Dr. Samuel Waxman on EXACTLY how money helps Cancer
Did you know that between 2016 and 2021, there were 207 FDA drug approvals in oncology and malignant hematology? (Source, NIH).
That is directly because of foundations like the Samuel Waxman Cancer Research Center.
This weekend, My Cancer Family’s Denise Albert will be honored as the recipient of the Community Service Award for the SWCRF. We wanted to share more about what they do and how every dollar can help to change cancer.
The mission of the Samuel Waxman Cancer Research Foundation (SWCRF) is to eradicate cancer by funding collaborative cross-institutional research.
The SWCRF was founded in 1976 by Samuel Waxman, M.D., a notable oncologist and physician-scientist at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. Since its inception, the SWCRF has funded approximately $100 million in cancer research.
An Interview with Dr. Samuel Waxman
My Cancer Family:
In simple terms, how important is it for everyone to understand the need for money to be raised for cancer research?
Dr. Waxman:
Research is the only way we are going to find new ways of preventing and treating cancer. In fact, over the last 20 years, thanks to research, cancer mortality rates have decreased by 30 percent. Investing in research is crucial.
My Cancer Family:
How does money specifically change medicine?
Dr. Waxman:
Funding research is the only way to discover new preventions and treatments.
My Cancer Family:
Can you share some of the success your researchers and teams have made in terms of breakthroughs in cancer?
Dr. Waxman:
Most recently, research supported by SWCRF grants led to the development of a new drug to target lung cancer. This medication is shown to reduce tumors by 50 percent. Because this drug targets mutations found in other types of cancer, it is currently in more than a dozen clinical trials to test for effectiveness in treating colorectal and pancreatic cancer.
My Cancer Family:
How can people who are diagnosed with Cancer and have run out of treatment options keep hope?
Dr. Waxman:
Scientists are discovering new, more effective treatments for cancer every day. Thanks to science, those diagnosed with cancer today have a much better chance to living than decades ago. The hope is that current treatments can improve patient outcomes long enough till newer treatments are available. Two years ago, the research funded by SWCRF that led to the new FDA drug for lung cancer, targets a mutation that was once deemed “undruggable” and now there’s a pill that is working!
My Cancer Family:
Can you share what the Samuel Waxman Cancer Research Foundation is working on today?
Dr. Waxman:
Since aging is the most significant risk factor for developing cancer, SWCRF is expanding its International Network on Aging and Cancer Research Program. Over the past year, SWCRF has launched two new Aging and Cancer collaborations – one with the Mark Foundation for Cancer Research and the Israel Cancer Research Fund.
In addition to cancer and aging, SWCRF is also funding research into pediatric cancers such as Ewing’s Sarcoma. Starting in January 2024, SWCRF will join with the Israel Cancer Research Fund and the Alan B. Slifka Foundation to fund a new international pair of investigators focused on pediatric sarcomas.