Paula Takacs Fndn Sponsors First Sarcoma Investigator-Initiated Trial at Levine Cancer Institute

CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Jan. 29, 2018 - PRLog -- The Paula Takacs Foundation for Sarcoma Research, a Charlotte-based nonprofit, has sponsored the first investigator-initiated study at Levine Cancer Institute to evaluate a promising drug in both adult and pediatric patients with sarcoma. An investigator-initiated study means that the concept and design were developed by a Levine Cancer Institute physician rather than by the pharmaceutical company developing the drug.

This clinical trial plans to enroll a total of 30 pediatric and adult sarcoma patients over a two-year period. Sarcoma, a cancer of the bone and soft tissue throughout the body, is a severely under-funded and under-researched disease. Few specialized treatments are available to patients, making a sarcoma diagnosis very challenging.

The Paula Takacs Foundation for Sarcoma Research has donated over $556,000 to Levine Cancer Institute's sarcoma research program, including $185,000 in 2017. The foundation's 7th annual signature fundraiser, the Sarcoma Stomp, will take place on Saturday, April 28 in Charlotte, NC. A family-friendly event, attracting more than 1200 supporters, features a 5K run, 3K walk, mascot appearances and awards.

"The money raised by the Paula Takacs Foundation gets directly invested in our research," says Dr. Edward Kim, Chair of Solid Tumor Oncology & Investigational Therapeutics, Levine Cancer Institute, Carolinas Healthcare System. "We are putting effort into this disease because we can move the needle quite a bit and patients with sarcoma need better options. This is made possible because of this partnership."


The foundation's mission is to fund cutting-edge sarcoma research in Charlotte to expand hope for cures globally. Visit https://www.paulatakacsfoundation.org to learn more about the foundation, and http://www.sarcomastomp.org for information about the Sarcoma Stomp. For information on study enrollment, please contact Loretta Cecil, Levine Cancer Institute, at (980) 442-5218.