Caring for Carcinoid Foundation

Excerpt:

"The Caring for Carcinoid Foundation selected Matthew Meyerson, MD, PhD, director of the Center for Genome Discovery, as the recipient of its latest award to Dana-Farber, a two-year, $250,000 grant in support of his genetic research into carcinoid tumors.

Meyerson's research parallels the second step in the Caring for Carcinoid Foundation's research roadmap--mapping the pathways of carcinoid cell growth and proliferation--by focusing on a mutated tumor suppressor gene in carcinoid patients called MEN1.

'Nancy is an inspiring woman who has taken her battle with carcinoid tumors and used it to improve research and treatment for all carcinoid patients,' said Meyerson. 'I am delighted to work with the wonderful foundation she has created.'"

Spring 2007: Progress - "Donors Make a Difference"

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Excerpt:

"Thanks to a $250,000 grant from the Caring for Carcinoid Foundation, a two-year carcinoid tumor research project is under way in the M. D. Anderson laboratory of Lee M. Ellis, M.D.

The researchers aim to develop human midgut carcinoid tumor cell lines to help establish models for research at M. D. Anderson and elsewhere.

The researchers also seek to identify proteins that mediate tumor growth by standard molecular biologic techniques.

Ellis hopes the project will produce lab findings of significant interest to generate new hypotheses for carcinoid therapies that may be further investigated and eventually tested in clinical trials."

Apr 4, 2007: OncoLink - Interview with Nancy O'Hagan

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Nancy O'Hagan, CFCF Founder and President, is interviewed by OncoLink. The subject of the interview is, "The Caring for Carcinoid Foundation's Plan to Cure Carcinoid." Nancy answers the following questions:

The Caring for Carcinoid Foundation (CFCF) has taken on quite a challenge to find a cure. How do you hope to achieve this goal?
What can you tell us about the type of research CFCF is funding?
Many organizations like CFCF spend a large percentage of the funds they raise on operating costs such as salaries, office space, advertising and website expenses. How is CFCF able to put 100% of their fundraising to support the cause?
I would be remiss if I did not point out that CFCF is more than just research funding. The website has a lot to offer patients with carcinoid and their friends and family. Can you tell us about what patients can find at the foundation website?
The foundation just got started in 2005, but has already awarded a few large research grants. How does CFCF raise funds and how can folks get involved?

Fall-Winter 2006: Paths of Progress - "Translation, Please"

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Excerpt:

"Nancy O'Hagan and her husband, Patrick, launched the Caring for Carcinoid Foundation in December 2004 to help increase understanding of neuroendocrine cancers. The nonprofit medical research foundation awards grants to scientists performing cutting-edge, genetically based research, among them [Dr. Matthew] Kulke, [Dr. Ramesh] Shivdasani, and others at leading cancer centers. It has awarded more than $2 million since its founding.

'There is very little public funding for these diseases because of their rarity,' the slight, stylish O'Hagan reflected last spring. 'So we're investing all our donations in fostering scientific collaboration and basic research, and accelerating drug development.'"

"I consider myself fortunate to have the life that I do, the family that I’ve had, and so many wonderful friends," says Nancy O’Hagan, who was diagnosed with carcinoid cancer in 2000 and was told she didn't have long to live.

"Matt [Kulke] has collected probably the most comprehensive neuroendocrine cancer database in the world … that may be used to understand the biology of the disease and design better therapies."

Clinical research coordinator Christine Frauenhoffer checks a frozen neuroendocrine cancer sample. "When you work with a disease that is less well-known," she says, "you have the potential to make great strides in the diagnosis and treatment."

Summer 2005: Impact - "Caring for Carcinoid Foundation Links Lab, Clinic in Search for a Cure"

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Excerpt:

"The Caring for Carcinoid Foundation has given $500,000 to support the laboratory research of DFCI’s Ramesh Shivdasani, MD, PhD. This funding follows an earlier gift of $250,000 to support the clinical research of Dana-Farber’s Matthew Kulke, MD. Together, these two gifts connect the work from the lab and clinic.

The foundation created this link to rapidly achieve its mission to discover a cure for carcinoid."

