Here are answers to questions people often have about the Cancer Research Institute, immunology and related topics. Click the category links to reach the sections that interest you most, or scroll through the questions on the page.
If you can’t find the information you need on the site, or want more details, please contact us with your questions and requests.
About CRI
Cancer Facts
Cancer Immunology
Giving to CRI
Scientist Support
CRI Events
Resources at CRI
Patient Information
What is CRI?
The Cancer Research Institute is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization that raises funds for cancer immunology research from individuals, corporations and foundations. We provide direct support to cancer scientists through fellowships, grants and awards. Our mission is to support and coordinate research that will yield an understanding of the immune system and its response to cancer, with the ultimate goal of developing immunological methods for the treatment, control, and prevention of the disease.
How can I get a quick overview of CRI?
Read our CRI fact sheet for a basic introduction to the institute. For more information, explore the About us section of the site.
How can I get CRI’s annual report?
You can download our latest annual report on the site, or request a printed copy by mail. CRI’s 2007 annual report, titled The Right Plan, highlights the Institute’s strategy and success in leveraging its resources, providing leadership and expertise, and marshalling new collaborative efforts that are helping to bring the right science to the benefit of cancer patients. Included is an overview of recent accomplishments, list of supported projects, donor honor roll, financial statements, and other information.
Where is CRI located?
We are administratively headquartered in New York City, but we fund research all throughout the United States and around the world. In addition, our Scientific Advisory Council includes representatives from the U.S. and other nations. CRI has a commitment to the global community of cancer scientists and patients.
How many other charities raise funds for cancer immunology research?
There are many renowned charities dedicated to raising funds for cancer research, but CRI is the only non-profit funding organization that focuses exclusively on immune-based approaches for preventing, controlling, and treating cancer. The Institute also stands out among other cancer charities as a leader in responsible management of donor dollars and earns high scores from charity watchdog organizations.
How did CRI get its start?
CRI was founded in 1953 by Helen Coley Nauts (1907-2001) and her friend Oliver R. Grace (1909-1992) with a $2,000 grant from Nelson Rockefeller. Ms. Nauts established the institute in honor of her father William B. Coley, an early pioneer of non-surgical, immunological treatments for cancer.
Who is on the CRI staff?
At CRI’s headquarters in New York, our staff includes 16 specialists in development, grants administration, communications, special event planning, and other areas. Volunteers staff our other offices throughout the United States.
Who oversees CRI’s operations?
CRI is guided by its core staff and a diverse Board of Trustees that includes corporate, financial, and philanthropic leaders.
Who decides which scientists receive funding from CRI?
Funding decisions are made by our Scientific Advisory Council, which evaluates all fellowship, grant and award applications. Many of the world’s most distinguished immunologists serve on the council, including 4 Nobel Prize winners and 29 members of the National Academy of Sciences. The council is headed by a director and seven associate directors.
What does “Conquering cancer begins with you” mean?
The phrase “Conquering cancer begins with you,” which appears on this site, refers to the ability of your immune system to protect against cancer — a principle of cancer immunology first articulated by Paul Ehrlich in 1909. It also refers to your capacity to help science find better ways to fight cancer by becoming a CRI donor and contributing money to cancer research.
What is “Real Stories”?
“Real Stories” is a profile series on our Web site that introduces you to the “real people” behind the discoveries, donations and programs at CRI. We shine the spotlight on notable scientists and generous donors as well as courageous patients and dedicated staff. New stories are posted several times a year and archived on the site.
How can I stay up to date on what’s happening at CRI?
Sign up for our e-updates. You’ll receive e-mail announcements about newsworthy research breakthroughs, landmark donations, and upcoming events. You also may want to visit our Press Room page regularly to read the latest news bulletins and releases.
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How many forms of cancer are there?
