Making an Impact

The Pan-Mass Challenge's goal is to get us closer by the mile to an end to cancer. To make cancer HISTORY. That may seem like a lofty goal, and it is - cancer isn't a single disease but a family of diseases that can be very different from one another. A world without cancer isn't going to be easy to achieve. But while it may seem far off, doctors and researchers are making huge strides in the fight against cancer, thanks in part to the funds that the Pan-Mass Challenge raises.

The Pan-Mass Challenge and the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, the beneficiary of the PMC, recently teamed up to develop a series of "PMC Impact" videos that showcase some of the innovative research that is now happening because of PMC funds. One of the key benefits of PMC dollars are that they are unrestricted - we trust the doctors and researchers to put the money to use where it is needed most, and their successes are showing that they are the best at what they do.

Here is just a brief summary of the advances made possible by YOUR donations:

• Dana-Farber now uses tumor profiling to develop targeted treatment approaches based on a child's DNA and the cancer that they have. Relapse rates decline and tumors shrink with minimal side effects. This is happening NOW because of YOUR donations.
• Dana-Farber's Center for Neuro-Oncology uses PMC funds to jump start research that grants aren't willing to fund because the cancers are so rare. By showcasing the successes made with PMC funds, Dana-Farber researchers are able to leverage that work to pull in more grant funding to further develop cancer cures. This is happening NOW because of YOUR donations.
• With unrestricted PMC funding, Dana-Farber researchers are able to try innovative, unproven approaches to treating more common cancers like testicular cancer, improving survival rates and the quality of life for patients. This is happening NOW because of YOUR donations.
• Dana-Farber is using PMC funding to combine traditional prostate cancer surgery with the "next generation of hormone therapy" to CURE rather than treat cancer, and eliminate the need for radiation therapy after surgery. This is happening NOW because of YOUR donations.

Take some time to watch the videos below. You'll hear directly from the researchers about how your PMC donations enable them to conduct this life-saving, cancer-fighting research. I hope it inspires you to make your own cancer-fighting donation today. Someday, you or a loved one may be a beneficiary of the incredible work that Dana-Farber conducts thanks in part to PMC funding. Thank you!