Spring 2005: Impact - "O’Hagan Family Seeks Cure for Carcinoid Cancer"

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Excerpt:

"Nancy and Patrick O’Hagan founded the Caring for Carcinoid Foundation in December 2004 to fight this rare disease. To accelerate research into this often overlooked gastrointestinal cancer and help discover a cure, this non-profit research foundation has given $250,000 to support the investigation of DFCI’s Matthew Kulke, MD.

'The foundation’s mission is to discover a cure for carcinoid,' said Nancy, who was diagnosed with the disease at age 29. 'It is unique in its sole dedication to funding physicians and scientists who research the genetic causes of carcinoid to develop novel, targeted therapies.'"

Newspapers

Aug 04, 2008: Wickedlocal - "Berkson finds inspiration nearby"

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Excerpt:

Craig Berkson, diagnosed with a fist-sized carcinoid in 2004, observes, "It's funny: I'm in the best shape of my life right now." The 42 year old from Framingham lives a life full of optimism, hope and lots of cycling. Although he underwent more than 12 hours of surgery to remove the tumor and had to spend a month recovering in hospital, he now works full time and also cycles as much as 120 miles per week to prepare for his 153-mile PMC route. "I want to live my life. I want to try to find a cure for this thing", Berkson says.

Jul 31, 2008: Wickedlocal - "Beating the odds: Cancer survivor to ride in PanMass"

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Excerpt:

When diagnosed with carcinoid cancer, Lisa Paiva faced 90 percent odds that the cancer would be terminal. Now, seven years later, the 35 year-old Bedford resident prepares for her second Pan-Massachusetts challenge. "Riding a bike has been a major stress reliever for me. Hopefully it is only a matter of time until they find a cure for carcinoid cancer. Since my diagnosis, I have never taken a single second of my life for granted. Every day is a gift," Paiva says.

Nov 26, 2007: Bowling Green Daily News - "Campus for a Cure"

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Excerpt:

"Campus for a Cure has chosen to support The Caring for Carcinoid Foundation, The Lance Armstrong Foundation, The American Lung Association of Maryland, The Vera Bradley Foundation for Breast Cancer and The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

[Chuck] Beard said Campus for a Cure board members believe raising money for the organizations on college campuses will bring the need for raising money for cancer research 'to the forefront' of people's minds."

Aug 2, 2007: Lincoln Journal - "Going the Extra Mile"

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Excerpt:

"Don Alden is also one of 51 people riding on behalf of the Caring for Carcinoid Foundation, a group founded by Nancy O'Hagan.

The Caring for Carcinoid Foundation riding team was spearheaded by Anne Doyle, a Lincoln resident who lost her father to carcinoid cancer.

"It's such a well organized event and a great cause," Alden said. "In a way, it celebrates life — I guess there's something therapeutic about pedaling that serves as a metaphor for moving through the challenges of life."

Aug 3, 2006: Lincoln Journal - "Cycling for a Cure"

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Excerpt:

"In October 2005, Lincoln resident Anne Doyle's father Hugh died of carcinoid cancer.

In his honor she is serving as the team captain of the Caring for Carcinoid Foundation's Pan-Massachusetts Challenge team.

'My Dad served as a role model for my life, giving back to his community in so many ways until he died of carcinoid cancer at age 74,' she said. 'In his honor, I look forward to contributing to the collective energy of the Caring for Carcinoid community and doing everything we can to eradicate this cancer. I would like a story that follows that of my dad's twin brother. He died at age 13 of Addison's disease in 1944, just a few years before a cure for Addison's was discovered. Similarly, just as my father died this year, I hope for an imminent cure for carcinoid cancer.'"

Press Releases

May 14, 2008: Nebraska Medical Center - "Ruth Gerdes Receives 'Ground-Breaking' Treatment at The Nebraska Medical Center"

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Excerpt:

"There's nothing wrong with Ruth Gerdes' hearing. But when an oncologist in Lincoln told her the carcinoid tumors in her liver were inoperable and that she had no hope for a cure, she refused to listen..."

