Every year, approximately 18 million people around the world are diagnosed with cancer. That's 18 million parents, siblings, children, partners, colleagues, friends, and neighbors and so many more who will never be the same. My life changed in November 2020 when my dad was diagnosed with Stage IV Colon Cancer. As my family and I continue to support Dad in fighting this brutal disease, we need your help. Cancer is a global health concern and each of us has a role to play in this fight — we play to win and with you on our team, I know we can get to a cure. 

Please consider a financial gift to MSK through this fundraising page supporting early research around a potential human clinical trial that will provide new and potentially life saving options for patients with colorectal and appendiceal cancers. I have included more technical information below on the potentially life-saving implications of the work that one of Dad’s incredible doctors, Dr. Garrett Nash, and his team at MSK are doing to advance research that will support a human trial. Thanks to your help on World Cancer Day, we were able to kick off this fundraiser raising nearly $11,000 to go towards funding these efforts. All contributions to this page will continue to go 100% towards supporting MSK in its fight to cure rectal cancer with immunotherapy by supporting research into the delivery of radioimmunotherapy in cancer care led by Dr. Nash.

We are so grateful to Dad’s team of doctors at Memorial Sloan Kettering, including the incredible Dr. Julio Garcia-Aguilar, Dr. Garrett Nash leading the research efforts and so many more who have played a role in his care. Growing up my dad taught me to be an advocate for those who cannot fight for themselves, and most importantly to never, ever, give up. I will never stop fighting for him and all of those patients and families affected by cancer. Please join me in support of MSK’s important research for this potentially life saving clinical trial that could change the way that we think about treating colorectal and appendiceal cancers. 

Lots of love, always in all ways,

Kelly and the Cannon Family

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Contributions will advance important research into the delivery of radioimmunotherapy in cancer care.

When protein antibodies bind to the surface of cancer cells, they link to a radioisotope – a chemical element that emits radiation – and become a drug suitable for a treatment known as radioimmunotherapy (RIT). Once injected into a tumor, the drug delivers precision “liquid radiation cocktails” to find disease on PET and SPECT imaging and strike cancer cells dead.

In November 2017, the MSK research team published remarkable findings testing a novel multi-cycle RIT regimen in GPA33-positive colorectal cancer laboratory models. As described in the Journal of Nuclear Medicine, the therapy led to an astonishing 100 percent response and 100 percent cures without any related toxicities. These data support their view that the approach would be a potent therapy in humans, and early steps are already underway to advance that work.

Now, the team is looking to streamline the therapeutic pipeline between colorectal and appendix cancers. An appendix mouse model is being built, and once a reproducible appendix cancer mouse model is finalized, they will apply the radioimmunotherapy approach in colorectal cancer. If therapy is successful, the team will propose a human clinical trial to grow the arsenal of options for those facing this challenging disease – with life-saving implications.

Philanthropy is vital to progressing this innovative research forward. With support, the research team will have the ability to continue working on their RIT efforts that could change the way that we think about treating colorectal and appendiceal cancers.