Conquer Cancer and Conquer Cancer FDTN

Research: the Conquer Cancer grants & awards program has been recognizing excellence in Clinical research, quality care, and teaching in the field of Oncology since 1984, when the program originally began under the purview of asco. Conquer Cancer has a demonstrated track record of supporting the early career development of Oncology researchers, including identifying and nurturing those who have become notable leaders and innovators in the field. Past grant recipients have become heads of large Cancer institutions and presidents of major Oncology societies, as well as guided the national Oncology conversation through service on boards and committees. Additionally, past recipients have also invested in the next generation of young investigators by serving as mentors to newly chosen Conquer Cancer grantees. Conquer Cancer funds the entire spectrum of research activities related to Cancer prevention, screening, treatment, and outcomes research in all Cancer types, and supports progress by funding Cancer researchers at all stages of their careers, enabling Oncology's best and brightest to pursue promising research. Conquer Cancer and asco have funded more than $146 million in Cancer research grants to over 2,400 recipients in 78 countries. Highlights of 2021 research activities and accomplishments include: *advanced Clinical research award (acra): $900,000 provided two (2) three-year awards to support physician-scientists committed to performing original, Clinical Cancer research with a patient-oriented focus, including Clinical research studies and/or translational research involving human subjects. One award was to support diversity/inclusion, focusing on breast Cancer and the second on immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy. *career development award (cda): $4,200,000 provided twenty-one (21) three-year awards intended to support Clinical research of Clinical investigators who have received their initial faculty appointments and are establishing independent Clinical Cancer research programs. *young investigator award (yia): $4,700,000 provided ninety-four (94) one-year awards designed to encourage and promote high-quality research in Clinical Oncology by providing funds to promising investigators during the transition from a fellowship program to a faculty appointment. *global Oncology young investigator award: $250,000 provided five (5) one-year awards to early-career investigators conducting research in low resource settings on scientific questions specific to those settings, with the potential to offer "reverse innovation" insights to influence Oncology practice in a wide range of resource settings, by investigators in high resource settings on issues in resource-limited settings, or collaborative research between investigators in both high and low resource settings on questions of shared concern. the goal for the global Oncology young investigator award is to encourage and promote quality research in global Oncology, and to develop the next generation of researchers to address global health needs. *international innovation grant: $260,000 provided thirteen (13) one-year awards in support of novel and innovative projects that can have a significant impact on Cancer control in low- and middle-income countries. the international innovation grant program is intended to support proposals that have the potential to reduce the Cancer burden in local communities, while also being potentially transferrable to other low- or middle- income settings. *gianni bonadonna breast Cancer research fellowship: $50,000 provided one (1) one-year fellowship that enables an early-career investigator to undertake a breast Cancer project under the mentorship of the gianni bonadonna breast Cancer award recipient.through its everygrant program, Conquer Cancer collaborates with other organizations to develop and deliver grants programs that make a difference to Cancer care teams and patients everywhere. Conquer Cancer works with organizations to develop grants programs that have real impact on researchers and patient care, institute peer review processes that ensure applications meet the highest standards, and establish processes that make administration of research grants both effective and efficient.

Quality & access to care: remarkable advances in Cancer medicine are occurring more and more frequently, yet the full promise of such progress cannot be realized until high quality Cancer care is available to everyone. Conquer Cancer is keenly aware of the potentially fatal divide between those with access to the fruits of research and timely care and those without. We seek to confront these disparities and improve the outlook for every person touched by Cancer by supporting programs that increase access to care in all communities, including those underserved. the quality and equitable access to care programs and initiatives supported by Conquer Cancer in 2021 include the following: *covid-19 impacts Cancer initiative : the impact of covid-19 on Cancer care continued into 2021 and Conquer Cancer continued its work in reponding to this crisis through its support of the following activities: -asco survey on covid-19 in Oncology registry (asco registry)- to help the Oncology community learn about the pattern of symptoms and severity of covid-19 among patients with Cancer and how infections impact the delivery of Cancer care and patient outcomes, Conquer Cancer's affiliate, the American Society of Clinical Oncology (asco), provided the means for the Oncology community to submit data about Cancer patients with covid-19. Data was made availabel to the public on asco's website through a registry data dashboard and registry data map. Grants were also issued to support the rapid analysis of registry data, manuscript development, and dissemination of findings into high-impact scientific, peer-reviewed manuscripts so those who treat Cancer patients were able to recive vital information on how the pandemic continues to impact patients with Cancer. -measure development- understanding the impact covid-19 had on people with Cancer requires analysis of care delivery and outcomes, which requires quality measures. This work provided a better understanding of how the pandemic affected safety, equity and timeliness of Cancer care to guide changes for the future to ensure quality care for all people with cancer.-educational resources for patients with Cancer and Cancer survivors - regularly updated information in english and spanish about covid-19 was provided for people with Cancer and Cancer survivors through asco's patient information website, cancer.net. -education for Cancer care providers - regularly updated information on treatment of patients with covid-19 was provided to support clinicians, the Cancer care delivery team, and patients with Cancer. *equity, diversity and inclusion: assuring high-quality and equitable care for every patient with Cancer has been at the core of the three mission pillars (research, education, and quality) of asco and Conquer Cancer. Both organizations have always sought to address disparities and inequities in care experienced by marginalized populations and the lack of diversity in the Oncology workforce. While the commitment to address these gaps in care is longstanding, both asco and Conquer Cancer have significantly expanded their equity, diversity, and inclusion programs to achieve three overarching goals: -make Clinical trials more accurately represent the population of patients with Cancer and ensure that they are routinely offered as a treatment option, with all patients having equitable access. -make the Oncology workforce better reflects the diversity of the population and ensure that it is well-equipped to deliver high-quality, equitable care for every patient. -decrease the number of barriers to accessing Cancer care by ensuring that Oncology practices have the resources needed to advocate for patients and to sustainably deliver high-quality, equitable care to all patients. *quality training program: Conquer Cancer supports asco's quality training program, which empowers practice teams to improve Clinical care and operational performance by teaching teams how to balance quality improvement projects with demanding schedules and competing priorities. Winter and summer sessions provided virtual content specifically for Oncology practice teams and included access to renowned faculty and coaches during five focused days of learning.

