Canary Foundation and Stanford University Announce Center of Excellence for Cancer Early Detection
Complete the form below to unlock access to ALL audio articles.
Canary Foundation and Stanford University will announce the commencement of a Center of Excellence for Cancer Early Detection.
The Center formalizes a joint interest of Canary Foundation and Stanford University's Department of Radiology to advance molecular diagnostics with an emphasis in molecular imaging to pinpoint cancer while it is small.
Canary Foundation celebrates this alliance with a pledge of $7.5 million, with $4 million to be matched by the Department of Radiology, slating a total of $11.5 million dollars for cancer early detection research.
This announcement also exemplifies a commitment between Canary Foundation and Stanford University's Cancer Center, which has recently received a National Cancer Institute designation.
The Center of Excellence for Cancer Early Detection will be headed by Dr. Sanjiv Sam Gambhir, Professor of Radiology & Bioengineering, and Director of the Molecular Imaging Program at Stanford.
"Cancer is still one of the greatest threats to our nation's families. But if detected early, the survival rate for cancer patients is 90 percent," said Don Listwin, founder and CEO of Canary Foundation.
"Canary Foundation's strategy is to pursue short-term goals by funding research that will lead to simple blood and imaging tests that can identify and isolate cancers at their earliest points, when it is most treatable and chances for full recovery are greatest. We believe that our work with Stanford University's Center of Excellence for Cancer Early Detection and the Stanford Cancer Center will pave the way to early detection of multiple cancers that will inform all other major cancers. We are thrilled to contribute to this exciting and promising research."
Dr. Philip Pizzo, Dean of Stanford University School of Medicine said, "This type of alliance between Canary Foundation and Stanford University School of Medicine is enormously important. Canary Foundation as a nonprofit organization represents the community's desire to find answers to cancer, one of our nations leading health care issues. By combining our talents in innovation and discovery-based research with our commitment to advancing diagnosis, treatment and prevention, we are responding directly to that desire by partnering with Canary Foundation on these important projects."
The specific researchers who will receive funds from Canary Foundation's pledge will include Dr. Sanjiv Gambhir, M.D., Ph.D. Dr. Gambhir's laboratory focuses on merging advances in molecular biology with those in biomedical imaging to advance the new field of molecular imaging. These imaging approaches are leading to much better ways to diagnose and manage diseases as well as allowing fundamental studies of cancer biology in living subjects.
"For the past 10 years, my research has focused on molecular imaging with the goal of identifying cancer at its earliest stage possible," said Dr. Gambhir. "I am honored that an organization like the Canary Foundation sees the potential in our work to save the lives of many."
Gary M. Glazer, M.D., who chairs the Stanford Department of Radiology, stated, "Stanford's Radiology Department has played a leading role in advancing the revolution in medical imaging, which has transformed patient care over the past several decades. The newly developing field of cellular and molecular imaging has immense promise for providing tools for the far earlier detection of cancer and the assessment of response to therapy than existing methods. We are delighted that the Canary Foundation has recognized this potential and the strengths of Stanford by generously contributing to create this Center of Excellence."
