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Posts Tagged ‘biomarker’

Success! Canary Challenge Roundup Raises Funds for Cancer Research, Early Cancer Detection

October 3, 2012

Here at Canary Foundation we’re celebrating the success of another exceptional Canary Challenge race! We had a great time, and judging from the smiles we saw, you did too.

Canary Foundation is the world’s first non-profit organization dedicated solely to the funding, discovery, and development of tests for early cancer detection. Canary Foundation is dedicated to delivering early detection tests for solid cancer tumors by 2015.

We are so thankful for all the sponsor companies and volunteers whose generous contributions made the day a success – we really couldn’t have done it without you.

In the meantime, here are a couple of shots from the race for those of us who weren’t able to join us. For a full photo gallery, check out the slideshow on the Canary Facebook Page.

Canary Foundation volunteers at Rest Stop 2, where they helped hydrate and feed cyclists in need of a break.

Vanderkitten cyclist Maura Kinsella racing along.

Canary Founder Don Listwin with son Hunter gave riders words of encouragement before the race.

Canary Innovation: Measurable Progress, Real Results

June 4, 2012

Here at Canary Foundation, one of our highest priorities is building a culture of innovation, which we leverage to produce results, save time and lower costs. Both our scientific programs and administrative initiatives reflect these disciplines. We’re proud to report that this approach is helping Canary demonstrate real results in the work we do:

• Canary Foundation developed the first test for a new lung cancer biomarker identified by the team. While tests exist for other biomarkers, there were none for this one, so the team created a test that is now available for any research institution to utilize.
• Our prostate cancer clinical trial called PASS (Prostate Active Surveillance Study) is the only multisite clinical trial for men on active surveillance.  This way of organizing a trial is now being recognized as the most viable way of conducting trials to monitor men with localized, low-risk prostate cancer.
• Canary Foundation’s Tissue Microarray (TMA) project has also led the way in scientific research. Digitized tissue images and a standardized way to conduct digital analyses were the innovations that provide researchers with an online way of sharing and analyzing data that is not the norm in scientific research.
• The Canary Center at Stanford for cancer early detection is the first in the world studying the two-test process of identifying cancer through a blood test and pinpointing the location of the tumor through molecular imaging. More »

Joining the Fight Against Breast Cancer

February 8, 2012

Currently, a woman living in the U.S. has a 12.1% risk of being diagnosed with breast cancer — that’s 1 out of 8 women. Think about 8 women you know; mothers, sisters, friends, coworkers – that’s how close this disease is to each of us. It’s a disease that requires our attention, resources, and brightest minds to work collaboratively to beat it. Today, we announce another bold step in our mission: the launch of the Canary Breast Cancer Program.

We’re funding two forward-thinking research projects that will lay the foundation for a new Breast Cancer Early Detection Initiative. One study will focus on finding biomarkers in the blood of women diagnosed with breast cancer that may indicate the presence of tumor growth. The second study will develop an imaging modality to detect breast cancer at the earliest stages. As such, it offers great potential in detecting very small tumors– pinpointing the location for surgery or target therapies before the cancer has the chance to spread.

Building upon the successful models of our other research programs, we have a tremendous opportunity to develop early detection tools that will help save the lives of women all over the world.

Our work wouldn’t be possible without the support of our community. We invite you to take action, show your support by making a donation to the Breast Cancer Early Detection Initiative.

 Sharon Pitteri, PhD, Assistant Professor of Research at the Canary Center at Stanford, will be leading this bold initiative forward. In this video, she shares her inspiration for working in the field of early detection as well as a brief overview of the program structure and goals. 

httpv://youtu.be/4P1cLWJxC5Y

Discovering Biomarkers for Early Cancer Detection (Whiteboard Video)

February 5, 2012

Canary Foundation is working toward simple blood tests and molecular imaging techniques that detect cancer at an early stage when it is most treatable and when a cure is most likely. These tests rely on biomarkers, specific indicators that cancer cells are found among the body’s healthy tissues. Proteins produced by a developing tumor are one type of biomarker. A cancer cell, compared to a healthy one, may make a new type of protein or different amounts of normal proteins. An early detection blood test would detect the abnormal protein as soon as it appeared in the body. Canary Center at Stanford’s faculty researcher Dr. Parag Mallick describes the challenge of discovering these biomarkers and using them for early cancer detection.

httpv://youtu.be/x2oSw7texpY