History

We are deeply committed to the vision of our founder, Paul Poth, for whose cholangiocarcinoma there was no treatment or cure.

Paul Poth was a dedicated husband and new father. He was a skilled lawyer with a passion for public service. He was a chef, comedian, and connoisseur of great music. He was living a vibrant, healthy life when, at age 38, he was diagnosed with cholangiocarcinoma, a form of cancer so rare that no treatments existed for it and very little research was dedicated to it.

For Paul, as for so many others fighting rare cancers, the diagnosis meant a best-guess treatment approach that relied on protocols developed for other cancers — all debilitating, but none effective.

paulByTheSurf-photo

As was his nature, Paul set out to make a change. He dedicated himself to a plan that would hopefully improve his own treatment options and would certainly make a difference for others. In March 2009, he founded TargetCancer Foundation.

The goal was simple but specific: raise funds as quickly as possible in support of the most innovative and promising research into otherwise ignored rare cancers. Within two months, Paul raised enough money to make TargetCancer Foundation’s first donation, a $7,500 contribution to the Center for Molecular Therapeutics at Massachusetts General Hospital.

Paul died in August 2009, but his mission continues in an effort to ensure that others diagnosed with rare cancers will have real treatment options — and a chance to live.

His story is a reminder that cancer can happen to anyone at any time. What he did with his diagnosis in the limited time he had demonstrates that every one of us can make a difference in the effort to take control of this disease.