Michelle Vacca can attest to how rapidly cancer treatment is evolving.
“Every single treatment that I’ve been on was not available before I started the treatment before it,” Vacca said. “Which means: Clinical trials are going forward. It means other patients are participating, and the doctors and the pharmaceutical companies are developing these treatments in real time while patients are waiting for them. I personally have benefited from all of those clinical trials that other people participated in. I am so grateful.”
Vacca came to City of Hope® after years of being treated elsewhere for nonsmall cell lung cancer. In April 2023, the Orange County resident joined a clinical trial directed by Danny Nguyen, M.D.
This spring, the nonprofit Kure It Cancer Research granted Dr. Nguyen $100,000 to continue his progress. Kure It is a longtime supporter of City of Hope that has contributed more than $1 million to City of Hope researchers over the past two years.
“We’re a boutique nonprofit,” said Brooke Adams, director of Strategy and Development for Kure It.
“Our superpower is that we can move quickly. Patients need accessible treatment options now; waiting isn’t a viable option!” — Brooke Adams
The Foundation’s partnership with City of Hope is generating results. It has included a $522,500 grant to James Lin, M.D., and Yanghee Woo, M.D., to improve stomach and pancreatic cancer screenings for high-risk populations in Orange County. The grant helped establish a pancreatic cancer screening clinic at City of Hope Orange County Lennar Foundation Cancer Center and funded a clinical research coordinator to reach out to at-risk people. The grant also supported two studies on health disparities in gastric cancer outcomes across California.
Adams said, “We work closely with a lot of comprehensive cancer centers; however, City of Hope is on a different level. Responsive. Innovative. Friendly. And always hopeful! We share an amazing partnership with the physicians, staff and leadership at City of Hope. How lucky are we to have access to roundtable discussions regarding current research, future programs and the ability to collaborate on how Kure It can generate impactful grants that lead to immediate results.”
Vacca is a living example of that impact. All of her previous treatments slowed the growth of her cancer, but her first scan in Dr. Nguyen’s trial showed a reduction in the cancer for the first time.
“That was just magical to me,” Vacca said. “Hope means to me that I’m able to put my care and my cancer in the hands of experts who can focus on my specific kind of cancer. And hope is what I want every single person who has cancer to have, no matter where they are at in their cancer journey. I want them to have access to therapies and clinical trials like I am on right now.”
Kure It’s impact on patients at City of Hope was recognized in January of this year, when the patient lounge on the third floor of the City of Hope Orange County Lennar Foundation Cancer Center was named in honor of the Foundation.
Edward Kim, M.D., M.B.A., Construction Industries Alliance City of Hope Orange County Physician-in-Chief Chair and vice physician-in-chief of City of Hope National Medical Center, spoke to the Kure It staff and supporters at the dedication: “We’re doing this together, making a difference in the community. Kure It and our exceptional physicians have provided opportunities to countless patients through your sponsorship and advocacy. We look forward to doing more great things together.”
Top Photo (left to right): Maria Dumatol, Julie Alai, Brooke Adams and Michelle Vacca