Maryland (October 15, 2007) — The Sarcoma Foundation of America, an organization dedicated to finding new and better therapies for sarcoma patients, is pleased to announce it is supporting a $450,000 Advanced Clinical Research Award (ACRA) through The ASCO Foundation.

"We are especially proud of the ACRA grant, which was made possible through a partnership with the Capon Family," said Mark Thornton, M.D., Ph.D., President, Sarcoma Foundation of America. "We believe that by privately funding a long-term research grant of this magnitude, we can attract high caliber researchers who are interested in and capable of pursuing a significant sarcoma research project. It is by supporting the work of dedicated scientific researchers, we will eventually find a cure for sarcoma. It also demonstrates to those of us who are part of the sarcoma community that dedication of a small number of people united for a cause can truly make a difference!"

"Approximately 11,000 new cases of sarcoma will be diagnosed in the United States this year, and roughly 5,500 people will die of the disease. We need to find new and better ways to prevent, diagnose, treat and enhance the quality of life for people living with sarcoma. To that end, we are pleased to announce the Sarcoma Foundation of America and Capon Family will fund the first ASCO Foundation Advanced Clinical Research Award (ACRA) in sarcoma. This award is a vital component to the development of new therapies and progress against sarcoma," said Joseph S. Bailes, M.D., Chair, ASCO Foundation Board of Directors.

The ASCO Foundation, Sarcoma Foundation of America, and Capon Family 2008 Advanced Clinical Research Award in Sarcoma application will be available on October 31, 2007.  Please visit www.ascofoundation.org/grants for a complete listing of award terms and eligibility criteria and to access the online application.

Download the ASCO-SFA brochure describing the new Advanced Clinical Research Award

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