INTERNATIONAL NETWORK TO COMBAT CANCER LINKED TO AGING EXPANDING

 

Illustration Showing The Partner Organizations In International Network On Aging & Cancer

The Samuel Waxman Cancer Research Foundation (SWCRF), a leading organization dedicated to eradicating cancer, is growing its International Network on Aging and Cancer. Launched in 2018, this network brings together government agencies, pharmaceutical companies, philanthropists, research labs and universities, and other foundations to work together to address the rising incidence of cancer associated with aging and discover innovative preventions and treatments. 

Aging is a leading risk factor for developing cancer. Around the world, the median age of a cancer diagnosis is 65 years old, with the highest rates in people between 85-89. According to the World Health Organization, people over age 60 will number over 2 billion by 2050, drastically increasing the global burden of cancer. 

“Despite these alarming statistics, research focused on the complex interplay of aging and cancer is underfunded, limiting our ability to both prevent and treat it,” said Dr. Samuel Waxman, SWCRF CEO and Founder. “By focusing on aging as a risk factor and forming this international network, SWCRF is one of the few international foundations committed to meeting this crucial clinical need.” 

At a recent workshop organized by SWCRF, leading experts outlined four vital research goals to understand and prevent the rise in cancer in older populations: 1) Identify specific targets for healthy longevity. 2) Understand the impact of the aged microenvironment on our immune system. 3) Discover biomarkers to evaluate both aging and cancer risk. 4) Develop new treatments to limit therapy-associated cancer in older individuals and establish why aging, in and of itself, impacts cancer treatment. 

This year, SWCRF formed two new partnerships – one with the Mark Foundation for Cancer Research and the other with the Israel Cancer Research Fund – which will expand this network and fund projects to specifically examine these four objectives. Together these partnerships will invest nearly $2 million over the next two years and connect scientists who study cancer with those who research aging. Funding will start in fall 2023.

The International Network on Aging and Cancer inaugural initiative joined SWCRF with the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and National Institute on Aging (NIA) creating the Partnership for Aging and Cancer Research Program. The goal of this collaboration was to link investigators within the NCI/NIA with scientists at outside institutions. Due to the success, this program was recently extended to fund additional investigators through 2024. 

In 2020, SWCRF co-founded the International Center for Aging and Cancer in Hainan China with the Hainan Medical University, and Ruijin Hospital affiliated with Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine. The center recently completed construction of new laboratories and is actively recruiting faculty. Additionally, SWCRF partnered with Wiley Publishing to release a new peer-reviewed journal called Aging AND Cancer. 

“To eradicate cancer once and for all, we must understand why getting older greatly increases our chances of getting cancer, why some cancers exacerbate aging, and why many current treatments are either too toxic for older patients or simply not effective. Funding innovative, collaborative research is vital,” said Dr. Waxman. 

About The Samuel Waxman Cancer Research Foundation:

The Samuel Waxman Cancer Research Foundation is an international organization dedicated to curing and preventing cancer. The Foundation is a pioneer in cancer research and its mission is to eradicate cancer by funding cutting-edge research that identifies and corrects abnormal gene function that causes cancer and develops minimally toxic treatments for patients. Through the Foundation’s collaborative group of world-class scientists, the Institute Without Walls, investigators share information and tools to speed the pace of cancer research. Since its inception in 1976, the Samuel Waxman Cancer Research Foundation has awarded more than $100 million to support the work of more than 200 researchers across the globe. For more information, visit www.waxmancancer.org

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