This Thanksgiving, It’s All About Hope

Thanksgiving is still a couple of weeks out, but it’s never too early to count our blessings.

High on my list of what I’m thankful for, as Chair of the SWOG Cancer Research Network, is having the strong support of The Hope Foundation for Cancer Research. I don’t think this sense of gratitude was ever as strong as it has been over the last year and a half, given the ups and downs (mostly downs) of federal funding for the group. 

As you may remember, our NCI National Clinical Trials Network funding was reduced by 5 percent last year. This year, without an official federal budget, that cut grew to 10 percent (and if anyone is tracking inflation against a flat-lined budget since 2019, … the deficit mounts).

While some of those missing federal funds should be restored, in the interim The Hope Foundation pledged to provide bridging, which is cumulatively now in the millions. Because of Hope support, our operations have continued essentially uninterrupted – with no breaks in ongoing clinical trials, no staff layoffs, and no major restructuring.

One of the reasons SWOG established a foundation more than 30 years ago (originally the Southwest Oncology Group Foundation) was to open up opportunities to develop sources of funding beyond federal grant funding. 

So while Hope is often referred to as SWOG’s public charity, it has become so, so much more. 

It’s now home to much of SWOG’s core operations office staff, for example, and it’s a recipient of federal funds that support those staff, pay our sites, and more. 

Hope negotiates all our non-federal resources, and as a mechanism for growing and disbursing those resources, it gives us flexibility that’s hugely important when federal support fluctuates. It serves a role that has become increasingly essential. 

We also created SWOG Clinical Trials Partnerships (originally, in 2008, the SWOG Clinical Trials Initiative) as a limited liability corporation within Hope, to conduct important non-federal clinical trials and to develop a new line of business to bring in revenue outside of federal funds. It’s a resource that will continue to strengthen SWOG for decades to come.

It’s an exciting time at SWOG, in part because so much is happening within The Hope Foundation’s (largely virtual) walls. 

For one, SWOG CTP has two active trials (Leuk01 and HN01: CAPT-HN), three more now in development, and a couple of others under discussion with potential partners. It’s an initiative we expect will continue to grow in importance for both SWOG and Hope.

Hope also funds competitive research award programs to the tune of several million dollars annually.

In 2024, the foundation awarded 14 new peer-reviewed research grants, approved $2.8 million in support of SWOG research, funded the travel of 160 of our members to attend SWOG meetings, and administered $13.2 million in site payments on SWOG’s behalf through SWOG CTP.  

In 2025, it already awarded the following new research support grants:

• a SWOG Early Exploration and Development (SEED) Fund grant to Joo Song, MD, for a project studying molecular subtyping to personalize treatment of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma
• a Coltman Fellowship to Allison Meisner, PhD, (of our Statistics and Data Management Center) for a project using RxPONDER trial data to develop prognostic and predictive scores and compare their clinical utility as treatment selection tools
• a SWOG/Hope Impact Award to Sapna Patel, MD, and Natalie Longino, MD, PhD, for a project to identify biomarkers that predict a patient’s risk of potentially deadly cardiovascular immune-related adverse events
• an NCORP Pilot Grant to Maha Hussain, MD, and Melissa Simon, MD, MPH, for a project to engage community scientists to enhance participation in women’s cancer clinical trials
• a SEED Fund grant to Robert Knoerl, PhD, RN, for a project testing the feasibility of a virtually delivered diet intervention to reduce chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy

Other 2025 Hope support includes Trial Support Awards to fund components of ongoing SWOG trials, huge pot of committee support, essential bridge funding for our Statistics and Data Management Center, and all support for our annual Leadership and Project Development (LeaP) course (formerly ESITC, nee YITC). 

MAPP, one of Hope’s most exciting recent programs, is a mentoring intervention for advanced practice providers (APPs) across the NCI National Clinical Trials Network. The application deadline for the program’s second cohort is fast approaching (November 21st). You can learn more via this succinct description of the MAPP program by Christa Braun-Inglis, MS, APRN, FNP-BC, AOCN, which appeared in yesterday’s Cancer Nursing Today.

In expressing general thanks for all Hope does, I also extend specific thanks to the Hope leadership (looking at you in particular Jo Horn, CEO), to the Hope board of directors (disclosure: I’m an ex officio member – which doesn’t mean I can’t thank everyone else on it), to all who have volunteered as reviewers of applications to Hope’s funding programs, and to the incredibly dedicated and professional Hope and SWOG CTP staff.

And remember, the most sincere way of showing your appreciation of The Hope Foundation is by making a donation. I have, and will continue to do so.
 

One more area in which Hope support has been critical is in our efforts to reengage veterans affairs medical centers in NCI trials. As we’ve just celebrated Veterans Day 2025, I want to also take this opportunity to thank our military veterans for their service.

ASCO Election: Now Open
Member voting for a new slate of American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) leaders continues until December 8th. We've partnered with ASCO on many occasions and issues. If you’re an ASCO member, I encourage you to be a good citizen and get out and vote.