The John Estrella Foundation for Cancer Research was founded in memory of my father John Estrella. He began his cancer battle in 1998 when he was diagnosed with Renal Cell Carcinoma (Kidney cancer) that was believed to be localized to the left kidney only. He had his kidney removed and was given an 85-90% recovery rate. This all changed in the summer of 2002 when he began having shortness of breat
h, which was determined to be due to a new tumor in the left lung. For the next 2 years he bravely fought the cancer through surgeries, chemotherapy, radiation therapy and participation in several research studies. He ultimately lost his fight on March 12, 2004, he was only 57 years old
My father, John Estrella, was very optimistic about a new discovery just around the corner that would be able to help him and others. Because of his positive outlook and willingness to participate in cancer trials, this foundation was created to help fund projects that will advance cancer research here in our backyard. Funding local research will ensure our communities have access to the newest most effective treatments and cures in the battle against cancer. The mission of The John Estrella Foundation for Cancer Research is to provide hope through research to all individuals and families affected by cancer. With your support, we have been able to donate a yearly research grant. Currently, our funding supports a clinical protocol to acquire tumor samples from kidney cancer patients who have a kidney removed. These important samples are being used to identify factors that help predict which patients are likely to require additional therapy for their disease. With our continued funding, this protocol has been expanded to other major hospitals in the area, including Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, and Beth-Israel Deaconess Medical Center. Nearly fifteen hundred patients to date have participated in this study. A number of tumor markers have been identified using these resources, and studies are ongoing to determine whether these markers can be used not only to identify the presence of kidney cancer, but also to monitor response/resistance to cancer therapies to help individualize each patient's cancer treatment in order to prolong life and ultimately help lead to a CURE!
