Your 2024 Impact Report


One common goal. Many people to thank.
Your generosity makes progress happen — fast. Every dollar raised by Cycle for Survival goes to high-impact rare cancer research initiatives at MSK just six months after fundraising ends each season.
- Researching rare cancers
- Outsmarting cancer
- Discovering new treatments
- Equinox Innovation Initiative
Researching rare cancers
$14.6 million
Cycle for Survival funding makes it possible for world-leading MSK investigators, who are experts in many types of rare cancers, to research new and better ways to treat people with these diseases. This work includes initiating and running their own clinical trials that wouldn’t be possible without this community.
Brain cancers: $5.2 million
Researchers at MSK are advancing molecular diagnostics and targeted therapies for many types of brain cancer, including high-grade gliomas.
Pediatric cancers: $3.2 million
Research being conducted at MSK Kids, the pediatric program at MSK, is leading to advancements that improve outcomes and survival rates for young patients worldwide.
Blood cancers: $1.75 million
Breakthroughs at MSK in molecular oncology and immunotherapies are enhancing precision treatment options for people with blood cancers.
Sarcomas: $1.3 million
Researchers at MSK are furthering the molecular understanding of the nearly 100 different types of sarcoma that exist and developing targeted treatment options for people with these rare cancers.
Head and neck cancers: $1 million
MSK is pioneering immunotherapies and precision radiation techniques in head and neck cancer research to enhance treatment efficacy.
Gastrointestinal cancers: $730,000
Research at MSK is uncovering novel insights and innovative therapeutic strategies for gastrointestinal cancers.
Gynecologic cancers: $610,000
Leading-edge immunotherapies and surgical techniques are being developed at MSK to improve survival and quality of life for people with gynecologic cancers.
Additional team-designated funds: $845,000
Every MSK research project that receives Cycle for Survival funding accelerates progress toward new and more effective ways to diagnose, treat, and cure people with a rare cancer.
See the full list of MSK researchers who are team-designated funding recipients.
Outsmarting cancer
$8.8 million
Thanks to your support, Cycle for Survival can fund research at MSK that reveals how cancer starts, grows, and spreads. MSK scientists then use this knowledge to stop the disease in its tracks.
Cancer Biology and Genetics Program: $4 million
Researchers in MSK’s Cancer Biology and Genetics Program aim to improve cancer prevention, diagnosis, and treatment by combining basic and clinical research to better understand rare tumors and the environments in which they exist.
Epigenetics Research Innovation Lab: $1.5 million
Studying epigenetics, the way behavioral and environmental factors can influence gene expression, helps scientists understand why certain genes are turned on or off in rare cancer cells and find new treatment targets. Epigenetic changes can also be reversible, offering potential for innovative therapies.
High-Risk Surveillance Program: $1 million
Genetic and environmental factors put some people at higher risk of developing cancer, including several rare cancers. MSK has established a fast-growing program to identify people at elevated risk and tailor their care to prevent disease or catch it at its earliest, most treatable stage.
Bioinformatics Core: $790,000
Rare cancer research is a data-intensive process requiring expertise and a ramped-up computation infrastructure. The MSK Bioinformatics Core is a hub of resources for rare cancer researchers at MSK, who employ next-generation tools and technologies to accelerate lifesaving discoveries.
The Marie-Josée and Henry R. Kravis Center for Molecular Oncology: $555,000
The Marie-Josée and Henry R. Kravis Center for Molecular Oncology (CMO) is a team of laboratory, computational, and clinical researchers who work together to create and implement new genomic technologies. CMO scientists transform molecular insights into diagnostic tools, such as MSK-IMPACT® and MSK-ACCESS®.
Molecular Biology Program: $500,000
DNA damage is one of the main causes of cancers, and scientists in MSK’s Molecular Biology Program are trying to understand how an organism’s ability to repair damage to its own DNA correlates with cancer development or progression.
Developmental Biology Program: $500,000
By studying how cells form healthy tissues and organs, organize and repair damage, and form tumors, MSK developmental biologists can learn more about the origins of rare cancers and come up with new strategies to halt the progression of disease.
Discovering new treatments
$7 million
MSK teams are leading the way forward to develop innovative new ways to treat people with a rare cancer — from precision therapies to cancer vaccines that supercharge the immune system. The efforts that you support offer more hope for new cures than ever before.
The Human Oncology and Pathogenesis Program: $5 million
The Human Oncology and Pathogenesis Program (HOPP) at MSK is an incubator for novel cancer therapies, bringing together physicians and scientists working at the forefront of translational cancer research. HOPP investigators have one foot in the lab and one foot in the clinic, bridging the gap between scientific discoveries and the rare cancer patients who can benefit from them.
Cancer Vaccine Research: $1 million
MSK led the first clinical trial testing an investigational mRNA vaccine for pancreatic cancer, paving the way for additional research and trials to explore this potential treatment option for people with pancreatic and other rare cancers.
Immunology: $700,000
Immunologists study how the immune system can recognize and kill cancer cells. By studying this behavior, MSK researchers can develop powerful new ways to harness the body’s natural defenses against some of the most challenging cancers, including rare cancers.
Molecular pharmacology: $300,000
Molecular pharmacologists study the biology of how drugs work. This knowledge is essential to creating targeted therapies that precisely attack cancer cells, improving treatment effectiveness and reducing side effects.
Equinox Innovation Initiative
$3.6 million
Named in honor of Cycle for Survival’s founding partner, Equinox, these grants are awarded to MSK physicians and scientists through a competitive internal application process. These coveted funds enable recipients to pursue bold, leading-edge research with speed and agility.
2024 Recipients
A. Ari Hakimi, MD
Ontogeny and targeting of regulatory T cells in sarcomatoid renal cell carcinoma
Andrea Ventura, MD, PhD
Modeling MDM2 focal amplifications in liposarcomas to identify novel therapeutic vulnerabilities
David Aggen, MD, PhD
Defining mechanisms of resistance to antibody-drug conjugates targeting nectin-4 in combination with immunotherapy in urothelial cancers
Emily Cheng, MD, PhD
Eliciting anti-tumor memory through BAX/BAK-dependent immunogenic cell death in kidney cancer
Gabrielle Rizzuto, MD, PhD
Glycosylation facilitates immune evasion in choriocarcinoma
Ian Ganly, MD, PhD
Anti-tumor activity of mTOR inhibitors in human PDX models of Hürthle cell carcinoma
Michael Foote, MD
A phase 2 study of botensilimab and balstilimab immunotherapy for stage 4 appendiceal adenocarcinoma
Ping Chi, MD, PhD
Novel plasma and radio imaging biomarker in malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor
William Johnson, DO
Identifying genomic and immunologic predictors of response to pembrolizumab for treatment-naive extranodal NK/T cell lymphoma
Have questions? Let’s connect.
Every dollar makes an impact
Your support empowers MSK’s rare cancer experts
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A legacy of achievement
See more funding allocations and the impact you’ve made in recent years.