FOR making a real impact

Members of the Future of Roswell Society (FOR Society) help make an impact on the lives of people facing a cancer diagnosis.

Cancer Genetics

By collectively supporting a project chosen by the FOR Society committee, members advance how the Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center is able to diagnose, treat and prevent cancer.

This year, the FOR Society is supporting Roswell Park’s Cancer Genetics team, which brings together groundbreaking science, innovative technology and critical compassionate care.

Research has shown that some cancers are hereditary.

That means that people who carry specific genes are at a higher risk of being diagnosed with certain cancers.

Genetic testing can be offered to patients who meet a formal set of criteria that often includes a strong family history of cancers such as prostate, colorectal, breast, ovarian or pancreatic cancers. It can also include a history of cancers diagnosed at a very young age or very rare cancer types.

For some cancer patients, genetic testing can help clinicians better tailor treatment to them specifically. Knowing personal genetics can help inform next steps in care, in many cases. Moreover, if a patient’s cancer proves to be hereditary, understanding family members’ risks before they fall ill could be lifesaving.

On a greater scale, each time someone’s genetic testing results come through, the pool of research grows. That allows the team at Roswell Park to use those results in an anonymous way to continue to fuel their research and expand our understanding of various cancers.

FOR supporting patients

Now through March 2023, the Future of Roswell Society will help to establish a patient fund to support access to specialized genetics testing, which is not always covered by insurance companies.

This testing could be vital to identify targeted treatments for patients, especially those with rare, hard to treat cancers. By supporting this patient fund, FOR Society members will help ensure that patients receive the genetic testing needed to aid their care team in creating the best treatment plan for their specific diagnosis.

You can make a difference!

Please consider becoming a member of the Future of Roswell Society by making a donation today.

What is Roswell Park?

Driven to eliminate cancer’s grip on humanity, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center has a long history of cancer care. Founded in 1898 as the nation’s first cancer research center, Roswell Park grew from the vision of Dr. Roswell Park. This highly respected surgeon believed that investigations in the lab and the clinic should go hand in hand. We’ve offered our patients this combined approach to cancer care for well over a century.

Today, Roswell Park is one of the leading cancer facilities in the country. Our research has led to historic breakthroughs in the way we understand, prevent and cure cancer. That expertise also enhances how we train the next generation of physician leaders.

Previously Funded Projects

3D Imaging Program

In 2021 and 2022, the FOR Society helped expand Roswell Park’s 3D Imaging Program. Virtual reality and 3D modeling can make a huge difference for surgeons by showing them the real-life intricacies of cancerous tumors and patient anatomy, and how each has affected the other. The FOR Society’s support enabled the 3D Imaging Program to make this technology more available to surgeons and expand their 3D printing capabilities to include biocompatible materials for surgical guides.

Watch this video to learn more about how Roswell Park is pioneering the use of 3D technology to support the future of cancer surgery.

The COVID-19 Response Fund

The COVID-19 pandemic caused unprecedented changes in all of our lives, with profound upheavals in family, social, home, financial and work situations. In the months of April and May 2020, Future of Roswell Society donations were directed to support the Roswell Park COVID-19 Response Fund, which was used to immediately help Roswell Park patients and staff by supporting COVID medical treatment and research, assisting patients experiencing financial hardship, providing meals for front-line caregivers and proving telemedicine support for patients.

SurVaxM

In 2019, the FOR Society raised over $17,000 to help support the startup of a first-of-a-kind research trial to battle childhood brain cancer using a vaccine developed at Roswell Park. In 2022, SurVaxM is recruiting for the phase 2B randomized SURVIVE trial, which is open to newly diagnosed adult glioblastoma patients, which the pediatric trial also continues to advance. Altogether, the trial is expected to be open across 15 sites in the United States and China.

Watch this video to see how far SurVaxM has come since its beginning at Roswell Park.

What is the Roswell Park Alliance Foundation?

Established in 1991, the Roswell Park Alliance Foundation is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization that manages all donations made to Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center. Its mission is to maximize dollars available for Roswell Park’s most promising research, treatment and prevention programs while supporting the psychosocial needs of patients and families touched by cancer.

Donate with confidence

Four-star rating on Charity Navigator.

Charity Navigator, an independent charity evaluator, gives the Roswell Park Alliance Foundation a four-star rating, which is its highest seal of approval. This rating takes into account how the Alliance Foundation allocates its funds to categories like fundraising, administrative costs and program growth. Roswell Park is proud to receive this recognition for charitable excellence. We’ll keep on funding cutting-edge research and patient-support programs for as long as it takes to cure cancer.