2000
Don Listwin’s mother, Grace Listwin, misdiagnosed with bladder infection
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2001
Grace Listwin dies of late-stage ovarian cancer due to detection of her cancer at a late stage
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2002
Ovarian cancer biomarker work for Dr. Nicole Urban funded by Listwin Family Foundation at the Fred Hutch Cancer Research Center (FHCRC) in Seattle
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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
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2004
Canary Foundation formed by Don Listwin
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2005
Second Canary science team formed—pancreatic cancer
First annual Scientific Symposium
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2006
Discovery of gene mutation in pancreatic cancer
Partnership with Canadian British Columbia Cancer Agency to build antibodies and assays for blood biomarkers
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2007
Two more Canary science teams formed—prostate and lung
Microbubble-based molecular imaging studies
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2008
Prostate Active Surveillance Study (PASS) enrolls first patients
Canary ovarian team conducts preclinical validation of ovarian biomarker HE4
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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
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2009 Continued
Never Smokers Lung Cancer Study launches
Don Listwin named to National Cancer Institute Board of Scientific Advisors
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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
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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
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2012
Breast Cancer Program launched
Stanford Cancer Institute Awards Canary Foundation with Spirit of Hope Award
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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
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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
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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
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2014 Continued
CRUK launches early cancer detection initiatives in UK
OHSU launches billion-dollar early detection initiative
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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
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2016
Canary Pancreas Team discovers new biomarker candidate for cancer imaging
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2017
Lung cancer biomarker discovered by Canary researchers attracts interest from multiple academic institutions and industry partners who obtain licensing to do further testing
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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
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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
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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
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
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2020

In Loving Memory Sanjiv Sam Gambhir, MD, PhD
November 23, 1962 – July 18, 2020
Read our remembrances of Sam
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Future Goals
Photoacoustic imaging trials in prostate and ovarian cancers concluded and move to national high-risk clinics
Prostate prognostic test available commercially
International lung cancer biomarker trial ongoing
Milestone enrollment of 2000 men in the Canary Prostate Active Surveillance Study (PASS)
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Future Goals Continued
Completion of partnership with CPDR (Center for Prostate Disease Research) to merge Active Surveillance cohorts with Canary PASS, creating largest representation of African Americans on an AS study
Publication of results of high profile study on commercial test for tissue-based biomarkers in the Canary Prostate Active Surveillance Study (PASS) cohort
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