Stand up to cancer® (SU2C) today announced $ 3.25 million in donations from four national nonprofits to fund a study to find new treatments for head and neck cancers, which are newly tested in approximately 65,000 Americans each year. year.
The donations include donations of $ 1.5 million each from the Fanconi Anemia Research Fund and the Farrah Fawcett Foundation. The American Head and Neck Association and the Head and Neck Cancer Federation are each donating $ 125,000 to support the project.
The donations will support new approaches in the treatment of head and neck cancers, particularly those associated with Fanconi anemia and human papillomavirus, or HPV. Fanconi anemia is a rare hereditary disease that often leads to bone marrow failure and cancer; the incidence of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma in people with Fanconi anemia is 500- to 700-fold higher than in the general population and treatment options are limited. HPV is a very common virus that can cause cancer, including neck cancer; Approximately 45,300 people with HPV are diagnosed with cancer each year in the US
Head and neck cancers associated with Fanconi anemia or HPV have something in common: genetic defects that cause Fanconi anemia, as well as genetic changes resulting from HPV disease, both of which adversely affect systems DNA repair, which can cause cancer.
“Together, these donations benefit people with Fanconi anemia and their families in a meaningful and effective way,” said Mark Quinlan, executive director of the Fanconi Anemia Research Fund, which funds research into the disease and provides provide support services for those affected by Fanconi anemia. ”We are thrilled to join the other funders and Stand Up To Cancer on this project, which will enable collaboration between experts from many different backgrounds. area to help address some of the biggest challenges associated with head and neck cancers. “
“The investment we make today will make a difference to the tens of thousands of people who get head and neck cancer each year,” said Alana Stewart, president and chief executive of the Farrah Fawcett Foundation, which funds research for HPV Related Cancers. “HPV is responsible for 5% of the world’s cancers. Because we believe that the developmental approach to cancer with HPV may be similar at different disease sites, we feel this team will have a major impact on our mission. We are delighted to be part of this important work. “
“Bringing together this group of donors provides a unique opportunity to integrate researchers who typically use different methods to understand molecular mechanisms that lead to different. forms of head and neck cancer, “said Lee Helman, MD, Director of the Institute of Osteosarcoma and vice chairman of the SU2C Scientific Advisory Committee. Helman leads the joint scientific advisory committee of the Head and Neck Cancer Research Team.” The kind of collaboration that Stand Up To Cancer is fostering and it is wonderful to see how this model is leading to new ways of accessing it. questions in biology and cancer treatment. “
Head and neck cancers can appear in the nasal cavity, sinuses, lips, mouth, salivary glands, thyroid gland, throat or larynx. Experts estimate that approximately 550,000 cases of various types of head and neck cancer are diagnosed worldwide each year, with 300,000 annual deaths due to the cancers. Approximately 65,000 new cases, not counting thyroid cancer, are detected in the U.S. each year. Research has also shown that the incidence of head and neck cancer is increased in black people and that the 5-year survival rate for black people is reduced compared to white people. Black patients with more advanced head and neck cancer are usually found.
In all races and races, HPV is associated with higher rates of cancer of the oropharynx (back of the neck, including the base of the tongue and tonsils) than women. Black and Hispanic men and women have lower rates of HPV-related oropharyngeal cancer than white and non-Hispanic men and women. In addition to oropharyngeal cancers, HPV can also cause anal, cervical, penile, vaginal and vulvar cancers.
“There is so much work to be done to make progress in the treatment of head and neck cancers,” said Christina Kasendorf, executive director of the American Head and Neck Association, which works to promote better research and treatment for head and neck cancers. “We know that funding great scientists who focus on making original work can make a difference.”
Oral, head and neck cancers together make up the sixth most common cancer diagnosed worldwide. We need to find better ways to diagnose and treat these cancers. That is why we are so excited to be part of this collaboration. “
Amanda Hollinger, Executive Director, President and Neck Cancer Federation
The research team will be eligible for the Stand Up To Cancer-Fanconi Anemia Research Fund – Farrah Fawcett Foundation Head and Cancer Research Team and the researchers will be brought together in an innovative way. Following a call for applications, scientists will be selected to attend a two-day Ideas Lab, scheduled for early 2021. The Lab will be structured to help leading scientists from a variety of disciplines. explore how they could work together to improve understanding of head and neck cancers. At the end of the meeting, the researchers will be invited to write formal proposals and propose a budget for a three-year grant.
Stand Up To Cancer has Distributed Demand for Applications; interested researchers should apply by March 22, 2021, to participate in the Lab Lab. Scientists from all fields of oncology are encouraged, along with biology, engineering, chemistry, physics and other subjects.
Applications will be assessed by the Joint Scientific Advisory Team of the Head and Neck Cancer Research Team to decide on invitations to the Lab Lab. That committee, chaired by Helman and comprising representatives from each of the funding bodies, also selects and oversees the Head and Neck Cancer Research Team.