December 2006 Newsletter

HOLIDAY SHOPPING FUNDS A CURE
More and more holiday shoppers will start on the internet... now your online shopping can also fund Cancer research. START at http://www.CHARITYMALL.com, CHOOSE your store, SHOP normally. The merchants donate to cancer research every time you shop. Make a difference without spending a dime!

DECEMBER UPDATES
Cancer Research Foundation Updates: BACK TO BASICS
After all of this time, I am sure that most of you know all about the Cancer Research Foundation; however, for those of you with a few more questions, I wanted to take a minute to review the basics.

Who are we?
The Cancer Research Foundation is a tax-exempt, US Public Charity created for the sole purpose of drawing attention to the need for cancer research and for raising funds for top research facilities across the nation. We consciously support diverse and innovative centers in the expectation that each institute will find a different piece to the puzzle and that, together, will find a cure or cures to the over 200 types of cancer.

What do we do with your donation?
We understand that you have a specific goal for your donation and that is to fund cancer research. For this reason, we commit that a minimum of 80% of all donations goes directly to cancer research programs, but, we strive to do better... In 2005, 100% of all donations received went to cancer research and we are projected to have the same success in 2006.

What are some of the innovative ways we approach fundraising?
Because the need for cancer research funding is so great, we have worked hard to provide innovative donation and fundraising options that make it possible for everyone to contribute (no matter their financial state).

One of our most exciting options this holiday season is CharityMall.com: an online shopping system that showcases 100s of merchants (i.e. Target, Home Depot, Sony, Gap, REI, and more) that have all agreed to make a donation every time someone starts at CharityMall.com and buys something from their online store. The merchants make the donation... you help fund a cure without spending a dime. During the holiday season, merchants are offering special deals to CharityMall.com shoppers. Be sure to check out our coupons page for Free Shipping, Added Savings, and more from your favorite stores.

Another innovative option is MissionFish.org. MissionFish is part of eBay and allows you to donate all or a portion of the proceeds from your eBay sale to the Cancer Research Foundation. Your eBay sale benefits from the association with the nonprofit and you help fund cancer research.

Cancer research desperately needs funding and your help, no matter the size or form, will make a difference. Let the impossible become possible! ~Kimberly Ferrara (President and Founder)

TIPS FOR HOLIDAY SEASON PHILANTHROPY
Open your mailbox this time of year and you�re likely to find a stack of appeals from various charities and causes asking for donations. Starting with United Way agencies who normally conduct their campaigns in the Fall, through until the end of December, many nonprofits and charitable organizations do a big fundraising push during the holiday season. So, how can you decide who to give your hard-earned money too and how best to assuage your philanthropic spirit this time of year? Here are some suggestions for evaluating causes and making the most of your donations.

- Give to organizations and agencies with whom you share a common commitment
- Consider the reputation of the organization (i.e. www.guidestar.com)
- Consider giving over time...

INNOVATIONS IN CANCER RESEARCH
Cancer is a diverse and complicated puzzle that will require many brilliant and innovative minds to find a solution. Because of this, the Cancer Research Foundation purposefully selects and supports multiple research institutes across the country. Together, we have a chance of finding a cure.

This year's selected institutes are constantly striving ahead to new cures and treatments. Here are some of the highlights from their October (and ongoing) projects. To read the complete articles, please CLICK HERE (http://www.cancerresearchfoundation.com/categories/Research-Highlights/) or visit the center's individual website.

MAYO CLINIC CANCER CENTER: Targeting Anti-tumor Drugs
Mayo Clinic researchers have found that a protein that initiates a "quality control check" during cell division also directs cell death for those cells damaged during duplication. This knowledge represents a potential "bulls eye" for targeting anti-tumor drugs. The findings appear in the current issue of Science. Click to Read More: http://www.cancerresearchfoundation.com/articles/120/1/Mayo-Clinic:-Potentially-Beneficial-Protein

M.D. ANDERSON CANCER CENTER: chemotherapy Choices for Non-small-cell Lung Cancer
Lung cancer cells with a defective version of a potential tumor suppressor gene are highly resistant to attack by a platinum-based drug commonly used to treat the disease, researchers at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center and The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas report in the cover article of the Oct. 1 edition of Cancer Research. Click to Read More: http://www.cancerresearchfoundation.com/articles/121/1/M.D.-Anderson:-Impaired-Gene-Helps-Nonsmall-Cell-Lung-Cancer-Resist-Drug

MEMORIAL SLOAN-KETTERING CANCER CENTER: Anti-Cancer Compound to be Studied
PharmaGap Inc., a Canadian biotechnology company, today announced that it has entered into an agreement with Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center ("Sloan-Kettering"). Sloan-Kettering researchers, led by Dr. Gary K. Schwartz, will study PharmaGap's novel preclinical cancer drug, PhGalpha1, in a series of collaborative in vitro and in vivo (animal) studies to assess its efficacy and potency as a specific inhibitor of protein kinase C alpha ("PKCalpha"). PKCalpha, which is a major component of cellular signal transduction pathways, is expressed in many types of tumors, including colorectal cancer, non-small cell lung cancer, breast cancer and certain gastric cancers and therefore represents a new target for cancer therapy. Click to Read More: http://www.cancerresearchfoundation.com/articles/122/1/Anti-Cancer-Compound-to-be-Studied-at-MSK-Cancer-Center

UCSF COMPREHENSIVE CANCER CENTER: Predicting prostate Cancer Risk
The new method is named the UCSF Cancer of the Prostate Risk Assessment ( CAPRA ). It is a risk stratification index that produces an easily-calculated score from 0 to 10 to predict the likelihood that men will experience a prostate-specific antigen ( PSA ) recurrence after surgery. Other existing risk-prediction tools, while offering comparable accuracy, have limitations, according to Matthew Cooperberg, MD, MPH, senior resident in urology at UCSF and lead author of the study. Click to Read More : http://www.cancerresearchfoundation.com/articles/126/1/UCSF%3A-Predicting-Prostate-Cancer-Risk