The word “cancer” is used to refer to any of the 200 different diseases, affecting many parts of the body, that are characterized by the uncontrolled growth of cells that invade and damage the body’s normal tissues. Cancer can begin in organ tissues as well as the skin, bone, cartilage, fat, muscle, blood vessels, immune system and bone marrow. These cells can form tumors, although not all cancers do. In some cases, cancer cells spread from their original site to other places in the body via the bloodstream or lymphatic system, a process and medical complication called metastasis. See our What is cancer? and Cancer & the Immune System pages to learn more.
How common is cancer?
In the United States alone, according to the American Cancer Society, more than one million people are diagnosed with cancer each year — and it remains the second-leading cause of death. One-third of American women and one-half of American men can expect to develop cancer. For Americans, the risk of dying from certain cancers has decreased in recent years, perhaps through better screening methods and more effective treatments, but there has been no drop in new cases of cancers.
Globally, about 13% of all deaths are due to cancer, according to the World Health Organization — 7.6 million in 2005, and an estimated 84 million by 2015.
What causes cancer?
At the cellular level, cancer occurs when a cell’s DNA becomes damaged and cannot be repaired. Cancer starts in just one cell, and there are several stages in cancer development — from precancerous changes to malignant tumors. Different cancers develop at different rates. Many different factors can play a role, from genetics (the BRCA genes, for example) to lifestyle habits (such as smoking, diet and sun-tanning) to environmental exposures to harmful substances. Viral and bacterial infections also can lead to certain cancers, such as the hepatitis virus in liver cancer, Helicobacter pylori in stomach cancer, and the HPV virus in cervical cancer. The immune system’s function also is key to controlling or preventing cancer.
What’s the relationship between genes and cancer?
Genes are segments of DNA located on chromosomes. Mutations can occur over time, sometimes because of exposure to environmental factors such as smoking or viruses, and those changes can cause cells to become cancerous. As a result, increased age alone can be a risk factor for cancer: More than 75% of all cancer cases are diagnosed in people aged 55 or older. Only about 5% to 10% of cancers are genetically inherited, and those cancers tend to occur earlier in life. Oncogenes are genes that cause cancer, while tumor suppressor genes play a role in controlling or stopping cancer.
How is cancer treated?
The “modalities” used to treat cancer are surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy, usually in some combination. Treatment plans vary from patient to patient based on the type and stage of cancer. Some clinicians consider immunotherapies, which includes preventive cancer vaccines, to be the new “fourth” modality. In cancer immunotherapy, patients are given biological substances that have potential to activate or boost their own immune response to cancer. These substances can be laboratory-produced versions of antibodies or the body’s own defense cells.
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What is cancer immunology?
Cancer immunology studies the relationship between cancer and the body’s immune system, including its innate ability to prevent or eliminate cancer cells, called immunosurveilance. In the early 1900s, the immune system’s power to recognize and eliminate cancers was known. Later discoveries showed that cancer displays “antigen” markers, for example, that the body’s natural defense mechanisms can recognize and target. Cancer immunologists focus on identifying these mechanisms and developing immunotherapies to boost those natural defenses.
What are “immunotherapies”?
Cancer immunotherapies also are known as biologic therapy, biotherapy, or biological response modifier therapy. They include cancer vaccines, monoclonal antibodies, T cell transfer, and other approaches that can be more targeted and effective ways for preventing, managing or treating different forms of cancer. Immunotherapies — which could be used in conjunction with surgery, chemotherapy, or radiation — also may have fewer side effects, making them easier for patients to tolerate.
Is cancer immunology a new field?
Cancer immunology has its origins in medical research done by Dr. William B. Coley (1862-1936), a cancer surgeon and the father of CRI founder Helen Coley Nauts. Through his clinical experiments, he discovered that “killed” bacteria, which are the basis of many modern-day immunizations, stimulated the immune system to attack cancer cells. The roots of immunotherapy stretch to 1778, when English physician Edward Jenner developed a smallpox vaccine. Cancer immunology is a relatively young field, but it’s already yielding impressive results — advances in understanding and treatment made possible by donor support
What breakthroughs has CRI funding helped to make possible?
