On September 24th and 25th, the Caring for Carcinoid Foundation welcomes patients and caregivers to join us for the CFCF Neuroendocrine Tumor Patient Education Weekend in Stanford, CA! 

 

The weekend will include the Palo Alto Moonlight Run/Walk, a Patient Education Conference, and a Friends of CFCF Banquet Dinner. To learn more about the Patient Education Weekend events, and to register, please visit http://cfcf.eventbrite.com or contact ashley.malins@caringforcarcinoid.org.

 Register today, spots are filling up quickly!

Lauren Erb blogs about her experience in the 2010 Swim Across America (SAA) Boston Harbor Swim. 2010 marks Lauren's third year participating in the 22 mile relay around the Boston Harbor Islands.  Click here to read Lauren's blog.  This year, Team CFCF raised over $14,000 to fund Dr. Matthew Meyerson's Carcinoid Cancer Genome Project.

 

Team CFCF participants run, walk, swim, and bike to a cure all across the country. Join the action and sign up for a fundraising event in your area! Click here to visit the CFCF events webpage.

In 2003, the National Institutes of Health, Food and Drug Administration, drug and medical-imaging industries, universities, and non-profits joined together in an unprecedented effort to uncover biomarkers for Alzheimer's disease. The project has enabled more than 100 studies on drugs that may slow or stop the disease.

 

The key to this project's success was that data was shared publicly to anyone with computer access. Dr. John Trojanowski, an Alzheimer's research at University of Pennsylvania, stated, "It was unbelievable. It's not science the way most of us have practiced it in our careers. But we all realized that we would never get biomarkers unless all of us parked our egos and intellectual-property noses outside the door and agreed that all of our data would be public immediately." This collaborative effort sets the precedent for similar efforts in disease research and has already been adopted by the Michael J. Fox Foundation in a $40 million study of Parkinson's disease. To read the full New York Times article on the Alzheimer's study, click here.

 

CFCF has always required collaboration between our researchers and we applaud all those collaborating to put patients first!

In the spirit of collaboration, CFCF is pleased to partner with the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) and the Raymond and Beverly Sackler Fund for the Arts and Sciences to award the CFCF-AACR Grants for Carcinoid Tumor and Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumor Research to advance the scientific understanding of neuroendocrine tumors. 

 

In an August 17, 2010 press release, AACR CEO Dr. Margaret Foti exclaims, "The AACR is thrilled to partner with The Caring for Carcinoid Foundation and the Raymond and Beverly Sackler Fund for the Arts and Sciences. We share the vision of these two incredible organizations to move the science forward to combat carcinoid tumors." Click here to read the full press release.

 

The deadline to submit applications for the CFCF-AACR Grants for Carcinoid Tumor and Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumor Research is September 15, 2010. Click here to learn more.

Columnist for Improper Bostonian and CFCF Director, Jonathan Soroff, will be "Taking It All Off for Cancer!"  To celebrate his birthday on September 19th, Jonathan will be auctioning off some of his clothing to raise funds for cancer research. Click here to learn more about this event or to purchase tickets. Click here to donate on behalf of this event.

 

Do you have a fun idea for a fundraising event? Create your own Sunflower Squad to help cure carcinoid cancer and neuroendocrine tumors! Please e-mail ashley.malins@caringforcarcinoid.org if you would like more information.

The Lois Merrill Foundation provides funding to patients and their families affected by carcinoid cancer. The Medical Assistance Grant provides patients with assistance in the payment of medical and other expenses. Applications for this grant are due November 1, 2010 and will be considered based on financial need. Click here to access the grant application.

 

The Lois Merrill Foundation is a non-profit organization with the mission "to help people affected by carcinoid cancer through funding research for new treatments, providing financial support for patients and their families, and promoting awareness and education for carcinoid and other rare cancers." To learn more about the foundation, please visit their website.