2017 Give to Cure Cancer Year-End Appeal

The 2017 Give to Cure Cancer Year-End Appeal is now underway. It’s your last chance to make this year’s campaign the most successful ever. Thanks to the stewardship of wonderful and loyal donors like you, we are able to support more research projects and laboratories now than ever before. Over the past few years, we continued to provide critical research funding to support the most innovative ideas relating to cancer prevention, early diagnosis and treatment. Most excitingly, in 2017 and soon in 2018, we are launching a few entirely new cancer research programs. These AFCR-funded projects together could significantly improve treatment and diagnosis of various cancer types, including some of the most common cancers in the Asian population, such as breast, liver, and esophageal cancer, as well as lung, colorectal, and ovarian cancer.

The 2017 Give to Cure Cancer Year-End Appeal is now underway. It’s your last chance to make this year’s campaign the most successful ever.

Thanks to the stewardship of wonderful and loyal donors like you, we are able to support more research projects and laboratories now than ever before. Over the past few years, we continued to provide critical research funding to support the most innovative ideas relating to cancer prevention, early diagnosis and treatment.

Most excitingly, in 2017 and soon in 2018, we are launching a few entirely new cancer research programs. These AFCR-funded projects together could significantly improve treatment and diagnosis of various cancer types, including some of the most common cancers in the Asian population, such as breast, liver, and esophageal cancer, as well as lung, colorectal, and ovarian cancer.

Epigenetic changes are emerging as an important contributor to cancer development. Changes include a cell’s ability to add a molecule to a gene to turn its expression on and off. AFCR scientists are developing aptamers short RNA strands that access tiny areas of proteins to halt their function. Liver cancer patients are in great need of new treatments. Aptamers that target epigenetic changes causal to liver cancer formation are a bold therapeutic approach to treat liver cancer earlier, providing patients with new hope.

Ultrasound is routinely used to diagnose how deep cancer cells have penetrated the esophagus in early stage cancer. AFCR clinician scientists are testing if injection of saline in esophageal tissue during ultrasound will improve resolution of cell layers to make a more accurate diagnosis. With improved diagnosis, patients can receive the benefit of less invasive treatments.

In Western population, risk of hereditary breast and ovarian cancer (HBOC) from gene mutations has led to genetic screening, counseling and preventative treatments as part of clinical practice. To bring the same clinical benefit to China, AFCR researchers will assess HBOC risk by sequencing genes from blood samples of 400 HBOC Chinese patients and families. A future high-risk breast clinic for genetic screening and counseling will bring preventative and treatment benefits for Chinese HBOC patients and families.

A normal growth signaling pathway is hyper activated in over 40% of cancers and resistance to inhibitors is a serious problem. AFCR scientists are using the most advanced molecular biology and biochemistry techniques to learn which components cause drug resistance. Results will propel development of the next generation of inhibitors that may save the lives of many cancer patients.

Support from you fuels AFCR’s leading-edge cancer research. With your support we are able to provide the most important dollars in the fight against cancer.

You can make a difference. Support our 2017 Give To Cure Cancer Year-End Appeal with a contribution and do it today. The gift you give matters most. Chances are that research discoveries being made by AFCR scientists will benefit you or someone you love in the near future. Together we can put a stop to cancer. Please, give again today. Thank you for your renewed support.