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Posts Tagged ‘cancer research’
Early Detection Tool Mass Spectrometers Explained by Dr. Mark Stolowitz
October 25, 2012
Dr. Mark Stolowitz, Director of the Proteomics Core Facility, tells us about Mass Spectrometers and how they’re used for cancer early detection research.
Early Detection for Breast Cancer Research Underway
October 24, 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. Earlier this year, we announced another bold step in our mission: the launch of the Canary Breast Cancer Program.
Currently, Canary funds 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. More »
Nicole Urban on Canary’s Ovarian Cancer Research Program
September 6, 2012
Nicole Urban, Ovarian Cancer Team Co-leader at the Canary Center and investigator at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, provides viewers with an overview and the goals for Canary’s Ovarian Cancer Research Program. She also explains how working on collaborative research initiatives with Canary Foundation helps push her research to the next level.
Canary Challenge Update: Did You Know…?
August 31, 2012
Cyclists who have been training (hopefully!) and fundraising for weeks will descend upon the campus of VMware in Palo Also to ride in the Canary Challenge 2012 in September. The Canary Challenge is one of the most picturesque rides on the west coast—going from the foothills of Palo Alto & Woodside, to Pescadero, out to the Pacific Ocean.
The Canary Challenge benefits the Stanford Cancer Institute (SCI) and 100% of funds raised will be donated to the SCI for cancer research and innovative clinical programs.
The one-day ride is a fully supported ride that includes great food, generous amenities, stocked rest stops, SAG vehicles, medical support, spirited festivities, and wine & beer garden, and a community of riders who have been touched one way or another by cancer. Learn more about the Canary Challenge on our website.
Some interesting facts about the Canary Challenge: Did You Know . . ?
- The male to female rider ratio this year is 2: 1. In 2011, it was 3:1. What an increase in women riders!
- The two biggest teams are Canary Chicks with 27 riders (4 male riders!) and Team Lauren (in support of LPCH) with 24 riders.
- A bake sale can raise a lot of money! Avaya The Power of WeTM team held a bake sale at their corporate headquarters during the lunch hour and raised $1,343 in 3 hours. More »
The Founder’s Fund
May 15, 2012
Silicon Valley is famous for its ability to take an existing idea or product and revolutionize it, making it better, cheaper, and more accessible to the public.
Canary Foundation’s Founder, Don Listwin, took passionately to bringing this approach to the flailing and antiquated health care business, which invested little in cancer early detection. Most of our community members are familiar with Don’s emotional story of losing his mother to misdiagnosed cancer. His story is a testament to the scars cancer leaves on all of our lives, as well as the power of people coming together to fund something that will have a lasting impact—impact on the future of cancer early detection, and on the lives of our loved ones.
A seasoned technology executive, Don established a plan to catalyze cancer early detection. He founded Canary Foundation to bridge the gap between academic research and an industry that no longer actively invests in early detection research. Our goal is to leverage the research we do in developing biomarkers and imaging technology to create widely accessible tests that screen for cancer, even during routine checkups.
By approaching health care technology with the same results-driven mindset as consumer technology, Canary Foundation is changing the game for early detection research and innovation. Investing early in innovation and attracting other funding exemplifies the high impact model Don built at Canary. Staying true to the model, we pool expertise, focus on results, and stay conscious about resource allocation.
Canary Foundation’s Founder’s Fund takes this last idea to heart. The Founder’s Fund is a special reserve that allows for Canary Foundation to fund special projects, communications and events and unmet needs that keep Canary on task to make cancer early detection a reality. We invite you to learn more about the Founder’s Fund and join others in supporting the Canary mission.
Highlights from the 8th Annual Early Detection Symposium 2012
May 7, 2012
Canary Foundation held the Eighth Annual Early Detection Symposium at Stanford University on May 1, 2012. Nearly 200 participants came together to share their successes, challenges, and visions for the field of early detection of cancer. The conference session included updates from four Canary cancer teams (Lung, Ovary, Pancreas and Prostate) as well as presentations on innovative early detection research from across the country. Dr. Sam Gambhir, Director of the Canary Center at Stanford, described the goals of early detection in three key phrases:
- Identify patients that have cancer
- Isolate the location of the tumor
- Intervene effectively
Attendees heard from researchers working in all three of these areas.
