Rona D. Yaeger, M.D., Receives 2010 AACR-Colorectal Cancer Coalition Fellows Grant

WASHINGTON,  March 25 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- C3: Colorectal Cancer Coalition has awarded Rona D. Yaeger, M.D., a fellow at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York, the 2010 American Association for Cancer Research – Colorectal Cancer Coalition Fellows Grant.

The C3 "Lisa Fund" was created in memory of Lisa Dubow, a founder of C3: Colorectal Cancer Coalition who was 42 years old when she was diagnosed with stage III colorectal cancer. Ms. Dubow credited cutting-edge research and clinical trials with helping her survive her colorectal cancer for nine years before her death in 2007.  

The Lisa Fund supports researchers who are dedicated to developing treatments for patients with late stage colorectal cancer. Through the Lisa Fund, C3 has partnered with the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) as part of its Fellows Grants Program to attract and reward cutting-edge researchers.

Dr. Yaeger's research will focus on inhibiting the AKT pathway in colorectal cancer cells. She will be doing basic research to determine how inhibitors to the pathway might affect cells of patients who have mutated KRAS and are resistant to EGFR inhibiting drugs. Dr. Yaeger will also be conducting a phase II clinical trial with an AKT inhibitor for patients with metastatic colorectal who have normal KRAS.  

Accepting her grant, Dr. Yeager released the following statement:

"I am very excited to receive this grant in support of my research and grateful for the opportunity to become an independent researcher.  This research supports idea targeted therapies in colon cancer and it is my hope that we can rapidly translate the understanding of pathways important in cell growth for the treatment of colon cancer and to better the lives of colon cancer patients."

Carlea Bauman, President of C3, released the following statement:

"C3 is very excited to support the research of Dr. Yaeger and congratulates her on being selected as the 2010 grantee.  We look forward to following Dr. Yaeger's research and having the opportunity to work with her.  C3 is also extremely proud to be able to support research dedicated to late-stage colorectal cancer and grateful for AACR's assistance in making that a reality."

C3: Colorectal Cancer Coalition (C3) is a nonprofit, advocacy organization whose mission is to win the fight against colorectal cancer through research, empowerment and access.  C3 was founded in 2005 in order to provide focus, infrastructure and support to the growing colorectal cancer advocacy movement.

Contact:  Benjamin Basloe, (703) 548-1225, ext. 17, [email protected]

SOURCE C3: Colorectal Cancer Coalition