Looking back at the biggest year in TCF history
As we near the end of 2024, we are very proud to look back on a 15th anniversary year that has seen transformative growth and expansion of our work and impact. It is a privilege to continue to fulfill and grow our mission to improve the outcomes and experiences for patients and families with rare cancers.
In March, we kicked off this milestone year by launching our new website and Patient Outreach and Education resources that are providing patients and caregivers with critical information to help them navigate a rare cancer diagnosis. We also celebrated 15 years at our Gala in April which brought together 300 guests and raised more than $300,000 to support our work.
On April 15, the ten members of Team TargetCancer Foundation 2024 completed the 128th Boston Marathon, and raised more than $170,000- breaking all of our previous records. We are so grateful to every runner who has been a part of Team TCF, and can’t wait for April 21, 2025 when our largest team of 12 runners cross the finish line!
Over the summer, the TRACK clinical trial reached the halfway point, with enrollment of over 200 patients representing 42 states and more than 50 different types of rare cancers. In addition, data from TRACK was presented publicly for the first time at the ASCO Annual Meeting in June.
The TCF Team grew in July when we hired Hetal Vig, MS, MGC, as our first Director of Research and Clinical Engagement. This position is pivotal to expanding our research and scientific goals. We are so proud to have Hetal as part of the team!
On September 30, we observed Rare Cancer Day with several events and engagement opportunities, including a webinar entitled Patients and Practitioners as Partners: Initial Steps for Navigating a Rare Cancer Diagnosis. We were also proud to be a partner in securing a bipartisan Congressional Resolution recognizing September 30 as Rare Cancer Day- an important step towards elevating and achieving greater awareness for rare cancers nationally.
Most recently in November, our Think Tank on Advancing Precision Medicine in Rare Cancers and Industry Roundtable meetings united leaders in rare cancer research, care, advocacy and drug development for critical conversations about how we can rapidly move this field forward.
Beyond TargetCancer Foundation, there is a clear growing awareness of rare cancers publicly, and we are excited to leverage this momentum through even greater expansion of our programs and partnerships in 2025. However, there is also uncertainty ahead, with tremendous potential impact to patients. As we navigate both opportunity and unpredictability, we remain committed to working with all stakeholders to ensure that patients with rare cancers have effective and accessible treatments.
We can only do this with the help of our community of partners, patients, families and supporters. We are grateful for every one of you and look forward to working together as we enter 2025!