Professional education: Conquer Cancer supports the efforts of asco to provide education programs in the us and internationally which promote the vital exchange of ideas and latest developments that lead to world-class care, everywhere. Funds from Conquer Cancer are used to support asco's comprehensive scientific and educational programs through both meetings and electronic education offerings. Highlights of the professional educational and scientific programs supported by Conquer Cancer and presented to the public in 2021 include the following: *virtual asco annual meeting: the asco annual meeting is considered the premier educational and scientific event in the Oncology community and attracted approximately 32,950 participants worldwide in 2021. the annual meeting provides a forum to explore cutting edge science and education across multiple disciplines and fields in Oncology while addressing the need for every patient to receive the highest quality and equitable Cancer care available. *gastrointestinal cancers (gi) symposium: this is the premier multidisciplinary gi Cancer scientific and educational meeting. the gi symposium gives healthcare providers across multiple disciplines and professions the opportunity to receive critical updates and recommendations to improve the care of patients with gi cancers. *genitourinary cancers (gu) symposium: this is the preeminent genitourinary Oncology event, addressing the multidisciplinary needs of physicians and other members of the Cancer care and research community who diagnose, treat, and study genitourinary malignancies. the gu symposium provides the latest strategies in screening, diagnosis, treatment, management and controversies in the field of genitourinary cancers. *quality care symposium: this is an unparalleled opportunity to leverage the most up-to-date science and discover proven strategies and tools critical to making key decisions that can reduce disparities in care for every patient, every day, everywhere. the symposium brings together leaders in the field to share strategies and methods for measuring and improving the quality of Cancer care and disseminates information on the improvement of the quality of patient and survivor care. *education scholars program (esp): this program is a yearlong professional development initiative, which aims to create a cohort of oncologists with both leadership skills and expertise in learning science and education design. Through this program, esp participants become experienced in using the latest learning science to more effectively present ground-breaking Cancer developments to the Oncology community to advance Cancer research and improve patient care. Participants in the education scholars program receive didactic and hands-on training by learning science scholars on how to design effective educational programs for adult learners. *merit awards: $226,000 provided two hundred twenty-one (221) merit awards which promote Clinical research by awarding young scientists whose research is addressed in high quality abstracts submitted to asco meetings with an opportunity to present their research at asco scientific meetings and disease specific symposia. *medical student rotation for underrepresented populations (msr): $221,000 provided twenty-six (26) medical student rotations. the msr provides a 4-week Clinical or Clinical research rotation for u.s. medical students from populations underrepresented in medicine who are interested in pursuing Oncology as a career. A mentoring component is included in the msr whereby award recipients are paired with a Clinical oncologist who provides academic and career guidance, both during and following the rotation experience. *annual meeting research award (amra): $10,500 provided for seven (7) annual meeting research awards for those underrepresented in medicine (uim). In addition to attending the virtual asco annual meeting, recipients of the amra participated in the 2021 virtual abstract forum to present their oncology-related research and receive feedback on their presentation skills and were also matched with an oncologist-in-training who served as a mentor during the virtual asco annual meeting. Additionally, recipients were also able to participate in the 2021-22 diversity mentoring program, a 6- to 12-month mentorship program designed to encourage uim medical students and residents to pursue rewarding careers in Oncology. the program seeks to educate physicians-in-training about Oncology careers by fostering relationships with mentors who can provide career and educational guidance and serve as a professional resource. Additionally, amra recipients were invited to participate in the asco virtual professional development sessions and the virtual grant writing workshop.

Patient education and information: Conquer Cancer supports programs and accurate, doctor-approved Cancer information and resources both in print and online, that educate patients and the public about Cancer care, treatment, research, prevention, and other issues important to the Cancer community. Funding in this area allows Conquer Cancer to continue and expand its work to inform patients. A highlight of patient education and information programs and activities supported by Conquer Cancer in 2021 is: *cancer.net- cancer.net brings the expertise and resources of asco to people living with Cancer and those who care for and care about them. the website provides timely, comprehensive information to help patients and families make informed health care decisions. All content is subject to a formal peer-review process and includes peer-reviewed information on more than 120 types of Cancer and syndromes. Information is delivered in written articles, videos, and audio podcasts. This information is made available free to the public.