We are incredibly proud to announce that our Executive Director Jim Palma has been named a Ruesch Center 2022 Luminary Awards in GI Cancer recipient! The Luminary Awards honor individuals who have made transformative strides in the lives of patients with GI Cancers. This well-deserved honor recognizes Jim’s tremendous efforts over the past 13 years leading TCF, as he has tirelessly worked to advance research and advocate for patients with rare cancers. Congratulations, Jim!
Dr. Monika Laszkowska, a gastroenterology fellow, next to the poster she presented at the 2019 TargetCancer Foundation Think Tank on Advancing Gastroesophageal Cancer Research. She shares her reflections on her experience at the meeting below. Continue reading
TargetCancer Foundation is proud to announce a new two-year, $240,000 grant to the Bardeesy Lab at the Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center brings our overall investment in cholangiocarcinoma research to over $1 million since 2011.
In December 2019, TargetCancer Foundation announced $240,000 in new cholangiocarcinoma grant funding. The following post was written by Grant Recipient Nabeel Bardeesy.
I would like to congratulate TargetCancer Foundation for its outstanding contribution to research in rare and under-studied cancers over the past 10 years. My laboratory at the Massachusetts General Hospital has been a long-time partner of TCF, and their support has been essential in enabling work at MGH and beyond to expand research in cancers of the bile ducts (cholangiocarcinoma). TCF fulfills an important gap in research funding—providing venture capital toward areas that have been neglected and fall out of the domain of more conservative funding sources. This is crucial for rare cancers. Continue reading
Today TargetCancer Foundation remembers our founder, Paul Poth, whose life was taken by cholangiocarcinoma at age 39 on this day ten years ago- August 22, 2009.
As with every patient, Paul’s life was so much more than his diagnosis and illness. He was a husband, father, son, brother, uncle and friend who lived his life with passion and compassion. When he learned of his diagnosis, he put his energy and passion to work by creating TargetCancer Foundation to remove the barriers to research and treatments for rare cancers like his.
After ten years we have seen great progress, and there is great hope. This hope is moving TargetCancer Foundation into a new and exciting chapter that will help to change the experience of a rare cancer diagnosis for future patients. But today, we step back to celebrate his life, his humor, his great mind, and his devotion to helping others that continues to inspire and guide our work every day.
By TargetCancer Foundation 2019 Summer Intern Ollie Cheever
The fifth annual Matt Lindsay Memorial Golf Tournament tees off this Saturday, August 3rd, at the Awarii Dunes Golf Course in Axtell, Nebraska. Matthew Lindsay passed away in 2014 at the age of 28 from cholangiocarcinoma, also known as bile duct cancer. Ever since, the Lindsay family has been commemorating his memory with the annual tournament, with funds directed to cholangiocarcinoma research through TargetCancer Foundation.
By Leslie Condon, TargetCancer Foundation Advocacy Council Chair
The National Organization for Rare Disorders was formed after a small coalition of rare disease patients came together in the late 1970’s and became a driving force that helped establish the 1983 Orphan Drug Act. Since then, the number of NORD patient organization members has grown to 280, including twenty-one rare cancer organizations in NORD’s Rare Cancer Coalition. Within NORD’s thirty-five year history, the organization established the first patient assistant program, and helped advocate and legislate for new laws, including the Rare Diseases Act in 2002 and the FDA Safety and Innovation Act in 2006. Continue reading
We are happy to announce that Team TargetCancer Foundation will be making its fifth appearance in the Boston Marathon in 2019! We are excited to return to this historic race once again, and we are so pleased to announce the runners who have been selected as members of our team: Brendan Carey, Jenny Ross, and DJ Webster. These three individuals are incredibly passionate and driven- you can read their stories and support their efforts here: https://www.crowdrise.com/o/en/campaign/teamtcf2019.
See you at the finish line on April 15, 2019!
Did you know that Facebook makes it incredibly easy to engage your community to raise funds for TargetCancer Foundation? You can create a fundraiser to celebrate your birthday, anniversary, or for no other reason than to support rare cancer research and patient support!
Rally your community through these few easy steps.
1. Go to www.facebook.com/targetcancer/fundraisers
2. Click the Raise Money button, and then Get Started.
3. Set a fundraising goal, and an end date for your fundraiser. In our experience, 1-2 weeks is an ideal timeframe.
4. Name your event.
5. Describe why you’re raising money. Here is some sample language, but please be sure to personalize!
Please help me support TargetCancer Foundation’s work to make a difference in the rare cancer community through a donation to my fundraiser [in honor of [your event/connection to TargetCancer Foundation]. Over the past nine years, TargetCancer Foundation has been at the forefront of driving research in rare cancers such as cholangiocarcinoma and esophageal cancer, and is now also working to empower current patients through a range of patient-focused initiatives. [Add personal note!]
6. Choose a photo. You can use the TargetCancer Foundation logo, or choose a photo of your own.
That’s it! After that you can share your fundraiser, and we’ll be sure to do the same.
We are tremendously proud to announce the launch of the Gastroesophageal Cancer Project, a new, innovative patient partnered research initiative.
The Gastroesophageal Cancer Project empowers patients with esophageal, gastric and stomach cancers to directly participate in research by crowdsourcing genomic data, which could otherwise take years and considerable expense to generate, especially in rare cancers. This data is made publicly available for free on the project website, as quickly as possible. This eliminates a major barrier to entry for researchers, providing an immediate spark across the worldwide community to accelerate research into difficult to treat gastroesophageal cancers.
In July 2017, TargetCancer Foundation formally partnered with the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard on the development of the Gastroesophageal Cancer Project, the newest in a series of similarly designed projects in various cancer types.
As Lead Project Engagement Partner, TargetCancer Foundation created and worked closely with a Project Advisory Council comprised of current patients. This group guided every element of the design of this project from its earliest stages through beta testing, and their critical work continues well beyond the project’s launch. In addition, we coordinated a group of advocacy organization partners who will play an essential role in communicating the project to their respective communities.
After over a year of planning and development, the Gastroesophageal Cancer Project is live and enrolling new patient participants.
How does The Gastroesophageal Cancer Project work?
The Gastroesophageal Cancer Project takes an innovative approach to cancer research by directly partnering researchers with patients facing esophageal, gastric, and stomach cancers. After completing an online survey and consent, patients receive a kit by mail that allows them to provide saliva and blood samples. In addition, the project team contacts the patient’s doctor to obtain tumor tissue samples and medical records. Once all of those materials are received at the Broad Institute, comprehensive genomic analysis is performed on the samples, with the goal of making the generated data publicly available at no cost.
How can I learn more?
You can visit the website, and also follow the project on Facebook and Twitter to get real time updates on participation and data releases. If you know of someone facing esophageal, gastric or stomach cancer, please let them know about this opportunity to directly contribute to research.
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