This week the V Foundation raised a very impressive $3M at our Annual Boo-Yah event in New York City honoring the 10-year anniversary of Stuart Scott’s ESPY’s speech and funding grants through the Stuart Scott Memorial Cancer Research Fund. In total – and this is incredible: the V Foundation has raised over $75M to address cancer health inequities. THIS is how you make an impact for all.
As I reflect on what these dollars really mean for cancer research and researchers, I thought to share findings from the lab of V Foundation and Stuart Scott grantee Dr. Catherine Marshall at Johns Hopkins University. Dr. Marshall recently uncovered a concerning link between PARP inhibitors, (which are used to treat advanced prostate cancer), and an increased risk of acute myeloid leukemia. Dr. Marshall and team learned that this risk stems from the emergence something known as clonal hematopoiesis, a condition in which genetic mutations in blood cells can lead to cancer.
Dr. Marshall’s work highlights how prior therapies and advanced age further elevate the likelihood of clonal hematopoiesis in patients treated with PARP inhibitors.
Why are these findings relevant to health disparities? They underscore the need for equitable access to genetic testing and long-term monitoring to identify clonal hematopoiesis early, particularly in underserved populations where healthcare disparities may delay detection. By funding research like this, the Stuart Scott Fund ensures that treatments effective, safe, and accessible for all communities, bringing us closer to equity in cancer care.
Dr. Marshall is a clinician scientist. When she attended the V Cancer Research Summit in 2023, she shared with the V team her thoughts on what Victory Over Cancer means to her:
‘When I’m seeing patients what they want, and what they ask for, is more time with family members. More time to have another season of gardening more time to do things that they enjoy and they love. So, Victory Over Cancer to me means giving people that time and allowing them to participate and do whatever it is that that’s meaningful for individuals.’“