Battling solid tumor cancers

We’re best known for pioneering bone marrow and stem cell transplantation, where we excel without parallel—continually improving survival rates for blood cancer patients. But we also keenly understand cancers that affect our body organs such as the prostate, colon, breast and lungs—cancers referred to as solid tumors—represent the majority of the cancer burden in our society.

This is why our solid tumor program is a growing component of our research, and why many of our investigators remain focused on the tasks at hand: advance our knowledge of solid tumors; garner support for new clinical trials; develop effective tools to detect cancers much earlier, when they’re most treatable; save more lives from the anguish of cancer.

This issue of Quest focuses its attention on lung cancer, which remains the leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States. Globally, lung cancer has become a major health burden. But as you’ll read in our article, smoking is not the sole cause of all these cancers. Lung cancer in nonsmokers is the seventh most common cause of cancer in the world.

Many of our researchers focus their energies on lung cancer, from creating unique quitting programs for smokers to increasing our knowledge of the biology of lung cancer. Consider recent findings by Dr. Samir Hanash and his team. In September, they announced the discovery of proteins in the blood that are associated with early lung cancer development.

A key goal of such a study is to develop a blood test for the early detection and diagnosis of lung cancer. New imaging technologies coupled with state-of-the-art surgical techniques, and a better understanding behind genetic mutations that lead to lung cancer, are also helping us get a better grasp on this disease.

As a leading cancer research center, we have many supporters—people who have been touched by our mission to eliminate cancer and related diseases as causes of human suffering and death and want to do their part. Some of these supporters are volunteers—dozens upon dozens of people who help raise private funds to support our research and reach out to our patients during the most trying of times.

In this issue of Quest, we write about five of our volunteers, a dedicated group of people who have given us thousands of hours of their valuable personal time in support of our cause.We couldn’t do it without them. And we can’t do it without your help. We hope you’ll continue to support the Center and its mission.