrant in cancer cells.

Completed Programs, Program

Overcoming Barriers to Early Phase Clinical Trials

This program, through the National Cancer Institute (NCI), provided approximately $6 million to cancer centers to design and implement new approaches to increase patient participation in early-stage clinical trials—particularly in minority and underserved populations.

Completed Programs, Program

Human Papilloma Virus Clinical Trial

Human papilloma virus (HPV) is the primary cause of cervical cancer. With more than $6 million in support from the Foundation for NIH, investigators have expanded the scope of an existing National Cancer Institute (NCI) Phase III clinical trial examining a vaccine intended to prevent cervical and other cancers caused by this virus. The expansion makes possible validation, regulatory support and quality-assurance monitoring of the vaccine. The goal is to ensure that the resulting discoveries can be quickly translated into therapies that will prevent the spread of HPV.

Memorial Fund

Stephen J. Solarz Memorial Fund for Cancer Research

Stephen J. Solarz, a former member of Congress, received treatment for esophageal cancer at the National Cancer Institute (NCI) that added years to his life.  His family and friends have established the Stephen J. Solarz Memorial Fund to support research at NCI and to provide other patients with the blessing of life.

Endowment

Sallie Rosen Kaplan Fund for Women Scientists in Cancer Research

This fund was made possible by a bequest from Sallie Rosen Kaplan, who had a deep and abiding interest in the education of her family and in making opportunities available for others.

Memorial Fund

The Dr. Edward T. Rancic Memorial Fund for Cancer Research

In 2000, Dr. Edward T. Rancic, a kidney cancer patient, enrolled in the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute’s (NHLBI) allogeneic stem cell transplant immunotherapy clinical trial, in the research laboratory of Dr. Richard Childs in Bethesda, Maryland on the campus of the National Institutes of Health.

Completed Programs, Past Programs

Understanding Targeted Cancer Therapies Tutorials

This project, made possible by $650,000 in private-sector contributions to the Foundation for NIH, was overseen by the National Cancer Institute.

Completed Programs, Past Programs

Action to Cure Kidney Cancer (ACKC) Fellowship

Through the foundation, Action to Cure Kidney Cancer (ACKC) sponsored a postdoctoral candidate’s kidney cancer research in the laboratory of Dr. Richard Childs at The National Heart Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI).

Completed Programs, Past Programs

Mutational Analysis of the Melanoma Genome

Melanoma is the most aggressive form of skin cancer. In 2009, there were nearly 69,000 estimated new cases of melanoma in the United States.

Completed Programs, Past Programs

Avon-NCI Progress for Patients (PFP)

The Avon-NCI Progress for Patients Awards Program, completed in 2009, made a significant impact on breast cancer research, accelerating the movement of pre-clinical discoveries to application in patients, and fostering collaborative efforts that optimized resources and efficiencies.

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