With donor support, CRI has been able to nurture decades of innovative cancer research by top scientists worldwide. For example, CRI funding contributed to Ian Frazer’s groundbreaking vaccine to prevent infection from four types of the human papillomavirus, which accounts for 70 percents of all cervical cancers worldwide. The institute also has assisted in the development of a vaccine to prevent lung cancer recurrence, a joint venture of the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research and GlaxoSmithKline. In addition, CRI has helped to bring cancer vaccines and other immune-based therapies into the mainstream of treatment options for cancer patients around the globe.
What is a clinical trial?
Clinical trials are well-defined, well-monitored and controlled tests of new or experimental medical treatments. They are used to assess the effectiveness, side effects, and potential applications of medications, procedures, and other treatment approaches. A cancer immunology clinical trial, for example, might investigate the ability of cancer vaccines to help certain types of patients to avoid or overcome particular forms of cancer. Clinical trials are essential for medical progress, and patients can enroll in them voluntarily under the supervision of their physicians. Before a treatment is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), it must be studied in three phases of clinical trials. CRI uses the Physician Data Query service to respond to patient questions opportunities to enroll in cancer clinical trials.
What is the Cancer Vaccine Collaborative?
CVC is a unique initiative and partnership between CRI and the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research. CVC researchers worldwide test cancer vaccines in coordinated, early-phase clinical trials at hospitals and medical centers. They use standard protocols, data collection and monitoring methods, allowing patient outcomes to be evaluated thoroughly and uniformly.
What is the Coordinated Cancer Initiative?
The CCI is a CRI grant program that enables scientists from complementary disciplines to work collaboratively on cancer research topics. Current CCI research projects are studying new immune-based tools to diagnose and treat ovarian and pediatric cancers, the clinical impact of T-cell infiltrates at tumor sites, and the genetic and molecular mechanisms behind the remarkable cancer immunity of spontaneous remission/cancer-resistant mice.
Where can I get more information about immunology?
Read our timeline of milestones in the field, and visit our Web links page that lists cancer research and immunology sites. For additional background, go to the Cancer & the Immune System page.
Where can I find definitions for some of the terms used on the site?
Go to our Glossary page to search or browse our list of medical and scientific terms. You also may want to consult the MedlinePlus encyclopedia and on National Cancer Institute site.
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Who can donate to CRI?
Anyone who has an interest in helping to advance the fight against cancer is encouraged to donate to CRI. Individuals can make cash or property donations and also include CRI in their estate planning or planned giving. Corporations and foundations also can make donations.
Are there tax benefits for donating to CRI?
CRI is a 501 (c)(3) charitable organization, so your donations are deductible for federal or state tax purposes as allowed by law. Planned giving, which can encompass bequests and gift annuities, may offer other tax or financial planning advantages as well.
What’s the minimum donation amount?
There is no minimum — we’re grateful for any donation. Many CRI donors find it affordable to donate several times a year, rather than make one larger gift at once. Some donors find that planned giving arrangements allow them to give more generously to CRI.
Why is CRI a good choice for charitable giving?
We are proud to have one of the lowest overhead expense ratios among non-profit organizations. Historically, between 85 and 90 cents of every dollar donated to us goes to our research and medical education programs.
How do “charity watchdog” organizations rate CRI?
We consistently earn high marks from charity watchdog organizations, including an A or higher from the American Institute of Philanthropy.
Where can I view CRI’s latest financial statements?
Visit our Financials page for a financial summary and IRS form 990 information. To learn more, you also may want to download our current annual report.
How does CRI use donations?
We turn donations into direct educational and research support for the world’s top cancer scientists and medical professionals. CRI grants and awards help to provide crucial resources for laboratory work and clinical trials, including personnel, equipment and supplies. We provide fellowships to assist universities in developing cancer immunology programs. We also host conferences and meetings for the global scientific community. CRI donations also are used for cancer immunology awareness and education for patients and the public.