Dec 13, 2006: Stanford University - "Caring for Carcinoid Foundation Gives Grant to Stanford Researcher"

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Excerpt:

"Seung Kim, PhD, associate professor of developmental biology at Stanford University School of Medicine, has received a two-year, $250,000 grant from the Caring for Carcinoid Foundation.

Kim intends to develop a mouse model of the incurable disease. From this model he hopes to study the genetics and physiology of carcinoid tumors with the eventual goal of testing drugs to block tumor growth.

'Support from the Caring for Carcinoid Foundation will accelerate our laboratory’s effort to understand the molecular and cellular basis for carcinoid,' Kim said."

Nov 22, 2006: Tufts-NEMC - "Tufts-NEMC Physician-Researcher Andrew Leiter, MD, PhD, Is Awarded $250,000 Carcinoid Tumor Research Grant"

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Excerpt:

"The Caring for Carcinoid Foundation has awarded a $250,000 grant to Andrew B. Leiter, MD, PhD, of Tufts-NEMC's Gastroenterology Division. The 20-month grant will support Leiter's research using genome-wide screening to identify factors that determine how enteroendocrine cells differentiate and acquire properties of specialized serotonin cells, from which gastrointestinal carcinoid tumors are believed to arise. ...

'This project will help identify the factors that direct differentiation in serotonin cells and distinguish them from other endocrine cells,' Leiter said. 'We hope it will also lead to a better understanding of what cell types become carcinoids and allow for the creation of accurate targeted therapies.'"

Oct 24, 2006: MD Anderson - "Researcher at M. D. Anderson Cancer Center Receives $250,000 Carcinoid Tumor Research Grant"

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Excerpt:

"The Caring for Carcinoid Foundation has awarded a $250,000 grant for carcinoid research under the direction of Lee M. Ellis, M.D., professor of surgery and cancer biology and The John E. and Dorothy J. Harris Professor in Gastrointestinal Cancer Research at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center. ...

Ellis describes his research as a 'team effort' shared with James C. Yao, M.D., assistant professor in the Department of Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology, and Asif Rashid, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor in the Department of Pathology, along with trainees in his laboratory.

'Our greatest responsibility is to the patients,' says Ellis. 'We are intent on doing good research and rapidly applying our findings to the clinical care of patients with advanced stage carcinoid tumors.' ...

Ellis' lab already has established CNDT 2.5 - one of only two human midgut carcinoid tumor cell lines in the world. ...

'We are grateful for the support of the Caring for Carcinoid Foundation,' says Ellis. 'With this grant we have a base for further laboratory investigations that we hope will reveal new ways to treat carcinoid tumors.'"

Radio

Mar 9, 2007: "Jordan Rich Show" - Radio interview with Nancy O'Hagan

Jordan Rich

Listen to the interview:

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Nancy O'Hagan, CFCF Founder and President, is interviewed on the "Jordan Rich Show".

This show appears on WBZ NewsRadio 1030 in Boston and attracts a national audience. In addition to hosting this show, Jordan Rich is involved with several charities and organizations including Children's Hospital Boston, The American Lung Association, The American Cancer Society, Triangle, Inc., Road to Responsibility, and The American Heart Association.

This extensive, one-on-one interview with Jordan Rich covers a broad range of carcinoid topics, focusing on the CFCF mission to discover a cure.

Television

Jul 27, 2008: Jeff Levin-Scherz, Pedal Power Video

PMC rider, Jeff Levin-Scherz, is featured in a video displaying his colorful CFCF jersey

Jul 22, 2008: Stephen Kaufer, TripAdvisor Google Maps API Video

PMC rider, CFCF Director and TripAdvisor President and CEO, Stephen Kaufer, is featured in a YouTube video

May 18, 2008: KPTM-Fox - TV interview with Ruth Gerdes

Ruth Gerdes, member of CFCF's Board of Patient Advisors, shares her story of partnering with her physicians. "There's nothing wrong with Ruth Gerdes' hearing. But when an oncologist in Lincoln told her the carcinoid tumors in her liver were inoperable and that she had no hope for a cure, she refused to listen..." Read Ruth's story
Stay tuned for more updates on Ruth as she continues to share her story to promote awareness of carcinoid and the need for research. The Board of Patient Advisors provides CFCF with advice about how to support patients and partner in the fight against carcinoid. Visit CFCF's Board of Patient Advisors page

Jan 18, 2007: NECN - TV interview with Nancy O'Hagan and Scott Harshbarger

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Nancy O'Hagan, CFCF Founder and President, and Scott Harshbarger, Senior Counsel to Proskauer Rose LLP, are interviewed by the primetime "Chet Curtis Report" on New England Cable News (NECN). NECN is the country's largest regional news network, serving more than 3 million homes.

