The Prostate Cancer Foundation (PCF), formerly known as CaP CURE, is the world’s largest philanthropic source of support for prostate cancer

Prostate cancer

Prostate cancer is a form of cancer that develops in the prostate, a gland in the male reproductive system. Most prostate cancers are slow growing; however, there are cases of aggressive prostate cancers. The cancer cells may metastasize from the prostate to other parts of the body, particularly...

 research. PCF was founded in 1993 in order to discover better treatments and a cure for prostate cancer. As of July 2009, the PCF has raised over $380 million for research and funded more than 1,500 research projects at nearly 200 institutions worldwide.

Dr. Jonathan Simons, a physician-scientist, medical oncologist, and leader in prostate cancer research, is currently President, Chief Executive Officer, and David H. Koch

David H. Koch

David Hamilton Koch is an American businessman, philanthropist, political activist, and chemical engineer. He is a co-owner and an executive vice president of Koch Industries, a conglomerate that is the second-largest privately held company in the U.S...

 Chair of the Prostate Cancer Foundation.

History

The Prostate Cancer Foundation was founded in 1993 by Michael Milken

Michael Milken

Michael Robert Milken is an American business magnate, financier, and philanthropist noted for his role in the development of the market for high-yield bonds during the 1970s and 1980s, for his 1990 guilty plea to felony charges for violating US securities laws, and for his funding of medical...

 following his personal battle with prostate cancer. After being diagnosed with prostate cancer, Milken traveled to many different specialists in the field. Citing a major lack of funding for prostate cancer research and roadblocks that existed within the grant application process, Milken created the PCF to spur both private and government support in the field of research.

Research and Grants

The Prostate Cancer Foundation has significantly streamlined the grant making process in order to make research funding more readily available. The PCF’s grant giving model “is to stimulate research by drastically cutting the wait time for grant money, to flood the field with fast cash, to fund therapy-driven ideas rather than basic science, to hold researchers accountable for results and to demand collaboration across disciplines and among institutions, private industry, and academia.”

Strategy and Requirements

All Prostate Cancer Foundation grant recipients must share their work within one year of receiving their grant, an innovative requirement for the industry. Many scientists initially balked at the idea of presenting their work, sometimes even before publishing, but the lack of grant-giving sources made the Prostate Cancer Foundation’s grants popular. After the first year and the development of genetic testing of men at highest risk of prostate cancer, the number of requests for grants soared and prestige for PCF grants grew as well.
Today, many other foundations have copied their grant giving model after the PCF’s model. This unique stipulation, forcing the sharing of data, has encouraged scientific cooperation and accelerated discovery.

To accelerate prostate cancer research and reduce red tape, the PCF employs a "fast-track" awards process designed to maximize the time researchers spend searching for better treatments and a cure for prostate cancer. The PCF follows a venture capital model of philanthropic investing, providing initial funding for high-impact, early-stage research projects that offer great hope for new treatments or better understanding of the disease. When these early investments demonstrate promising results, other institutional funders, such as the National Cancer Institute

National Cancer Institute

The National Cancer Institute is part of the National Institutes of Health , which is one of 11 agencies that are part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The NCI coordinates the U.S...

 or biopharmaceutical companies, step in to provide the major funding needed to complete the work and bring a new drug or treatment to market.

Grants and Awards

The Prostate Cancer Foundation scientific strategic plan for 2008-2012 incorporates the concept that longer term funding of milestone-driven research is needed in the field with the potential to reduce death and suffering from prostate cancer. The following awards are offered to help to reach this goal: Challenge, Young Investigator, Creativity, and Prodigy Awards.

Challenge Awards

Challenge Awards are typically awarded to multi-year, large-scale research projects consisting of teams of at least three highly experienced investigators capable of providing unique scientific expertise to the solution of a significant problem in prostate cancer research.

Young Investigator Awards

Young Investigator Awards focus on developing younger teams of investigators to undertake the next generation of prostate cancer research.

Creativity Awards

Creativity Awards allow for the development of creative science which conforms to PCF funding principles but is short-term and designed to allow development of otherwise unfundable but good ideas.