What can I donate to CRI?
In addition to making “cash” donations by check or credit card, individuals can donate property — including vehicles — and even securities. You also can do planned giving, by including CRI in your will or estate plans, as well as workplace giving, by making regularly payroll contributions to CRI.
Can I donate in memory or honor of someone?
You can make donations in memory or honor of someone important to you. You also can designate that your donation be used for certain kinds of research or CRI programs. Contact our development staff with questions about naming or directing your donations.
What’s the procedure for making a donation?
Cash donations can be made online (credit card), by phone (credit card) or by mail (check). Read our Donate property or securities page for details on those types of donations as well as making those arrangements with CRI staff.
Can I include CRI in my will, estate, or long-term financial planning?
We are grateful to those donors who are willing and able to make significant or continuous donations to CRI through planned giving arrangements. One option is to make CRI a beneficiary of your estate by will or trust. You also can donate through any charitable remainder trusts, charitable lead trusts and charitable gift annuities that you establish, as well as through gifts of life insurance policies and retirement plan assets. See our planned giving chart to compare options and see which one(s) may be right for you.
Besides making a donation, are there other ways I can help CRI?
Friends of CRI have planned fundraising events on our behalf and also encouraged their employers to establish workplace giving programs, which enable people to contribute regularly to CRI through payroll deductions.
Does CRI sell or trade its donor information to outside parties?
Under no circumstances will CRI sell, trade, or share your information to outside parties. All personal data is kept confidential. Please refer to our Privacy Statement to learn more about how CRI uses your information.
My called ID says "Cancer Research" every time I get an automated telephone solicitation. Is that CRI?
No. CRI does not solicit funds via telephone campaigns and does not use automated services for this purpose.
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Which scientists can receive financial support from CRI?
Cancer scientists at any stage of their career, as long as they are based at non-profit research or clinical institutions, can apply for CRI grants and awards. We have supported a range of initiatives, from basic laboratory studies to clinical trials testing novel immunotherapies.
Are scientists who work outside the U.S. eligible for CRI support?
Yes. To date, CRI has given fellowships and grants to approximately 2,800 scientists in the United States and abroad.
What kind of support is available?
CRI offers fellowships to universities to build their cancer immunology programs and attract predoctoral students to the field. Postdoctoral scientists also can seek fellowships for advanced immunology training at top institutions. Practicing cancer immunologists can apply for CRI support throughout their careers. Our Investigator Award Program, for example, provides funding to tenure-track assistant professors making their first forays into independent research — a challenging but rewarding professional period. We also give designated grants for certain types of research studies or clinical investigations, including cancer vaccine research.
How does a student or researcher apply for funding from CRI?
For application information, Postdoctoral fellowships and Investigator awards pages. All funding decisions are made by our Scientific Advisory Council.
How can I find out which scientists are receiving CRI support?
Lists of institutions and researchers currently receiving CRI funding can be found on our Predoctoral program recipients, current postdoctoral fellows, Investigator Award recipients, Clinical Investigation grant recipients and Designated Grant recipients pages. You also can peruse a list of facilities and scientists engaged in Cancer Vaccine Collaborative research and clinical trials.
What is the William B. Coley Award?
The annual William B. Coley Award for Distinguished Research in Basic and Tumor Immunology, named for our founder’s pioneering surgeon-father, is announced at our Annual Awards Dinner. This $5,000 prize and medal recognize scientists who’ve made outstanding contributions to cancer or basic immunology research. There is a list of winners since 1975 on the site.
Does the institute give any awards to non-scientists?
Since 1995, CRI has given the annual Oliver R. Grace Award for Distinguished Service in Advancing Cancer Research to dedicated laypersons whose leadership has had a significant impact on cancer research. It is named in honor of CRI’s founding chairman. There is a list of award medal recipients since 1995 on the site.
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Does CRI host scientific conferences?
