Kidney Cancer Association Partners with Conquer Cancer Foundation to Fund Kidney Cancer Research

Cape Coral, FL, June 20, 2018 --(PR.com)-- For over a decade, the Kidney Cancer Association has assisted with funding the Conquer Cancer Foundation of ASCO's Young Investigator Award. The award provides funding to promising doctors to pursue careers in kidney cancer research.

“Conquer Cancer truly appreciates the generous and ongoing support of the Kidney Cancer Association as we work together to advance cutting-edge research and treatments for kidney cancer. We value this partnership which supports kidney cancer research and education with the ultimate goal of helping patients and families affected by this disease,” said Nancy R. Daly, executive vice president and chief philanthropic officer of Conquer Cancer.

This year, the Kidney Cancer Association supported two awards through the Conquer Cancer Foundation.

Liam C. Macleod, M.D., M.P.H., of the University of Pittsburgh, who was one of the Young Investigator Award recipients, will study regionalization and its effect on patients. Regionalization is when specialized doctors, procedures, testing facilities and clinical trials tend to be concentrated at regional academic medical centers. This in turn, causes the patient to receive care far from home, increases out-of-pocket costs for patients and their families and it can result in miscommunication between local and regional medical providers, thus creating poor treatment results. The second part of the study will examine which factors make patients less likely to access a high-quality kidney cancer center.

"Receiving the Young Investigator Award allows for a year of protected time during my second year of urologic oncology fellowship training. I am passionate about improving access to high quality kidney cancer care. The resources provided by the Young Investigator Award will allow me to establish a solid foundation for long-term research and policy advocacy defining excellence in kidney cancer care across different stages of disease," Macleod said.

Lisa Derosa, M.D. of Gustave Roussy Cancer Campus and Paris Saclay University who was a Merit Award recipient supported by the Kidney Cancer Association, will use the grant to study the gut microbiome composition to predict resistance in renal cell carcinoma (RCC) patients on nivolumab.

“The Kidney Cancer Association provided me the opportunity to connect with top experts on kidney cancer and learn about new therapies,” Derosa said. “I want to become a contributive female oncologist in my field. For me, the Young Investigator Award is not an arrival but a step in the fight against the cancer.”

About the Kidney Cancer Association:
The Kidney Cancer Association is the world’s first international charity dedicated specifically to the eradication of death and suffering from renal cancers. It is also by far the largest kidney cancer charity, with members in more than 100 countries. We fund, promote and collaborate with the National Cancer Institute (NCI), American Society for Clinical Oncology (ASCO), American Urological Association (AUA) and other institutions on research projects. We educate families and physicians and serve as an advocate on behalf of patients at the state and federal levels in the United States and globally.

About the Conquer Cancer Foundation:
The Conquer Cancer Foundation was founded by the foremost cancer doctors of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) to seek dramatic advances in the prevention, treatment, and cures of all types of cancer. ASCO was created in 1964 by seven cancer physicians with a single purpose: to improve the care of people with cancer. ASCO has grown from its original seven members to nearly 45,000 today representing over 120 countries. As its foundation, Conquer Cancer helps support ASCO's many programs and activities, including cancer research, learning opportunities for oncology professionals, patient and caregiver education, and more.