Komen Awards $600K to Fred Hutchinson

Susan G. Komen for the Cure® has awarded a grant of $599,999 to Dr. Samir Hanash, a researcher with  Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center.  Dr. Hanash hopes to develop a blood test that would be a companion test to mammograms, but more accurate in detecting breast cancer at an early stage when it is most curable.

Early detection is the key to preventing fatalities from breast cancer. If breast cancer is detected in the later stages when it has had a chance to spread, a woman can have less than a 25% chance for survival.

“Komen’s funding enables us to move the discovery process forward, and demonstrate and validate findings much more quickly,” says Dr. Hanash. “This research is expensive and rigorous, but the result would be a tremendous breakthrough and bring us closer to 100 percent accuracy in detecting breast cancer through a simple blood test that could be done at any clinic or doctor’s office.”

Funding scientific research into a cure for breast cancer is an important way the Puget Sound Affiliate of Susan G. Komen uses money it receives through donations. Twenty five percent of all the money raised locally is pooled and distributed through Komen National Breast Cancer Research and Training Grants, with a significant amount of the funds returning to medical research facilities within the Puget Sound area. The other 75 percent stays local and supports early detection, mammogram screenings and treatment support for low income and underserved women throughout Western Washington.  Komen Puget Sound is also the single largest private funder of mammograms within Washington State.

“We would like to congratulate the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center on their new Susan G. Komen research grant,” says Cheryl Shaw, Executive Director of Komen Puget Sound. “All of us have the deepest appreciation for their work, and we look forward to positive results from Dr. Hanash’s potentially lifesaving research.”

About Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center
Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center’s interdisciplinary teams of world-renowned scientists and humanitarians work together to prevent, diagnose and treat cancer, HIV/AIDS and other diseases. Hutchinson Center researchers, including three Nobel laureates, bring a relentless pursuit and passion for health, knowledge and hope to their work and to the world. For more information, please visit www.fhcrc.org

About Susan G. Komen for the Cure® and Komen Puget Sound Affiliate
The Puget Sound Affiliate was established in 1993 and has invested nearly $23 million to fund local breast health education, screening and treatment support in Western Washington and for research to find the cures for breast cancer. The Puget Sound Affiliate is one of the largest Komen Affiliates out of a network of 120 across the country. It focuses its efforts on saving lives by funding education and early detection, as well as patient assistance and patient navigation in 16 counties in Western Washington. To learn more about Komen Puget Sound, please go to www.komenpugetsound.org. Follow us on Twitter (@KomenPugetSound) or Facebook (facebook.com/KomenPugetSound)