The Institute established its annual International Symposia Series in 1994 to convene a diverse group of cancer immunology researchers from dozens of countries and bring them up to the minute on progress in the field. For information about the next symposium, go to the “Scientific conferences” page. Visit the Previous symposia page to see other forums sponsored by CRI in recent years.
Are patients, donors and the public allowed to attend CRI events?
Anyone is welcome to attend our Annual Awards Dinner, Breakthroughs at Breakfast lecture series, Future of Cancer Therapy sessions, and other fundraising or educational events. To stay informed about CRI happenings, check the CRI calendar or sign up for e-updates.
What is “Breakthroughs at Breakfast”?
“Breakthroughs at Breakfast” is our new morning lecture series with laboratory researchers and hospital clinicians on the frontlines of cancer research. Recent topics have including melanoma vaccines and ovarian cancer. Admission is free for these presentations, which are held at the University Club in New York City. Sign up for CRI e-updates to get announcements of coming topics.
How can I find out about CRI fundraisers, lectures and meetings?
Sign up for our e-mail bulletin for breaking news and timely announcements about publications, podcasts, events and more. You also can visit the CRI Calendar page to see upcoming events. Coverage of recent events can be found on our Fundraising and educational events page. CRI fundraisers, including benefits organized by strong supporters and new friends, take place around the country.
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How can CRI assist the press in covering cancer topics?
Our Press Room page contains links to background information on CRI and cancer immunology,including news releases on recent discoveries and noteworthy events. Reporters, writers and other media professionals interested in interviewing CRI-sponsored researchers, members of our staff, or patients enrolled in immunological clinical trials can call or contact us online. We also offer press badges to our International Symposium and other scientific meetings. Go to the Fundraising and educational events page for links to upcoming conferences.
What publications does CRI have?
In addition to our annual report, we produce the Researcher, our general newsletter with scientist interviews and cancer immunology news, and the Visionary, our newsletter for current or prospective donors. Both current and back issues of these publications can be found on this site.
How can I get on CRI’s mailing list?
Sign up to receive e-mail bulletins from CRI about institute news and events. To receive printed copies of our annual report, newsletters, or patient guides, visit the Contact us page.
Does CRI do podcasts?
We currently are planning and recording our first-ever podcasts, which will feature interviews with CRI-funded scientists as well as our donors, staff, and even patients. When they’re ready, you’ll find them on the Podcasts page. To be notified when podcasts are available, sign up for our e-bulletins.
What other multimedia features are on the site?
We archive audio and video content from Breakthroughs at Breakfast, our morning lecture series with leading cancer scientists. We also have posted our “Vaccine for Cancer” video on this site.
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Does CRI provide financial support to cancer patients and families?
Unfortunately, we are not able to provide direct financial support to patients. We do seek to support patients in another important way, however — by providing fellowships, grants, and awards to the scientists researching new and better ways to prevent, control and treat the disease. In addition, CRI’s site contains patient guides with helpful clinical information on cancer topics, an educational article on cancer & the immune system, and Web links.
How can I find information about new cancer treatments?
If you want to explore your clinical research and treatment options, we can help you to locate clinical trials that may be appropriate matches for your type and stage of cancer. We perform these searches using the Physician Data Query, part of the National Cancer Institute. We do not make treatment recommendations, however, and we encourage patients to share this information with their medical care teams.
What kind of patients benefit from CRI-funded research?
In the “Programs” area of our site, you can read lists of current research funded by CRI. You’ll notice the wide range of projects we support, including clinical trials for many different kinds and stages of cancer. Visit our Real Stories page to read the personal stories of some of the patients who have enrolled in these trials and experienced positive clinical outcomes.
How can I help to support CRI’s work?
Donations from individuals, corporations and foundations are the lifeblood of CRI. We are grateful for any level of support and offer flexible giving options. Some CRI supporters have even organized community fundraisers or giving programs at their workplaces. CRI also encourages patients, family members and friends to attend our educational and fundraising events.
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