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Stopping Cancer Early – The Best Possible Investment

Don Listwin Award For Outstanding Contribution to Cancer Early Detection 2023 goes to: Professor Peter Sasieni

Canary Ovary Team is approaching a milestone of completing its first study of fallopian tubes.

Early Detection of Cancer Annual Conference- EDx23 – hosted by Cancer Research UK, Canary Center at Stanford, & OHSU Knight Cancer Institute, and bringing together great minds to collaborate in cancer early detection research!

Finding cancer earlier, more accurately and cost effectively.
It’s about time.

Early Cancer Detection = Canary Solution

For over 10 years, Canary has been the only foundation in the world focused solely on early cancer detection. Learn More »

Accomplishments & Milestones

See Canary’s progress in early cancer detection solutions.

Past
Present
Future
2000

Don Listwin’s mother, Grace Listwin, misdiagnosed with bladder infection

2001

Grace Listwin dies of late-stage ovarian cancer due to detection of her cancer at a late stage

2002

Ovarian cancer biomarker work for Dr. Nicole Urban funded by Listwin Family Foundation at the Fred Hutch Cancer Research Center (FHCRC) in Seattle

2003

Center of Excellence for early cancer detection established by Dr. Lee Hartwell at FHCRC focusing on cancer biomarkers

First Canary science team formed—ovarian cancer

2004

Canary Foundation formed by Don Listwin

2005

Second Canary science team formed—pancreatic cancer

First annual Scientific Symposium

2006

Discovery of gene mutation in pancreatic cancer

Partnership with Canadian British Columbia Cancer Agency to build antibodies and assays for blood biomarkers

2007

Two more Canary science teams formed—prostate and lung

Microbubble-based molecular imaging studies

2008

Prostate Active Surveillance Study (PASS) enrolls first patients

Canary ovarian team conducts preclinical validation of ovarian biomarker HE4

2009

Founded Canary Center at Stanford with Stanford School of Medicine and Stanford Cancer Institute

Canary ovarian team launches Novel Markers Trial

Magneto-nano sensor developed to detect biomarkers—10,000 times more sensitive than existing tests

2009Continued

Never Smokers Lung Cancer Study launches

Don Listwin named to National Cancer Institute Board of Scientific Advisors

2010

Lung cancer imaging trial begins at Stanford

Stanford team builds photoacoustic device for prostate cancer (begins testing in 2011)

Parag Mallick & Sharon Pitteri hired—first full-time faculty at Stanford dedicated 100% to early cancer detection

2011

Gene fusion discovered for ovarian cancer

Canary pancreatic cancer team demonstrates microbubble imaging to below 1 mm in size

Canary lung cancer team discovers novel biomarker that defines patients as high-risk

2012

Breast Cancer Program launched

Stanford Cancer Institute Awards Canary Foundation with Spirit of Hope Award

2013

Stanford moves Canary Center to Stanford’s Technology and Innovation Park—2x lab space

Genomic Health partners with PASS team to work on detection test for prostate cancer

Microbubble clinical trials in ovarian and breast cancer begin in Rome

2014

FDA approves ultrasound using microbubble—trials begin for men with prostate cancer at Stanford

Canary prostate cancer team—PASS wins competitive NCI award

Partnership with MD Anderson to build national lung cancer screening trial

2014Continued

Clinical trials begin in partnership with El Camino Hospital for pancreatic early cancer detection

Canary Center recruits Utkan Demirci from Harvard/MIT with expertise in biomedical microfluidic technology platforms

 

2014Continued

CRUK launches early cancer detection initiatives in UK

OHSU launches billion-dollar early detection initiative

2015

Tom Soh recruited from UCSB—focusing on portable, rapid, and sensitive diagnostic platforms

Canary develops Canary Quantum Cloud to give researchers access to new machine-learning platform

