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| | Honoring Our Veterans & Advancing Melanoma Research
Photo: Metastatic Ocular Melanoma Patient and Advocate, Jon Davis
Earlier this month, we recognized and celebrated Veteran’s Day. What many do not know is how melanoma profoundly impacts our armed forces who are at an increased risk for skin cancer, including melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer. Compared to the general US population, veterans have an 18% higher risk for being initially diagnosed with stage 3 melanoma and a 13% higher risk for stage 4 melanoma. For many yearsbenefit veterans but the entire melanoma community. This year’s funding will support $40 million in research.
Each year, the Foundation nominates advocate reviewers to be a part of the grant review process for the Melanoma Research Program (MRP), part of the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP) funded through the Defense appropriations bill. These advocates are patients and Their personal experience provides the critical “patient-centric” experience that helps enable the grant review committee to fund the most promising research. One such nominee, veteran Jon Davis, shared his experience as a reviewer, “As a pilot in the Air Force and a Gulf War veteran who was later diagnosed with ocular melanoma, a rare cancer of the eye that metastasized to my liver, lungs and brain, it's hard to express the impact the CDMRP has had in my life. I've participated as a consumer reviewer for melanoma and rare cancers for a number of years and every year I come away from the experience enthusiastic about the work that is being done by top researchers and organizations to find answers and develop treatments that will improve quality of life or impact survival for those who suffer from these diseases and conditions. While a cancer diagnosis comes with many challenges, it can also be a blessing; and getting to know the people involved in this work and the amazing work they do has been just that. I look forward to the day when some of the evaluation panels can be retired because the answers to the problems were found due to key research funded by the CDMRP.”
If you are interested in becoming more involved with the MRF’s advocacy work or would like to apply to be a CDMRP advocate reviewer, please email advocacy@melanoma.org.
Kyleigh M. LiPira, MBA
CEO
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| Register Today! Engage with Lawmakers and Make an Impact on the Melanoma Community
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| Registration is officially open for the next Advocacy Days program held March 2-4 in Washington, DC. We invite all melanoma patients, caregivers, advocates and supporters to join us on Capitol Hill to drive essential legislative goals forward and share your personal journey with lawmakers. Hear from last year’s advocates who share their “why” in this 2024 recap playlist. Travel scholarship applications will be accepted until Friday, November 29 – contact advocacy@melanoma.org for more information. Learn more and register here. |
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| | | Make a Lasting Impact on the Melanoma Community this Giving Tuesday! |
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| We are gearing up for #GivingTuesday next Tuesday, December 3 and we need your support to help extend our mission and one day, find a cure for melanoma. We know there are several organizations to which you can contribute your donations, and we are hopeful that you will make a pledge to support melanoma research, education and advocacy to benefit the entire melanoma community! To date, because of YOU, the MRF has funded over $26 million in research grants including nearly $2.6 million in uveal melanoma research grants. This critical funding has helped enable the now 19 melanoma treatments approved by the FDA since 1975 to treat 31 melanoma indications in adult and pediatric patients, including two specifically approved to treat metastatic uveal melanoma! While this achievement is incredible and provides much for us to be thankful for this Thanksgiving holiday, we know there are many patients who are still waiting for a treatment that will work for them. What if your tax-deductible donation could foster the next research advancement that could be that lifeline?
Thanks to an anonymous donor, the first $25,000 raised will be matched dollar-for-dollar. And did you know that year-end is an ideal time to donate appreciated stock? Donating appreciated stock and securities will both decrease your taxable income as well as reduce capital gains! To learn more about making a stock donation, visit explore non-cash giving options.
We are also grateful to our cause marketing partners for helping us reach and extend our #GivingTuesday goals. Check out, below, how you can shop your favorite brands and support the melanoma community:
Bloq UV: 5% giveback from Black Friday to Giving Tuesday
Revo: Score 20% off your purchase in-store (SoHo, NYC location) or online using code MRF20
Kendra Scott: Use code GIVEBACK-HEWJV to shop online and 20% of all sales will be donated from December 3-4
See's Candies: 20% of all online sales made through our storefront will be donated
TiZo: 10% giveback from Black Friday to Giving Tuesday
Dutcher Crossing Winery: Purchase "The Giving Pack" (comprised of the 2021 CFM Sauvignon Blanc and the 2018 CFM Cabernet Sauvignon) and 100% of the proceeds of this pack will be donated
Cabana Life: With every purchase from the Meaningful Merch Collection, 100% of net proceeds will be donated
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| Melanoma Research & Science Corner |
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| | The photo depicts a metal sculpture of a RAS oncoprotein sculpted by Dr. Bryan Welm. The use of two metals shows the dynamic conformational changes in the RAS protein which has facilitated the development of RAS-targeted therapies. Dr. Welm’s inspirational and artistic sculpture is now on display at the Huntsman Cancer Institute.
