Page 4 - Wilmot Cancer Institute | UR Medicine

ReseaRch PRogRams of exceLLence

The Wilmot Cancer Institute has long set the standard for excellence in cancer care in our community and beyond. We will focus on what is essential to improve future care—growing our research programs. Our talented researchers
and clinicians will focus on three key research programs: the hallmarks of cancer, immunotherapy, and cancer control and survivorship.

HALLMARKS OF CANCER

Each of us has a unique genetic makeup—and sometimes
a genetic susceptibility to cancer. Instead of focusing
on single mutations within each cancer subtype, our
scientists are searching for the molecular flaws many
cancers have in common. We believe these common
hallmarks hold the key to future treatments. We envision a
day, for example, when cancer will be diagnosed through
its genetic features instead of an association to the
pancreas, lung, breast, or another organ. Meanwhile, we
search databases for current, approved drugs that might
target these genetic abnormalities. We work to discover
affordable precision treatments that disrupt core functions
of cancer—offering personalized medicine that can be
applied to broad groups of people, striking cancer in new
and more effective ways.

CANCER CONTROL AND
SURVIVORSHIP

Thanks to significant research advances in the past decade,
there are nearly 15.5 million cancer survivors—and the
numbers grow every day. Survivorship will grow to more
than 20 million by 2026. The Wilmot Cancer Institute has
a rich history in cancer survivorship research deepening
our understanding of the risks of second cancers after
treatment, post-treatment brain fog, sleep disorders, and
nausea. We are now looking at specific ways to reduce the
side effects of chemotherapy and radiation, and developing
personalized models to predict who will benefit most from
various therapies.