September 30 marks Rare Cancer Day each year. But this year, the end of September was made even more meaningful to Case CCC thanks to a gift from the Jed Ian Taxel Foundation for Rare Cancer Research (JEDI). The $5 million launches CURE: The Rare Cancer Initiative at Case CCC.
The gift is in memory of Jed Ian Taxel who died at age 39 of a rare cancer. Jed's family felt that researching rare cancers more effectively would be a fitting legacy. A family friend referred them to Gary Schwartz, MD, not yet in Cleveland, and the Taxel's liked his hypothesis to build a powerful network of cancer centers across the U.S. so researchers could profile rare cancers in thousands of patients, generate a comprehensive map across cancer forms, use molecular technologies to dissect each component of a tumor at single-cell resolution and, ultimately, develop targeted therapeutic approaches that could defeat rare cancers.
When Schwartz was hired as Case CCC's Director, the gift, and his vision for addressing rare cancers, came with him to Cleveland.