Posted on November 27, 2012

Prostate Cancer Foundation Receives $7 Million From New York Billionaire

The Prostate Cancer Foundation in Santa Monica, California, has announced a $7 million gift from New York billionaire Stewart Rahr in support of prostate cancer research.

The bulk of the gift — $5 million — will be used to support the "Prostate Dream Team," a joint initiative of PCF and Stand Up To Cancer. Led by Arul Chinnaiyan at the University of Michigan and Charles Sawyers at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York, the initiative seeks to develop protocols based on genomics and informatics, pathology, bioethics, clinical genetics, and clinical oncology that can be used to deliver precision therapies to patients within five weeks of a positive biopsy. In addition to U-M and Sloan-Kettering, institutions participating in the effort include the Broad Institute, the Dana Farber Cancer Institute, the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, the Institute of Cancer Research/Royal Marsden Hospital, and Weill Cornell Medical College.

The remaining $2 million will be used to continue a variety of initiatives at PCF, including its research awards and Young Investigators program.

"Stewart Rahr has been a huge supporter of the work of the Prostate Cancer Foundation and we are extremely grateful for his continued generosity," said PCF president and CEO Jonathan W. Simons. "His philanthropic spirit will inevitably change the treatment landscape for prostate cancer and reduce death and suffering as a result of this disease. Millions of men and their families will benefit from Stewart's humanity."