Spotlight on: COLECTAL Cancer Alliance

The objectives of the colorectal alliance of cancer include the increase in the rate of screening for colorectal cancer to 80%, the improvement of the five -year survival rate of metastatic cancer at 35% and the investment of $ 500 million in research on colorectal cancer. They endeavor to achieve these objectives by lead from behind, an initiative to aware of screening, and Project Cure CRC, which was launched in 2023 with a commitment of $ 100 million to end colorectal cancer. Project Cure CRC involves four strategies: direct funding, a patient portal, data collection and clinical trial protocols.

Direct funding allows the Alliance to allocate grants for CRC research. “Last year, we financed $ 10.5 million in grants and this year, our plan is to grant $ 20 million,” said Sapienza. “We have granted nearly 30 subsidies totaling approximately $ 12 million in this short time, which is incredible. It is the greatest philanthropic investment in the CRC outside the federal government. ”

In addition to the funding of research, the Colorectal Cancer Alliance offers access to BlueHQ, a full patient portal that provides specific information and resources. “BlueHQ helps patients feel alone,” said Sapienza. Beyond community connection, members can also find clinical trials, financial resources and access to patients and caregivers.

With the permission of members, BlueHQ data and various research projects are gathered in a database called Blue Lake. To approve new treatments, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) needs patient data, which Blue Lake may offer. With more data, new treatments for colorectal cancer can become available much faster and at a lower cost.

The fourth arm of Project Cure CRC is the launch of K-SPY, which is at the planning stage. K-SPY is an adaptive clinical trial platform aimed at transforming colorectal cancer care through personalized treatments, faster access to therapies and improved results. This clinical trial platform uses a master protocol to test several treatments, which can speed up the research process. Similar to I-SPY for breast cancer and beat the LMA for acute myeloid leukemia, K-SPY will allow patients to go to several clinical trials at the same time, explains Sapienza. “We can quickly see the results, which will bring successful tests on the market a lot, much faster.”