The Kidney Cancer Research Alliance (KCCure) announced today that Brigham and Women’s researcher, Dr. Lisa Henske has been selected to receive the KCCure Chromophobe Research Grant Award of $50,000 for her proposal: Targeting KIT in Chromophobe Kidney Cancer.
This is the third annual KCCure research grant awarded for Chromophobe Renal Cell Carcinoma (ChRCC), and the second grant to be awarded to Dr. Henske. ChRCC is a rare subtype of kidney cancer accounting for roughly 5 percent of RCC tumors. When discovered early, this histological type is less likely to spread to other parts of the body. However, once the disease becomes metastatic, survival rates are poor. Despite significant advances for patients with the most common type of kidney cancer, research has lagged for patients with advanced chromophobe RCC.
The KCCure research platform offers a unique opportunity for patients to establish competitive, peer reviewed research grants aimed toward patient specific priorities that lack access to traditional funding sources. In 2020, ChRCC patient Catherine Yutmeyer successfully led the effort to establish a chromophobe specific research grant.
“Programs like this empower patients with rare kidney cancers, offering hope to those who feel left behind,”said Meghan Griffith, Vice President of KCCure. More importantly, they help shift the scientific paradigm and raise awareness about significant gaps in research and care.
“In 2018, when I was first diagnosed, I felt like I didn’t matter, there’s not enough people like me for doctors to invest into finding a cure for me,” said Nikki Dinda, ChRCC patient and member of the KCCure ChRCC programmatic review panel. “Now I feel like I have a voice, and I matter, and someone cares.”
Remarking on the success of the program, Yutmeyer added, “When I first started my journey, it was very dark, and this grant just feels like so much light for me. I am so thankful for everyone who is a part of this process and helps make this happen.”
Since the KCCure Chromophobe Program was launched, interest in ChRCC has surged and multiple new funding sources have emerged. The KCCure chromophobe patient community has grown by more than 70 percent and public support for the effort has grown dramatically.
Special thanks to the FY2023 Chromophobe Research Grant Programmatic Panel members: Catherine Yutmeyer, Gigi Cohen, Chase and Meghan Griffith, Vic and Kimberly Cranmer, Courtney Dodds, and Nikki Dinda.
KCCure is an evidence based, patient driven kidney cancer advocacy organization, dedicated to improving outcomes through outreach, education, and research.
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