2016

Canary Pancreas Team discovers new biomarker candidate for cancer imaging

2017

Lung cancer biomarker discovered by Canary researchers attracts interest from multiple academic institutions and industry partners who obtain licensing to do further testing

2018

Canary forges international collaborative partnerships with the University of Calgary and University of Cambridge by funding a series of early detection projects with researchers from both institutions

Canary partners with BRCA Foundation to launch new ovarian cancer initiative that examines the link between high-risk factors and early detection

2019

Launch of multi-institutional Canary High Grade Serous Ovarian Initiative

Microbubble technology approved for breast cancer

Microbubble approved for pancreatic cancer

Completion of first Early Cancer Detection Initiative pilot awards with University of Calgary

2019Continued

Launch of ACED Alliance – The International Alliance for Cancer Early Detection:  partnership between Cancer Research UK, the Canary Center at Stanford University, the University of Cambridge, the Knight Cancer Institute at OHSU, University College London and the University of Manchester

2019Continued

First jointly funded Early Cancer Detection Conference hosted at Stanford through the Canary Center at Stanford-Knight Cancer Institute at OHSU-Cancer Research UK collaboration

2020

In Loving Memory Sanjiv Sam Gambhir, MD, PhD
November 23, 1962 – July 18, 2020

Read our remembrances of Sam

2021

Milestone enrollment of 2000 men in the Canary Prostate Active Surveillance Study (PASS)

2022

International Early Detection of Cancer Conference returns to in-person format after 2 years of virtual meetings

Canary partnered with Gray Foundation on multiomic analysis of benign fallopian tube tissue to identify early molecular events leading to BRCA-associated High Grade Serous Ovarian Cancer

2023

Launch of PATROL: Prostate Cancer Screening for People at Genetic Risk for Aggressive Disease

Prostate Active Surveillance gene expression profiling study with Veracyte/Decipher begins

Pilot study shows pancreas and lesions are visible in the majority of patients using inexpensive Point of Care Ultrasound

Future Goals

Canary marker remains among the four-marker panel showing mortality reduction benefit for lung cancer

First patients imaged with contrast using Point of Care Ultrasound

Manufacturing pipeline for microbubbles for early detection established

Future GoalsContinued

Consensus reached on best practices for Active Surveillance for prostate cancer

Multiomic analysis of BRCA vs non-BRCA benign fallopian tubes complete dataset reported

Geospatial characterization of fallopian tube precursors of ovarian cancer reported

2000

Don Listwin’s mother, Grace Listwin, misdiagnosed with bladder infection

2001

Grace Listwin dies of late-stage ovarian cancer due to detection of her cancer at a late stage

2002

Ovarian cancer biomarker work for Dr. Nicole Urban funded by Listwin Family Foundation at the Fred Hutch Cancer Research Center (FHCRC) in Seattle

2003

Center of Excellence for early cancer detection established by Dr. Lee Hartwell at FHCRC focusing on cancer biomarkers

First Canary science team formed—ovarian cancer

2004

Canary Foundation formed by Don Listwin

2005

Second Canary science team formed—pancreatic cancer

First annual Scientific Symposium

2006

Discovery of gene mutation in pancreatic cancer

Partnership with Canadian British Columbia Cancer Agency to build antibodies and assays for blood biomarkers

2007

Two more Canary science teams formed—prostate and lung

Microbubble-based molecular imaging studies

2008

Prostate Active Surveillance Study (PASS) enrolls first patients

Canary ovarian team conducts preclinical validation of ovarian biomarker HE4

2009

Founded Canary Center at Stanford with Stanford School of Medicine and Stanford Cancer Institute

Canary ovarian team launches Novel Markers Trial

Magneto-nano sensor developed to detect biomarkers—10,000 times more sensitive than existing tests

2009 Continued

Never Smokers Lung Cancer Study launches

Don Listwin named to National Cancer Institute Board of Scientific Advisors

2010

Lung cancer imaging trial begins at Stanford

Stanford team builds photoacoustic device for prostate cancer (begins testing in 2011)

