Early Cancer Detection Work Reaps Stanford Cancer Institute Award for Canary Foundation

Dec. 12, 2012 - PRLog -- PALO ALTO, CA — Early detection of cancer research represents the heart and soul of the work of Canary Foundation in Palo Alto, California, with results ultimately intended to save lives. Stanford Cancer Institute bestowed two 2012 Spirit of Hope Awards upon Canary Foundation and its founder, Don Listwin.

“The commitment to identifying easy and affordable biomarkers to detect cancer when it is small is the driving force behind the work of Canary Foundation,” said Don Listwin, founder of the Canary Foundation. “Canary Foundation is honored to be recognized for this work. Within 10 years, we expect and hope to have the tools, technology, tests and the market to allow you to find cancer early where it is most curable.”

Canary Foundation is focused on funding scientific discovery into affordable early detection systems such as blood tests and ultrasound imaging in the fields of ovarian, pancreatic, prostate, breast and lung cancer.

“The major way we’re going to make an impact on cancer is early detection and we are thrilled to partner with Canary in this incredible enterprise,” said Stanford Cancer Institute Director Dr. Beverly Mitchell, MD, as she presented the two awards to Canary Foundation.

The Stanford Institute of Cancer presented awards for the 2012 outstanding grantmaking foundation, outstanding nonprofit, outstanding individual, and outstanding philanthropist recently in an awards event at Stanford. The Spirit of Hope Award is the highest honor bestowed by the Stanford Cancer Institute to steward cancer research and clinical care missions within the Stanford Medical Center. Also recognized were Lisa Swayze, wife of the late Patrick Swayze, who lost his life to pancreatic cancer, and the national Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

Listwin launched Canary Foundation in 2004. He made a lifelong commitment to apply his resources and expertise to build the first nonprofit organization solely dedicated early cancer detection. Listwin is on the Stanford Advisory Board for the Canary Center at Stanford, and is a member of the Board of Scientific Advisors at the National Cancer Institute.

Canary Foundation is the world’s first non-profit organization dedicated solely to the funding, discovery, and development of tests for early cancer detection. Canary Foundation is dedicated to delivering early detection tests for solid cancer tumors within the next 10 years.