Tackling the Challenge of Overdiagnosis
One of the challenges in identifying cancer patients is avoiding overtreatment. Dr. Ruth Etzioni of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, an expert on PSA screening, dissected
the recently released guidelines from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force stating that the harms of PSA-based screening for prostate cancer outweigh the benefits. Dr. Etzioni presented the case for “smart” PSA screening. Current PSA screening practice results in overdiagnosis and overtreatment of men with less aggressive disease. Smart screening strategies such as age-specific PSA cutoffs combined with biennial screening could potentially reduce the amount of overdiagnosis by one third while retaining the lives saved by annual screening. Smart screening coupled with active surveillance could be of great value in reducing mortality with a much more acceptable ratio of harm to benefit. More »
Biotech: The High Stakes Table of Entrepreneurship
April 9, 2012
I recently came across this article on Forbes about the high stakes of investing in biotechnology within the context of entrepreneurship. Frankly, I couldn’t agree more. While the focus is primarily on the treatment side, the same sentiment applies to advancing innovation for cancer early detection. It requires upfront investment and the foresight to jump on the unexpected, but the potential reward is huge – millions of lives saved.
“When it comes to getting million-dollar investments, investors in this area [biotechnology] want to see the whole package — an achievable goal, expertise, and no non-sense. ‘Investors have to see that there’s a real problem. Not just a solution in search of a problem,’ [Dr. Molly Schmid] said.”
It can be difficult to educate the public about how important investment is to the biotechnology field. At Canary Foundation, we believe in directing funding and fostering environments that spur innovation. Innovation leads to new ways of solving problems. We use funding invested by donors to seed research and accelerate progress. From there, research teams are well position to demonstrate the results of their work (made possible by initial investment) and attract government and foundation funding. Our goal is to magnify the impact of each investment.
I’d love to hear other people’s thoughts on investing in biotechnology and research. Please share your comments and we’ll have a great conversation about how we might be able to shape the future – for the better!
Collaboration & Innovation: 8th Annual Early Detection Symposium
April 6, 2012
At Canary Foundation, one of the core values that drives our organization is collaboration. We believe that our collective impact is greater than our individual contributions; as a result, we are committed to bringing together the best and brightest minds in science to pioneer discovery and accelerate progress. In that spirit, each year Canary Foundation invites hundreds of scientists from all over the world to hear from innovative and inspiring researchers in the field of cancer early detection research. The goal of the Canary Foundation Early Detection Symposium is to convene researchers so they can share their successes and challenges, working together to spur progress and development.
httpv://youtu.be/GeGXc0FuoiA
To learn more, please visit: www.CanarySymposium.org
Let’s Ride!
March 28, 2012
John Novitsky is a Canary Challenge rider and volunteer, as well as a supporter of the Canary Foundation. In this video, John shares his motivation for participating in the Canary Challenge as well as words of inspiration for new and returning riders.
httpv://youtu.be/6ZppfNBauKs
The Canary Challenge is a fully supported bike ride, offering 50-kilometer, 75-kilometer, 100 kilometer, 100-mile rides. Funds raised in 2012 Canary Challenge will be donated to the Stanford Cancer Institute (SCI) to benefit cancer research and innovative supportive care programs. Register now.
Rally Your Team for the Canary Challenge!
March 8, 2012
Dr. Fred Chin, Head of Cyclotron Radiochemistry at Stanford University Medical Center & Canary Challenge Rider, extends his passion for early cancer detection research beyond the lab, fundraising and promoting awareness through his participation in the Canary Challenge. He shares his motivation for creating and leading “Team MIPS” (Molecular Imaging Program at Stanford), leveraging the opportunity to bond and build relationships with other researchers and physicians on the team. Watch this short video to learn more about Fred’s experience, goals, and words of wisdom for new riders.
httpv://youtu.be/um5vGkRPAgg
Funds raised in 2012 Canary Challenge will be donated to the Stanford Cancer Institute (SCI) to benefit cancer research and innovative supportive care programs. Cancer strikes about one in three women and one in two men in the United States. Canary Foundation, the producer of the event, is committed to identifying early stage cancers to save lives.
To register for the Canary Challenge, visit: www.CanaryChallenge.com