Parag Mallick & Sharon Pitteri hired—first full-time faculty at Stanford dedicated 100% to early cancer detection

2011

Gene fusion discovered for ovarian cancer

Canary pancreatic cancer team demonstrates microbubble imaging to below 1 mm in size

Canary lung cancer team discovers novel biomarker that defines patients as high-risk

2012

Breast Cancer Program launched

Stanford Cancer Institute Awards Canary Foundation with Spirit of Hope Award

2013

Stanford moves Canary Center to Stanford’s Technology and Innovation Park—2x lab space

Genomic Health partners with PASS team to work on detection test for prostate cancer

Microbubble clinical trials in ovarian and breast cancer begin in Rome

2014

FDA approves ultrasound using microbubble—trials begin for men with prostate cancer at Stanford

Canary prostate cancer team—PASS wins competitive NCI award

Partnership with MD Anderson to build national lung cancer screening trial

2014 Continued

Clinical trials begin in partnership with El Camino Hospital for pancreatic early cancer detection

Canary Center recruits Utkan Demirci from Harvard/MIT with expertise in biomedical microfluidic technology platforms

 

2014 Continued

CRUK launches early cancer detection initiatives in UK

OHSU launches billion-dollar early detection initiative

2015

Tom Soh recruited from UCSB—focusing on portable, rapid, and sensitive diagnostic platforms

Canary develops Canary Quantum Cloud to give researchers access to new machine-learning platform

2016

Canary Pancreas Team discovers new biomarker candidate for cancer imaging

2017

Lung cancer biomarker discovered by Canary researchers attracts interest from multiple academic institutions and industry partners who obtain licensing to do further testing

2018

Canary forges international collaborative partnerships with the University of Calgary and University of Cambridge by funding a series of early detection projects with researchers from both institutions

Canary partners with BRCA Foundation to launch new ovarian cancer initiative that examines the link between high-risk factors and early detection

2019

Launch of multi-institutional Canary High Grade Serous Ovarian Initiative

Microbubble technology approved for breast cancer

Microbubble approved for pancreatic cancer

Completion of first Early Cancer Detection Initiative pilot awards with University of Calgary

2019 Continued

Launch of ACED Alliance – The International Alliance for Cancer Early Detection:  partnership between Cancer Research UK, the Canary Center at Stanford University, the University of Cambridge, the Knight Cancer Institute at OHSU, University College London and the University of Manchester

2019 Continued

First jointly funded Early Cancer Detection Conference hosted at Stanford through the Canary Center at Stanford-Knight Cancer Institute at OHSU-Cancer Research UK collaboration

2020

In Loving Memory Sanjiv Sam Gambhir, MD, PhD
November 23, 1962 – July 18, 2020

Read our remembrances of Sam

2021

Milestone enrollment of 2000 men in the Canary Prostate Active Surveillance Study (PASS)

2022

International Early Detection of Cancer Conference returns to in-person format after 2 years of virtual meetings

Canary partnered with Gray Foundation on multiomic analysis of benign fallopian tube tissue to identify early molecular events leading to BRCA-associated High Grade Serous Ovarian Cancer

2023

Launch of PATROL: Prostate Cancer Screening for People at Genetic Risk for Aggressive Disease

Prostate Active Surveillance gene expression profiling study with Veracyte/Decipher begins

Pilot study shows pancreas and lesions are visible in the majority of patients using inexpensive Point of Care Ultrasound

Future Goals

Canary marker remains among the four-marker panel showing mortality reduction benefit for lung cancer

First patients imaged with contrast using Point of Care Ultrasound

Manufacturing pipeline for microbubbles for early detection established

Future Goals Continued

Consensus reached on best practices for Active Surveillance for prostate cancer

Multiomic analysis of BRCA vs non-BRCA benign fallopian tubes complete dataset reported

Geospatial characterization of fallopian tube precursors of ovarian cancer reported