Prodigy Awards

Prodigy Awards seek to identify future stand outs in the field who have demonstrated talent, drive and potential for greatness at a young age and have all the content of character for a life dedicated to cancer research.

Accomplishments

Through the Prostate Cancer Foundation's unique funding structure, PCF funding has been a major part of some of the most significant discoveries in the field of prostate cancer research. These discoveries and advancements include:

• development of genetic testing of men at highest risk of prostate cancer;
• development of new "targeted medicines" for specific vulnerable pathways that arrest hormone resistant prostate cancer growth;
• research into stopping the production or function of growth factors that help cancer cells grow;
• research concerning anti-angiogenesis;
• determination of the structure of the prostate cell androgen receptor
  Androgen receptor
  The androgen receptor , also known as NR3C4 , is a type of nuclear receptor that is activated by binding of either of the androgenic hormones testosterone or dihydrotestosterone in the cytoplasm and then translocating into the nucleus...
  
  , which is responsible for the growth of both normal and cancerous prostate cells;
• identification of prostate cell surface markers that can be targeted to destroy cancer cells; and
• development of analytical methods that identify the proteins in blood or the prostate that correlate to treatment effect or behavior of the cancer cell, a method known as proteomic pattern recognition.

Programming

The Prostate Cancer Foundation uses partnerships with many other organizations and celebrities to raise funds for prostate cancer research and to help spread awareness to the public.

Home Run Challenge

The PCF Home Run Challenge is a partnership with Major League Baseball

Major League Baseball

Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...

 that helps baseball fans join the fight against prostate cancer by raising money for research through monetary pledges based upon each home run hit in 60 selected games, culminating on Father's Day

Father's Day

Father's Day is a celebration honoring fathers and celebrating fatherhood, paternal bonds, and the influence of fathers in society. Many countries celebrate it on the third Sunday of June but it is also celebrated widely on other days...

. The program is supported by many Major League teams, players, managers and their coaching staffs, and umpires. The participants include the following managers: Dusty Baker

Dusty Baker

Johnnie B. "Dusty" Baker, Jr. is a former player and current manager in Major League Baseball, currently the manager of the Cincinnati Reds. He enjoyed a 19-year career as a hard-hitting outfielder, mostly with the Atlanta Braves and Los Angeles Dodgers...

, Mike Scioscia

Mike Scioscia

Michael Lorri Scioscia is a former Major League Baseball catcher and current manager for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. He has worked in that capacity since the 2000 season, and is the longest-tenured manager in Major League Baseball....

, and prostate cancer survivor Joe Torre

Joe Torre

Joseph Paul Torre is a former American professional baseball player and manager who currently serves as Major League Baseball’s Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations. A nine-time All-Star, he played in Major League Baseball as a catcher, first baseman and a third baseman for the...

; and players: Nomar Garciaparra

Nomar Garciaparra

Anthony Nomar Garciaparra is a former Major League Baseball player. After playing parts of 9 seasons as an All-Star shortstop for the Boston Red Sox, he played third base, first base, and designated hitter for the Oakland Athletics, first base and third base for the Los Angeles Dodgers, and...

, Jason Giambi

Jason Giambi

Jason Gilbert Giambi is an American professional baseball first baseman with the Colorado Rockies of Major League Baseball.He was the American League MVP in 2000 while with the Oakland Athletics, and is a five-time All-Star who has led the American League in walks four times, in on base percentage...

, Torii Hunter

Torii Hunter

Torii Kedar Hunter is a Major League Baseball right fielder for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.Hunter has taken away many home runs throughout his 13-year major league career by "climbing the fence" in the outfield. He has won nine consecutive Gold Glove Awards as an outfielder.Hunter resides...

, and Albert Pujols

Albert Pujols

José Alberto Pujols Alcántara , better known as Albert Pujols , is a Dominican-American professional baseball player, who is currently a free agent...

. Since its creation in 1997, the PCF Home Run Challenge has raised over $31 million for prostate cancer research.

