x
Breaking News
More () »

Wake Forest Baptist Health Gets $25 Million Grant For Cancer Research

The grant is designed to focus on extending ongoing clinical research in cardiovascular and neurocognitive complications of cancer treatments.

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — Wake Forest Baptist Health is getting a $25 million grant from the National Cancer Institute’s Community Oncology Research Program (NCORP).

The grant is designed to focus on extending ongoing clinical research in cardiovascular and neurocognitive complications of cancer treatments and on improving patient well-being during cancer care.  

For example, doctors know that certain classes of chemotherapy drugs commonly given for breast cancer and lymphomas can cause a permanent decrease in heart function. The Wake Forest Baptist team is looking at ways to protect the heart from damage, as well as clearly defining who may be at risk so that doctors could intervene to prevent or stop the damage. 

“In contrast to the majority of clinical trials for oncology that try to find new treatments for specific cancers, this program focuses on how different therapies, such as radiation, chemotherapy and immunotherapy, can affect the quality of life for patients and their caregivers dealing with the disease,” said Glenn Lesser, M.D., one of the principal investigators of the grant-funded research and a professor of oncology at Wake Forest Baptist.

This is the second time in five years the hospital has received a grant like this. Back in 2014, it received a $18 million grant for cancer research.

RELATED: Study: Tap Water Linked To 100,000 Cancer Cases

RELATED: Blood pressure medication recall for cancer risk expanded

RELATED: 'Jeopardy!' host Alex Trebek undergoing chemotherapy again after setback in cancer battle


Before You Leave, Check This Out