Key Takeaways from the “Targeting RAS Signaling for Future Melanoma Therapy” Workshop
In October, the MRF convened melanoma investigators and industry representatives for a one-day workshop entitled, “Targeting RAS Signaling for Future Melanoma Therapy”. The mission of this workshop was to translate direct pharmacologic signaling of RAS from the bench to the bedside, elucidate mechanisms of response/ resistance and identify logical combination therapies. The workshop co-chairs included Dr. Adil Daud of UCSF Health, Dr. Martin McMahon of Huntsman Cancer Institute and Dr. Keiran Smalley of Moffitt Cancer Center. With respect to patients with NRAS-driven melanoma, Dr. McMahon posits, “So what prospect does all of this basic science and drug discovery offer for patients with NRAS-driven melanoma? For now, such patients will continue to receive immunotherapy, since that remains the front-line treatment for most melanoma patients. Unfortunately, many of those patients will either not respond to or ultimately progress on immunotherapy - and the current options for second-line therapy are quite limited and not particularly effective. However, with the advent and testing of new NRAS oncoprotein inhibitors in late-stage preclinical testing in the lab and in early-stage clinical trials, the prospect of effective NRAS-targeted second-line therapy is becoming a reality”.
We encourage you to read Dr. McMahon’s full workshop blog for more information about the workshop’s goals and key takeaways for melanoma patients here. |
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| | Hot off the Presses: CURE OM Initiative Global Science Meeting Publication
We are proud to release the latest scientific publication from the CURE OM initiative! The report which highlights research and scientific collaboration from the 2023 CURE OM Global Science Meeting was published on October 9th in the journal of Pigment Cell and Melanoma Research. The report focuses on advancements in understanding ocular melanoma (OM) and innovative research, treatment strategies and the importance of patient advocacy. Read the full article here. Upcoming Grant Application Deadlines: MRFBC Team Award and the Resident/Fellow Research Award
We are excited to announce two research funding opportunities with approaching application deadlines: the MRF Breakthrough Consortium (MRFBC) Team Award and the Resident/Fellow Research Award. The MRFBC Team Award is available specifically to principal investigators (PI) who are from an MRFBC institution. This two-year, $250,000 award ($125,000 each year) focuses on translational melanoma research and is intended to emphasize novel, innovative research that will accelerate treatment development for melanoma patients including cutaneous and the rare subtypes such as ocular, mucosal, pediatric and acral lentiginous melanomas. Applications are currently being accepted via Proposal Central. The deadline for the MRFBC Team Award is January 15, 2025 at 5:00pm ET.
The Resident/Fellow Research Award is a one-year $10,000 award intended to promote research opportunities to residents/fellows early in their careers by funding clinical or laboratory-based research projects focused on better understanding the prevention, early detection, behaviors that impact melanoma risk, biology and treatment of melanoma. Applications are currently being accepted via Proposal Central. The deadline for Resident/Fellow Research Awards is February 3, 2025 at 5:00pm ET.
In addition, we also wanted to alert you to an opportunity for those of you involved in CNS Metastasis Research. This grant opportunity stems from the work of the Metastatic Brain Tumor Collaborative, composed of multiple advocacy organizations representing cancers that metastasize to the brain, including the MRF. The RFP for this one-year $50K award is attached here. Letters of Intent (LOI) are due by December 17th, 2024, at noon CT. |
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| Patient and Caregiver Education Round-up |
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| | Newly Diagnosed with Stage 0-1 Melanoma? Access Helpful Resources
The Melanoma Patient Guide: Stages 0-1 is here to help! Learn about your diagnosis, get key questions to ask your doctor, find emotional support and discover ways to reduce your risk of recurrence. Empower yourself with resources to navigate this journey and prioritize your health.
Download your free guide today! Upcoming Deadline for the Pediatric Melanoma Community: Register for the Pediatric Melanoma Family Retreat Weekend
We welcome patients ages 5-17 years, along with their siblings and caretakers, to join the next all-expense paid Pediatric Melanoma Family Retreat that will take place February 21 – 23 at Camp Boggy Creek in Florida! The registration priority date is December 12 and all applicants after that date will be accepted on a rolling basis based on availability. Registration is available here - Camp Boggy Creek Camper.
We are also seeking volunteers to help make this retreat a memorable experience for the families. If you're interested in supporting and want to contribute your time and skills, please click here. Engage with Key Melanoma Opinion Leaders During the December Ask the Expert Webinar!
We invite you to join us for the final installment of our 2024 Ask the Expert webinar series entitled, “MRD Testing for Melanoma: The Next Step in Recurrence Prevention” to be held on Thursday, December 12 at 7:00pm ET. In this session, you will discover how Minimal Residual Disease (MRD) testing is changing the landscape of melanoma care, offering new hope for early detection of recurrence and improved outcomes. This webinar will be co-hosted by Dr. Vincent Ma from the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health and melanoma patient, Adam Kopp. We thank Natera for their generous support of this Ask the Expert webinar. Learn more and register today. Ask the Expert Recap
On November 7, we held our Ask the Expert webinar titled “Understanding the TIL Cell Therapy Patient Journey,” which highlighted the latest breakthroughs in TIL (Tumor-Infiltrating Lymphocytes) Cell Therapy. The session featured insights from melanoma patient Gary Alan Klevens, who shared his personal journey from diagnosis to treatment, as well as Dr. Jose Lutzky, Director of the Cutaneous Oncology Program at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. The event concluded with an engaging Q&A session. Click below to watch the full video and explore recordings from our previous Ask the Expert series. |
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| Join the Final Miles for Melanoma 5K Events |
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We are at the end of our Miles for Melanoma 5K season with only TWO events left! Don’t miss your chance to be a part of the action in Fort Myers, FL (December 14) and Miami, FL (February 9). Sign up now, rally your team and start working toward incredible fundraising rewards. Every step you take helps fuel the fight against melanoma. Let’s come together and stride toward a future free from melanoma—register today and make a difference!
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