Your Support of the Cancer Frontier Fund is Critical in Fueling Innovation
Wednesday, June 14, 2023
Cancer is an unwelcome guest in far too many of our homes. In fact, nearly 12,000 newly diagnosed cancer patients walk through the doors at Siteman Cancer Center every year.
Nearly every person has a cancer story. We’ve all heard triumphant stories that inspire hope and strength. And we’ve heard difficult stories that make us wish for better treatments and more ways we can help.
The fund was created at The Foundation for Barnes-Jewish Hospital in 2009 by Amy and Bill Koman. Since its creation, thousands of generous donors have contributed, funding more than 162 vital cancer research projects that have led to breast cancer and melanoma vaccines, better treatment for pancreatic cancer, breakthroughs in leukemia and lymphoma, and so much more.
Through the Cancer Frontier Fund, our mission is to raise the critical dollars needed for leading-edge research to improve the way we prevent, treat, and cure the many forms of cancer. Your support of the fund saves lives by speeding lab breakthroughs into better treatments for cancer by providing the start-up, or seed funding, which is the catalyst physician-scientists at Siteman need to test innovative ideas during early-stage research. Preliminary data obtained from this research is required to secure larger federal grants.
"It's important to understand that your support has a domino effect," Dr. Timothy J. Eberlein, MD, director of Siteman Cancer Center says. 
“Results from these research studies are leveraged to garner even larger support from the National Cancer Institute, the National Institutes of Health, the American Cancer Society, and other essential funders to expand and continue our groundbreaking work.”
Gifts made to the Cancer Frontier Fund reach physician-scientists through a rigorous, peer-reviewed selection process called the Siteman Investment Program (SIP). The SIP process identifies and resources the most promising research in cancer in two cycles annually and positions those projects for successful federal funding necessary to accelerate the impact on patient care. Availability of funding often determines the ability, success, and rate at which scientific discoveries can progress from an early idea to patient care and treatment making your support critical to ensure the fund is replenished and that each generation has access to the most innovative therapies.
"Your gift does not need to have a lot of zeroes at the end to be welcome," Bill Koman says. "Imagine the huge impact if 50,000 people gave $50 each to the Cancer Frontier Fund...That adds up to $2.5 million!"
And, for every $1 donated to the Cancer Frontier Fund, our physician-scientists leverage those funds to obtain an additional $12 in federal funding! Gifts of all sizes have a tremendous impact.
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