Cancer isn’t waiting. Neither should we.
Colon cancer is the #1 killer of adults under 50. Pancreatic cancer still has a 12% survival rate. NFCR is getting in the way — with early detection science, AI-powered research, and decades of proven breakthroughs.
#1
12%
90%+
The surge is real
Cancer is no longer a disease that strikes later in life. Colon cancer rates in adults under 50 have doubled in 20 years. Pancreatic cancer is on track to become the #2 cancer killer in the U.S. by 2030 — largely because it has no reliable early detection method.
The science to change these numbers exists. What it needs is investment.
NFCR is getting in the way
For over 50 years, NFCR has funded bold, high-risk, high-reward cancer research — the kind that leads to real breakthroughs.
You can get in the way of cancer. Right now. Today.
How we stop the surge
Three pillars of the fight
Early detection
Find it. Stop it. Survival rates exceed 90% when cancer is caught early. NFCR funds blood tests, AI imaging, and biomarkers that detect cancer before symptoms appear.
Effective intervention
Treat it. Beat it. NFCR-funded research produced Avastin® — one of the first FDA-approved targeted therapies for colorectal cancer.
AI in research
Outthink it. AI compresses decades of discovery into months. NFCR scientists use it to scan tumor images, identify genetic signals, and predict treatment responses.
Proven results
NFCR doesn’t fund hope. We fund results.
FDA approved
Avastin® — a targeted colon cancer therapy
NFCR funded Dr. Harold Dvorak’s foundational research for over 30 years, leading directly to Bevacizumab (Avastin®). Now investigated in 280+ clinical trials across 50+ tumor types.
Active research
Blood-based biomarkers for earlier detection
Dr. Wei Zhang at Wake Forest identified microRNA molecules in the blood that may serve as early-warning biomarkers — detectable before symptoms, when treatment is most effective.
In development
Targeting proteins in 50%+ of all cancers
NFCR-funded scientists are developing therapies that target a protein found in over half of all cancers, including colorectal — moving discoveries from the lab toward real patients.
