Donate
Stopping Cancer Early – The Best Possible Investment

Blog

Posts Tagged ‘early cancer detection’

Early Cancer Detection Success Reaps Spirit Awards from Stanford Cancer Institute

December 12, 2012

Canary Founder Don Listwin Honored for Leadership in Early Detection of Cancer Research

Early detection of cancer research represents the heart and soul of our work. Last week, Stanford Cancer Institute bestowed two 2012 Spirit of Hope Awards upon Canary Foundation and on our founder, Don Listwin. We are so honored to be the recipient of this prestigious award, and are grateful for the opportunity to be publicly recognized for the work we do in the field of early detection.

“The commitment to identifying easy and affordable biomarkers to detect cancer when it is small is the driving force behind the work of Canary Foundation,” said Don. “Canary Foundation is honored to be recognized for this work. Within 10 years, we expect and hope to have the tools, technology, tests and the market to allow you to find cancer early where it is most curable.”

Our work is focused on funding scientific discovery into affordable early detection systems such as blood tests and ultrasound imaging in the fields of ovarian, pancreatic, prostate, breast and lung cancer.

“The major way we’re going to make an impact on cancer is early detection and we are thrilled to partner with Canary in this incredible enterprise,” said Stanford Cancer Institute Director Dr. Beverly Mitchell, MD, as she presented the two awards. More »

Early Cancer Detection Success Leads to Canary Featured as Charity of The Week

December 5, 2012

Early cancer detection results of Canary Foundation led to the honor of being named Charity of the Week by The Week magazine. Canary Foundation early cancer detection research focuses on lung, prostate, pancreatic, breast and ovarian early detection methodologies. The Week magazine is a domestic and international magazine discussing the latest developments in business, health, science, technology, the arts, culture, consumer products and travel.

 

“Canary Foundation is the world’s first nonprofit dedicated entirely to the development of testes for early cancer detection. Founded in 2004 by Don Listwin, a successful technology executive who lost his mother to misdiagnosed ovarian cancer, Canary Foundation funds collaborative research by teams of cancer experts, with the aim of one day being able to identify early-stage cancer through a simple blood test.

The vast majority of cancer research funding goes to treatments of the disease in later stages; less than 15 percent currently goes to early-detection efforts, when cancer is at its most treatable. Canary Foundation is currently funding early-stage tests for lung, ovarian, pancreatic, prostate, and breast cancers.”

Thank you so much to The Week Magazine for featuring Canary Foundation as a charity to watch!

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 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 »

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 »

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

Canary Cares Profile: Dale Jantzen

January 24, 2012

Dale Jantzen is a board member and long-time supporter of Canary Foundation. Through the years, Dale has been actively involved with our organization in many different capacities; as a donor, volunteer, supporter of the Canary Challenge, and much more. In this video, Dale shares his personal motivation for supporting cancer early detection research and how late diagnosis cancer has affected his life.

httpv://youtu.be/36DETn6uvkg