Prostate Cancer Research
The Prostate Cancer Foundation's
primary mission is to fund promising research into better
treatments and a cure for recurrent prostate cancer. The PCF has
raised more than $350 million and provided funding for more than
1,400 research projects at nearly 150 institutions worldwide.
The Prostate Cancer Foundation is now the world's largest source
of philanthropic support for prostate cancer research.
Since 1993, the PCF has provided
financial support for many
important advances in the field of prostate cancer
research, including the discovery and early development of
promising new treatments now in clinical trials, the development
of gene therapy approaches to combat prostate cancer, and the
development of vaccines that work with the body's immune system
to kill prostate cancer cells.
Each year, the PCF reviews hundreds
of applications from cancer researchers around the world and
provides funding to
those researchers working on the most promising projects.
To speed prostate cancer research
and reduce red tape, the PCF employs a "fast-track"
awards process designed to maximize the time researchers spend
searching for better treatments and a cure for recurrent
prostate cancer. The PCF follows a venture capital model of
philanthropic investing, providing initial funding for
high-impact, early-stage research projects that offer great hope
for new treatments or better understanding of the disease. When
these early investments demonstrate promising results, other
institutional funders, such as the National Cancer Institute or
biopharmaceutical companies, step in to provide the major
funding needed to complete the work and bring a new drug or
treatment to market.
The PCF has also fostered an
unprecedented level of cooperation among scientists, physicians
and industry executives working on prostate cancer research and
treatments. The PCF hosts an annual Scientific
Retreat that brings together the brightest minds in
prostate cancer research in an effort to break down the
traditional barriers that impede progress toward better
treatments and a cure for recurrent prostate cancer.
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