Mr. Harshbarger is Chairman of Proskauer Rose's national Pro Bono Initiative. The Caring for Carcinoid Foundation is grateful to Proskauer Rose for providing generous pro bono support to CFCF. This support from Proskauer Rose is contributing to significant strides in cutting-edge carcinoid research.

Prior to Proskauer Rose, Mr. Harshbarger's distinguished career included major public office, nonprofit executive management, numerous board directorships and private legal counsel:

President and CEO, Common Cause (1999-2002)
Democratic Party nominee for Governor of Massachusetts (1998)
Massachusetts Attorney General (served two terms from 1991-1999)
District attorney
Public defender
Civil rights attorney
Rockefeller Fellow at Union Theological Seminary
Graduate of Harvard Law School
Graduate of Harvard College

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Jun 21, 2006: NECN - Interview with Nancy O'Hagan and Anne Doyle

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Nancy O'Hagan, Founder and President of the Caring for Carcinoid Foundation, and Anne Doyle, Director, are interviewed by the primetime "Chet Curtis Report" on New England Cable News (NECN). NECN is the country's largest regional news network, serving more than 3 million homes.

Note: This video opens by replaying Nancy O'Hagan's NECN interview from Dec 29, 2005. Please be patient, and this Jun 21, 2006 interview will follow.

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Mar 29, 2006: NECN - Interview with Nancy O'Hagan

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Nancy O'Hagan, Founder and President of the Caring for Carcinoid Foundation, is interviewed by the primetime "Chet Curtis Report" on New England Cable News (NECN). NECN is the country's largest regional news network, serving more than 3 million homes.
Note: This video opens by replaying Nancy O'Hagan's NECN interview from Dec 29, 2005. Please be patient, and this Mar 29, 2006 interview will follow.

Software: Windows Media Player is required to view this NECN interview. It is available for free in both Windows and Macintosh versions. If you experience any technical difficulties, visit the NECN help page.

Feb 15, 2006: NECN - Interview with Nancy O'Hagan and Dr. Matthew Kulke

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The Caring for Carcinoid Foundation is featured in a primetime interview with the "Chet Curtis Report" on New England Cable News (NECN). NECN is the country's largest regional news network, serving more than 3 million homes.
The interview features Nancy O'Hagan, Founder and President of the Caring for Carcinoid Foundation, and Dr. Matthew Kulke, a member of our Board of Scientific Advisors. They discuss the Caring for Carcinoid Foundation's mission to discover a cure for carcinoid.

Note: This video opens by replaying Nancy O'Hagan's NECN interview from Dec 29, 2005. Please be patient, and this Feb 15, 2006 interview will follow.

Software: Windows Media Player is required to view this NECN interview. It is available for free in both Windows and Macintosh versions. If you experience any technical difficulties, visit the NECN help page.

Dec 29, 2005: NECN - Interview with Nancy O'Hagan and Patrick O'Hagan

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The Caring for Carcinoid Foundation is featured in a primetime evening news report on New England Cable News (NECN). NECN is the country's largest regional news network, serving more than 3 million homes. This TV news report, "Cambridge couple finds hope for a cure", opens as follows:
"Nancy O'Hagan was diagnosed with metastatic carcinoid cancer at the age of 29. She and her husband, Patrick, founded the Caring for Carcinoid Foundation to support research in hopes of finding a cure. NECN's Anya Huneke has more on this remarkable Cambridge, Massachusetts couple."

Software: Windows Media Player is required to view this NECN interview. It is available for free in both Windows and Macintosh versions. If you experience any technical difficulties, visit the NECN help page.

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