Despite the economic turmoil in 2011, NFCR has been able to sustain funding for our vital research programs led by leading cancer researchers in the United States and around the world. And our scientists did not disappoint us - this year will be remembered as a very productive and rewarding year in terms of progress against cancer.

Key progress achieved by NFCR scientists in 2011:

• 19 novel research tools and technologies. Development and optimization of these tools is critical for improving anticancer drug screening, drug delivery, drug manufacturing and clinical treatment.
• 7 cancer biomarkers. Identification and characterization of these genetic phenomena are shedding new light on cancer's vulnerabilities and leading doctors to developing new tools for early diagnosis and personalized treatment of each patient's cancer.
• 19 new drug candidates and potential cancer therapeutics. Identification of these anticancer agents could lead to new treatment options that are desperately needed by patients.
• 3 cancer preventative measures. Dietary nutrients, drug compounds, and a cancer risk prediction model were developed and evaluated for their potential to prevent lung, pancreatic, and other cancers.
• 18 cancer-related genes and proteins. Discovery and further exploration of these key cancer molecules could provide new targets for drug development.
• 10 clinical trials. New treatments and cancer diagnostics made possible by laboratory breakthroughs are now being further investigated in clinical trials, getting closer than ever to the patient bedside.

Selected Research Breakthroughs:

• Breakthrough technology, the CTC-CHIP, is a new blood test so sensitive that it can find a single cancer cell amid one billion cells in human blood.  By capturing stray cancer cells in the blood, this test has the potential to detect cancer at early stages -- way before it spreads to other vital organs -- and will dramatically improve patient survival. [Daniel Haber, M.D., Ph.D.]
• Cancer biomarkers - Predicting the likelihood of tumor spread:  Mutations in mitochondrial DNA may predict which patients' cancer is more likely to spread.  This important knowledge will allow susceptible patients to get early treatment-the best time to stop the lethal spread of their cancer. [Danny Welch, Ph.D.]
• Enhancing the effectiveness of pancreatic cancer treatment:  Inhibitors of the cancer-associated enzyme, MAPK1, enhance the tumor-killing power of Erlotinib, the FDA-approved drug for pancreatic cancer. This combined approach will offer new hope to pancreatic cancer patients. [Daniel D. Von Hoff, M.D.]
• A safe selenium supplement for cancer prevention: Selenomethione may be safe to consume to increase our body's production of anti-oxidative selenoproteins. In contrast, sodium selenite and methylseleninic supplements carry a risk of developing Type 2 diabetes. [Helmut Sies, M.D.]
• New therapeutic target for "the silent killer:" CA 125 protein in a patient's blood is used to detect recurrent ovarian cancer and monitor treatment effectiveness.  Research shows CA125 also has a cancer-causing role; a new therapeutic target for the silent killer may be on the horizon. [Robert Bast, M.D.]
• Going clinical - Whole Genome Sequencing matches drugs to cancers: NFCR's Cancer Patient Assistance Fund harnesses molecular profiling, genome sequencing and other advanced technologies to match each patient's tumor with anti-cancer drugs that hold the best chance to work for their individual disease. [Glen Weiss, M.D. & Daniel D. Von Hoff, M.D.]

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