Lauren's Blog

CFCF Awards New Research Grant to Dr. Eric Nakakura

Wednesday, December 12, 2012

The Caring for Carcinoid Foundation is pleased to announce the latest grant award through our grant-making partnership with the American Association for Cancer Research to Eric Nakakura from the University of California, San Francisco to overcome resistance to mTOR inhibition in pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor patients.

The mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) is a protein involved in many cellular pathways including cell growth and death. In neuroendocrine tumors, mTOR can become disregulated and consequently promote tumor cell growth. CFCF-funded scientists at Johns Hopkins University identified mutations in the mTOR signaling pathway among patients with non-functioning pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (Jiao, 2011).

Oncolytic Virus Therapy

Monday, November 12, 2012

An oncolytic virus is a virus that preferentially infects and destroys cancer cells. Oncolytic viruses are an attractive, potential approach to cancer therapy because of their ability to seek out cancer cells. These viruses can be used to either directly destroy cancer cells or inject desired materials into a cancer cell. An oncolytic virus can be engineered in the laboratory or can occur naturally. At this time there are no oncolytic viruses approved by the US FDA to treat cancer patients.

There has been recent buzz in the neuroendocrine tumor community about an oncolytic virus to treat neuroendocrine tumors. We welcome this publicity as an opportunity to raise awareness about neuroendocrine tumors. In particular, for increased funding for scientific research to develop effective therapies for patients.

CFCF Awards Over $1,000,000 in 2012

Monday, September 24, 2012

Today, I am very pleased to share exciting news on the research front. The Caring for Carcinoid Foundation has awarded $1,050,000 in research grants to researchers at Cold Spring Harbor Research Laboratory, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Rockefeller University.

Last year, CFCF-funded researchers revolutionized neuroendocrine tumor research with breakthrough results. Through this latest round of funding, researchers will advance last year’s promising findings and generate models that the entire neuroendocrine tumor research community can use to develop new treatments for patients.

These projects fit into CFCF’s diversified research strategy that seeks, simultaneously, to:

Exciting Developments at the Caring for Carcinoid Foundation

Monday, February 6, 2012

I am writing today to share some exciting personal and professional changes.

After a brief leave, I will return to the Foundation as the Foundation’s first-ever Director of Research. I am honored to be moving into this important position focusing exclusively on advancing the foundation’s research portfolio and advancing the progress we have achieved together.

As I reflect on the last five years as Executive Director, I am incredibly proud of all that the foundation has achieved. Last year brought some of the biggest breakthroughs in neuroendocrine tumor research-to-date, and I look forward to working with you to build on these groundbreaking results.

FDA Review of New Pharmaceuticals for Patients with Rare Diseases

Friday, November 4, 2011

Did you know the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) has responsibility for products that comprise more than 20% of all national consumer spending? And yet the Federal government gives the FDA just $8 per year for each American. The FDA has 10,000 employees to monitor food safety, review the safety and efficacy of medical products (including drugs), assure the safe use of those products, and protect Americans, their pets, and their farm animals from poorly made, counterfeit, and illegal food, drugs, and cosmetics.

Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Cancer vs. Pancreatic Cancer

Thursday, October 13, 2011

Visionary innovator Steve Jobs, co-founder and former CEO of Apple Inc., passed away on October 5, 2011. We join the many who are saddened by the loss and my thoughts and prayers go out to Steve’s loved ones.

As a passionate advocate for patients with carcinoid cancer and pancreatic neuroendocrine cancer, I am concerned over all of the misinformation that’s been propagated about Steve Jobs’ cancer.

Steve Jobs was not diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2004. He was diagnosed with pancreatic neuroendocrine cancer. These cancers behave differently and the reports in the media describing his cancer as “pancreatic cancer” do a disservice to everyone working to build awareness and raise funds for research in pursuit of cures for pancreatic neuroendocrine cancer.

Patient Education Events from Coast to Coast

Friday, September 23, 2011

Having just returned from two Caring for Carcinoid Foundation Neuroendocrine Tumor Patient Education Events, I would like to share some common themes from the East and West Coasts.

1st World Congress on Ga-68 and Peptide Receptor Radionuclide Therapy (PRRNT)

Monday, May 2, 2011

The Caring for Carcinoid Foundation has always been committed to supporting patients by providing them with complete and up to date information regarding all potential treatment options. On our website and YouTube channel, Caring4Carcinoid, we provide information for patients seeking to learn more about peptide receptor radiotherapy (PRRT).

Most recently Dr. Richard Baum announced the 1^st World Congress on Ga-68 and Peptide Receptor Radionuclide Therapy.

FDA Advisory Panel Recommends Two Drugs for Patients with Pancreatic Neurendocrine Tumors

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

On Tuesday April 12, I had the honor of speaking on behalf of neuroendocrine cancer patients at an ODAC (Oncologic Drug Advisory Committee, an FDA advisory committee) hearing regarding two potential treatment options for pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor patients:

1) Afinitor (everolimus) tablets for treatment of patients with advanced neuroendocrine tumors of pancreatic origin;

2) Sutent (sunitinib malate) capsules for treatment of unresectable pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors.

The committee discussed everolimus in the morning and sunitinb in the afternoon. It was very informative to hear the discussion between the FDA, the trial sponsors (Novartis and Pfizer, respectively), and the sponsors' expert witnesses, which included several neuroendocrine tumor clinicians.

Exciting Additions to CFCF Research

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

Today, I am delighted to announce that Andy Futreal Ph.D. has joined the Caring for Carcinoid Foundation’s Board of Scientific Advisors.

Dr. Futreal is co-founder and director of the Cancer Genome Project, and a senior investigator at the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute. Dr. Futreal's work has focused on the genetics of human cancer. His accomplishments include identification of susceptibility genes for breast and ovarian cancers as well as identification of somatic mutations in melanoma, lung cancer, T-cell leukemias, and renal cancer. Currently, Dr. Futreal’s work is focused on expanding characterization of cancer to whole genome sequencing and applying this information to impact cancer treatment.