Athletes for a Cure

Athletes for a Cure

Athletes for a Cure

Athletes for a Cure is a fundraising and awareness program of the Prostate Cancer Foundation. The organization assists athletes in their quest to raise money for better treatments and a cure for prostate cancer...

 is a fundraising and awareness program of the Prostate Cancer Foundation. The organization assists athletes in their quest to raise money for better treatments and a cure for prostate cancer. The organization is centered around events that can take place "Any Time, Any Place, Any Where," but also features many "special events" of which Athletes for a Cure is a partner, including many triathlons and races.

Golf Programs

• Arnie's Army Battles Prostate Cancer is a series of one-day events built around a closest-to-the-pin contest on a par-3 hole. Arnie's Army began in 2002 and has sponsored over 1,300 events and raised more than $1.5 million in the fight again prostate cancer. Arnold Palmer

Arnold Palmer

Arnold Daniel Palmer is an American professional golfer, who is generally regarded as one of the greatest players in the history of men's professional golf. He has won numerous events on both the PGA Tour and Champions Tour, dating back to 1955...

 is a prostate cancer survivor and the honorary golf chairman of the Prostate Cancer Foundation.

• One Man Scramble is a nationwide event where amateur golfers will shoot their lowest scores by playing the Double Mulligan format — where they will get two mulligans on every hole. The format is faster than a 4-man scramble and plays in threesomes with $5 from every player’s entry fee donated to the Prostate Cancer Foundation.

Safeway Awareness Campaign

The Safeway

Safeway Inc.

Safeway Inc. , a Fortune 500 company, is North America's second largest supermarket chain after The Kroger Co., with, as of December 2010, 1,694 stores located throughout the western and central United States and western Canada. It also operates some stores in the Mid-Atlantic region of the Eastern...

 Prostate Cancer Awareness and Fundraising Campaign began in the year 2000 and since then has raised over $50 million for prostate cancer research. Each June, the company's U.S. and Canadian stores give customers the chance to make donations at the checkstand when shopping at their local Safeway, Dominick's

Dominick's

Dominick's Finer Foods, Inc. is a grocery store chain and subsidiary of Safeway Inc. with locations mainly in the Chicago area, Illinois, USA. Dominick's distribution center is located in Northlake, while its management offices are located in Oak Brook....

, Randalls, Tom Thumb, Genuardi's

Genuardi's

Genuardi's is a chain of supermarkets located in the Northeastern United States. Genuardi's was family-owned until it was purchased by Safeway in 2000. Genuardi's has its headquarters in the Bentwood Executive Campus in East Norriton Township, Pennsylvania....

, Vons

Vons

Vons is a southern California and southern Nevada supermarket chain and a division of Safeway Inc. It is headquartered in Arcadia, California, and operates stores under the Vons and Pavilions banners.-Beginning:...

, Pavilions or Carrs

Carrs

Carrs-Safeway is a supermarket chain that is based in Anchorage, Alaska and is a subsidiary of Safeway Inc...

 stores.

Movember

Movember

Movember

Movember is an annual, month-long event involving the growing of moustaches during the month of November. The Movember Foundation runs the Movember charity event, housed at Movember.com...

 is a program that takes place during the month of November where men across the world grow moustaches, all while raising awareness and money for the fight against cancer. The donations in the US from the event are split evenly between the Prostate Cancer Foundation and the Lance Armstrong Foundation

Lance Armstrong Foundation

The Lance Armstrong Foundation is a United States 501 nonprofit organization that provides support for people affected by cancer, founded in 1997 by cancer survivor and champion cyclist Lance Armstrong. The LAF states that its mission is 'to inspire and empower' cancer sufferers and their families...

. Movember

Movember

Movember is an annual, month-long event involving the growing of moustaches during the month of November. The Movember Foundation runs the Movember charity event, housed at Movember.com...

was started in Australia in 1999. Since Movember's debut in the United States in 2007, the organization has raised over $1 million for prostate cancer research.

Scientific Retreat

Each year, the Prostate Cancer Foundation hosts a scientific retreat where teams of scientists and their institutions can share the results of their studies funded by the PFC. The 15th Annual Prostate Cancer Foundation Scientific Retreat was held in October 2008 in Lake Tahoe and was attended by more than 200 scientific leaders from academia, governmental agencies and the biopharmaceutical industry.

External links

• Prostate Cancer Foundation - homepage