Despite the development of new and effective treatments for various forms of cancer, many patients still succumb to this disease. Novel approaches are needed to improve patient outcomes and to develop a better understanding of how and why cancer develops in different tissues in the first place.

Just what is “basic cancer research”? It is the scientific investigation into how the body’s immune system sees and responds to cancer when it initially develops, research that seeks to reveal how and why cancer cells are resistant to different treatments. Such knowledge can, it is hoped, lead to strategies which are effective in overcoming that resistance.

This fundamental research is often carried out by post-doctoral scientists and physicians who, working under the mentorship of established professional investigators, are at the beginning of their scientific careers.

Financial support for these young scientists is keenly important in order to train the next generation of cancer researchers and continue the rapid progress that is being made in the development of new cancer therapies. And it is this specific and critical financial support which NCC provides through contributions from donors like you.

The National Cancer Center also educates Americans on how they can reduce their risk of cancer. NCC has distributed a wealth of education and prevention packets on such topics as breast, lung, prostate, and colorectal cancer, as well as needle biopsy aspiration. Other areas of our work include mailing information packets designed to help prevent skin cancer during summer months.

(If you would like further information on any of this material, please write to us at NCC, 88 Sunnyside Boulevard, Suite 307, Plainview, NY 11803.)